Why Positive Psychology

Why Positive Psychology

The reason that I chose to study Positive Psychology was because I wanted to learn more about how I can help people flourish in life, rather than simply learning about how I can alleviate their pain. And this is exactly what the field of Positive Psychology is all about, it uses scientific methods to explore what makes life worth living, focusing on how to increase wellbeing rather than prevent discomfort.

Positive Psychology came about because psychologists began to acknowledge that there was a large imbalance on what was being researched within the discipline of psychology, where the focus was mainly on human suffering, weakness and disorders. Very little study was being undertaken that explored how individuals thrive in life. This led to the field of Positive Psychology being born, which encouraged the study of concepts such as happiness, flow, strengths and many more. The aim of Positive Psychology was to create a better balance within the field of psychology, where both positive and negative deviations were being studied and explored.
 

But why is this important? Why study happiness or wellbeing? Studies have shown that individual happiness has been rated as the most important factor in quality of life. Defined as "our experience of how we value our lives as a whole", happiness and purpose in life have been considered more important than money. Therefore, learning more about what makes us happy and how we can influence and take charge of our own happiness and wellbeing is crucial to our satisfaction with life. And that is what is so great about Positive Psychology, that is, most of what it explores, and studies can easily be applied to our everyday life, making it a very practical field of study.
 

One of these very practical concepts studied in Positive Psychology are Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs), which are one of my favourite things to use within my coaching. PPIs are methods or exercises that cultivate positive emotions, behaviours and thoughts. Studies have shown that PPIs can have a large impact on people's well-being and positive affect. For example, through my strength-based coaching, individuals learn about their strengths and discover different ways of using their strengths. This activity is considered a PPI and has been shown to increase wellbeing in individuals, and not only that, studies also show that the positive effect experienced when using strengths in new ways, lasts for up to six months.

Further PPIs include things such as practicing gratitude or mindfulness, to things such as performing five good deeds per day. Studies have shown that individuals who perform five charitable deeds per day have increased happiness and overall life satisfaction, compared to those who don’t. Exercise with the purpose of having fun is also considered a PPI and has been shown to have a significant effect on anxiety and depression. All of these and many more are interventions that I recommend with my clients, the trick is finding ones that you enjoy doing and that easily fit into your daily routines.
 

Alongside PPIs, Positive Psychology explores many more concepts that help individuals thrive in life and improve their wellbeing, including concepts such as self-determination theory, flow and many more. And my aim as a Positive Psychology Coach is to introduce these different concepts to my clients with the aim of helping them find something that works for them when it comes to their wellbeing and goal striving. And this is why I chose Positive Psychology, because I believe that by focusing on what is already working well and expanding on that, individuals will find it easier to change and have much more fun doing so.

References

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Josefsson, T., Lindwall, M., & Archer, T. (2014). Physical exercise intervention in depressive disorders: Meta-analysis and systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12050

King, L. A., & Napa, C. K. (1998). What Makes a Life Good?. [Miscellaneous Article]. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology.

Seligman, M. E., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology. An introduction. The American Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.5

Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: empirical validation of interventions. The American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410

Sheldon, K. M., & King, L. (2001). Why positive psychology is necessary. American Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.216

Skevington, S. M., Mac Arthur, P., & Somerset, M. (1997). Developing items for the WHOQOL: An investigation of contemporary beliefs about quality of life related to health in Britain. British Journal of Health Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8287.1997.tb00523.x

Sin, N. L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2009). Enhancing well-being and alleviating depressive symptoms with positive psychology interventions: A practice-friendly meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20593

Veenhoven, R. (1984). Conditions of Happiness. In Conditions of Happiness. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6432-7