Positive psychology & mindfulness

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What is positive psychology

positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth living (Peterson, 2008)

• scientific approach to studying human thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, with a focus on strengths instead of weaknesses

• building the good in life instead of repairing the bad

What is the focus in positive psychology

focus on positive experiences (like happiness, joy, inspiration, and love)

Positive psychology helps to bring together 2 major related but distinct philosophical traditions of:

• hedonia - the pursuit of pleasure, feeling good

• eudaimonia – using talent & making meaning, functioning well (flourishing)

  • Flourishing = state of complete mental health

  • Languishing = absence of mental health

Who proposed the PERMA model

Seligman 2018 proposed the PERMA model to help explain and define wellbeing in greater depth

Explain what PERMA is

• 5 facets of wellbeing:

  • P = positive emotions: wellbeing is enjoying yourself in the moment, experiencing positive emotions

  • E = engagement: it’s hard to have a developed sense of wellbeing if you are not truly engaged in anything you do

  • R = positive relationships: having deep, meaningful relationships with others is vital to our wellbeing

  • M = meaning: when we dedicate ourselves to a cause or recognise something bigger than ourselves

  • A = accomplishment: without a drive to accomplish and achieve, we are missing one of the puzzle pieces of authentic wellbeing (Seligman, 2011)

Where is the application os positive psychology used

In clinical psychology, counselling and psychotherapy:

• Builds on the traditions of humanistic psychology and Carl Rogers client centred therapy

• Therapeutic relationship – focus on the ‘core conditions’

  • Empathy: understanding the client’s internal frame of reference

  • Unconditional positive regard: acceptance

  • Genuineness: congruence

List the positive psychology interventions

• Counting ones blessing

• Using signature strengths

• Paying a gratitude visit-write a letter to someone you appreciate

• Mindfulness

How is positive psychology used in education

used to promote ‘flow’ (fully immersed an activity) in classrooms, harnessing, children’s strengths to aid learning

How is positive psychology used in forensics

apply the good lives model of offender management

• focused on adaptive satisfaction of human needs

How is positive psychology used in workplace settings

transformational leadership, employee engagement, positive organisational scholarship and behaviour

How is positive psychology used in society

influence development of life coaching, executive coaching, promotion of well-being

What are the six examples of positive psychology in practice

• experience sampling method (ESM)

• a gratitude journal

• making a gratitude visit

• building personal strengths

• wellbeing therapy

• positive psychotherapy

How is experience sampling method (ESM) a practice used in positive psychology

Before smartphones, you would be given a beeper or a pager that goes off at random points during the day, alerting you to pause, notice what you were thinking, feeling, and doing

• Help people realise how much of their day is positive

How is a gratitude journal a practice used in positive psychology

• method of identifying and reflecting on all of the good things in their lives – all the things they have to be grateful for

• often involves prompting people to write down three things they are grateful for each day, with the only stipulation being that they need to be different each day

How is making a gratitude visit a practice used in positive psychology

• gratitude visit ( or letter) is an exercise in which an individual identifies a person to whom they are grateful to and why

• once they have these in mind, they can write a letter to this person expressing and explaining their gratitude

How is building personal strengths a practice used in positive psychology

the most significant differences between many other forms of coaching and counselling and one based in positive psychology is the focus on strengths instead of weaknesses

• positive psychology is based on the idea that building on our strengths is often a more effective path to success than trying to force excellence in areas we are simply not suited towards

How is wellbeing therapy a practice used in positive psychology

The holistic approach to therapy is similar to cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) but focuses on promoting the positive and alleviating the negative in the client’s life

• It’s found on Ryff’s model of wellbeing, which recognises six facets or factors of wellbeing:

1. Mastery of the environment

2. Personal growth

3. Purpose in life

4. Autonomy

5. Self-acceptance

6. Positive relationships

How is positive psychotherapy a practice used in positive psychology

focus is on building positive emotions, character strengths, and a sense of meaning in life, exercises include using your signature strengths, keeping a gratitude journal, making a gratitude visit