Thinking positive is not what positive psychology is about. It’s about finding why some people live satisfying lives and others find it more challenging. what strengths do they possess and how can we learn from them?
1. Practicing gratitude increases happiness. Participants in this research were asked to write to people that had helped them to say thank you. They did this task for one week and found a decrease in depression and increase in happiness.
Find ways to practice gratitude through journaling, volunteering or simply thanking people that make a difference in your life.
2. Adults in the US ranked appreciation of beauty, authenticity, leadership and open-mindedness as common strengths profiles.
Appreciate different types of bodies and beauty, individual personalities, lead by example and be open-minded to try new experiences to improve your situation.
3. Life satisfaction among adolescents and adults were identified as love, zest, gratitude and hope. Connect and value those around you. Start doing what you love and you will appreciate life and those around you more. Don’t give up.
The point of these findings is to find ways to increase and concentrate on these strengths in your life as much as you can. When challenges arise acknowledge them, talk about it and get help.
(Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005)
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