!

Positive Psychology Activities

to Improve Performance and
Well-Being

A Seven-Week Workout Workbook

Deb Levy, M.Ed., PCC

Business & Life Coach
Coaching Is Good
deb@coachingisgood.com

Deb Levy, M.Ed., PCC, Business & Life Coach, www.coachingisgood.com,

deb@coachingisgood.com, 2016
 Workout One: What Went Well Exercise
(From, Flourish, by Martin Seligman, 2011 p. 33-34)
Directions: Every night for the next week, set aside ten minutes before you go to sleep. Write
down three things that went well that day. The three good things can be anything, big or small,
earthshaking or insignificant.

Day 1
What Went Well?

Day 2
What Went Well?

Day 3
What Went Well?

Day 4
What Went Well?

Day 5
What Went Well?

Deb Levy, M.Ed., PCC, Business & Life Coach, www.coachingisgood.com,

deb@coachingisgood.com, 2016
 Workout Two: Best Possible Future Self – Exercise
(Adapted from The How of Happiness, Lyubormirsky, p. 104)
Directions: Schedule a 15-minute block of time to write about your “best possible future self”
one year from now. Imagine that things have turned out even better than you expected in all areas
of your life. Imagine that you have worked hard and succeeded and accomplished all of your
goals. Write whatever comes to your mind, in as much detail as possible without editing your
thoughts or worrying about grammar or style. Just put pen to paper and write as if you are writing
from that future time. If you feel inspired, schedule another 15-minute block and repeat this
activity.

Prompt: OMG, things have turned out even better than I expected. I am now…
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GOAL SETTING: What are three goals that you need to focus on to create your best possible
year? Write your goals in as much detail as possible.

Goal 1:

Goal 2:

Goal 3:

Deb Levy, M.Ed., PCC, Business & Life Coach, www.coachingisgood.com,

deb@coachingisgood.com, 2016
 Workout Three: Noticing Your Signature Strengths Every Day Log
(From, Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification, by Martin Seligman & Chris
Peterson, 2004)

Directions:
1.Take the VIA ME Survey at: http://www.viacme.org (It will take you 15 minutes to sign up,
take the test, and print your results.)
2.Review your results and read the description of every strength
3.WRITE OUT the description of your TOP FIVE signature strengths and POST them in a
place you will see them.
4.Each day, choose a ONE strength to focus on, and notice how you it throughout the day.
5.At the END of the day, WRITE the specific ways you used this strength.

VIA Signature How did you use this strength?

Strength
Day 1
Strength 1:

Day 2
Strength 2:

Day 3
Strength 3:

Day 4
Strength 4:

Day 5
Strength 5:

REFLECTION: What did you learn from this activity? How did you feel when you were using
your strengths? Are there strengths that you over-use? Under-use?

Deb Levy, M.Ed., PCC, Business & Life Coach, www.coachingisgood.com,

deb@coachingisgood.com, 2016
 Workout Four: Daily Gratitude Journal
Directions: Each day this week, write down five things for which you are grateful. To do this
workout, really take the time – a minute or two – to visualize and savor each of the five things.
Add variety to your list to keep it meaningful throughout the week.

THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Deb Levy, M.Ed., PCC, Business & Life Coach, www.coachingisgood.com,

deb@coachingisgood.com, 2016
 Workout Five: Be Grateful It’s Friday (BGIF) Gratitude Letters


Directions: Make a list of three people who have been nice to you over the past year, to whom
you owe a “debt of gratitude.” On Friday, pick one person and spend 15 minutes writing a
gratitude letter or gratitude email. Describe in detail what they did for you and how they impacted
your. If you are inspired pay a “gratitude visit” and read the letter in person.

Workout Six: Loving Kindness Mediation

Directions: Find a quiet place where you can mediate for 15 minutes a day. Put your meditation
time in your schedule, preferably at the same time every day. For five days, spend 15 minutes
practicing the Loving Kindness Meditation, found at: http://positivityresonance.com/
meditations.html. At the end of each sitting, reflect on your experience and record your immediate
thoughts and feelings in the meditation log below.

Time/Place Thoughts & Feelings

Day 1.
Day 2.
Day 3.
Day 4
Day 5.

Workout Seven: Nurturing Your Relationships

Directions: Pick one relationship you want to nurture in the next week. Review the list of
interventions below and decide on a strategy you will use to build this relationship. List the steps
you need to do to implement this plan. Schedule each step and DO IT! time to do it!.

Interventions:
1. Make time – Schedule extra time to be together (at least an hour).
2. Increase Positivity Ratio to 5:1 – Communicate love, admiration, appreciation and other
positive feelings at a ratio of five times to one for every negative comment.
3. Celebrate Good Events – Actively communicate your support and enthusiasm when
someone shares good news.
4. Honest Self-Disclosure – Share an important part of your inner life with someone.
5. Show Respect and Admiration – Directly communicate your admiration and respect to
someone.
6. Express Gratitude – Express gratitude and tell someone why you are thankful for their
relationship or actions. Write a new gratitude letter and read it to them.
7. Kindness – Do something kind, something that you wouldn’t ordinarily do, something that
takes effort.
8. Support – Make an active effort to show support for someone who is struggling.
Deb Levy, M.Ed., PCC, Business & Life Coach, www.coachingisgood.com,
deb@coachingisgood.com, 2016