Introduction to Positive Psychology 23 rd February 2018 Jo Hennessy
Objectives To introduce you to the following ideas, with exercises, reflection and discussion: The Health Disease Continuum Aims of Positive Psychology The power of positive emotions Flow Accessing and exploiting our strengths Gratitude and savouring Mindsets Meaning and purpose
What is Positive Psychology?
Originated in work by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Positive psychology is the scientific study of optimal human functioning. to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive - Martin Seligman Focus: What is working? How can we learn from this? Evidence based practice in wellbeing
The Health Disease Continuum -10 0 +10 Disease model Neutral Health model Focus on weakness Overcoming deficiencies Avoiding pain Escaping unhappiness Neutral state is ceiling Focus on strengths Building competencies Finding enjoyment Pursuing happiness No ceiling
According to Martin Seligman, psychology should be as concerned with strength as with weakness be as interested in building the best things in life as in repairing the worst be as concerned with making the lives of normal people fulfilling as with healing dysfunction create interventions that enhance happiness and wellbeing
Which of the following make you happier? 1. Money False (above having enough ) 2. Being male False (though women statistically have greater highs and lows) 3. Living in a sunny climate False 4. Being married True/False (being in a fulfilling relationship does) 5. Being a parent True (as long as this brings meaning for your life)
6. Working True (if reasonably distracting and/or brings some sense of achievement) 7. Exercising True 8. Sleeping True (as long as it is quality sleep) 9. Having a spiritual practice True 10. Getting a degree False (but the practice of learning does make you happier)
The 3 happinesses The pleasant life The good life The meaningful life https://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psych ology?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_sourc e=tedcomshare
Happiness is Pleasure Meaning Engagement ('Flow")
Wellbeing is.. (Seligman 2011) Engagement Achievement Positive emotions Relationships Meaning
Positive emotions.. Increase our optimism and resourcefulness. Make us more creative.. Can undo negatives (physical as well as mental)
Problem exercise
Anticipation Looking forward to pleasurable activities and events can be as moodlifting as experiencing them Looking forward is an effective and easy way to lift mood quickly. Write down 5 things that you are looking forward to. Focus on one: pick a moment within that event or activity. How will it feel (5 senses)? Recall this anticpation as a mood booster.
Flow https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow?utm_ca mpaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare To what extent can we create a state of flow? In which areas of your life do you, have you or can you experience flow? How important is the experience of flow to you personally, as part of your being happy?
Identifying our personal strengths.. Go to www.viasurvey.org. (You will need to register first, and fill in a brief survey at the end) Answer the questions: be quite instinctive in your responses Note down your top 4 strengths: you can return to the website later to look at your full list, and to consider some interpretations of each strength
Understanding our personal strengths Write your top 4 on each of 4 stickers and attach these to your person! Move around the room and discuss with others in the group (1 person at a time) - what do these strengths mean to each of you? - do you have any in common? - do any surprise you?
Meaning and purpose What gives your life meaning?
A sense of working towards a goal Contributing to something bigger and beyond the self Family and relationships Contribution to society Having a mission or vocation Striving for particular achievement Personal development Creative expression Spirituality Adventure Pushing one s limits Leaving a legacy
Meaning provides a theoretical context an understanding of the why in life Purpose traces the corresponding action the how in life Positive psychology suggests that we are happiest when our lives include working for or towards something we feel strongly about.
What is most important to you? What actions are you taking /can you take to develop this meaning? Write down 3 areas of importance and corresponding actions. A sense of working towards a goal Contributing to something bigger and beyond the self Family and relationships Contribution to society Having a mission or vocation Striving for particular achievement Personal development Creative expression Spirituality Adventure Pushing one s limits Leaving a legacy
Life purpose: using our strengths Now return to the strengths you identified earlier. Share with someone else in the group one of your areas of meaning and an action you will take. Discuss with them how you might use one or more of your skills to help you. Move on to discuss another area of meaning with another group member.
Personal intentions Reflect on what you have discussed. Write some notes for yourself along these lines:. is important to me. To make more of this, I can use my strength(s) in.. to.
Positive Psychology in practice Happiness is not a spectator sport Christopher Peterson Learned Happiness Pay attention to what makes you happy Balance experiences of pleasure and purpose
Gratitude Of all the Positive Psychology interventions, the practice of gratitude is demonstrably one of the most effective, as well as one of the most accessible. Gratitude is associated with increased life satisfaction, positive emotions, happiness, optimism, hope, enthusiasm, energy, spirituality, forgiveness. And decreased depression, anxiety, lonliness, envy, neuroticism and materialism (Emmons 2007)
Practising gratitude Notice little things that you are grateful for in the here and now. Practise until this becomes a habit. Keep a gratitude diary. Write down up to 6 things you have been grateful for each day. Write a letter to someone to whom you are grateful.
Savouring The capacity to attend to, appreciate and enhance the positive experiences in one s life Bryant and Veroff, 2007 Mindfulness practice is similar to savouring - though savouring has the intention of triggering and expanding positive emotions.
How to savour Slow down Focus your attention. Notice what your senses are experiencing. Stretch out the experience Reflect on the source of enjoyment Ask yourself: what do I value? Actively take mental photographs or describe the experience to yourself Share with others, either in the moment or afterwards
Try it!
Mindsets: beliefs about your talents and abilities Fixed mindset Belief that ability cannot change. People with a fixed mindset keep doing the same thing, using the same strategies, when faced with a challenge. They then tend to disengage and give up. They feel that they intrinsically can or can t do something. Growth mindset Belief that ability can develop with application and motivation People with a growth mindset tend to generate new ways to do things. They will think outside the box because they believe in their ability. They think about improvement rather than absolute can or can t Think about some areas of activity in your life: professional, social, sporting, personal and associated skills that are required. Consider where you feel you have a fixed or growth mindset.
Changing mindsets. Observe your mindset in a particular area of skill or activity. Become aware that you can choose your mindset. Recognise the power of the word yet : I ve not mastered this yet. Practise having a growth mindset by projecting one: praise others for effort rather than ability. Remember that intrinsic goals tend to engender a growth mindset: extrinsic goals are more likely to lead to fixed mindsets Aim for progress rather than perfection. In what area of your life might you change your mindset? How can this awareness be used to support and motivate patients more effectively?
Finally In groups, reflect on what you have learned today that - will change something that you do - you could use in your interactions with patients Write down 3 things that you will do.
https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu