Positive Psychology has traditionally been aimed at moving those without mental illness from a state of languishing towards flourishing. In this blog I argue that it also has an important role in helping those struggling with mental ill health on their road to recovery, in finding sustainable wellbeing and in preventing relapse.

The cost of mental illness

The Centre for Mental Health (Cardoso & McHale 2024) report on the economic and social costs of mental ill health in the UK suggests that in 2022 mental illness cost £300 billion. This covers three elements; economic costs such as sickness absence, staff turnover and people with mental ill health being unable to work, health care costs of providing formal and informal treatment and support for those needing mental health care and human costs which comprise an estimate of the monetary cost of the reduced quality of life of those living with mental illness. The authors suggest that this is effectively equivalent to the economic impact of having a pandemic every year. Mental ill health is a huge challenge for our society and we need to move towards prevention and sustainable approaches to maintaining treatment effects if we are to address this. Can PP have a role in this?

Mental health is not the absence of mental illness

PP was founded on the premise that it is not enough just to reduce distress, we need to understand the factors which promote wellbeing and thriving. PP research has supported the idea that separate dimensions exist for mental illness and mental wellbeing in large surveys, clinical populations and longitudinal studies (Bohlmeijer & Westerhof 2021, Keyes 2005, Kraiss et al. 2023). Therefore it is possible to be free of diagnosable mental illness but not thriving or functioning well, this is what is known as languishing. It is also possible to live a pretty meaningful and fulfilled life even in the presence of a mental illness although more commonly mental illness is also associated with poor mental wellbeing. Ideally of course we want people to be free of mental illness and high in mental wellbeing, this is what we mean by flourishing.

Many approaches to therapy still focus primarily on reducing negative symptoms. This makes sense at first glance because most clients come wanting to get rid of their difficulties. Mental health provision (in the UK at least) also sits within the wider health service. The “medical model” still pervades health care. If there is a problem we assess it, diagnose it, apply the designated treatment and fix it. This doesn’t work as well with mental illness as a broken leg. Although mental illness and mental wellbeing are separate dimensions they interact in complex ways. Surely if we want to promote sustainable mental wellbeing and reduce the economic impact of mental illness, it makes sense to equip those who come for treatment with PP skills aimed at enhancing flourishing in addition to the ability to manage their difficulties? Yet PP is rarely taught as part of clinical training and despite the popularity of “solution focused” approaches much therapy work remains problem focused. We know that our negativity bias and threat responses make it so easy, even as therapists, to fall into this approach. For me, PP provides a counterbalance and reorientation in therapy which helps me work more holistically with clients. I think this was always what it was intended to be given that many of the early pioneers of PP were clinical psychologists. PP is not just for the mentally well, one could argue those who are struggling with their mental health need it even more.

In addition, current approaches to mental health treatment have limitations in terms of availability, acceptability, cost and effectiveness (Layous et al. 2011). Cuijpers et al. (2014) found that only fifty percent of people treated for mental health issues showed successful outcomes and of those, around fifty percent relapsed within two years. Residual wellbeing issues were also found in many people who had been “successfully” treated.

What’s the evidence?

The impact of Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) and targeting improved mental wellbeing on the symptoms of mental illness has been studied in clinical and wider populations. Research supports the premise that improving mental wellbeing can impact mental illness in the following ways:

• Prevention: By reducing the risk of developing mental illness in those not mentally ill (Keyes et al. 2010, Wood & Joseph 2010)
• Intervention: PPIs have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of mental illness in a range of clinical populations (Chakhssi et al. 2018, van Agteren et al. 2021). Research is less clear for severe mental health conditions (Geerling et al. 2020)
• Recovery: Incorporating a  PP approach into treatment improves the chance of full recovery in those with mental illness (Isalleo et al. 2019, Schotanus-Dijkstra et al. 2019, Slade 2010)
• Relapse prevention: Targeting wellbeing protects against relapse in those recovered from mental illness (Layous et al. 2011, Ostergaard et al. 2020).

This suggests to me that it is time for PP to integrate into wider clinical approaches to supporting mental health. Many therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) already do this to a certain extent. However, I feel there is a need for a more strategic approach. There are empirical questions to answer regarding who might benefit from which PP approaches/ models in what contexts, combined with which more traditional therapeutic approaches in which way at what stage of treatment etc.

Conclusion: Positive Therapy?

An integrated positive therapy might be defined as one which aims to help people become more fully functioning rather than a focus on the reduction of mental ill health (Joseph 2015). A number of approaches to this have already been developed and trialled with some success (see Dunn et al. 2023, Fava 1999, Frisch 2016,  Seligman et al. 2006, Wong 2020). There are key issues in terms of integrating approaches from different theoretical backgrounds in coherent ways. Some models to help guide such synthesis have begun to be developed (see Ciarrochi et al. 2022). However, this approach to alleviating the impact of mental illness in a sustainable way by including a specific wellbeing focus does not seem to have gained the traction it needs to be effectively developed amongst clinical psychologists in terms of education, practice or research. 

PP broke off from traditional psychology research to redress the balance around looking at what is right with humanity rather than what goes wrong. I believe that clinical approaches need to embrace what has been learned from nearly a quarter of a century of PP development if we are to address the current mental health crisis in the most effective way. 

