Background

Authenticity and psychological safety go hand in hand with creativity. 

The opportunity to be oneself - authentic and genuine - plays a crucial role in how satisfied a person is with their life. When we strive for authenticity, it is crucial to know oneself. Self-knowledge consists of the ability to recognize and process one's own experiences and emotions. If we know how to do this, our community also functions better.

Some emotions come and go. This is often true of positive emotions. In contrast, some unpleasant emotions can linger for a long time or even paralyze our ability to function. Irritation may indicate fatigue, stress, or low blood sugar. Envy sometimes leads us to downplay the success of a colleague. We may experience climate anxiety. Still, even unpleasant emotions may serve a purpose.

What if we recognized these emotions and used them as road signs? What if envy helped us to identify our desires? By confronting our climate anxiety, we may be inspired to take more proactive steps for the climate. And if we notice that something brings us joy or tranquility, could we explore ways to incorporate more of that into our daily routines?

Encountering emotions can help us understand and reshape our actions. This is emotional agency, understanding that emotions have a role in community action, and acting with consideration to emotions. Research shows that emotional agency is related to the extent to which people commit to their work and changes related to it.

Emotional agency requires psychological safety, which is further supported by well-defined operational methods and good leadership. Additionally, each individual plays a crucial rule in fostering psychological safety. When a community cultivates a psychologically safe environment, it can enhance both authenticity and creativity.

Instructions

Follow the links underneath to this content.

1. Read the article Toxic Positivity for more information.

2. Do the audio/mindfulness exercise Soften, Soothe, Allow. It helps you determine if you can let go of an emotion or if the emotion has a message that is worth listening to.

3. Watch the short film Have a Good Day. It sheds light - in a humorous way - on how the protagonist's inability or ability can affect the people around him.

4. Practice How to experience more positive emotions. Tips for noticing and strengthening positive emotions based on Positive Psychology research.

5. (For Aalto personnel) Attend VOICE training. It is a course designed to encourage thoughtful and productive speaking up habits, enabling a collaborative and empowered work culture. VOICE utilizes neuroscience to significantly improve the frequency and efficacy of employees speaking up – at the right moments – in the work environment.