Allison Aubrey launches midlife podcast, highlights free strengths survey
The free VIA Character Strengths Survey ranks 24 positive traits in 15 to 20 minutes; NPR's Allison Aubrey suggests taking it as part of a midlife reset.
At a glance
- NPR's Allison Aubrey launched the podcast Your Turn with Allison Aubrey, focused on navigating midlife.
- The free VIA Character Strengths Survey ranks 24 positive traits and takes about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
- Research suggests using personal strengths can improve wellbeing and reduce stress, and character strengths can evolve.
NPR's Allison Aubrey has launched a new podcast, Your Turn with Allison Aubrey, aimed at midlife, and she is recommending a free online questionnaire called the VIA Character Strengths Survey. Aubrey discussed the project on All Things Considered with Ailsa Chang, who was planning her 50th birthday party earlier this year.
Midlife can bring major shifts, Aubrey notes: children may leave home, and careers and relationships can change. Those transitions can be difficult, but they also create an opening for what comes next.
The VIA survey was developed by researchers in positive psychology, the scientific study of what helps people flourish. It asks a series of questions and then rank-orders 24 character strengths, including creativity, humor, teamwork, curiosity, bravery and spirituality. The free questionnaire takes about 15 to 20 minutes and can be completed alone or with a facilitator.
According to the article, research suggests that applying personal strengths in daily life can improve wellbeing and reduce stress. A study of women 50 and older found that those who used a signature strength in a new way reported greater happiness and less depression.
Aubrey took the survey at a retreat at the Modern Elder Academy with Christine Carter, Ph.D., a wellness and lifestyle coach and a senior fellow at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. Carter encourages people to review their top strengths and recall how they feel when using them. She says this can serve as a compass for the intrinsic motivation that helps people find purpose.
Carter, who has an art degree and once worked as a painter, ranks appreciation of beauty and excellence near the top of her strengths, along with gratitude and zest. She says that when she is absorbed in a work of art or a great piece of writing, she feels connected to something larger than herself. One of Aubrey's top strengths is love of learning, which she says fits her journalism career.
Top strengths can reflect a person's past and how they spend their time, but they are not fixed. Carter says character strengths can evolve, and shifting focus or time can change the results.
Her suggestion: if you have a half hour this week, take the survey. Then choose one strength you want to make more room for and invite it into your life. A small step, rather than a complete overhaul, can set a new course.
Source: NPR News.
Questions and answers
- What is the VIA Character Strengths Survey?
- It is a free online questionnaire developed by researchers in positive psychology. It rank-orders 24 strengths, including creativity, humor, teamwork, curiosity, bravery and spirituality, and takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Can character strengths change over time?
- Yes. Christine Carter says character strengths can evolve. If you shift your focus or how you spend your time, your results can shift too.
- What does Christine Carter suggest people do with their top strengths?
- She suggests looking at your top strengths and remembering how you feel when you engage them. She says this can be a compass for the intrinsic motivation that helps people find purpose.
