Have you tapped your potential?
What is Positive Psychology?
The a set of scientific studies of what makes life most worth living, focusing on both individual and societal well-being.
Who paved the path?
And the Criticism?
References
(2009). From wealth to well-being? Money matters, but less than people think', . The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4: 6, 523 — 527.
(2020). Effects of a Community-Based Multicomponent Positive Psychology Intervention on Mental Health of Rural Adults in Ghana. Applied psychology. Health and well-being, 12(3), 828–862.
(2009). Empathy toward strangers triggers oxytocin release and subsequent generosity. . Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1167, 182–189. .
(2013). Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. BMC Public Health 13, 119 .
(2019). The Effects of Positive Psychological Interventions on Medical Patients' Anxiety: A Meta-analysis. Psychosomatic medicine, 81(7), 595–602. .
(2018). The effect of positive psychology interventions on well-being and distress in clinical samples with psychiatric or somatic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC psychiatry, 18(1), 211. .
(2008). Spending money on others promotes happiness. Science (New York, N.Y.), 319(5870), 1687–1688..
(2008). Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network: longitudinal analysis over 20 years in the Framingham Heart Study. . BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 337, a2338. .
(2004). The History of Positive Psychology: Truth Be Told. . NYS Psychologist, 16(3), 18–20..
(2013). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers. . BMC public health, 13, 773. .
(2012). Kindness counts: prompting prosocial behavior in preadolescents boosts peer acceptance and well-being. PloS one, 7(12), e51380. .
(2020). Positive psychology interventions to improve well-being and symptoms in people on the schizophrenia spectrum: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999), S1516-44462020005041203. Advance online publication.
Give without expecting anything in return.
Smile and hug someone just because you can.
Help others - you'll feel better.
Be grateful just for being alive.
Live each day like it is your last. Someday it will be.
“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.” - Confucius
Giving hugs is very helpful and I don't know why we aren't doing more of it. I think I read somewhere that we need 8 hugs daily to feel great and grow as humans. And most people don't give 1 hug daily, not to mention 8.
I try to start my mornings with writing down 2-3 things I am especially grateful for. It can be anything from having a roof over my head, my family or a specific member or something like rain. Sometimes being grateful for something simple like getting to feel rain on your skin is everything I need to have a wonderful morning. Everyone should start their day by thinking about the things and people they are grateful for.
I think these are great reminders of how one should live. I try to teach my kids often that they will be happier if they help others, travel often, and not worry about materialistic things.
Great read on psychology. I agree with how the article talks about how your attitude is everything. I truly believe that when you get up in the morning, you can decide how your day is going to go. It’s a mindset
Hey! I have to agree with you too! If we wake up and declare its going to be a bad day then we will probably reap what we sow. Even if its a rainy day I tell the kids its going to be a great day because we can do crafts and make cookies and even on rainy days they wake up with a smile!
@Missy I couldn’t agree more. Material things will never bring true fulfillment. You have to find it within. Having a good support system is a blessing. @goingsteady23 I agree with James account that an experience is how it’s felt. Logically accounting for the experience in our brain is not the same.
I find myself to be a very positive person and rely on myself and my family and friends for support and encouragement. It is true that we can’t find happiness in material things and we have to find it for ourselves and not use material things to try to fill that void. I’m a realist and very literal so I understand that somethings might not work out and I’ve come to except that and learn to deal with setbacks in life. This article was helpful and the fact that my husband tends to be more on the negative side on his outlook on life and situations i’m looking forward to sharing some of the insights in this article because it was very well written and better than I could’ve explained it. Thanks!
I couldn’t have said it better myself! It’s important to find that balance of being positive and realistic because not everyday is going to be rainbows and cupcakes. Learn to enjoy and accept life in the rain too!!!
Not only does the subject matter of psychology demand from him a point of view; the nature of his own psychological activity demands it." James was a very influential behaviorist, and no one has done more to shape thinking in this area.
He was also a major figure in the philosophical movement known as pragmatism. James is best known for his philosophically sophisticated and empirically rich account of how experience seems to us when we feel it, rather than the account of what brain states underlie these felt experiences.
I’m a believer in your mindset impacting your life, and I honestly believe a constant negative mindset can not only make you mentally unwell, but also physically unwell. Getting into the habit of saying positive affirmations is a good way to start the day.
Having a nice experience with someone you enjoy, or even by yourself like a fantastic workout will give you those wonderful oxytocin feels.🥰 Spending money on material possessions - while also can be nice, it’s not the same as having an experience.
Delightful read on positive psychology - very nice coverage of the history and tenets. I'm a fan!
About Author