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A Recipe for Happiness: Learnings from Positive Psychology

Kritika Kaul

Updated: Aug 5, 2022

When you hear the words "psychology" or "therapy," you probably think of depression, anxiety, and other clinical difficulties or mental illnesses, with an emphasis on what is "wrong.” But what about mental wellbeing or what is going “right” in a person’s life?


Positive psychology arose in the late 1990’s in response to the field's then somewhat limiting focus on the negative; so much attention was directed to mental illness, abnormal psychology, trauma, suffering, and pain, while comparatively little attention was paid to happiness, wellness, strengths, and flourishing.


Positive psychology today focuses on improving wellbeing by strengthening the good in life instead of mending the negative - on looking at changing “average” wellbeing to “great” or “flourishing”. (Peterson, 2008). Positive psychology is important because learning what enables people to live more meaningful lives can translate to better techniques for managing distress, changing maladaptive behaviours, and boosting our happiness and productivity.


One of the most important subjects explored and spoken about in this field is that of happiness - what makes and contributes to it? Martin Seligman, who is regarded as the founder of positive psychology, presented the PERMA Model to solve this question. The concept organizes highly subjective conceptions of happiness and well-being into five scientifically measurable and manageable components with the first letters of each component forming the mnemonic PERMA.

Different people will gain well-being from each of these five building blocks to varying degrees. A good life for one individual is not necessarily a good life for another.


These elements are:

  1. Positive Emotion: This ingredient is, perhaps, the most evident connection to happiness. Focusing on good emotions is more than smiling: it is the ability to remain optimistic and see one’s history, present, and future from a constructive perspective. In order to experience well-being, we need positive emotion in our life. Positive feelings like connectivity, hopefulness, love and tranquility refresh our energy and rejuvenate us. A technique positive psychology uses to enhance these emotions is called ‘savouring.’ It is about becoming aware of the experience of pleasure from an activity or event, and appreciating the positive emotions gained from it. The exercise ‘Three Good Things’ is derived from this principle - it involves noticing and writing down three things everyday that were positive, and reflecting on the reasons they happened.

  2. Engagement: We can each choose which activity may help us feel more engaged with ourselves and with what is around us. For some it may be something creative like art or music, maybe playing a sport, or taking care of our balcony garden, for others it may be trekking, reading, or anything that "sparks joy" or makes you feel like time has flown without you realizing.

  3. Relationships: Humans are "social beings" - strong relationships are essential to our well-being. We thrive on connections that create love, closeness, and a strong emotional and physical interaction with other humans. Having positive, healthy relationships not only help us enhance our wellbeing but also help us by being a strong support system which we can rely on especially when things get tough.So an example of a positive psychology exercise would be taking VIA Character Strengths (available for free online) with a significant person in your life to figure out what your signature strengths are. Then tell each other “strength stories” - stories of when you used your strengths. This exercise helps build intimacy and fosters deeper understanding between you and the other person.

  4. Meaning: Having an explanation as to “why are we on this earth?” is a critical factor that might push us towards fulfillment. Religion and spirituality give many people meaning, as does working for a good company, having children, volunteering for a bigger cause, and expressing oneself creatively. Understanding the impact of your work and why you chose to “show up to the office” may help you appreciate the tasks and become more content with what you do.

  5. Accomplishments: Having goals and desire in life can allow us to achieve things that can give us a sense of success.You can create small, realistic goals for yourself that can be accomplished. Simply putting in the effort towards achieving the goals will already offer a sense of satisfaction and you will feel a great sense of fulfillment when you finally achieve the goal through constant effort. Studies have shown accomplishment also comes from recognising the modest incremental steps. Well-being is boosted by taking progressive steps and is less about the aim itself. Accomplishment can come from investing time and efforts to what has meaning or celebrating each modest new understanding.

Hence, when it comes to learning how to build a life that not only caters to our well being but also holds our core values and beliefs central, positive psychology can offer a great deal in helping us think about important questions and make informed choices.


References:

Ackerman, C. E., MA. (2022, July 11). What is Positive Psychology & Why is It Important? https://positivepsychology.com/what-is-positive-psychology-definition/

Cherry, K. (2021, October 20). Can Positive Psychology Really Help You Lead a Happy Life? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-positive-psychology-2794902#toc-positive-psychology-and-the-perma-model

Peterson, C. (2008). What is positive psychology, and what is it not? Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-good-life/200805/what-is-positive-psychology-and-what-is-it-not



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