Throughout June 2016, All Right? encouraged Cantabrians to spend 15 minutes doing an online quiz so they can find their hidden strengths. The quiz was developed by the VIA Institute of Character in the United States, and uses science to identify character strengths. There are 24 strengths in total, including curiosity, creativity, teamwork, fairness and leadership.
Ciaran Fox, All Right? mental health strategist, says discovering your strengths can make you more effective and give you a sense of meaning and purpose in life. This is central to experiencing higher wellbeing.
“Canterbury has been through a lot over the last five years and many of us feel tired, busy and over it. With the weather suddenly getting colder and the days shorter, it’s important we all try to find ways to live brighter. Discovering what you are best at is a great way to find your spark,” says Ciaran.
Finding ways to bring your top strengths to life by using them often has been shown to lead to improved happiness, confidence and job performance.
“We’ve all got strengths, it’s just a matter of recognising them and finding ways to build them into our lives and share them with others,” says Ciaran.
Ekant Veer, Associate Professor of Marketing at University of Canterbury, says it’s more important than ever that people take the time to discover their strengths.
“It feels like we’ve never been busier - we hardly ever take the chance to stop, take a breather, and think about our lives and where we’re heading, says Ekant.
“We’re always being told the things we can’t do – don’t smoke, don’t drive fast – it’s great to turn that on its head by encouraging people to play to their strengths. In this way, we no longer feel that good health is just about not doing something, but about doing what we’re really good at,” says Ekant.