Positive psychology focuses on human thriving and optimal functioning. It studies factors that allow individuals and communities to flourish, in contrast to normal psychology's focus on mental illness. This document summarizes key concepts in positive psychology including happiness, optimism, character strengths, and motivation. Happiness is defined as subjective well-being and includes pleasure, life satisfaction. Research shows happiness is correlated with factors like marriage, health, and optimism rather than money. Optimism can be learned and involves explaining events in a way that is external, temporary, and situation-specific for bad events but internal, permanent and global for good events. Identifying and using one's character strengths leads to fulfillment and goal achievement. Intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation is
It is about concept and significance of positive psychology in the modern world. it also explains techniques positive psychology recommends for attaining happiness and blissful state.
Your Life Satisfaction Score (beta) is an indicator of how you thrive in your life: it reflects how well you shape your lifestyle, habits and behaviors to maximize your overall life satisfaction along the five following dimensions:
►1. Health & fitness, reflecting your physical well-being and healthy habits;
►2. Positive emotions & gratitude, indicating how well you embrace positive emotions;
►3. Skills & expertise, measuring the ability to grow your expertise and achieve something unique;
►4. Social skills & discovery, assessing the strength of your network and your inclination to discover the world;
►5. Leadership & meaning, gauging your compassion, generosity and how much 'you are living the life of your dream'.
Visit www.Authentic-Happiness.com to check your Life Satisfaction score. Free, no registration required.
It is about concept and significance of positive psychology in the modern world. it also explains techniques positive psychology recommends for attaining happiness and blissful state.
Your Life Satisfaction Score (beta) is an indicator of how you thrive in your life: it reflects how well you shape your lifestyle, habits and behaviors to maximize your overall life satisfaction along the five following dimensions:
►1. Health & fitness, reflecting your physical well-being and healthy habits;
►2. Positive emotions & gratitude, indicating how well you embrace positive emotions;
►3. Skills & expertise, measuring the ability to grow your expertise and achieve something unique;
►4. Social skills & discovery, assessing the strength of your network and your inclination to discover the world;
►5. Leadership & meaning, gauging your compassion, generosity and how much 'you are living the life of your dream'.
Visit www.Authentic-Happiness.com to check your Life Satisfaction score. Free, no registration required.
Character strengths and virtues are essential elements of Positive psychology. Seligman has given 6 virtues and 24 character strengths which are further explained in the presentation.
Learn how mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) can help relax your body, calm your mind and spirit, and reduce overall stress. Our meditation techniques are ideal for women and men coping with chronic anxiety, illness, and pain.
Karolyne Williams explored some findings from Positive Psychology, and considered whether our typical strategies to achieve happiness are likely to work in this Psychology Festival of Learning talk.
Character strengths and virtues are essential elements of Positive psychology. Seligman has given 6 virtues and 24 character strengths which are further explained in the presentation.
Learn how mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) can help relax your body, calm your mind and spirit, and reduce overall stress. Our meditation techniques are ideal for women and men coping with chronic anxiety, illness, and pain.
Karolyne Williams explored some findings from Positive Psychology, and considered whether our typical strategies to achieve happiness are likely to work in this Psychology Festival of Learning talk.
Life after a cancer diagnosis can be challenging both physically and emotionally. How we work with the difficult thoughts and emotions can influence not only our physical health but how we live our lives. In this seminar, Oncologist Rob Rutledge normalizes the roller-coaster of emotions and distorted thoughts, and offers practical ways to untangle ourselves from the thoughts that don't serve us - allowing us to choose a values-driven life of greater meaning and purpose.
resilience is the order of the day when life knocks you down
If you have been experiencing some of the following signs and symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, you may be suffering from depression:
Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism
Irritability
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
Decreased energy or fatigue
Moving or talking more slowly
Feeling restless or having trouble sitting still
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
Appetite and/or weight changes
Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause and/or that do not ease even with treatment
pump up your energy
www.thinktankent.com
info@thinktankent.com
Join Julie Bruns (L&D professional, best-selling author, and thought leader) for this session on practices (and the science behind them) that are simple and easy to implement, as well as extremely impactful in helping employees across all work models thrive.