References

Bohlmeijer E and Westerhof G (2021) The model for sustainable mental health: Future directions for integrating positive psychology into mental health care. Front. Psychol. 12, 747999. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.747999

Cardoso, F. and McHale, Z. (2024) The economic and social costs of mental ill health. Centre for Mental Health,  https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/

Chakhssi, F., Kraiss, J. T., Sommers-Spijkerman, M., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (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. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1739-2

Ciarrochi, J., Hayes, S. C., Oades, L. G., & Hofmann, S. G. (2022). Toward a Unified Framework for Positive Psychology Interventions: Evidence-Based Processes of Change in Coaching, Prevention, and Training. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 809362. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.809362

Cuijpers P, Karyotaki E, Weitz E, Andersson G, Hollon SD, van Straten A. (2014). The effects of psychotherapies for major depression in adults on remission, recovery and improvement: a meta-analysis. J Affect Disord.,159, 118–126.

Dunn, B. D., Widnall, E., Warbrick, L., Warner, F., Reed, N., Price, A., … & Kuyken, W. (2023). Preliminary clinical and cost effectiveness of augmented depression therapy versus cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of anhedonic depression (ADepT): a single-centre, open-label, parallel-group, pilot, randomised, controlled trial. EClinicalMedicine, 61.

Fava, G. A. (1999). Well-being therapy: Conceptual and technical issues. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 68(4), 171-179.

Frisch, M. B. (2016). Quality of Life Therapy. In A. M. Wood & J. Johnson (Eds.), The Wiley handbook of positive clinical psychology (pp. 409-425). Wiley Blackwell.

Geerling, B., Kraiss, J. T., Kelders, S. M., Stevens, A. W. M. M., Kupka, R. W., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2020). The effect of positive psychology interventions on well-being and psychopathology in patients with severe mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(5), 572–587. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1789695

Iasello, M., van Agteren, J., Keyes, C. L. M. & Cochrane, E. M. (2019). Positive mental health as a predictor of recovery from mental illness. J. Affect. Disord. 251, 227–230.

Joseph, S. (2015). Positive Therapy. (Second edition), Routledge

Keyes, C. L. M. (2005). Mental illness and/or mental health? Investigating axioms of the complete state model of health. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 73, 539–548. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.73.3.539

Keyes, C. L. M., Dhingra, S. S. & Simoes, E. J. (2010) Change in level of positive mental health as a predictor of future risk of mental illness. Am. J. Public Health 100, 2366–2371.

Kraiss, J.T., Kohlhoff, M. & ten Klooster, P.M. (2023) Disentangling between- and within-person associations of psychological distress and mental well-being: An experience sampling study examining the dual continua model of mental health among university students. Curr Psychol 42, 16789–16800. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02942-1

Layous K, Chancellor J, Lyubomirsky S, Wang L, Doraiswamy PM. (2011). Delivering happiness: translating positive psychology intervention research for treating major and minor depressive disorders. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 17(8):675-683. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2011.0139. PMID: 21721928.

Ostergaard T, Lundgren T, Zettle RD, Landrø NI and Haaland VØ (2020) Psychological Flexibility in Depression Relapse Prevention:Processes of Change and Positive Mental Health in Group-Based ACT for Residual Symptoms. Front. Psychol. 11, 528. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00528

Schotanus-Dijkstra, M., Keyes, C. L. M., de Graaf, R. & ten Have, M. (2019). Recovery from mood and anxiety disorders: The influence of positive mental health. J. Affect. Disord. 252, 107–113.

Seligman, M. E. P., Rashid, T., & Parks, A. C. (2006). Positive psychotherapy. American Psychologist, 61(8), 774-788.

Slade, M. (2010) Mental illness and well-being: the central importance of positive psychology and recovery approaches. BMC Health Services Research, 10, 26, doi:10.1186/1472-6963-10-26

van Agteren, J., Iasiello, M., Lo, L., Bartholomaeus, J., Kopsaftis, Z., Carey, M., & Kyrios, M. (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological interventions to improve mental wellbeing. Nature human behaviour, 5(5), 631–652. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01093-w

Wong, P. (2020). Existential positive psychology and integrative meaning therapy. International Review of Psychiatry, 23 (7-8), 565-578.

Wood, A. M. & Joseph, S. (2010). The absence of positive psychological (eudemonic) wellbeing as a risk factor for depression: a ten year cohort study. J. Affect. Disord. 122, 213–217.

Read more about Sarah Monk and her other articles HERE

‘We Are The Positive Psychology People’

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1. Academic Excellence

The program is offered by Buckinghamshire New University, renowned for its Centre for Positive Psychology and international reputation. With expert lecturers, visiting experts, and practitioners, the course provides academic excellence in the field of spirituality, ecology, and mental health.

2. Take a Transformative Journey

The program presents a unique opportunity for you to embark on a transformative journey that will profoundly reshape your perspective on life, the world, and most importantly, yourself.  By exploring spirituality and adopting practical approaches to living a healthy and fulfilling life, you will not only experience personal growth but also gain a sense of empowerment that will enable you to thrive in all aspects of your life.

3. Make a Meaningful Difference

The program strongly encourages active participation in community projects or initiatives, empowering you to make a meaningful difference. By applying the knowledge and skills gained, you have the opportunity to actively contribute to positive change in your community or even on a global scale. Whether it’s initiating your own projects or joining existing ones, you can leverage your newfound understanding and abilities to create a positive impact in the world around you.

