PLS8003
CULTIVATING RESILIENCE
Personal agility for a busy mind and changing world
SEMINAR 1
Recognizing self-
defeating beliefs and
biases
Welcome!!
3 Questions
“
1. Who are you (name, faculty, year of study)?
2. What made you sign up for PLS8003 (other “
than the 1 MC…)?
3. What do you most want to learn about
resilience?
Seminar 1
Module Overview
01 Recognizing self-defeating beliefs and biases
Unhelpful Thinking Habits & Thought Modification
02 The theory and practice of attention regulation
Mindfulness Theory & Practice
03 Personal strengths and habit formation
PERMA & Resilience Narratives
CS/CU Passing Criteria
70% Active Participation
30% Reflective Journaling
Rules of Engagement
1. Active participation (camera on, face visible)
2. Self-discovery & reflection
3. Remain curious, with an open mind
4. Mutual respect during sharing
5. Engaging & light-hearted
What’s On Today?
1. The brain’s Negativity Bias
Beliefs
2. A thought experiment
& 3. Cognitive biases and distortions
Biases 4. Strategies to modify thoughts
WHAT DOES A
RESILIENT PERSON
LOOK LIKE?
Resilience
“(A) process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy,
threats or even significant sources of threat”
(American Psychological Association, 2017)
Resilience is…
- Changeable over time; dynamic
- Influenced by your ability and competencies
- Based on your capacity to manage strong feelings and impulses to triggers and stimuli
- Requires you to regulating your attention & emotional responses
American Psychological Association (2017). The Road to Resilience. Available online at: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx
What are some words you personally
associate with Resilience?
Menti.com
Code: 7611 4904
Buckets of Resilience to Cultivate
Physical
Cognition
Emotions
Behaviour
•Optimism •Calm •Effective •Ample quality
•Internal locus disposition in problem sleep
of control the face of solving •Strong
•Taking uncertainty •Active coping Immunity
personal •A healthy mechanisms •Age
responsibility range of •Help seeking appropriate
•Self- emotions behavior physical
awareness •Regulating •Balanced fitness
strong lifestyle
emotions •‘Grit’
THINKING
STYLES
Beliefs & Biases
THE NEGATIVITY BIAS
Dr Rick Hanson, PhD, Neuropsychologist & Author
The Negativity Bias
THE BRAIN’S NEGATIVITY BIAS
1. What is it?
2. Why do we have it?
3. What are the implications &
consequences?
A potential consequence?
“The amygdala hijack is an immediate, overwhelming
emotional response with a later realization that the response
was inappropriately strong given the trigger.”
– Daniel Goleman
“Freaking out”
”Overreacting”
THOUGHT
EXPERIMENT
Imagine This Scenario (Post-Covid)
Source: www.straitstimes.com
What were your automatic reactions?
Use the google sheet (link in the chat box):
1. Your first thoughts.
2. What emotions did you experience?
3. Where did you feel it in your body?
4. What might you do afterwards?
5. What’s the point of the exercise???
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1unF4dzo0O8ho3GWcXLNiTjKB_sVCeEHdetKDBI_ViNo/edit?usp=sharing
Your interpretations shape your experience
Not the situation per se
Emotions
Situation Thoughts Physical
Sensations
Actions
ERRORS IN THINKING?
COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS
Thinking Traps – We all have them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnxWRwQYdIQ
What is your Stress Pattern?
Source: www.psychologytools.org
TRIBE DISCUSSION
You will be split into groups of 4 to 5 people
Source: www.psychologytools.org
Share with your tribe mates:
1. What is your stress pattern? E.g., black & white, catastrophizing,
should & musts etc
2. Where does this thinking error show up in your life?
E.g., in what situations / with whom
3. How does it affect your mental wellbeing &
resilience?
4. Share some tips you have for overcoming this
thinking pattern?
We are more similar than dissimilar! J
Thinking Traps
Gale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkPop5QbdS0
10 MIN
BREAK
DEFEAT NEGATIVE THINKING
Happify: How to Defeat Negative Thinking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XLY_XXBQWE
CHANGING UNHELPFUL THOUGHTS
1. Cognitive Restructuring
1. Cognitive Restructuring
Replacing distortions with balanced, alternative beliefs
Where’s the Are they 100
evidence? % accurate?
What would
an observer
say about What are
this? some
alternative
beliefs?
Challenging
How reliable are What other
Beliefs vs your thoughts?
perspectives
Facts could there
be?
What’s the alternative / balanced thought?
Mind-
reading
Missing one meeting
I know what they does not mean I am poor
are thinking… team player. I was on MC.
They think I am I can’t assume I
irresponsible and a know what they are
slacker thinking. Let me find out.
for missing out on Perhaps it’s not what I
that meeting. think it is…?
Labelling
The Process: ‘Combating’ Negative Thoughts
Situation (Who, What, When, Where)
1 2 3 4
Identify Come Up With
Challenge
Automatic Name Alternative /
Thoughts
Thoughts / Thinking Traps Balanced
‘Combat’
Reactions Thoughts
Rate your emotions before & after! Your thoughts shape your emotions.
Try it out!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1unF4dzo0O8ho3GWcXLNiTjKB_sVCeEHdetKDBI_ViNo/edit?usp=sharing
1. Go back to what you initially wrote on the google sheet
2. Try to come to a more balanced thought using any one of
the combating techniques
– e.g., thoughts are not facts, perspective taking, evidence for and against…
3. Any changes in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ emotions?
CHANGING UNHELPFUL THOUGHTS
2. Defusion
Grab a sheet of paper & a pen
1. I am ____________ (insert self-limiting belief)
2. I am having the thought that I am
____________
3. I’m noticing, I’m having the thought
that I am ____________
CHANGING UNHELPFUL THOUGHTS
3. 10 : 10 : 10
Perspective taking
Zoom Out - 10:10:10
10 minutes
10 months
10 years
When you feel annoyed, triggered, or hijacked:
How would I likely feel about it? Does it matter in
the long run? Do I need to let it ruin my day?
REFLECTIVE
JOURNALING
Why Journal?
1. Reflect on your own experience to generate
new insights
2. Consolidating classroom learning
3. Deepening self-exploration & self-awareness
4. Goal setting!
5. Tracking progress from week to week
What to write about?
• Reflections are not summaries of the class!
• Share 2 new insights you’ve gained from the
seminar
• How do they apply to your life?
• How can you use these insights to better yourself?
• Due date: 5pm 1 week from today
• Submit on LumiNUS in your allotted class folder .docx/.pdf
(No .pages)
PREPARING FOR SESSION 3
Your Personal Strengths Assessment
1. VIA Self-Assessment on strengths (click here)
• Bring this to the 3rd Seminar, you’ll need it for the
discussion!
2. Buddy e-survey about your strengths (click here or use
QR code à)
• You buddy can be anybody! Your friend, sibling,
classmate… as long as they know you well enough
• They will fill in a short survey about your strengths
• No more than 3 - 5 mins!
• We will collate and release it to you before seminar 3
• Deadline for Buddy e-survey: One week before seminar 3
SUMMARY
Mind your thoughts!
SEE YOU IN 2 WEEKS!