Presented during the 2019 Bonner Summer Leadership Institute at Waynesburg University by Luke C. Payson (Waynesburg University). This workshop provides an overview of motivations and internal or external rewards as well as cover the "why you do what you do" and find the "why behind the what.”
This is a material that can be used to introduce people to learn about being 'healthy' at work or in personal life by practicing self discovery, proactive mindset, and growth mindset
Presented this at the Leadership of Awesome meetup! It covers some concepts and research results from the field of Positive Psychology. My aim is to help people look at Wellbeing from a Scientific Perspective! Also shared some Positive Psychology Interventions which can contribute towards your wellbeing!
Boosting Positive Emotions and Unlocking GratitudeFortes Education
Emotional regulation
Listen to the clock and respond in the following ways:
Suppress the sound
What happens to your emotions and energy after trying to suppress the sound?
2. Accept and reappraise the sound
What happens to your emotions and energy after trying to accept and reappraise the sound?
How to work_in_difficult_times_-_recordedPeter Gowers
How to work in Difficult times, a collection of psychology and time management techniques to help people enjoy work a bit more and get a bit more done.
key areas:
- Being Frustrated/Annoyed at things happening to you
- Feeling Overwhelmed - Too much work to do
- Dealing with Other people
- Feeling pressure, stress, anxiety
Welcome to the Program Your Destiny course. In this course, we will be learning the technology of personal transformation, neuroassociative conditioning (NAC) as pioneered by Tony Robbins. NAC is used to deprogram negative neuroassociations that are causing approach avoidance and instead reprogram yourself with positive neuroassociations that lead to being approach automatic. In doing so, you change your destiny, moving towards unlocking the hypersocial self within, the true self free from fear and operating from a place of personal power and love.
https://bit.ly/BabeSideDoll4u Babeside is a company that specializes in creating handcrafted reborn dolls. These dolls are designed to be incredibly lifelike, with realistic skin tones and hair, and they have become increasingly popular among collectors and those who use them for therapeutic purposes. At Babeside, we believe that our reborn dolls can provide comfort and healing to anyone who needs it.
The Healing Power of Babeside's Handcrafted Creations
Our reborn dolls are more than just beautiful pieces of art - they can also help alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. Studies have shown that holding or cuddling a soft object like a stuffed animal or a reborn doll can release oxytocin, which is often referred to as the "love hormone." This hormone helps us feel calm and relaxed, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety.
In addition to their physical benefits, reborn dolls can also offer emotional support. For many people, having something to care for and nurture can bring a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Reborn dolls can also serve as a reminder of happy memories or loved ones who have passed away.
2. What is Stress?
• Stress is any demand that creates tension and requires
adaptation or change.
• Stress is triggered by the mind based on our perception of
events in our environment.
• Eustress (good stress):
– any venture which is approached with zest,
anticipation, or confidence.
• Distress (bad stress):
– Anguish of the body or mind
– Slows us down in the short run
– Leads to exhaustion
– Harms our physical or emotional health
Source - W. J. Talamonti, M.D., MPH
Medical Director – PPT for US Lunch and Learn
3. What is Positive
Psychology?
• “Scientific Study of optimal human functioning that aims to
discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and
communities to thrive” Martin Seligman, founder of PP
• Reaction to Normal Psychology
– Long term work to cure mental illness and return to zero
– Disease model of people
• Positive Psychology looks to help people nurture talent and
improve normal lives
• A very large collection of loosely coupled positive constructs.
Today we’ll look at:
– Happiness
– Optimism
– Strengths
– Motivation and Goals
4. Happiness
Happiness is a state of mind or feeling
characterized by contentment, love,
satisfaction, pleasure, or joy
Cambridge Dictionary
5. Is happiness Just pleasure?
Aristotle
“True happiness is
found by leading a
virtuous life and doing
what is worth doing.