4. Find New Career Opportunities

The program opens up diverse career opportunities for individuals from various professional backgrounds. It provides avenues for career advancement and prospects in fields such as complementary and alternative medicine, healthcare, education, counselling, coaching, leadership, social work, journalism, and more. The interdisciplinary nature of the program makes it applicable and beneficial across a wide range of industries. Whether you are seeking to advance in your current field or explore new career paths, this program equips you with valuable skills and knowledge that are relevant in today’s diverse job market.

5. Create Your Pathway to a PhD

Graduates will have the option to pursue a PhD, delving deeper into the field of positive psychology and contributing to its knowledge base. This advanced degree opens doors to academic and research-oriented careers, fostering personal and professional growth.

6. Benefit from Global Reach and Resources

The program is designed to accommodate students from around the world, ensuring that you can engage in meaningful learning experiences regardless of your geographical location. A wealth of resources are provided to support your learning journey, with a focus on inclusivity and accessibility. You will have access to recommended resources such as books, journals, websites, media, and podcasts that are relevant to the program’s curriculum. Additionally, there will be a monthly program of live online lectures by visiting experts, allowing you to gain insights from leading voices in the field. Recorded lectures, online seminars, and hybrid workshops ensure you can actively participate and engage no matter where you are located.

7. Join a Supportive Learning Community

As a participant in the program, you will become an integral part of a supportive community comprising of dedicated teachers, practitioners, and like-minded individuals who are all connected to the esteemed Centre for Positive Psychology. This community fosters a safe and reflective space for learning and growth, creating the opportunity to connect with passionate individuals who share your commitment to personal and collective growth.

8. Benefit from the Practical Applications

You will learn practical approaches to living a healthy and fulfilling life and how to integrate them into your daily routine.  These practices are designed to help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself, connect with a sense of purpose and meaning, and foster a greater sense of inner peace and harmony. Furthermore, beyond personal well-being, it encompasses a broader perspective that recognizes the interconnectedness of all living beings and the natural world. By nurturing this sense of interconnectedness, you can develop a deeper appreciation for the environment and a greater commitment to sustainable living and ecological harmony.

9. Engage With the Community

The program encourages active participation in community projects or initiatives, enabling you to make a meaningful difference by applying your knowledge, skills, and values for positive change. Through this involvement, you can make a meaningful difference in creating a more compassionate, sustainable, and interconnected society and contribute to positive change on both local and global scales.

10. Embark on a Pioneering Experience

As a member of the first cohort, you will be at the forefront of this innovative program, playing an integral role in shaping its development and direction. You will have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback and contribute to the refinement of the curriculum and learning experience.

These are just 10 of the reasons why enrolling on an MA in Spirituality, Ecology & Mental Health at Buckinghamshire New University might have a profound influence on your life and the life of others. I am looking forward to my journey on this new and exciting course and I’m looking forward to meeting fellow students.

Read more about Lesley Lyle and her other articles HERE

‘We Are The Positive Psychology People’

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“The more space we give to stillness and silence, the more we have to give both to ourselves and to others” – Thich Nhat Hahn

“A poor life this if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare” – W.H. Davies

The late Thich Nhat Hahn was a wise person indeed. He could see that the world with all of its rushing and busyness was not a rewarding place. There is a significant amount of research that suggests that the way we are living our lives, with speed and urgency to achieve the next thing, to rush to the next challenge, and to have what everyone else has, is making us ill.

The sociologist Harmut Rosa has recently developed a theory which proposes the metaphor of being on an escalator trying to get to the top yet the escalator is moving downwards. It is taking all of our effort just to stand still. This post is offering you an opportunity to reflect and think about your own life and where you are on the escalator. Are you running fast to stand still? Positive psychology offers us helpful guidance on how to connect rather than run.

Wanting more, conquering all

Rosa (2020) proposes that we are in a state of social acceleration. To be able to stand still we have to aim for more: More money, more growth, more qualifications, more technology to list just a few. For consumer businesses to stay profitable they need to continue to sell to the population. Inventing more things we don’t need, convincing us we must keep doing more and buying more. Here we are on the hedonic treadmill of life!

If we listen to our words we also will note we use a language of aggression. We want to conquer a mountain, overcome a challenge, and make something fit our needs. We consume the world as though it is something we have to tame, to make it do what we want it to. According to Rosa, this is creating alienation between us and the world. We are losing our connection to it.

Resonance

In Rosa’s work, resonance is when we achieve a balance between being open to the world without judgement, and the world ‘reaching’ us in some way. These are the moments in life when we feel an internal bliss, a feeling that all is well or something in that moment is just right. We cannot force this moment to occur. The more we try and create the moment the further away it moves.

Awe, Savouring, and Appreciation

Awe is a growing area of research which is interested in understanding the complex emotions involved in that feeling of utter amazement and a sense of immense wonder and appreciation. Like resonance, we cannot guarantee a moment of awe, but by noticing and savouring the world around us we offer up the opportunity to connect to it in some way. Being open to whatever you might encounter will increase your chances of experiencing awe.

