A quality or behaviour of positivity is living a happy or hopeful life. When we are upbeat, we behave upbeat by being kind to others and thinking and feeling optimistically. The good effects of all of this optimism, such as better well-being and mental health, are amplified.
Thinking positively, seeking answers, and anticipating success are all examples of positivity. It also denotes a propensity to uplift one’s mood. It is a joyful, carefree mentality that sees the good in everything. An optimistic outlook is referred to as positivity.
- You do not overreact when you have a positive mindset.
- You obtain pleasure in the present
- You don’t stress over the future.
- Instead of dwelling on the past or the challenges, the emphasis is on doing and accomplishing.
- Being joyful, tolerant, and kind is what it implies.
The strengths of positivity
Each component of positivity has a unique effect on our lives, all of which are primarily good. For instance, self-centred positive thinking usually promotes well-being and reduces the negative consequences of stress. So try developing this positive component of yourself by adopting techniques like self-kindness and self-compassion. It probably helps us as well if we feel better about ourselves and have more confidence in ourselves.
Positive thinking and optimism with an eye on the future have been shown to improve social interactions, relationships, and stress management. The same holds true for present-focused positive thinking, such as thinking about how much control we actually have over stressful events.
Positive psychology
A focus on strengths rather than weaknesses, creating the good in life rather than fixing the bad, and elevating the lives of average people to “great” instead of just concentrating on getting those who are struggling up to “normal” are all features of positive psychology, a scientific approach to studying human thoughts, feelings, and behaviour (Peterson, 2008).
The focus of positive psychology is on life’s constructive experiences and impacts, such as:
- Positive feelings (such as pleasure, happiness, inspiration, and love).
- Positive emotions and characteristics (such as compassion, resiliency, and thankfulness).
- Institutions that uphold good values across their whole structures and organisations.
Positive psychology as a discipline spends a lot of time considering issues like character traits, optimism, life satisfaction, happiness, wellness, gratitude, compassion (including self-compassion), self-esteem and self-confidence, hope, and elevation.
One of the top scholars in the entire area of psychology, Martin Seligman is referred to be the “father of positive psychology.”
Martin Seligman, a New York native who was also an educator, researcher, and author of multiple books, contributed to making positive psychology approachable for all interested parties.
During his 14 years as the head of the University of Pennsylvania’s clinical training programme, he worked on projects related to learned helplessness, positive psychology, depression, resiliency, optimism, and pessimism.
Three pillars of positive psychology
- Positive emotions
- Positive traits
- Positive social institutions
How to stay positive?
- Concentrating on your assets
- Taking notes on your experiences
- Having gratitude
- Thanking people
- Acquiring abilities to be more optimistic
Research studies
- People vastly overestimate how much money affects their happiness. Focusing less on acquiring riches would probably make you happy since it does have some effect, but not nearly as much as we may believe (Aknin, Norton, & Dunn, 2009).
- Spending money on experiences rather than tangible stuff increases happiness more (Howell & Hill, 2009).
- According to research by Seligman, Steen, Park, and Peterson (2005), thankfulness is a significant factor in determining pleasure in life. The more gratitude we practise, the happier we will be.
- Giving hugs or other displays of physical love may significantly improve your general well-being (as well as the welfare of others) since oxytocin has been shown to increase human trust, empathy, and morality (Barraza & Zak, 2009).
- The pleasant mood is more fully experienced by those who deliberately nurture it to match the required external feeling (i.e., in emotional labour). To put it another way, “putting on a happy face” won’t always make you feel happier, but making an effort will probably (Scott & Barnes, 2011).
- In addition to improving personal health, those who show kindness to others are also better liked by their peers (Layous, Nelson, Oberle, Schonert-Reichl, & Lyubomirsky, 2012).
- According to Jenkinson et al. (2013), giving of your time to a cause you care about enhances your happiness and life satisfaction and may even lessen depressive symptoms.
- The giver has increased enjoyment when they offer money to others (Dunn, Aknin, & Norton, 2008).
Although the main goals of positive psychology are fulfilment and pleasure, it’s crucial to realise that this does not mean that individuals should completely ignore their unpleasant feelings. People that are thriving provide space in their life for such inescapable mental states.