He argued that
realising human
potential is the
ultimate human goal”
6. More Happiness Perspectives
• “I am very happy about how I am doing. The only thing I wanted to prove when I
got here was that I was a good player, and I hope I have achieved so” - David
Beckham
• “I don't believe in happy endings, but I do believe in happy travels, because
ultimately, you die at a very young age” George Clooney
• “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in
harmony”. Mahatma Gandhi
• “We are as happy as we make up our minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln
• “The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one has
to do.” James M. Barrie
7. How does PP define Happiness
• Happiness = Subjective Well Being (SWB) in PP.
– Pleasure
– “I feel Good”
– Satisfaction with life
• Additionally there is Eudaimonic Well Being
(EWB)
– Aristotle
– Meaning, being true to yourself
– Realising Human Potential
8. Measuring Happiness
• Once you measure you can test it like you
would a drug.
• Data
– Controlled groups
– Placebo
– Large studies, long time
• So we really can know what makes us happy
16. Some More
SWB is related to: SWB is not really related to:
Optimism Age (although there are somewhat contradictory
findings in this respect)
Extraversion In three months, the effects of being fired or
promoted lose their impact on happiness level.
Social connections, i.e. close friendships Money (once the basic needs are met, the
difference between the very rich & alright is
negligible)
Real income has risen dramatically in the
prosperous nations over the last 50 years, but
levels of SWB have stayed flat.
Watching Soap Operas Gender (women are more often depressed but
also more often joyful)
Having engaging work Education level
Religion or spirituality Having children (see the next page for further
clarification)
Leisure Moving to a sunnier climate (in fact, moving to
Australia will increase your SWB only by 1-2 %)
Good sleep & exercise Crime prevention
Social class (through lifestyle differences &
better coping methods)
Housing
Adapted from Boniwell (2008)
17. Nuns
• Great Control group
– They didn't smoke or drink, had a balanced diet and worked as
teachers
• One study analysed the application letters of nuns entering
convents at the age of 18 for expressions of happiness
• Happiness expressed in these letters at the age of 18
predicted life duration
• It looks like happiness can buy you an extra 9.4 years of life
Source: Boniwell (2008)
19. Gratitude Visit.
• Someone who Affected you positively
• 300 Word testimonial
• Visit and present them with it as a surprise.
• Tested positive for happiness even after
significant time
Source: Seligman Video (Ted.com)
21. Source: Boniwell (2008)
Optimistic and pessimistic explanatory style
Event Optimist would say: Pessimist would say:
Good event (e.g.
passing an exam)
Internal: I’ve done a great
job.Stable: I am
talented.Global: This was a
good start to the exam
season. The other ones
should be easy too.
External: Don’t know how
this happened. It must’ve
been luck.Unstable:
Every dog has its
day.Specific: So what? I
can still fail the next
one.
Bad event (e.g.
failing an exam)
External: The exam
questions were simply
terrible. Unstable: No
problem, I’ll pass it next
time round.Specific:
Yesterday was my birthday
after all.
Internal: It’s all my
fault, I haven’t prepared
well.Stable: I am never
going to pass this
exam.Global: This is the
end to my dreams, I’ll
never become who I want
to be.
PERSONAL – PERVASIVE – PERMANENT
EXTERNAL - SPECIFIC - TEMPORARY
22. Learned Optimism - Seligman
• Origin – Learned helplessness
– Can we compare to Companies?
• You can Change how Optimistic you are
– Disadvantages
• Aeroplane Safety Checks/Rising fuel Prices – reality.
• Morality not personal responsibility
– Big Advantages
• Less distress and better coping
• More productive
• Deal with reality, not denial
• Less likely to give up
• Health promoting behaviour
– Maybe it’s a balance
Source: Seligman (2006)
23. Source: Seligman (2006)
Personal Exercise - How
• Think of an example at work:
– The most difficult thing you encounter
– The time when your job gets really discouraging
– You feel you’ve hit a brick wall.
