The Financial Benefits of Positive Psychology

The Financial Benefits of Positive Psychology

As a psychologist, Positive Psychology is a natural discipline for me to study. When I first heard of it I felt like I was at home, everything made sense and fitted together. The main reason for this is its overlap with Humanistic Psychology, which has always spoken to me as a true way of understanding human behaviour. By focusing on each individual’s unique experience and understanding that we are all different, we begin to gain insight into the real person, and by being non-judgemental we provide a safe nurturing space for them to grow. Scientific Studies This echoes Positive Psychology’s aim of studying those who thrive, to gain knowledge and skills about what they do in order to pass this on to others. However, the methodology of Positive Psychology varies greatly from that of Humanistic Psychology. Positive Psychology uses scientific methods to collect empirical data. Large-scale studies collect quantitative data about people’s resilience, positive emotions and gratitude, to name but a few topics. I am a big fan of qualitative data, it tells us so much. I love the deep insight it gives into people’s experience. I feel privileged and sometimes humbled to be sharing in someone else’s life. However, the effective wide-ranging techniques developed through Positive Psychology are only effective for many people because they are based on the large-scale studies. For example, techniques such as gratitude journals have been tested with large groups of people and they have been shown to have a significant effect on improving well-being. Positive Psychology brings robust scientific methods to the study of flourishing. It gives us quantifiable results. Now the advantage...
The Emotional Carousel

The Emotional Carousel

The Emotional Carousel that encompasses the inner emotional turmoil gathered through the journey of life. It lays in the wake of our existence, sometimes gentle vibrating, sometimes engulfs every essence of you and sometimes it feels like it has vacated somewhere new as you feel emotional freedom from the pain and suffering life has endured. The natural duality of life will send you storms and sunshine as you meander your way through the unknown path of life. There is power, real inner power being able to see the sunshine through the darkest of storms. This is not easy and may not come as you are experiencing the storm, it can come if you let your mind drift there after the turbulence as you give yourself permission to view things from different perspectives. What is the Emotional Carousel? So, what is this Emotional Carousel? It is full of life lessons, it is full of time that has past, it is you in the here and now, it is transparent as well as a solid feeling force when the control and balance is tilted away from your central core, your central being. It is your blueprint full of all the aspects that makes you – you, the past you, the present you and the future you. It is full of the all the cycles you have had, and it has the ability for ever changing if you let the Carousel flow. It can have momentum and move you along or it can act like an anchor keeping you stationary. This stationary position felt over time, will feel like being stuck because...
The Power Of Self-Belief

The Power Of Self-Belief

What does positive psychology say about self-belief? Positive psychology advocates human flourishing (Seligman, 1998), which also directs us towards changing our bad habits into good habits for the purpose of optimal wellbeing. Thus building self belief into a pro active self efficacy human trait is an imperative tool for positivity to take place in society today. Depression has overcome individuals to such an extent that is has become a growing epidemic disease. How do you overcome such unhealthy thoughts and what does positive psychology present to us to overcome this epidemic? The most pioneering self-efficacy theory advocates that “people’s beliefs in their capabilities to produce desired effects by their own actions” (Bandura, 1997, p.vii). The whole process of cultivating self efficacy takes variant pathways that entail adaptive psychological skills and self regulated behavioural modification strategies. These two distinctive positive pathway methods cultivate positive belief behaviours within humans. Thus postulating that these strategies actually allow humans to accomplish their core psychological and physical well being, Evidence based research has found self efficacy as a core factor in changing unhealthy behaviours into healthy behaviours (Maddux & Rogers, 1983: Rogers & Prentice-Dunn, 1997). In light of some recent high profile cases of high depression resulting in diminished well being have explores some self help measures. Some present day thinkers advocate that the following strategies must be practiced in accordance for self belief to be accomplished: demonstrate adaptive behaviour, be reflective in events of mistakes, avoid blame, self compassion, act confident and above all practice these in your daily life (Hope & Butler, 2007). Furthermore a lack of self belief has strong implications...
Positive Psychology In Difficult Times

Positive Psychology In Difficult Times

Sometimes life throws us a curveball. An elderly but seemingly healthy relative suddenly dies, a loved one is absent, possibly never to return, your health isn’t what it used to be. In fact things aren’t looking very good at all. That life you had so carefully planned out for yourself may now no longer be possible, you have to change course, move in an unfamiliar perhaps lonely new direction. The things that truly shake our world are never what we expect. Whilst we are busy worrying about one scenario happening, another, perhaps more painful situation, has already occurred, a situation that it didn’t even cross our minds to consider possible. In these situations what place does positive psychology have in our lives? What right do we have to turn to the psychology of happiness for comfort when the unthinkable happens? Research would suggest that even in times of pain and sorrow, positive psychology can still play a part in our lives and can help us to heal. Remembering the importance of negative emotions One of the most common misconceptions about Positive Psychology is that its goal is to teach people how to be happy all the time. This is simply not true. In recent years, the field of positive psychology has produced a wealth of research into the potential benefits of negative emotions, emphasising the important role that they play in our lives. Society has placed a great deal of weight in recent years on the pursuit of happiness to the point where we are now at risk of upholding happiness above all else. The problem with this is...
The Snowflake Generation

The Snowflake Generation

Generation Snowflake I was scrolling though my Facebook wall the other day and stumbled upon an article, referencing Generation Snowflake or The Snowflake Generation.  Having not heard of it before, I opened the article, despite it coming from a newspaper that I would not part with my hard earned cash to purchase. Wikipedia defines Generation Snowflake as a  “neologistic term used to characterise the young adults of the 2010s as being more prone to taking offence and less resilient than previous generations, or as being too emotionally vulnerable to cope with views that challenge their own.” An underlying sense of entitlement The article concerned, was about specific comments made by a boarding school head teacher, Douglas Robb.  Another newspaper picking up the story was The Telegraph.  It reported that Mr Rob warned that “children are being mollycoddled” and that they have “an underlying sense of entitlement.”  However, he did also state that he did not feel that they are entirely to blame based on the society that they live in and have been brought up in, highlighting things such as profuse advertising from birth, easy credit and an abundance of reality and social media stars.  Even characters on popular sit-com shows can portray an unrealistic life, setting false expectations to the Snowflake Generation. Labels Is it fair for us to label generations in this way though?  An insurance firm (1) have carried out some research that found 72 percent of 16-24 year olds think the term Generation Snowflake is unfairly applied, while 74 percent think it could have a negative effect on young people’s mental health.   WHO (2003) found...