Alumni Webinar Series | Maintaining Optimism During Difficult Times
Summary
Note: This course is available for free to U-M SSW alumni as part of our Alumni Webinar Series, which features invited alumni speakers. Please know that non-alumni participants are welcome to register as well!
Americans have historically been optimists. But that's changed significantly in recent decades. Trust in almost all institutions has fallen significantly, many people don't believe the news they see or read, and these realities create significant problems for agencies and their leaders.
In this webinar, we'll identify the benefits of optimism, discuss why optimism is hard for many today, and offer six practical methods for maintaining/increasing your optimism, and for helping others do the same.
Americans have historically been optimists. But that's changed significantly in recent decades. Trust in almost all institutions has fallen significantly, many people don't believe the news they see or read, and these realities create significant problems for agencies and their leaders.
In this webinar, we'll identify the benefits of optimism, discuss why optimism is hard for many today, and offer six practical methods for maintaining/increasing your optimism, and for helping others do the same.
- Identify at least four advantages that optimists enjoy, and at least three reasons why some people find it difficult to be optimistic.
- Identify at least five methods for maintaining/increasing optimism, and at least one example for each method.
Agenda
| Date | Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| January 16, 2025 | 12:00pm - 12:30pm | Optimism: what it is (and isn't), why it's important for our mental health, why it's difficult for many. |
| January 16, 2025 | 12:30pm - 1:00pm | Six approaches for increasing our optimism in these difficult times |
| January 16, 2025 | 1:00pm - 1:30pm | Specific issues: What about the times when optimism isn't appropriate (e.g., a tragedy)? Why are skeptics sometimes more influential than optimists? How do we deal with cynics? |
Instructor
Russell M Linden
webinar (synchronous interactive)
Sessions
- 1/16/2025 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM ET
CE Contact Hours
- 1.5 regular live interactive online
Location
online
