Learning about Positive Psychology

Recently I am undertaking a short course about positive psychology and here are some key takeaways :

1. Getting rid of what we don't want in life, does not equal to getting what we want in life. Thus, it is important to label 'positive' things in our life. However, the definition of 'positive' is complex, since it is constantly changing. Being positive and optimal means we can live our lives well.

2. The researcher found that if a person has been unable to do anything about a bad situation happened to them, the next thing that they are likely to do, in a bad situation, is not to do anything. This is related to 'learned helplessness' which means a person has learned that when bad things happen, nothing they do matters, so they remain passive and give up, even the conditions altered and they actually can do something over the environment.

3. The differences between a pessimistic thinking style and an optimistic thinking style:

4. Optimism is a skill and it can be taught and learnt. It can assist in reducing anxiety and depression, and also increase resilience.

5. The theory of well-being: these are five elements that are essential to human well-being:

Positive emotion: feeling good helps us to perform well, and it is incredibly important to recognise the positive emotions. We can cultivate positive feelings and make sure that there is always room in our lives to take care of ourselves, such as spending time with friends and family, engaging in hobbies, eating great food and walking in nature.

Engagement: when we engage with our life and work, we become absorbed and gain energy. You can identify and cultivate personal strengths, virtues and talents. When you identified them, you can consciously engage in work and activities that make you feel more confident, productive and valuable.

Relationships: humans are social animals and we need to be connected. Thus, it is important to build and maintain relationships with others. The key to all relationships is 'balance', so when you gain strength, you also need to share your knowledge and strength with others.

Meaning: having a meaning can give us the motivation to do a thing, you can find meaning in your professional life and personal life and when you see a deeper mission, you can better apply your talents and strengths.

Accomplishment: It is important to look back on our lives, with a sense of accomplishment. Thus, it is important to set tangible goals and keep them in sight. If we stay positive and focused, as well as being resilience, we won't give up when adversity comes.

6. Gratitude and love are strongly correlated with well-being, and a daily practice that we can do is to list out the 3 things that went well for each day, before the end of the day.

Positive psychology is aiming at making people stronger and more productive, as well as developing and nurturing high talent. There are three main topics in this field: what makes one moment better than the next, positive personalities, and the social context of people and experiences. Currently, I am still exploring the course: Positive Psychology on Coursera, and the article from positive psychology has provided me with relevant background information.

So what would I do to implement the positive psychology?

I will write up the reflection about 3 things that went well each day, and I will do that challenge for 1 week!

What about you?

Reference:

Positive Psychology:Martin E.P. Seligman's Visionary Science( coursera course)

Positive Psychology: An introduction

https://positivepsychology.com/positive-psychology-an-introduction-summary/#conclusion