by Nikki Ayles | October, 2015 | Positive Psychology, Relationships, self-development
Living positive psychology Some of my blogs have tended to lean towards the academic side of Positive Psychology…..this one however is much more personal in nature… 2015 has been a big year for me. There have been massive changes in my personal circumstances. I have had to rediscover who I am and find a new way of ‘being’. It’s been challenging at times and downright mentally and physically draining at others. Living the principles of Positive Psychology has helped me to ride the storm. Just as Barbara Fredrickson [1] promises, harnessing more positive emotions has built my resilience and cultivated a growth mindset [2]. Looking for, appreciating and expressing gratitude for the positives in my day, every day, has shown me just how much I have to be thankful for, despite the challenges. The power of altruism in action has worked its magic – offering help and support to those around me when they needed it, and even when they haven’t, has helped me redefine who I am, and the person I want to be. Sharing and celebrating all the successes I’ve had along the way, however small, has reinforced how achievement can rebuild self-esteem. How friends help However, nothing has been more crucial in my journey this past 12 months than the support I’ve received from friends and family around me. In the brilliant ‘The Happiness Advantage’ [3], Shawn Achor tells the story of his training in the Texas Fire Service. In the midst of flames, smoke, searing heat and low oxygen levels, his partner was literally his lifeline. His point? To invest in your social network in times...
by Nikki Ayles | March, 2015 | Positive Psychology
Positive Emotions have been extensively studied by evolutionary psychologist Barbara Fredrickson. Their role in the lives of our ancestors, she argues, was one which fuelled survival. The evolutionary benefits of negative emotions in evoking the ‘fight or flight’ response (and so preventing death by sabre toothed tiger) are widely known. However, the power of positive emotions to ‘calm and connect’, features much less in public awareness. As positive emotions fuel connections with others, they foster co-operation and interdependencies within social groups – vital for human survival. So our capacity for positive emotions has been handed down to us via our genes through Darwinian natural selection. Positive emotions act like ‘tiny engines’ for growth, broadening our awareness and building personal resources (see Broaden and Build). Fredrickson highlights 10 positive emotions of joy, serenity, amusement, awe, pride, gratitude, interest, inspiration, hope, and love. She reasons that, as positive emotions are nourishing, consciously experiencing more of them on a daily basis can improve health and well-being. Extensive research has suggested that increasing instances of felt positive emotions, relative to negative emotions, above a ratio of 3:1 can predict a whole variety of psychological[1], psychosocial[2] and physiological benefits and increases individual’s self-reports of life satisfaction. In 2005, Fredickson collaborated with Michal Losada[3] to mathematically calculate the tipping point of the positivity ratio as 2.9013:1 (i.e. 3:1), above which an individual is said to be flourishing and below which he/she is languishing. Although the robustness of this modelling has been called into question[4], behavioural research has continued to provide support for the 3:1 ratio[5], with 6:1 suggested as the ideal ratio to strive for....
by Nikki Ayles | January, 2015 | What Positive Psychology Means To Me
What Positive Psychology Means to Me Psychology was by far and away my favourite subject at senior school, and although my career, through and post university, took me in a different direction, I never lost my intense interest in, and passion for everything Psychologically-based. Relating to people and understanding what makes them tick has long held enormous appeal. It is for this reason, that not so long ago, I reconnected with Psychology in a formal academic sense and engrossed myself in an MSc. I rediscovered my zest for learning, as well as being captivated by the idea that so much of human experience is constructed through emotions and active engagement with others and our environment. Something missing Something was missing though. Something about the traditional take on Psychology just wasn’t sitting right for me. That was, until I was introduced to Positive Psychology. Suddenly everything fell into place – and just like the great Martin Seligman says is true for so many, it felt like a calling. The idea that every individual, no matter what their life circumstances, has the power and resources to enhance their experience of life and to flourish not merely ‘get by’, is immensely inspiring. Transformational effects Since that first introduction I have devoured books and research articles, attended workshops and seminars, and sought out and connected with all kinds of people involved in Positive Psychology. But more than this, I have personally embraced the principles of Positive Psychology, integrating them into my everyday life. That’s one of the things that’s so fantastic about Positive Psychology – it’s so applied and highly practical – its...
