Positive Psychology: What is it and Why is it Important?

There is a common misbelief that mental health is for the mentally ill. Hence, over the years, psychology has received a negative image. It has become a scientific study used to cure illness. However, Dr. Ilona Boniwell, in her book, “Positive Psychology In a Nutshell,” associated two other tasks with this science. These two tasks involve improving everyday lives and nurturing high talents.

Some people aren’t necessarily mentally ill but aren’t mentally thriving either; people who feel confused or apathetic; people who think they could be better friends or partners. Positive psychology theory focuses on these aspects. It is the science of bright elements of human life, such as happiness, well-being, and flourishing. This approach emphasizes the potential of individuals rather than their shortcomings. It is not targeted at fixing problems. Instead, it focuses on finding things that make life worth living.

The founder of this concept and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Martin Seligman, defined it as follows- “The scientific study of optimal human functioning that aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive. It shifts the focus from treating dysfunction to encouraging happy and prosperous lives.”

It, therefore, aims at providing an optimistic outlook on life. Lack of positivity can result in depression and other anxiety-related problems. Studies also show that it helps in character-building and coping skills. It can easily feel confusing and lost with so much pressure and negativity. This modern approach toward mental health tackles that issue by giving you a more balanced approach and helping you concentrate on good aspects of life.

What are the Benefits?

The practice of this has many potential benefits. These might help you harness the power of maximizing your potential for happiness. These may also help you in improving your quality of life. The benefits are as follows:

• Gratitude Cultivation: Cultivating gratitude will help you focus on and appreciate all the good things in life. Gratitude, as a quality, can be hard to cultivate, but studies have shown that positive psychology interventions may aid you in that. It can affect your everyday life in many ways. It can improve your leadership skills, decision-making skills, and social relationships. It can also reduce materialism and increase your desire to give to others. Overall, cultivating gratitude may lead to better mental health and more satisfaction in your day-to-day life.
• Balancing Materialism: Money may harm your life if it becomes a dominant factor in your surge forward. It can cause many problems and lead you astray from meaningful endeavors. This field of study makes you feel more productive by emphasizing spending over experience rather than material things. More importantly, it helps you redirect your spending toward others. Though it’s tempting to spend on yourself, spending on others gives a satisfaction that is tough to match.
• Encourages Kindness: Building on the last benefit, it also promotes non-monetary generosity. Being kind and generous improves your social standing. Working selflessly for a cause you believe in or volunteering can boost your life satisfaction. It can also reduce symptoms of depression.
• Counters Toxic Positivity: It is generally assumed that practicing this approach means always looking at the bright side. That is not the case because pushing yourself to be an optimist on all occasions can do you more harm than good. Forcing a smile on your face can take a toll on your mental well-being. Instead, positive psychology interventions encourage you to have normal emotions. They also teach you how to process and regulate those emotions.
• Building Character: Through this self-help approach, you can tackle your flaws and improve on things you dislike about yourself. It enhances the strength of your character to prepare you better for adversities and setbacks. Encouraging personal improvement opens the door to healthy relationships and cheerful life.

What is the Importance of it?

It is essential in your personal and social life. Practicing it can positively affect different aspects of your life as follows:-

• Personal Development: Applied alongside traditional therapy, it encourages you to set goals for your improvement. With those goals, you encounter experiences that teach you to give back to the community. This helps you to move past your situation as an individual and look at the bigger picture.
  It also makes you better aware of your strengths and weaknesses. That way, you work on the required fields. Building on your strength gives you self-confidence, making you more open. You become more resilient, enthusiastic, and productive.
• Workplace: As an employee, it teaches you to look at challenges as opportunities to grow and get better. It gives you a new perspective on your outlook on work. It encourages a more cohesive environment where everyone feels valued. When everyone feels valued and appreciated, they enjoy their work. Overall, it promotes more efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace.
• Social Life and Relationship: Communication is necessary for relationships. This self-help approach also teaches you to respond more truthfully and positively. You also tend to be more honest in your body language. This promotes healthy relationships and overall well-being. You also become a better community member as you develop bonds and react more emphatically to your social surroundings. All this ensures more harmony, good times, and a good life.
• Acceptance: Practising this does not mean that nothing wrong or challenging won’t happen in your life. But it will better equip you to face those obstacles. Your perspective about them will change as you start seeing them as learning opportunities rather than failures. You can learn how to accept and react to your situation, giving you a better chance at achieving your goals.

The Different Levels

There are three different levels to this scientific method. They are as follows:

Subjective

This level emphasizes feeling good rather than being good or doing good. Experiences like optimism, joy, contentment, satisfaction, happiness, etc., are the main focus of the study.

Individual

This builds on the ‘subjective level’ by adding the study of human virtues. The aim is to identify personal qualities generally seen as necessary for being a good person. These qualities are courage, forgiveness, interpersonal skills, wisdom, capacity for love, etc.

Group

At this level, the emphasis is on civic virtues. The aim is to develop qualities and habits that facilitate the success of society as a whole. Qualities that help develop communities and teach the idea of citizenship are at the core of this level. These qualities are civility, work ethic, tolerance, nurturance, etc.

The PERMA Model

Seligman designed the PERMA model to explain the idea behind well-being and this concept in greater depth. It is an acronym for what he perceived are five elements of well-being. These form the foundation for improving well-being as follows:

Positive Emotions

This proposes living in the moment and experiencing emotions. It does not vocalize that experiencing happy emotions alone can boost your mental and physical health but that it can play a part in it. Not looking at your past with regret, being content with your present, and being hopeful for your future can bring positivity to your life.

Engagement

This is for developing a flow through your hobbies or other engaging activities. It keeps your mind occupied and away from all the negative emotions. You tend to enjoy that activity when you have a sense of engagement. This is not only important for your well-being, but it also makes you better at that particular task.

Relationship

Humans are social animals. We thrive as a community. Having healthy connections and relations can add meaning to your lives. It can also give a sense of belonging.

Meaning

Being happy is one thing, but you only develop a sense of well-being once you find meaning in your life. This meaning is personal and subjective. But it usually means recognizing a cause that is bigger than yourself. Dedicating yourself to that cause can provide you with a sense of satisfaction that you won’t find anywhere else.

Accomplishments

Achieving your goals brings with it a sense of happiness. It makes you more confident. Not letting that success get to your head while keeping the hunger for more alive can help you improve as a person.

What Can it Help With?

There may be times when you feel lost or confused. You are not necessarily sad, but you aren’t happy either. The time is just passing by. You may need to apply this mental health care approach to your life at these times. It can help not only bring happiness and joy but also give you clarity. After finding meaning, you can start your journey to success and satisfaction.

For example- If you are pursuing a job where you don’t feel complete. You drag yourself to your workplace every day because you don’t enjoy your work or don’t feel it engages you as you would have expected. Then positive psychology interventions will help you look past all the negative experiences and emotions. They will encourage you to search for what gives you a sense of accomplishment while at the same time making you appreciate what you have. You can start searching for a new job as you try and engage more with your current job. It will teach you to look for bright moments in your daily life, so you can be grateful for what you have.

Is it Different From Positive Thinking?

Though Positive Psychology is about thinking positively, it is different from ‘positive thinking.’
It is different in the following ways:

• Positive thinking focuses on positivity at all times. It almost encourages toxic positivity and urges you to see the best things in every aspect of life. On the other hand, Positive Psychology conveys that negative emotions or more realistic thinking may be more appropriate at times. Studies have shown that negative reviews may improve accuracy in certain situations. Being optimistic all the time might make you underestimate the risks. For example, it’s not ideal for you to have a positive attitude about rafting through a river that is about to flood.
• While positive thinking is a mindset, Positive Psychology is a scientific study based on research and empiricism.
• Positive Psychology is like a supplement to more traditional forms. It does not disregard negative emotions like depression and trauma. Instead, it tries to build on the work of traditional forms by applying them to everyday emotions. On the other hand, positive thinking tends to disregard depression and anxiety through its unchallenged belief in optimism.

Seek Counselling with a Professional from Docvita Today!

It is time for us to move away from the presumption that all those who seek mental medical help are struggling with serious issues. Positive Psychology interventions are not about damage control. They are about improving your emotional health, social relations, and outlook.

Please schedule an appointment with our positive psychologists and learn how to implement the techniques of this approach in your life. Self-help and focusing on your well-being should not be the last-case scenario. You can get in touch with our specialist and start taking control of your happiness now.