Staying Positive During Social Isolation with Judith Moskowitz, PhD, MPH
Judith Moskowitz, PhD, MPH, is a social psychologist and professor of Medical Social Sciences at Feinberg who studies the impact of positive emotion on health-related and other life stress. She discusses her research and things you can do to increase positivity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In the midst of whatever kind of life stress you're experiencing, it is possible to experience positive emotion and that positive emotion can help you cope better with what's stressful."
- Professor of Medical Social Sciences
- Member of the Institute for Public Health and Medicine
- Member of Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute
Episode Notes
As the U.S. and much of the world has been social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the loss of in-person contact with friends, family and colleagues may cause some to feel lonely, depressed and anxious. But, finding ways to stay positive may curb these feelings, according to research.
Judith Moskowitz, PhD, a social psychologist and professor of Medical Social Sciences at Feinberg, studies the impact of positive emotion on health-related and other life stress in dementia caregivers, high school students, people with type 2 diabetes, women with stage IV breast cancer and people living with HIV. She is the primary investigator on several NIH-funded trials of an intervention designed to increase positive emotion and improve psychological and physical well-being in people experiencing various types of life stress. In this episode, she discusses her research and things you can do to increase positivity during this time.
Below are some of the skills Moskowitz has shown can increase positive emotion:
- Recognizing a positive event each day
- Savoring that positive event and logging it in a journal or telling someone about it
- Starting a daily gratitude journal
- Setting an attainable goal each day and noting your progress
- Understanding small acts of kindness can have a big impact on positive emotion and practicing a small act of kindness each day
- Showing self-compassion
Additional Reading:
- Read Moskowitz's paper in Health Psychology, which examines the effects of positive emotion in dementia caregivers.
- Browse all recent publications from Moskowitz's lab.
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Continuing Medical Education Credit
Physicians who listen to this podcast may claim continuing medical education credit after listening to an episode of this program.
Target Audience
Academic/Research, Multiple specialties
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Identify the research interests and initiatives of Feinberg faculty.
- Discuss new updates in clinical and translational research.
Accreditation Statement
The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Credit Designation Statement
The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine designates this Enduring Material for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Disclosure Statement
Judith Moskowitz, PhD, MPH, has nothing to disclose. Course director, Robert Rosa, MD, has nothing to disclose. Planning committee member, Erin Spain, has nothing to disclose. Feinberg School of Medicine's CME Leadership and Staff have nothing to disclose: Clara J. Schroedl, MD, Medical Director of CME, Sheryl Corey, Manager of CME, Jennifer Banys, Senior Program Administrator, Allison McCollum, Senior Program Coordinator, and Rhea Alexis Banks, Administrative Assistant 2.