• Now think what you do when you hit the wall.
– Adversity - Objective
– Beliefs - Thoughts
– Consequences – Feelings and behaviour
– Disputation and Distraction – Alternative views, STOP!
– Energisation – Over time become optimistic
PERSONAL – PERVASIVE – PERMANENT
EXTERNAL - SPECIFIC - TEMPORARY
24. •Activating Event
•A major IT Issue in my area
•Some people quite grumpy
•Beliefs
•Things should not go wrong in my area.
•People should not be grumpy with me, I am a nice
person.
•Consequences
• Angry, hurt, annoyed, out of control.
•Disputation
• There is no universal law that things should not go
wrong in my area.
• Although I would like people to not be grumpy with
me, it is illogical to require it. I cannot control
other people’s thoughts and behaviours.
26. Exercise
• When you are at your best what are you
doing?
• What are the most energising things that you
do?
• Where do you gain the most energy from?
• What gives you the greatest sense of being
who you really are?
• Pick 1 or more and discuss with someone or
just make your own notes.
Source: Linley (2008)
27. Feedback
• How did it feel to focus in just a small way on
your strengths?
• How often do you do that normally?
28. Advantages to knowing and
following your strengths
• Insight and perspective
• Generates Optimism
• Provides sense of Direction
• Helps to Develop Confidence
• Generates Sense of Vitality
• Fulfillment
• Helps achieve Goals!
• Buffers pain
Source: Boniwell (2008)
29. Strengths
• Conventional Wisdom
– Understand and know our weaknesses
– Everyone can learn to be competent at almost
anything
– Greatest potential for growth is your areas of
weakness
30. Strengths
• An Alternative way
– Know your strengths
– Find roles that fit your strengths
– Craft your existing role to utilise your strengths
– Find ways to apply talent
– Try to use your strengths in a new way
– Not just Work E.g. Strengths Date
34. Life Goals
• Feeling Happy and having meaning depends on our ability to
choose direction aligned with your Values
• Set and think about Goals – Did you do that lately?
– More personal than Smart
– Feasible, personally meaningful, committed, intrinsic, community,
intimacy, growth, congruent, valued, non conflicting
35. Motivation
• The force behind getting up
• Extrinsic Motivation
– For the sake of something else
• Intrinsic Motivation
– For the sake of itself
36. Intrinsic Motivation
• Why do we fail?
– Forcing, cajoling or rewarding are not as successful
– What we’re trying to do is less important to us than
other things
– Fear of failure, so we don’t try. “What would I do if I
wasn’t Afraid?” – Spencer Johnson (1999)
• Awakening Intrinsic Motivation
– Give yourself and those you work with the chance to
make as many choices as you can
– When Delegating – provide meaningful rationale
– Acknowledge your feelings
Source: Boniwell (2008)
38. References
• Positive Psychology in a Nutshell: A Balanced Introduction to the Science of Optimal
Functioning (second edition) (Paperback) by Ilona Boniwell (Author) PWBC; 2nd edition
edition (15 May 2008) ISBN-13: 978-0954838782
• Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Human Strengths (Paperback) by Alan Carr
Routledge; 1 edition (4 Dec 2003) ISBN-13: 978-1583919910
• Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realise Your Potential for Lasting
Fulfilment (Paperback) by Martin E.P. Seligman Nicholas Brealey Publishing (6 Mar 2003)
ISBN-13: 978-1857883299
• Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life (Paperback) by Martin E. P
Seligman Publisher: Vintage Books USA; Reprint edition (14 Mar 2006) ISBN-13: 978-
1400078394
• Average to A+: Realising Strengths in Yourself and Others (Paperback) by Alex Linley
Publisher: CAPP Press (29 Feb 2008) ISBN-13: 978-1906366032
• http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology.html#
• http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html
• Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
(Paperback) by Spencer JohnsonPublisher: Vermilion; Reprinted Ed edition (4 Mar 1999)
ISBN-13: 978-0091816971
• http://positivepsychology.org.uk/