by Fizza Shah | January, 2019 | Fizza Shah, Relationships
Positive Psychology and Love To be or not to be in love? That is the question. Everyone knows love is good for you but what does positive psychology say about. Let’s kick start the process of love with some philosophical references such as Irving Singer (1984) who conceptualised it with as a concept associated with virtuous attributes such as goodness and Godly attributes. Further differentiating it into four components: “Eros”: desire for the beautiful, “Philia”: companionship love, “Nomos”: obedience to ones loved one, and “Agape”: preference of love over spirituality. The variant levels of love are very interesting and divulge humans into thinking about love in a very comprehensive manner. What is passionate love? Another external expression of the feeling of love Hatfield (1988) proposed the true essence of passionate love is an intense attraction that’s entails marriage to that individual. Others extend this element that compassion, passion, satisfaction, friendship and commitment are elements of love too (Sprecher and Regan, 1998). The Zeitgeist of understanding love within an applied adult love attachment theory states that joys and sorrows of childhood come prevalent within adult love experiences (Hazan and Shaver, 1987). The evolutionary theorist postulates that survival of species is dependent upon pro creation and attending to the helpless infant so as to build primitive emotional bonding (Mellen, 1981). Research into love has found that love, companionship, honesty, trust as main features of the notion of love (Regan, Kocan and Whitlock (1998). Others state that the process of love may motivate an inner self expansion process within the individual (Aron and Aron, 1996). Sternberg (1998) is a process of personal...
by Fizza Shah | November, 2018 | Fizza Shah, Positive Psychology
Positive psychology has an abundance of theoretical knowledge on eudaimonic wellbeing. Aristotle postulated that eudaimonic wellbeing was the notion derived from daimon meaning true nature leading a virtuous life with meaning to it. Postulating that authentic happiness is realising human potential is in accordance to human goal. With earlier eudaemonists such as Maslow, Rogers emphasising that free will and choice is the way forward to establishing a better wellbeing. Furthermore the emphasis on psychological wellbeing transcends through Ryff’s model of psychological wellbeing advocating self-acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life, positive relations with others, environmental mastery and autonomy. I feel the most comprehensive measure of the notion of wellbeing emerging, is the PERMA model which is a very comprehensive notion of postulating many facets of wellbeing such as positive emotions, engagement within your environment, meaningful experiences and accomplishments within one’s life. Collaborative practices for professionals So can these notions of well being incorporated within the professional arena? I feel so as the collaboration of such concepts is a way forward for health professionals, counsellors, community workers, and psychologist. These frameworks recommended for a positive wellbeing are evidence-based and provide a scope for professionals to become more informed within their working environments. Knowledge is a tool for bettering oneself and for practising professionals to excel within their fields they must move closer to Martin Seligman’s goal of worldwide wellbeing increasing it by 51% by 2051. The future for eudaimonic wellbeing I feel practising eudaimonic wellbeing evidence-based practices like the PERMA and the Ryff model will equip the workforce, mental health patients, families, elderly, children will equip society to become a more...
by Fizza Shah | September, 2018 | Fizza Shah, self-growth
What does positive psychology say about motivation? Motivation is an imperative aspect of human functioning without it we would seize to do the most important tasks in our lives. So what is it? And where does positive psychology take it? Positive psychology has divided motivation into two sub fields’ intrinsic: inbuilt human attributes to pursue virtuousness and extrinsic: pursuing an activity for an alternative outcome, thus highlighting variant forms of motivational triggers. The self-determination theory formalises the four tenets of motivation being external: tasks driven by outside forces, introjected: self regulation of emotions conducting activities to avoid guilt, pressure, anxiety, identified: conducting imperative task regardless of it not being joyful and integrated: conducting tasks as they adhere to our values (Ryan & Deci, 2000). On a healthy motivational continuum the more we develop our intrinsic motivation the less likely we are to be forced to do things we did not want to. Autonomy is an important factor in finding your intrinsic motivation and so are competences, relatedness that form an overall driving force in finding your extrinsic motivation. The self-concordance model advocates well being as being much superior entity when individuals identify, amalgamate, implement intrinsic motivations within themselves in co coordinating their life goals (Sheldon, 1994). Evidence based research supports this notion and postulates that the model does indeed promote well being through attending to an individual’s innate psychological requirements (Boniwell, 2006). Some interesting perceptions of motivational strategies have been developed as the following recommended five dimensional steps: trust: fostering positive relationships, reward system: promotes healthy competition reinforcing good behaviours, recognition; appreciation of accomplishments, career advancement: opening up opportunities...
by Fizza Shah | July, 2018 | Fizza Shah, self-growth
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...
by Fizza Shah | May, 2018 | Fizza Shah, self-development
Optimism is a word that has such powers that it can change your mind set to “I cannot do” to “I can do this” How do we do this and what does positive psychology say about this process of change? Martin Seligman (1998) the founding father of positive psychology advocates learned optimism yields a better you higher achieving you and healthier you. The Expectancy-value theorist postulate that human behaviour is dependent upon future aspirations and goals, hereby greater the goal the greater the value. (Austin & Vancouver, 1996: Carver & Scheier, 1998). The second phase of this process is the realistic fulfilment of the goal, whereby people will pursue a goal even in times of great challenges. Leading us to how people cope with stress and it has been noted that people with great optimism cope well (Scheiver & Carver, 1992). Optimists furthermore engages in proactive behaviours that are solution based. Therefore implemented as a prevention strategy changing your bad habits into good habits before the entirety of the problem arises, therefore preventing high risks to health, wellbeing and happiness (Prochaska, 2016). Recent researchers suggest that stop ruminating and act in a constructive way, to become more mindful and practice meditation too (Dilliard-Wright, 2017). Changing your mind set is a very powerful tool indeed. Proposing a 8 step process in which you can boost your optimism avoid over thinking, remember there is always a happy ending, get over your past, be grateful, us positive affirmation techniques, keep positive company, maintain good manners and make a mental note that there are going to be ups and downs that’s life (Owens,...
by Fizza Shah | March, 2018 | Emotions, Fizza Shah, self-growth
Theoretical models for grief Some early ideas on grief advocate a cognitive adaptation theory (CAT) (1983) that postulates that after a trauma comes personal growth permeated through maintenance of self-protection processes and the boost of self-esteem (Taylor, 1983). Whereby the latter theorist define grief as “positive psychological change experienced because of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances” (Davis, G, Davis and Nolen-Hoeksema, 2011, p, 1). Whereby other theorist have encompassed these notions into a posttraumatic growth (PTG) model that postulates a four stage process one being a disruption to one’s day-today living, two being a reconstruction of one’s inner self, three being a change that occurs within one’s self for the better and four is the progressive positive change that occurs due to the tribulation experienced (Tedeschi, R.G., & Calhoun., L.2004). Evidence-based research for grief A longitudinal study found that the process of understanding a loss entailed two-part meaning making process whereby one entailed an understating of the loss and the other entailed retrieving something beneficial from the experience (Davis, Nolen-Hoeksema, & Larson, 1998: Nolen-Hoeksema & Davis, 2001). Initial stages of grief were interrelated with the first process of understanding the grief in terms of the entire process of coping with it within the first 6-month period and the spiritual beliefs of the person who passed away. The other aspect of benefit finding was dependent upon on self-regulation of emotions thus boosting their inner strengths in conveying a feeling of appreciation of family relations (Davis, G, Davis and Nolen-Hoeksema, 2011). How do you cope with grief? The believe that adversity or the loss of a loved does it...