Savouring is another way of experiencing the world in an appreciative way. When positive moments arrive, it requires us to stay in that moment and experience all of it. We can also savour the past and think about the awe moments we have had, or savour the future and build up our positive association towards something that will occur. Of course, expecting something to bring us awe of resonance will not work. It will be what it will be and we have to accept that.

Stillness

How often have you been still? Really still and quiet within as well as outside of yourself? Part of our alienation with the world is our inability to stop and just be. We don’t need to do anything, have a purpose, or expect anything from the moment. The process of being still is hard for many people to do but one that brings with it many rewards. If we are to ever see a sight that brings us awe, or to really and truly appreciate a moment of savouring, we need to still ourselves. Still our bodies and still our minds. Sit somewhere and allow the moment to bring to you what it wants you to see and hear. Really be in that space and expect nothing but your own stillness. Let your mind wander, your gaze move about, and be open to whatever confronts you.

Silence

It is getting harder to find a place where silence is truly present. Silence is underrated in our society with fast-action entertainment. The complete silence that generations before us would have heard as a normal part of their life is no longer accessible to many of us. Would we want that complete silence anyway? Just reducing the noise around you can make a vast difference to your wellbeing. Or being silent yourself and simply listening to the world around you. Find a spot that you feel gives you a bit of silence, put on noise-cancelling headphones, or just listen to whatever the world is sharing with you.

Try it for yourself

Have a think about whether you have given yourself enough time to be still and silent. Try it for a short time. See how different it feels to the usual rushing and action you deal with daily. Allow that escalator to travel down to the bottom. Stop trying to get to the top. Just ‘be’ wherever the escalator takes you.

I’ll end with another wise mystic, Osho, who said:

“In your silence, where there are no words, no language, nobody else is present, you are getting in tune with your existence” – Osho

Recommended Reading

Bryant, F.B. & Veroff, J. (2006). Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience. Psychology Press

Osho. (2012). Learning to Silence the Mind: Wellness through Meditation. Macmillan

Rosa, H. (2020). The Uncontrollability of the World. Polity Press

Thich Nhat Hanh. (2015). Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise. HarperOne

Trip, P.D. (2015). Awe: Why it Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do. Good News Publishers

Read more about Lisa Jones and her other articles HERE

‘We Are The Positive Psychology People’

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It’s important to really stop for a while and connect with what you’re thinking and feeling to try to establish just where you are. Important because once you understand where you are you can begin to take really good care of yourself or to seek help that will support you through any difficulties that you might be experiencing.

There are 5 points on the mental health spectrum, from left to right;
1) In Crisis 2) Struggling, 3) Unsettled, 4) Thriving and 5) Excelling

You may well be able to instinctively pinpoint where you are, but if not here are some descriptions of each of the areas to help you identify.

In Crisis

When you’re in this state you may well be feeling very anxious, unable to think clearly and could often be exhausted. You may well be physically ill, and have pain (there is a very close connection between psychological health and physical pain) You may not be sleeping well and this in turn will undoubtedly be affecting your day and maybe your performance at work. You may have started relying on substances like alcohol or drugs, or you may have become isolated.

Struggling

If you’re struggling you may well be tired, anxious, sad or even depressed. You may have a poor appetite or have lost weight. You may be simply unable to concentrate for significant periods of time and your self-esteem may be noticeably dropping. You could be present at work but not really engaged or performing as well as you usually do.

Unsettled

If you’re unsettled you could well be ‘on edge’, nervous, worried or irritable. Frustration levels may be higher and nearer to the surface than they usually are, and you may be feeling sad or gloomy. You may be having some difficulty sleeping and have reduced your usual levels of social activity (…do take care not to confuse this with the natural post-Covid levels of reduced social activity)

Thriving

If you’re thriving your mood will probably feel ‘normal’, you might be quite calm and be functioning well at work, going out with friends and family, eating normally and sleeping well. You should feel mostly okay and overall pretty positive.

Excelling

When you’re excelling you’ll feel a higher level of energy, you may well be very solution focused and be performing really well at work. You will probably feel if not joyful, then a distinct cheerfulness. You will be naturally sleeping well and building in time to recover by  doing things that you love, that bring you joy and really help you to ‘switch off’ (It’s only by
doing this that we can recover and build our resilience) You may well recognise a feeling of ‘Flow’ – being so absorbed in your activity that you lose all sense of time and other things that are going on around you – this is a good thing, it gives our minds a chance to rest and helps us to recover.

What to do next

Once you have identified where you sit on the mental health spectrum you can decide whether or not you need to take action to take care of yourself, and what that might look like, whether you need to seek help from friends, family or professionals. Understanding what worries, tensions or concerns you might have can really help you to have a deeper connection to yourself, to be more in touch with yourself.

Wherever you’re at try to seek your own personal joy, whatever form that might take, it really doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it brings you joy, however fleeting. Keep finding your joy and your state will change. You can also research evidence based, positive psychology interventions that will build resilience and improve mental health. They will
help.

Our minds are always moving…from the positive to the negative to the positive again. If you are able to, try to change your mindset, it will make all the difference as we manage ourselves towards a life where we flourish.

References

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi “Flow’

‘We Are The Positive Psychology People’

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The importance of situation

We experience emotions within context, meaning with each moment of the day we are doing something, with or without another person, at a particular location, for a particular reason. All of this is data is gathered by our brains, alongside the feelings we have about the situation (it’s good or bad), and ends up as an emotion, thought, or behaviour.

