Positive psychology is relatively new among other more pathological branches of psychology that focus on mental illnesses. You may or may not have come across the term scrolling through your social media feeds, as it continues to gain popularity as a contemporary concept.
How To Implement Positive Psychology Daily
Co-founded by Martin Seligman, this branch of psychology is more focused on a person’s emotional and mental well-being. Positive psychology interventions are designed for people to overcome their negative feelings and feel more in control of their lives.
Listed below are simplistic ways you can implement positive psychology in your life.
1. Discover What You are Good at and Run with It
Several studies conducted by Seligman show that the happiest people are those who identify their strengths and can use them in their life productively. This idea is captured beautifully by David Viscott, who says, “the purpose of your life is to discover your gift…the meaning of life is to give your gift away.”
2. Maintain a Gratitude Journal to Promote Positive Psychology
Several studies on positive psychology prove that cultivating gratitude is a key factor in promoting contentment. It may be difficult for you to do so amongst the many hassles of life, but try saying thank you to those you appreciate. Or simply writing your gratitude down on a piece of paper can also help you put this into practice.
3. Adopt a Growth Mindset
When you focus on bigger things, your mind automatically shifts away from the smaller daily stressors of life. On the other hand, a fixed mindset will leave you very negative by the end of the day. Taking criticisms in good spirit, embracing challenges, and persisting despite setbacks are ways to adopt a growth mindset.
4. Cultivate Kindness
Many studies have shown that people who care for others tend to feel more content themselves. Kindness can take any shape and form, from helping out your friend at school to reaching out to a stranger who doesn’t look okay. Adding one act of kindness to one’s daily goals has drastically boosted people’s mental wellbeing.
5. Practice Mindfulness
Just like kindness, this can look different for different people. It could be done via meditation or just spending a few minutes with yourself in solitude. The idea is to pause and reflect on the precious moments of your life and to savor them fully even after they have passed.
Practicing Positive Psychology
It is important to keep in mind that despite being a proven branch of psychology, positive psychology is quite simple to practice if you start with the right intent and stay persistent. Making a habit out of something new, especially when you are going through a difficult phase in life, can be hard.
However, it is important to remember that positive psychology is not about always being happy. In fact, it focuses on helping you accept and acknowledge the negativities in life and channel them into the right direction. Therefore, with the help of these simple practices mentioned above, we hope you can easily integrate positive psychology into your lives.
