About This Lesson
The holidays can be a joyful yet stressful time for students, teachers, and families alike. This activity invites classrooms, families and to pause, reflect, and create a Positivity Portfolio: a personal collection of items, memories, songs, or pictures that spark feelings of joy, gratitude, and hope.
Inspired by Barbara Fredrickson’s research on positive emotions, Positivity Portfolios help students mindfully notice and savor the good in their lives. By building a visual or written collection of what makes them feel happy, calm, or connected, students strengthen emotional resilience and learn practical ways to boost their positive emotions during the busy holiday season.
Keep the spirit of Happiness for the Holidays alive by adding a Positivity Portfolio shoutout to your school or family newsletter. Encourage everyone to share moments of kindness, gratitude, and joy to spread positivity beyond the classroom.
Here’s what you’ll get
- Newsletter instructions for adding a “Positivity Portfolio” shoutout section.
- Access to a unit study bundle about Positivity Portfolios
Why you’ll love this activity
- Amplifies positive experiences across your school community and encourages participation.
- Low-effort way to keep wellbeing front-and-center in communications.
Ways to use
- Monthly spotlight: publish one family, student or teacher submission each issue.
- Use social prompts to collect short stories for the newsletter.
- Encourage people to submit photos or one-sentence gratitude notes.
What is a Positivity Portfolio?
A Positivity Portfolio, inspired by Barbara Fredrickson’s book Positivity, is a mindful intervention designed to help you cultivate positivity and happiness in your daily life. It’s a curated collection of items, memories, songs, or pictures that evoke one or more of the 10 essential positive emotions—joy, love, inspiration, serenity, amusement, awe, pride, interest, gratitude, and hope.
Building and savoring your Positivity Portfolio for just 15 minutes a day can boost your wellbeing, enhance life satisfaction, and help you flourish.
Science of Positivity Portfolios:
Positivity Portfolios are an evidence-informed tool rooted in Barbara Fredrickson's Broaden and Build Theory of Positive Emotions. Positive Emotions like joy, gratitude, and hope expand awareness, boost creativity, and enhance problem-solving skills. Over time, these emotions help build lasting mental, social, and emotional resources.
In the classroom, Positivity Portfolios foster individual growth and encourage positivity resonance—shared moments of connection and care. These shared experiences strengthen peer relationships, create a supportive classroom culture, and promote collaboration.
Positive Emotions feel good, and they are good for you! People who regularly feel positive emotions experience:
- Increased wellbeing and life satisfaction
- Increased attention, awareness, and memory
- A boost in learning, creativity, and mental flexibility
- Stronger relationships
- Less perceived stress
- Lower depressive symptoms
- Improved sleep and sleep quality
- Improved cardiovascular function
Looking for more Positivity Portfolio Resources?
Explore the free Positivity Portfolio Unit Study, which includes teaching slides, additional worksheets and activities, and even IEP and BIP recommendations tailored specifically to students with autism.
Proof Positive’s resources are and will always be free. Be well!
Bonus access to full lesson plans and unit studies on the skills of happiness at our Skill Center.