We therefore have the potential to have an infinite amount of emotional experiences as each moment is slightly different to the next. These differences may be subtle, but they are different and if we want we can develop the skill of constructing emotions that are specific to each of those moments. This is called ‘emotional granularity’, or the ability to be really specific about the emotion we experience for that particular situation.

Why a skill, isn’t it just what happens?

Even though we all have the ability to experience our emotions very specifically, we are taught to experience them in a more general way. In our culture, we talk about basic emotions such as happiness, sadness, guilt, anger, and so on. These have been socially constructed as part of our culture. Other cultures will have different variations of these.

But these are not innately built into us. These have been taught to us during our development. We can add to these by creating new ones, specific ones that are meaningful to us. Just as we were taught the basic emotions we can teach ourselves more emotions.

Where does ‘conceptual knowledge’ come into it?

A concept describes what the brain does to make sense of what we experience. All the environmental sights, sounds, movements, and our own feelings are collected in each moment and the brain says “what is this, how does this all fit together?” These are abstract experiences because it is lots of pieces of data that has to come together to make something meaningful. This is why two people who see the same thing might describe what they see differently. They are processing the data and coming up with different concepts, such as one thinking it is really interesting, and another thinking it is boring.

With each moment we collect this data, and make sense of it conceptually we store it as a memory. They then become categories. The more experiences we have the more memories are stored into categories. This is our conceptual knowledge. Amongst these are categories that are dedicated to emotions.

Predictions using our conceptual knowledge

So what if we have lots of conceptual knowledge? Why does that matter? To help us make sense of something really quickly we predict what we need to do. We call upon these stored categories (memories) and ask “what has occurred before that is similar? How can that help me decide which emotion to feel right now?” We can then ‘feel’ that emotion and know we have made a good decision to manage that moment. And if it is not quite right we can quickly adjust it and create a whole new category.

So by having lots and lots of conceptual knowledge that include emotional knowledge, we have a far richer source of information to call upon with each moment we experience something. This is far quicker to do than having nothing to go on each moment and having to work it out from scratch.

How to build conceptual knowledge

Tune into your own feelings –

If you aren’t aware of your own feelings then you can’t actively form new concepts. Use mindfulness to get to know your own body. Stop every now and again and really notice those sensations.

Be present within each moment –

Another mindful opportunity here. Match up your renewed learning about how you are feeling with the situation you are in. So when you are sitting in a chair talking to a particular person, notice that moment. Match the feelings with that moment and be aware of what that moment means to you.

Learn new emotion adjectives –

Don’t just rely on the words you have already learned. Add to them, even make them up. There are no rules. Find the right label for that very moment so that your conceptual knowledge can form a category that is very specific to that event. Expand your language by reading, listening to others, learning a new language.

Have new experiences –

New experiences can be very small things such as doing something different, reading a book that you would not normally read, taking up a new hobby. Anything that takes you out of the routine.

Spend time with others –

A difficult one for these times but where possible, even virtually, talk. Talk to people you know, join in with groups that you don’t know. Be curious about your fellow human beings and find out about them. The whole process of interacting will bring you new words, new experiences, and new conceptual knowledge.

Read more about Lisa Jones and her other articles HERE

‘We Are The Positive Psychology People’

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It concerns me that the focus for some organisations is on providing Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA’s) rather than ‘Wellbeing Advocates’

Mental Health First Aid is about responding to someone exhibiting signs of distress or changed behaviours. It is, by its very nature, the equivalent of offering a sticking plaster when someone is on the edge.

And how do we look after the MHFA’s?

–       Is their training thorough enough?

–       Who supports and supervises them?

–       Don’t they need an appropriate background to deal with mental health?

–       What happens if they get called outside of working hours?

–       What happens if their conversations turn into counselling, where does the professional liability lie then? And what responsibility does the organization have?

–       If your MHFA is put into a situation where they need to support someone who is struggling what can they realistically do?

If an employee is really struggling they’re often going to need more than signposting.

‘Why would we wait until this critical point’?

…why wait until someone is struggling when we know right now what actions and interventions can help individuals?

Why wouldn’t we put in place a programme where the employee takes responsibility for their own mental health and wellbeing and can follow a programme proven to support them and keep them well. This is available right now.

Small changes make a really big difference. The research shows us that these interventions can keep us healthy, enable us to live longer, build our relationships, improve our mood and even reduce the risk of depression.

What do we need to do to build our wellbeing and avoid running into mental health difficulties?

We have a wealth of research, information and interventions from the field of Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology that can guide us through this.

There are numerous models of wellbeing but broadly they fall into the following 5 categories;

An active body

Managing our own physiology is key. Movement and exercise helps with activation, it gets us out of our heads and into our bodies, stops rumination and gets the endorphins flowing and that always feels good, (think the runner’s high and the yogi’s tranquility) The NHS guidelines on activity are that we aim for 30 mins a day 5 days a week.

What can I do?

In a nutshell, anything that gets you moving.

–       Join a gym

–       Run

–       Swim

–       Gardening

–       Walk

–       Use the stairs

An active mind

Lifelong learners are some of the healthiest, happiest people around.

