(Title image: Photo by Jumpy Wizard on Unsplash)
This is a time-sensitive opportunity for US residents!
NOTE: all links are described at the bottom of this post.
I unexpectedly came across a great opportunity for those of you interested in taking a master class in stress management and also participating in a large research study.
Dr. Judith Moskowitz, a research psychologist at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, is recruiting 20,000 participants for an online, self-guided, positive emotions study/class. The course will teach eight science-backed stress reduction skills over 5 weeks, with the 6th week being a practice and review period (the entire length of the study will be 12 weeks). The skills being taught involve the following (from this National Public Radio (NPR) article):
- Positive Events
- Savoring
- Gratitude
- Daily Mindfulness
- Positive Reappraisal
- Self-Compassion
- Personal Strengths
- Attainable Goals
Additionally, NPR has an accompanying 5-week newsletter series called Stress Less that will help reinforce these skills. Signing up for that can be done here.
This other article from NPR talks about both the newsletter and the study/class.
More information and the registration link can be found on Dr. Moskowitz’s site where she describes what’s involved. To participate, you must be over the age of 18, living in the United States and have reliable internet connectivity as this is 100% online. There will be questionnaires to complete about your emotional states at the beginning and end of the study, and you will get nightly homework.
(Photo by Jane Thomson on Unsplash)
While the “nightly homework” thing might seem like too much, I can personally attest to the fact that consistency is what strengthens skills and habits. You keep yourself accountable by committing to a daily practice. For me, knowing that a course is set up for working on a little every day is actually quite reassuring—I know I’m more likely to get results.
But do these skills really work in reducing stress? Dr. Moskowitz herself said that she was initially skeptical that skills like these would make an appreciable difference, but years of positive research results changed her mind. The idea is to train your brain to experience good feelings.
I love programs like this because the only cost is a little effort on your part. If it doesn’t seem to work for you, you haven’t lost much, but if it works, the rewards can be life-changing.
As a cancer survivor with anxious tendencies, I find this to be a win-win proposition. I have signed up, as have several members of my family. If you are interested, don’t wait! The study is limited to the first 20,000 registrants and when the original NPR story came out on Monday, September 30th, the response was so overwhelming that it effectively shut the regstration site down.
Registration resumed on October 2nd and as far as I know there are still spaces available.
But the enthusiastic initial response to the invitation to join in the research was quite telling. So many of us are looking for a way to reduce our stress levels and bring more positivity into our lives. This challenge is one more way to do that.
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Links with descriptions:
NPR audio story featuring the Resilience Challenge: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/09/27/nx-s1-5082364/anxiety-stress-positive-coping-class-skills
NPR article featuring the Stress Less newsletter and Resilience Study: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/09/28/nx-s1-5084630/anxiety-stress-relief-tips-strategies
The Resilience Challenge registration information and link: https://www.moskowitzlab.com/resilience
NPR Stress Less newsletter sign up: https://www.npr.org/newsletter/stress-less?&utm_campaign=hpstory
Frantic Shanti 