“The aim of Positive Psychology is to catalyze a change in psychology from a preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building the best qualities in life” – Martin Seligman, Founder of Positive Psychology and former President of the American Psychological Association

It was July 2019 when I attended the World Congress on Positive Psychology. Realising that it’s been 2 years since I spent time with “my tribe” – people who are passionate about making this world a better, healthier, and happier place to live in by helping others to flourish — made me feel nostalgic. I also felt nostalgic about how I came to discover Positive Psychology.

Have you heard the saying, “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear?” I think that’s what happened to me back in 2017 when I was experiencing an existential crisis about what to do with my life, how to improve my mental and physical health, and how to create a life I love.

In trying to find answers, I binged-watched TED talks and came across Shawn Achor’s talk. Being a Positive Psychologist, he discussed what his research found about happiness, gratitude, and the neuroscience behind it. After watching that very informative and entertaining talk, it just clicked; there’s an “AHA moment” that made me feel that that’s what I was looking for.

Perhaps that video came at the time when I was ready for a different perspective – a perspective about focusing on my strengths and what’s going well in my life, as opposed to trying to “fix” myself and everything wrong in my life. The latter was an uphill battle that proved ineffective, and unfortunately, the long-held view of traditional psychology.

Aside from focusing on strengths and what’s right (but still acknowledging all the “darkness” or challenges that exist), positive psychology also made me aware that it’s possible to thrive or flourish (meaning, have high levels of wellbeing).

Also known as the science of wellbeing and science of happiness, learning more about Positive Psychology made me realise that I don’t need to settle to merely surviving and feeling “okay”. I also learned that I could take deliberate actions to improve my mental and physical wellbeing to feel happy and fulfilled most of the time.

Because of the significant role that this science has played in helping me create a thriving life, it’s now my vision to create a thriving community by teaching and helping others improve their wellbeing using the tools and strategies I learned from Positive Psychology. 

Positive Psychology in a Nutshell

Although positive psychology has also been called the science of happiness or the science of wellbeing, it is NOT about:

• It’s not about positive thinking
• It’s not about being happy all the time
• It’s not about removing or denying negative emotions

Instead, it’s about:

• Focusing on strengths and building positive qualities with the end goal of helping people flourish and thrive in life (it’s a way of “balancing” traditional psychology that mainly focuses on a “disease model”, or what needs to be cured or healed, such as mental illness)
• Identifying and nurturing high talent and helping people live fulfilling lives
• Being hopeful and optimistic for one’s future while experiencing flow and happiness in the present
• Focusing on the conditions and aspects of life that leads to happiness, fulfilment, optimal functioning, and health and wellbeing, without denying the presence of weaknesses, negative emotions, and suffering (as opposed to traditional psychology’s focus on alleviating suffering and healing mental illness but not promoting mental health)
• Cultivating the presence of the following in one’s life: Positive Emotions (feeling joy, comfort, happiness), Engagement (finding flow – when does time stops for you?), Relationships (positive relationships and authentic connections), Meaning (purposeful existence), and Achievement (a sense of accomplishment).

How can you benefit from the science of positive psychology?

If you’re willing to learn more about it and apply the theories, concepts, and interventions in your life the way I did, then you can also transform your wellbeing and life for the better.

Here are some suggestions to try (positive interventions):

To experience more positive emotions:

• Write down 5 things that you’re grateful for and savour them
• Take a walk in nature, and while doing so, notice and be mindful of the beauty surrounding you, such as the colourful flowers, majestic trees, beautiful sunset, etc.
• Laugh, dance, be playful – infuse humour, zest and movement in your life

To be more engaged and find flow:

• What are you passionate about? Whether it’s writing, singing, dancing, photography, painting, or something else, spend time doing what gives you joy and makes time fly for you
• Have a deep, meaningful conversation with a friend or relative
• Refrain from multitasking and being distracted by a smartphone when doing something

To build positive relationships:

• In a conversation, actively listen, look the person in the eye, and respond in an active-constructive way (show interest, enthusiasm and excitement, ask questions)
• Forgive those who have hurt you
• Prioritise making connections daily. A short phone conversation or text message can have a significant impact and can make someone feel special and valued

To live life with meaning and purpose:

• Align your daily actions or behaviours and activities to your values
• Contribute to a cause bigger than yourself and improves the lives of others (for example, doing charity work and volunteering, or helping a friend or relative who is struggling)
• Reflect on what the tragedies and suffering in your life has taught you and how you can apply those learnings to improve your life

To achieve meaningful goals:

• As much as possible, pursue intrinsic goals (meaning, goals that you inherently find satisfying and motivating, such as self-growth and satisfying relationships rather than power, money and fame)
• Develop and cultivate a growth mindset (focus on developing, learning, and growing, not solely on the outcome)
• Align your core values (principles or beliefs that are important to you) to the goals that you’d like to achieve

Key Takeaway

Positive psychology aims to “balance” psychology by also looking into what makes life worth living or building the best qualities in life. It also helps people thrive or flourish by providing real-world positive interventions that will improve all aspects of the person’s wellbeing. Moreover, it focuses on the 5 core elements of psychological wellbeing and happiness — Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships (positive), Meaning, and Achievement.

Now it’s your turn

1. Action step: Apply the positive interventions listed above.
2. Reflection: Which of the interventions worked for you? How did it make you feel, and what positive impact did it have on you or your life?

Thank you for reading! Would you please leave a comment below and let me know your insights on positive psychology and how you plan to incorporate its teachings and interventions in your life?