Keeping an active, curious mind is important. Whether its keeping up to date with new technology, being politically curious in these turbulent times or taking a course- they all help.

What can I do?

–       Read

–       Learn to play an instrument

–       Take up Taiko

–       Take that course you’ve always wondered about doing

–       Learn a new language – the research shows that learning a new language helps us to learn other things more quickly too.

Contributing (to something bigger than ourselves)

Understand our meaning and purpose in life isn’t always easy but finding a cause to support and contribute to can be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do.

Volunteering and being involved connects us to something bigger than ourselves, giving us perspective, and that’s important for our psychological health. If you’re not sure what your purpose is in life start with something that simply appeals to you…

What can I do?

-Complete a charity challenge anything from walking up Kilimanjaro to helping with a local beach clean or litter pick up.

– Volunteer for a charity close to your heart.

-Offer to give someone a lift.

-Fundraise for a worthy cause.

People focus

Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert connection with people is critical. Good relationships with friends and family can add years to our lives. From a simple coffee and a catch up to a good networking event or the party of the year, they’re all beneficial.

What can I do?

-Go networking

-Connect with different people that you meet

-Reconnect with people you’ve lost touch with.

-Plan a party

-Meet up with people for a coffee and a chat.

Being in the now

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 5 years you’ll have heard of or experienced mindfulness. Mindfulness helps us to press the ‘pause’ button, slow down and gain more clarity. It’s proven to reduce our heart rate and reduce stress. It gives us chance to step back for a period and literally catch our breath.

What can I do?

-Practice mindfulness for 5 mins every day to start with.

-Really notice what’s going on around you… like you’re looking at it for the first time.

– Try meditation, either via an app or ideally with others.

-Walk in the woods if you can – ‘forest bathing’ is very rejuvenating

– Listen to music

All of these simple interventions can help us to maintain our levels of wellbeing.

Getting the balance of all of the categories above is absolutely key.

Ideally you’d measure your wellbeing levels prior to starting your programme and if you’d like to do that, look at running wellbeing workshops, and get involved with other positive psychology interventions and resilience practices do get in touch, I’d be delighted to help.

About the author: Janette Kirk-Willis

‘We Are The Positive Psychology People’

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I recently attended the International Meaning Conference (IMeC) in London (July 2019), which held many inspiring talks by inspiring people. It led me to reflect on the journey of positive psychology and how it has come a long way from being all about finding happiness to a place that also values having a meaningful life. This blog reflects on a statement, inspired by Viktor Frankl, which is: Ask not ‘what makes me feel good?’ instead ask ‘what am I good for?’

Origins of positive psychology

Most people with an interest in positive psychology will be aware that the seeds were planted by the thought that we should be studying the outliers of data that seemed to buck the trend of what most people experienced in life. These outliers were individuals who, despite difficulties and challenges, still flourished and thrived. Usually psychologists would ignore these oddities (they upset their charts!), but in the late 1990s Seligman, Peterson and Csikszentmihalyi decided to explore them further.

What makes me feel good?

Most of the researchers under the umbrella field of positive psychology wanted to understand what made people happy and satisfied in life. This was important to create better well-being in society. However over time this first wave of positive psychology was challenged by researchers and critics who thought this was far too superficial and limited. Many studies began to emerge that demonstrated that chasing happiness as a means to an end in itself led to more unhappiness. It seemed that happiness was always out of reach, like the end of a rainbow. Positive psychology had attracted many critics who saw it as a ‘positive thinking’ field that sold empty dreams.

A shift towards meaning

To counteract the emphasis on happiness, a number of researchers began to promote the concept of meaning. This is not new, and the most famous academic who advocated meaning over happiness was Viktor Frankl who developed a therapy called logotherapy. Here Frankl helped his clients to find meaning in every day living, in the small things as well as big things. He recognised that it is not a healthy life to be always happy, as being in a state of happiness and expecting that life will always be a great experience brings misery. Researchers such as Paul Wong argued for a second wave of positive psychology, one that also recognised the value and necessity of the dark side that complimented the light side.
Soon positive psychology was looking for its dark side, such as through our emotions and post traumatic growth. Many books have since been written that advocate the value of so-called ‘negative emotions’ as well as positive emotions. This shift opened up research into other topics that recognised that life will always have some suffering, but it’s not the fact that we suffer it’s how we respond that makes us resilient. In fact, many commentators began to ask whether it is right to find happiness when there is so much suffering around us. This question was posed to the audience of the IMeC conference by Alexander Batthyany, a leading expert of logotherapy today.
Batthyany pointed out research results where people who focus on positive thinking will very quickly not only loose the sense of optimism, but their well-being will dip lower than previous. Instead those that build compassion into their experiences retain a higher sense of well-being due to the balance of hope with reality.
The hallmark of neuroticism, according to Frankl, are i) enforced pleasure and avoidance of pain, ii) dependence on external validation, and iii) avoidance of responsibility for one’s own living. In other words, looking away from unhappiness and responsibility doesn’t create happiness but exacerbates the unhappiness.

What am I good for?

