I believe: the power of positive psychology

I believe: the power of positive psychology

Mar 07, 2021

I woke up on Sunday morning and needed to choose how I was going to feel today. I chose to be happy...

 

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Our Pinterest boards, homes, and seminars are filled with encouraging thoughts and positive affirmations; they make us feel good and encourage us to persevere however long and hard the road may be. Recent scientific research has proven that these positive affirmations do much more than provide temporary feel-goods. But what does that have to do with success in your business? First let’s start with what the research has found.

 

Research

Though positivity and optimism is ageless, positive psychology entered the realm of academic study in 1998. Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth living.[i] It seems simple, but the study of happiness has provided a lot of concrete evidence that helps create management styles, goals–both personal and business–and lifestyles.

 

Some of the major findings of positive psychology are:

 

  • People who experience frequent positive emotions have been shown to live longer and be healthier.
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  • Positive emotions help people broaden their attention and view and makes them more open to new experiences.
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  • Positive emotions help people feel closer to those around them and increase their trust in acquaintances.[ii]
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  • Positive mindsets will help increase productivity and creativity.[iii]
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So what does this mean for you and your personal life and your business?

 

The lesson to be learned here is: Happiness precedes success.[iv]

 

There are circumstances in our lives that can drag us down and put a damper on our success. Some of these include our habits, how we perceive stress, or issues with coworkers, family, and friends. These weights can easily drag us down if we let them. Positive psychology posits that we can train ourselves to view the stumbling blocks in our paths as a step to something better. Re-framing how we view complications and stress to make them a challenge rather than a detriment is the key to being more successful, happier, and healthier.

 

What can I do about it?

 

Here are some scientifically-proven suggestions from leading experts in the field of positive psychology to retrain your brain to be more positive and reap the benefits of happiness:

 

  • Write down three things you are grateful for every day. Though there were will be days when it is difficult to find something to be grateful for, training your brain to search for at least three things everyday will instantly change how you view your situation.
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  • Write a kind message to someone in your social network. Studies show that this act will benefit not only the person who receives the kind note, but also the person sending the message.
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  • Fill your day with conscious random acts of kindness. It is important that the act of kindness be conscious and not something you look for at the end of the day to check it off of your happiness list.
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  • Meditate. Meditation and mindfulness help you focus on the present. This is extremely important in our world of constant distractions that not only keep us from being productive, but also hinder happiness.
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  • Write down positive experiences. Forcing yourself to write down a positive experience is similar to writing down three blessings, but it incorporates others and allows you to attach good feelings to people, allowing you to connect with others better.
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  • Change how you think about stress. Comfort doesn’t lead to growth. Re-frame how you think about stress to make it a challenge instead of a hindrance. Next time you are feeling overwhelmed, make a list of the stresses in your life and group them into “stresses I can control” and “stresses I cannot control.” Make a goal to change one of the stresses you can control.
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Conclusion

 

Happiness is a choice that must be made every day and the benefits of choosing to be happy are exponential. It is also important to remember that everyone is fighting this same battle, and each person can positively affect another.

 

For more information on this topic, you can read the articles below or view the TedTalk by Shawn Achor, the leading expert in positive psychology.

http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work


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