Positive psychology

Positive Psychology
“POSITIVE
PSYCHOLOGY IS THE
SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF
WHAT MAKES LIFE
MOST WORTH LIVING”
(PETERSON, 2008).

“The good life is best
construed as a matrix that
includes happiness,
occasional sadness, a sense
of purpose, playfulness,
and psychological ﬂexibility, as
well autonomy, mastery, and
belonging.”
– Robert Biswas-Diener
Positive Psychology is the
science of Happiness that
emphasizes on what makes
people happy, how people
ﬂourish and when individuals
become their best inner
selves.
POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Father of Positive Psychology
Martin Seligman
Martin Seligman is a pioneer of Positive
Psychology. Born in 1942, In Authentic
Happiness (2002), he explains that his
journey towards this new field in
psychology started off in a study on
learned helplessness in dogs. Positive
psychology is the study of the "good life", or
the positive aspects of the human experience
that make life worth living. As an art, it focuses
on both individual and societal well-being
Seligman's conclusion is that happiness has three
dimensions that can be cultivated: the Pleasant
Life, the Good Life, and the Meaningful Life.

● Happiness
Major topics of interest in Positive Psychology
● Optimism and Helplessness
● Mindfulness
● Flow
● Strengths and Virtues
● Positive thinking
● Resilience

Beneﬁts of Positive Psychology:
● Enhanced individual and organization learning
● Improved social relationships
● Better workplace performance and productivity
● Enhanced problem solving and creativity
● Increased job satisfaction
(Fredrickson, 1998E; Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener,
2005

Summary of Well-Being Theory
Positive Psychology is a vast science
with countless applications.. Well-being
is a construct; and a topic of positive
psychology. The most inclusive model to
describe well-being is called PERMA.
The PERMA Model was developed by
my favorite psychologist, Martin
Seligman. (We have met twice and
discussed my research on positive
psychology coaching.) I strongly
recommend his seminal 2011 book,
"Flourish".
1. Positive Emotion (P)
Any positive emotion such as gratitude, satisfaction, hope,
curiosity, or love falls into this category.
2. Engagement (E)
When we're truly engaged in a situation, task, or project, we
experience a state of flow.
3. Positive Relationships(R)
Humans are social beings and good relationships are core to our
well-being. You can develop meaningful, positive relationships with
others.
4. Meaning (M)
Meaning results when we serve a cause bigger than ourselves. We
all need meaning in our lives to develop well-being.
5. Accomplishment/Achievement (A)
Many of us strive to master a skill, achieve a goal, or win some
competitive event. Achievement defines us. Or not.
Accomplishment is another element that contributes to our ability to
flourish.

The PERMA Model of The Theory of Well-Being

Happiness:
Seligman positive psychology states that three
dimensions of happiness can be cultivated.
Those are:
● 1. The pleasant life,
● 2. The good life, and
● 3. The meaningful life.
With Seligman's view of these three dimensions of
happiness, you don't need to choose personal
happiness over sacriﬁce for the happiness of
others. The three dimensions can all work
together. And none of these mean ignoring reality.

The Pleasant Life:
Positive emotions about the past, present and future.
The pleasant life is achieved by meeting basic human needs.
Those include companionship, the needs of our bodies, and
enjoying a safe environment. It is about; what we feel:
pleasure, rapture, ecstasy, warmth, comfort, and the like. An
entire life led successfully around this element
Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is
something you design for the present.”
– Jim Rohn

The Good/ Engged Life:
The good life (cultivating strengths and virtues) requires
a bit more mental work to achieve. It is unlocked by
recognizing your strengths and virtues and pursuing
activities that use those to their full potential. This element,
engagement, is about ﬂow: being one with the music, time
stopping, and the loss of self-consciousness during an
absorbing activity.

The Meaningful Life:
The Meaningful Life (developing meaning and
purpose), Human beings, ineluctably, want meaning
and purpose in life. A life in which we ﬁnd a deep
sense of fulﬁlment by employing our unique
strengths for a purpose greater than ourselves.

6 Positive Psychology Practices To
Boost Happiness
1. Transform your mindset:
Human beings basically have 2 types of mindset:
● Fixed mindset
● Growth mindset
A ﬁxed mindset keeps you focused on goals and outcomes. You have
ﬁxed views and opinions and you are defensive about them.
When you embrace the growth mindset, you focus more on the process.
You are more interested in life’s journey than the destination.

2. Practice gratitude:
By practicing gratitude on a
daily basis you can express
more kindness and compassion,
sleep better, build stronger
immune systems, experience
positive emotions and feel alive.

3. Feel abundance :
You need to have an abundant mindset and feel that
there’s plenty of whatever you want in your life, even
though you might not have it right now. Nature is
inherently designed to grow and abundance can be
found everywhere in the Universe including your
personal life. But only if you allow it.
Gratitude is a great way to feel abundance and it can
help you visualise the abundance you want in your
future life.

4. Visualize:
“AFFIRM THE POSITIVE, VISUALIZE THE POSITIVE AND EXPECT THE
POSITIVE, AND YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE ACCORDINGLY.”
– REMEZ SASSON
Visualizing success is another way to feel positive and stay
motivated. See yourself succeeding in life and acting like a winner.
Visualize yourself winning or achieving a certain life goal. This mental
image will improve your self conﬁdence and reinforce optimism and
positive thinking. Visualization prepares you for success and
subconsciously gears you up to put in all the hard work necessary to
achieve that goal.

5. Practice self love
“COMPASSION IS ONE OF THE
FEW THINGS WE CAN PRACTICE
THAT WILL BRING…HAPPINESS
TO OUR LIVES.”
– DALAI LAMA
Self hatred and self criticism can
often lead to low self esteem.
Loving yourself and showing
yourself compassion will improve
your capability to enjoy simple
experiences in our lives.

6. Smile
Apart from making you feel
happier, smiling can also help to
reduce stress and anxiety and
improve your relationships.
“SMILE IN THE MIRROR. DO THAT EVERY
MORNING AND YOU’LL START TO SEE A
BIG DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE.”
– YOKO ONO
● Mental Health Beneﬁts:
○ Adds joy and zest to life
○ Eases anxiety and fear
○ Relieves stress
○ Improves mood
○ Enhances resilience

Positive psychology

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