Life has meaning when we choose to accept what we cannot control, and do the best that we can with what we have. An inspiring story told by Batthyany was of a man who had had a bad childhood. Rather than be bitter about it he chose to use his experiences to break the cycle of misery and do what he could to prevent others from suffering the same way. Rather than giving out what he had received, he sent out to the world compassion. And for his efforts he received the happiness everyone wants. Not because he looked for happiness, but because he found meaning and that meaning brought with it a sense of achievement, which in turn made him happy.
So if you want happiness, don’t go looking for it because it won’t be there. Instead do something that gives back to the world, and in return it will offer the gift of a meaningful and satisfying life.

Lisa Jones has a professional background in strategic human resources, organisational change and development. She has just completed the MAPP at Bucks New University. As an organisational change and development practitioner, researcher and coach she uses her knowledge and learning in her client work to facilitate conversations and storytelling for creating meaningful change. She also intends to undertake a PhD … very soon.

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Full disclosure, my first reaction was to roll my eyes and laugh out loud and have the following rapid-fire train of thought: ’There is a positive psychology (scoff)?!  What’s the point of that?! Some more experts telling us to choose not to be sad but to somehow ‘be happy’ instead (huff and another eye roll)?!’

I was my anxiety

At this point, I had spent a decade in therapy and on medication for anxiety and depression. During this time, I was alternately encouraged to try and look on the bright side, be more optimistic, lower my expectations or just generally pull my socks up because life wasn’t so bad, was it?! Trying to take this approach to dealing with my mental health had very little to do with what I was good at or enjoyed doing (my personal strengths) and over the years caused me considerably more anxiety rather than less.

I have dealt with generalised anxiety disorder and a lovely if complicated combination of additional symptoms pointing to major depressive disorder and a form of obsessive compulsive disorder (known as Pure O) for most of my life.  Being a high achiever, a perfectionist and (learned) extrovert it took a combination of life circumstances, genetics, bad choices, whatever, to produce a series of breakdowns in my twenties and thirties which crippled my self-esteem and confidence in my abilities, stalled my career and my capacity to even identify let alone set goals based on my true interests or needs.

Is PP just for ‘normal’ people? Well, no…

With fire in my belly, I turned to Dr Google and emerged feeling smug; I was vindicated. PP was to bear the brunt of my righteous anger. How dare normal people learn to be well, better than normal!

Irritable at this point, I kept scrolling, reading and ruminating until I read something that stopped me in my tracks. Others had also criticised the ‘positive’ in PP, questioning its usefulness and purpose in particular within the context of the much (more) in need 1 in 4 people like me who suffer from a diagnosable mental health problem like an anxiety disorder and no, blanket positivity wasn’t the answer…

It’s for everyone

What surprised me was the response of the PP field to overall agree with this criticism and develop a more nuanced approach to a science of positive outcomes rather than just promoting positive experiences. That was my interpretation of it anyway, as I absorbed as much as I could about character strengths, the dialectic of emotions and the difference between seeking pleasure and meaning in life. I quickly saw that all of these topics were highly relevant to me personally as well as all the ‘normal’ people in my life.

What now?

PP had piqued my interest by its attempt to capture the full rainbow of human experience, subjective, objective, good and bad. To me at this point PP seemed to provide somewhat of a model for understanding both sides of my self – both my strengths and my anxiety. This was something (it has never been clearer) missing from the black, white and grey approach of traditional psychotherapy, disorder-labelling and endless self-analysis.

All at once PP seemed relevant and welcoming and I tentatively began to take the first steps towards finding out about my own strengths, understanding my own emotions – (positive and negative this time) and discovering more about how I can take steps to influence my own subjective wellbeing.

Finding my strengths

In hindsight, I was using what Martin Seligman calls my signature strengths and it was a revelation to finally give this side of my life recognition and attention. By using my strengths of Judgement, Love of Learning and (self) Honesty/Authenticity I arrived at what seemed a scary yet natural decision. Having done my research, asked my questions and followed my instinct I took the plunge and signed up for the MAPP at Bucks New University last year.

For someone dealing with daily mental health challenges this was a great leap in the dark as I also have a young family to care for. Perhaps unwittingly (and again hindsight is a fabulous thing isn’t it?) I was developing my lesser strength of Hope as I developed and put my faith in an understanding of both PP’s and my own potential to transform.

Helping myself and others

In short, learning more about PP and conducting interventions on myself has enabled me to accept and manage my anxiety and develop my strengths in a way that psychology (and certainly psychiatry) hasn’t to date. Applied PP is useful (in my humble opinion) to anyone who has the capacity for self-insight, including those of us who have a diagnosable mental illness.

Instinctively as I write this now, the next natural step seems to be for me to share this knowledge with others as I do now and put myself in the position to help people, perhaps those just like me.

It is impossible to summarise all I have learned from the first year of the MAPP course within this entry.  But as I build my knowledge, experience and language for the best as well as the worst things in life I am becoming more confident that I could enable others to navigate a similar journey towards increased wellbeing regardless of their starting point.

About the author: Lena Britnell is a current student on the MAPP course at Buckinghamshire New University and is an active voice in the conversation about mental health through her blog followingflamingos.com and her volunteering roles. Prior to her discovery of a passion for psychology, she studied Maths and honed her learned behaviours in various corporate roles.

‘We Are The Positive Psychology People’

The Positive Psychology People is co-founded and sponsored
by Lesley Lyle and Dan Collinson,
Directors of Positive Psychology Learning and authors of the
8-week online Happiness Course

The post Finding Strengths in Anxiety Part 1: Is PP really for everyone appeared first on The Positive Psychology People.

