Cultivating A Positive Outlook Going Into The New Year

Janelle R. Goodwill, PhD, MSW, MS, is a Neubauer Family Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. Photo provided by Janelle R. Goodwill.
Janelle R. Goodwill, PhD, MSW, MS, is a Neubauer Family Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. Photo provided by Janelle R. Goodwill.

Cultivating A Positive Outlook Going Into The New Year

By Tia Carol Jones

With so many things going on, not just locally, but globally, it can be difficult to find the silver lining. Finding ways to cultivate a positive outlook can help create a mindset shift going into the New Year.

Dr. Janelle Goodwill is a Neubauer Family Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. Goodwill has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a Doctorate in Social Work and Psychology. She said her work intends to integrate both aspects of social work and psychology, which is how she got involved in doing research on the positive aspects of psychology, measuring hope, joy and a meaning in life.

“It’s one thing to say we’re trying to fix a problem, but it’s another thing to say we want people to enjoy the life that they live and to have a good experience,” she said.

Goodwill said she chose to pursue a faculty position in social work because it would present her with the most opportunities to do a lot of intervention research in marginalized communities. Goodwill’s recent work includes a paper titled, Suicide Methods and Trends Across Race/Ethnicity, Age, and Sex Groups in Chicago, Illinois, 2015–2021,” which measured the differences in suicide rates across race and ethnicity, age, and sex groups in Chicago, between 2015 and 2021.

Goodwill said that it is important to acknowledge that people are living in extremely difficult times. She said it is healthy to acknowledge that for many people, this is a time of extreme distress. That being said, Goodwill’s work focuses on Black Americans, so there is a recognition of systemic inequities and historical injustices, while acknowledging that the legacy of Black Americans is that they believe that something better is to come. She said that people can acknowledge what is in front of them, and from there, work in community toward a larger goal, social change, or an event that is larger than themselves.

Goodwill said that while nothing happens in isolation, or alone, it is critical for people to embed themselves in their existing community and together the community works toward something greater than themselves. She said there are physical and mental health benefits to having a positive outlook. There are things that are outside a person’s control, but what people can control is their own bodies. Goodwill suggests people prioritize caring for themselves and caring for other people -- finding ways to get physical activity and choosing healthier food options.

“For the work ahead, we need to be healthy:  physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. I think it’s important for people to hold on to hope so that we can still be active, present and engaged in the time to come,” she said.

Goodwill said there is a lot of research that focuses on the role gratitude plays on having a more positive outlook. She said that the research shows that people who are able to identify sources of gratitude do report better mental health outcomes and can even have better physical health outcomes, as well.

She said that by people identifying what has gone well in their lives, focusing on things that people can be grateful and thankful for, they can promote hope. She said it is a cognitive exercise that can be beneficial for people’s wellbeing over time. She said that the daily practice of being grateful and even reading books about gratitude are helpful. She suggested a book, "The Little Book of Gratitude" by Dr. Robert A. Emmons. She said that there are different things to be grateful for – family, community, faith group, or job.

Goodwill said that people can also derive hope by remembering that their life has meaning, even if they don’t know what the meaning is. She said that research shows that people who believe they have a sense of purpose and a meaning in life can endure hardship and difficulties.

“If we can, even in this time of extreme difficulty, here in the city, across the nation and around the globe, if we can help people to believe there is something worth living for and their life does have meaning … that is another strategy to develop hope,” she said. She added that it can come from volunteering, serving others, and supporting the needs of people around them.

Goodwill said if someone recognizes they need mental health resources, there are places where they can go. There are support groups and therapists that people can turn to for help, as well as online resources. For more information about resources that are available, visit Chicago.gov/MentalHealthClinics. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention also has resources available at www.afsp.org.



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