What is Positive Psychology, Anyway?!

At the Lake Foundation, our mission is clear: to build resilient communities through public education and programming aimed at enhancing overall wellness – and, at the heart of this mission lies the science of positive psychology. In recent years, the concept of positive psychology has received an increasing amount of press (thank you, social media), in many ways becoming a pop culture phenomenon. However, there is more to positive psychology than what meets the eye!

According to the American Psychological Association, positive psychology is “a field of psychological theory and research that focuses on the psychological states (e.g., contentment, joy), individual traits or character strengths (e.g., intimacy, integrity, altruism, wisdom), and social institutions that enhance subjective well-being and make life most worth living” (APA, 2018). Essentially, the study of happiness. While happiness has been examined for centuries, positive psychology gained momentum in the early 2000’s through the research of psychologist, Dr. Martin Seligman, whom suggested that a “flourishing life leads to the good life” (APA, 2022). While the world affords us many opportunities to examine what is wrong, positive psychology invites us to examine what is right, or good.

Simple, right? In theory, yes, but we recognize that putting this into practice can be a bit challenging. It is important to remember that practicing positive psychology does not require us to ignore “negative” emotions; rather, it calls upon us to intentionally examine strengths, and positive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Continue reading for some easy-to-implement strategies for practicing positive psychology.

1. Identify your character strengths, or positive attributes to your personality, which are linked to positive outcomes. You can use this helpful tool to more readily identify your strengths. After identifying and describing your strengths, ask yourself which ones you most admire, or reflect on a time in which your strengths helped you navigate a challenge. Research has demonstrated that examining character strengths helps increase happiness, improve relationships, and assist in achieving life goals (APA, 2022).

   
   

2. Practice PERMA:

   1. P (positive emotion): acknowledging when one feels happiness or joy

   2. E (engagement): finding tasks that are enjoyable and free from distractions

   3. R (relationships): offering support and listening to friends and family, spending one-on-one time with another person

   4. M (meaning): discover individual beliefs and ideas about the world and engage in activities that promote a greater good

   5. A (accomplishments): challenging self in positive and progressive ways to further develop strengths and skills

      
      

3. Establish a gratitude practice – count your blessing and increase awareness of what you are thankful for. While there are many ways to do this, Seligman (2005) suggests identifying three good things that go well each day, and the cause of each. Participants in Seligman’s study reported increased happiness and decreased depressive symptoms after practicing three good things - AND the positive effects continued for one month after the practice!

   
   

Whether you’re new to positive psychology or a seasoned pro, we hope the above suggestions help you on your journey of experiencing happiness.

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