• Help from others
• Excitement for life
• Aligning our beings with our truth
• Love. Lots and lots of love

Help From Others

The importance of community seems to be magnified when we face challenges in life, as the support we do or do not receive impacts our ability to propel ourselves forward. If you do not feel supported in your time of need, seek out help. Communicate your needs to your community before falling into the negative self-talk that says no one is there for you. If you do feel supported, ensure you express your gratitude for the support that you are receiving as often as you can. To note, our help may come from individuals that are not in our intimate communities, like doctors, nurses, therapists, etc. It is significant to express your gratitude to these individuals to spread love and encouragement to them, as these are often thankless jobs!

Lesson Learned: It is okay to ask for help. When we go through difficulties there are certain things we may not be able to do. In these times, it is humbling to ask for assistance. It is not always easy, but it brings awareness to our healthy need for others in our lives.

Excitement For Life

No matter how painful or difficult our circumstances may be there is always something we can find to celebrate. Even if it seems insignificant, hold onto the excitement that it brings and allow the joy to flow through your body, mind, and soul. Positive emotions have the power to create upward spirals, which create more positive emotions in our lives. When facing challenges, it is essential that we increase the positivity we experience to counteract the negative impacts of the challenge we are living through.

Lesson Learned: There is always something to celebrate. If you can’t find it, look harder.

Aligning Our Beings With Our Truth

To encourage healing, resolve to become the best you, you can be during this time. When we become true to who we are, we may mitigate the stress and tension in our beings. We are not always aware of the stress living out of who we are may cause, yet as our subconscious is always at work, we must align our thoughts, behaviours, and actions with our truth. As we remove stress from our beings, we are promoting healing. To begin aligning yourself with your truth ask questions about who you are and who you want to be. Where have you limited yourself? What are you proud of? What is my truth? Who am I? Who am I not? Are there any discrepancies with how I am living? What can I do to mitigate stress? Figuring out who you are can be a freeing process that encourages positive healing.

Lesson Learned: Our body, mind, and soul are interconnected, so we must align ourselves to our truth.

Love. Lots & Lots of Love

Love releases feel good chemicals, such as oxytocin, in the brain that may promote healing through decreasing stress. To ensure a positive healing experience, we must raise the amount of love we are giving and receiving in our lives. This can be done by increasing (consensual) physical touch, spending time with loved ones, expressing love to our partners or friends, and engaging in a self-love practice that includes taking care of ourselves and flowing love through our bodies. To take it to the next level, we must lovingly accept the challenges we face without opposition to fully surrender to the process. This will eliminate fear and increase the amount of love we are able to feel in the midst of our trials.

Lesson Learned: Love is the most powerful medicine. Receive it, give it. Lots and lots of it.

Healing comes in many forms and is not limited to the tips shared in this post. As we engage with the medical, spiritual, emotional, and holistic practices we may experience healing. By practicing the H.E.A.L. tips during the challenges of life, we have the opportunity to experience positive recovery, which I invite you to implement. Happy healing, friends!

About the author: Amanda Gould is a MAPP distance student at Buckinghamshire New University, living near Toronto, Canada. You can typically find her running, drinking a smoothie, or figuring out new ways to live her best life!
Website: www.instagram.com/amandakgould

‘We Are The Positive Psychology People’

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Health Benefits

Humans are designed to walk, it is our natural state and our body and mind protest when we are unable to do so, contributing to some of the health epidemics many societies are currently experiencing such as obesity, diabetes and a rise in mental health disorders. Not surprisingly there are many well documented physical health benefits associated with walking including weight loss, improved sleep and reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.

Walking also has a positive effect on our mental health, improving mood, reducing stress and reducing the likelihood of depression. It has a calming effect and restores our cognitive and emotional reserves.

Social Benefits

Walking also helps to bring people together. When walking with others we have the chance to slowly get to know them. This is aided by the interest found along the walk; sharing the sight of a pedigree dog, stopping to wonder over an unusual flower, admiring a view or commenting on the way our body feels after a steep ascent. This helps to increase our social connection by gently building up a bank of shared experience.

Flourishing

Walking can take us out of languishing and into the realm of flourishing. It can help open our minds and we become more creative; finding solutions to problems, making connections between ideas. I recently enjoyed reading about Arianna Huffington’s decision to hold meetings whilst walking. In her book ‘Thrive’ she describes the benefits of these ‘walking meetings’ including a feeling of joy and an awareness of her senses being heightened. She says that many of her good ideas have occurred to her while walking and this certainly resonates with me. Somehow being outside, sensing the rhythm of my movement allows my mind to rest, to stop going round in circles and to open up to novel possibilities.

A Walking Plan

There are many simple ways to include walking into your day and here are a few examples.
– If you travel by bus or tube, get of one or two stops early and walk the rest of the way.
– Make full use of your lunch break and go for a walk.
– Hold meetings whilst walking.
– Find a walking buddy, you can spur each other on. It is also a good way to get to know a new colleague or neighbour.
– Join a walking group such as The Ramblers.

Give them a go and let me know how you get on.

About the author: To find out more about Bryony Shaw MAPP, please click here.

‘We Are The Positive Psychology People’

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