The Science Behind Jolly Jotters
Using the latest research in the fields of social and emotional learning and positive psychology the Jolly Jotters Journal is based on concepts that are scientifically proven to improve the mental health and well-being of children.
The daily prompts, challenges and weekly activity pages are primarily based on four key concepts:
Self-compassion:
Having self-compassion means being able to treat yourself in a way that’s forgiving, accepting, and loving during difficult times.
Why is it important?
- Having self-compassion can prevent social anxiety (Gill et al, 2018)
- Those with high levels of self-compassion are less likely to ruminate over failure or feelings of inadequacy (Neff, 2003)
- Children with higher levels of self-compassion have lower levels of body dissatisfaction (Allen et al, 2020; Braun et al, 2016)
Emotional intelligence:
Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.
Why is it important?
- Increased emotional intelligence can help with persistence and academic achievement (Qualter et al., 2019)
- Those with higher levels of emotional intelligence had increased psychological well-being (Salami, 2011)
- Emotional intelligence can be a protective factor for individuals against stress (Salguero et al., 2012)
Growth mindset:
Having a growth mindset is the belief that skills and intelligence can be improved with hard work and practise.
Why is it important?
-Those with a fixed mindset (believe they cannot change their skills or intelligence) are 58% more likely to display symptoms of anxiety, aggression, and depression than those with a growth mindset (Schleider,2016)
- Those with a growth mindset showed fewer signs of psychological distress (Burnette et al., 2020)
- Children with a growth mindset are better able to bounce back from failure (Schroder et al., 2017)
Gratitude:
Gratitude is a positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative of something or someone in your life.
Why is it important?
- Grateful children had higher levels of life satisfaction and were more likely to perceive higher levels of social support available (You et al., 2018)
- Gratitude plays an integral role in identity development (Bono et al., 2014)
- The ability to reflect on positive experiences has a psychological benefit and can contribute to having future fulfilling experiences (Langston, 1994)