May 24, 2025 More Joyful Strategies: Savoring and Celebrating Positive Events

Wrap-Up on a High Note with Positive Reflection and Optimistic Closing Strategies

Here in Vermont, Spring has finally sprung! The Green Mountains are at their greenest, our daffodils and lilacs are blooming, and my hands have been in the dirt, expanding my vegetable garden— all of which bring me joy and put me in the mindset of following social psychologist Dr. Judith Moskowitz’s tenets of noticing, savoring, and celebrating positive events.

In Dr. Moskowitz’s studies on resiliency and positive emotions she identifies eight practices and strength-based skills to reduce stress and cultivate joy: In my  last issue, I focused on #7 setting and working on attainable goals, and #5 reframing events with positive reappraisal.

This time of year, I always offer a post on celebrations and ending the school/program year on a high note, which dovetails nicely with Dr. Moskowitz’s joyful practices, including: #2 savoring positive events, #3 expressing gratitude, and #6 noticing personal strengths. Below are some of my most well-loved strategies that focus on positive reflection and celebration.

Closing Activities to Celebrate, Reflect, and Connect to Future Learning

This post offers excerpts from my Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner book with appreciation activities such as Peek-a-Who Celebrations, Group Drawing, and Celebrations Charades.  Read the full article.

These have been my “tried and tested” strategies for noticing and celebrating strengths and positive events, and creating optimistic wrap-ups to extend learning beyond the experience.

As many of you know, my very favorite strategy is to end the year on a high note using my postcards with Postcard Appreciations and Postcard to Your Future Self as a reminder of strengths, accomplishments, and goals.  To read more, click here.

The postcard strategies are especially celebratory for me because this spring marks the 18th anniversary of the release of the original Pick-a-Postcard kit! It’s also the 2nd anniversary of the reworked Pick-a-Postcard kit and the new “Everywhere-a-Sign” metaphorical postcard kit. Both kits are sustainably printed by local printers and packaged in locally printed and constructed boxes.

Over the years I have moved towards using all my own photos for the Pick-a-Postcards, with some special historic photos woven into the collection. We are in the midst of a reprint of both kits this month and will be adding even more of my original photos. If you’ve recently purchased the latest deck, reach out and I will send you these new cards to add to your updated kit.

If you don’t yet have the updated versions, please use the code CELEBRATE for a special discount on single kits or the bundle of both kits (postcards and signs)! if you have a large group that you will be facilitating the “Postcard to Your Future Self” celebration with,  email me for a special custom collection.

References: 

Learn more about Judith Moskowitz at https://pphiglab.com/:  Dr. Moskowitz has devoted much of her career to a positive psychology approach, helping cultivate stress management through strengths-based skills.

• Stanchfield, Jennifer Inspired Educator, Inspired Learner: Experiential, Brain-Based Activities and Strategies to Engage, Build Community, and Create Lasting Lessons Wood N Barnes, 2014

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