Identify your Character Strengths

Research shows that knowing and using your character strengths can help you:

increase happiness and well-being;

find meaning and purpose;

boost relationships;

manage stress, energy, and health;

and accomplish goals.

Firstly, let’s identify your Character Strengths

Find somewhere you can be uninterrupted for 15 minutes.

Complete the VIA Character Strengths Survey. This is the only FREE, scientific survey of character strengths in the world.

Why not get your whole team to complete the survey and discuss the results in your next team meeting or staff development day?

The survey assesses you against 24 character strengths:?

What are the benefits of using your character strengths?

Consciously being able to utilise your character strengths more often will empower you and your staff with greater energy and life satisfaction levels.

Firstly, I suggest that you focus on 3 of your top 5 character strengths.

Effectively using them more often, will help you to enjoy the following benefits:

…be more mindful; increase self-awareness and self-esteem; manage your physical health and energy levels; create new life meaning; stress management; more skilful parenting; higher levels of resilience; develop gratitude; more personal insights; more respectful relationships; develop professionally; foster leadership skills in yourself and others.

What are you?

The 24 character strengths make up the below 6 virtues.

Where do you and your team’s strengths lie?

Wisdom and Knowledge – Creativity/Curiosity/Love of Learning/Perspective

Courage – Bravery/Persistence/Integrity/Vitality

Humanity – Love/Kindness/Social Intelligence

Justice – Citizenship/Fairness/Leadership

Temperance – Forgiveness & Mercy/Humility & Modesty/Prudence/Self-regulation

Transcendence – Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence/Gratitude/Hope/Humour/Spirituality

Character Strengths and a mentally fitter team

How can your team utilise their strengths? Here are some examples:

Love of learning: if you’re feeling fatigued during the day, take time out to read a book, visit a gallery, listen to a podcast or anything else where you’re learning something of interest.

Appreciation of beauty: If you’re stuck inside the office and your productivity has dipped, get out of the office and take a walk in nature (maybe a city garden or along a river or beach).

Bravery: If you find yourself becoming too comfortable in your workplace, go out of your way to introduce yourself to colleagues that you don’t know. Or perhaps set yourself a lofty goal to achieve.

Encourage and explore how you and your team can embed activities into each workday, and start enjoying the many benefits of utilising your top character strengths.?

Cheers, Emily, Founder & Principal Workplace Psychologist Get Mentally Fit

P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are 3 ways we can help your leaders and employees get mentally fit:

1. Tailored Workshops: Are you a leader who has identified mental wellbeing and performance as a key objective in your workplace? Whether you have a small leadership team of 8 or up to a group of 300 frontline employees, we can tailor a highly impactful workshop that supports your employees to learn, develop, internalise and practise the knowledge and skills that will enable them to enjoy healthy levels of work performance and personal-life satisfaction. Learn more.

2. Pay for use Employee Assistance Program: We provide an affordable, high quality EAP service that you only pay for when your employees use it. Knowing that your staff are protected when they are in need by a highly experienced psychologist, allows you to focus on your professional objectives and avoid serious psychological injury in your workplace. Contact us to discuss your needs.?

3. Leader Support Program: Looking to develop personally so you can better direct your team or are you a newly appointed leader who’s looking to increase your confidence and learn how to communicate better? Leaders who work with us develop outstanding relationship management skills and improve their ability to inspire, guide and develop their team members, enhancing team performance and organisational culture. Learn more.?