Key Points
- Even in overwhelmingly negative situations, people often spot small positives that help them cope.
- These “positive appraisals” boost mood during both everyday and major stressors.
- Two strategies emerged: up-appraisal (focusing on genuine positives) works better than alt-appraisal (reframing negatives).
- Simply naming positive aspects of a stressful event can improve emotions—without formal therapy techniques.
When stress feels like a storm
Imagine a thunderstorm ruining your outdoor plans.
You’re frustrated, but then you notice the smell of rain, the green glow of wet leaves, or the unexpected chance to curl up with a book.
Suddenly, the storm feels less like a burden and more like a backdrop for comfort.
This everyday experience captures something researchers have now studied systematically: people can feel good even during very bad times by noticing the positives hidden within them.
The science of stress and silver linings
Psychologists from Wake Forest University asked whether positive emotions during negative events come from more than just distraction.
Instead of tuning out, might people actually identify and focus on positive elements within the stressor itself?
To test this, they ran a series of experiments.
Participants described stressful situations (like ongoing pandemic challenges or lab-based stress tasks), then broke them into smaller “elements.”
Some were negative—fear of illness, loss of money, isolation. But many participants also identified positives, such as spending more time with family or discovering new routines.
Crucially, simply generating these positive appraisals made people feel better.
This effect showed up across several studies: when people listed positives, their mood improved—even before they used any further coping strategies.
Two ways to reframe stress
The team distinguished between two forms of positive reappraisal:
- Positive up-appraisal: zeroing in on something already good within the bad (e.g., “COVID-19 let me reconnect with relatives”).
- Positive alt-appraisal: taking something negative and flipping its meaning (e.g., “Getting sick might at least build immunity”).
Most participants naturally preferred up-appraisal.
It felt easier and more rewarding. In fact, those who used it reported stronger boosts in positive emotion and bigger drops in negative emotion than those who tried alt-appraisal.
Think of it like tending a garden: up-appraisal waters the flowers already blooming among the weeds, while alt-appraisal tries to turn weeds into flowers.
Both can work, but one requires less strain.
Why this matters for coping
Stress is unavoidable, whether it’s a global crisis or a personal setback.
The findings suggest that mental health isn’t just about fighting negativity – it’s also about finding genuine positives already present.
For clinicians, this refines the toolbox of cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Teaching clients to spot existing positives (up-appraisal) may feel more natural than forcing a “reframe” of something deeply negative.
For everyday readers, the takeaway is simple: when facing hardship, pause and ask, “What’s one part of this that’s actually good for me?”
The hidden effort behind positivity
Interestingly, people found it harder to generate positive appraisals than negative ones. Negativity comes quickly – our brains are wired for threat detection.
Positivity takes more effort, especially when stress is intense.
But the payoff is real. Like lifting weights at the gym, the extra effort strengthens resilience.
Over time, individuals with higher baseline positivity and lower negative emotionality were better at spotting silver linings.
That suggests a feedback loop: practicing positive appraisal may gradually train the mind to find more positives in the future.
Everyday applications
- In daily life: When stuck in traffic, notice the podcast you get to finish. When overwhelmed at work, appreciate the skill you’re building. Small shifts add up.
- For caregivers: Attending to meaningful moments—even brief smiles or shared memories—can buffer against burnout.
- In therapy: Clinicians might guide clients to list several elements of a stressor, then encourage elaboration on whichever positive emerges.
These aren’t quick fixes, but gradual ways of building emotional flexibility.
Why it matters
This research highlights a hopeful truth: positivity doesn’t always require changing the whole story. Sometimes, it’s enough to spot the bright threads woven into a dark fabric.
By practicing positive up-appraisal, people can navigate stress with more balance—acknowledging pain while also nurturing well-being.
For a world where crises feel constant, that skill may be one of the most practical forms of resilience we can cultivate.
Reference
Waugh, C. E., Schieber, M., & Zhao, Y. (2025). Feeling good about the bad: Making positive appraisals of predominantly negative stressors. Emotion, 25(6), 1381–1399. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001517
