Happiness and Positive Psychology

Positive Psychology sheds light on how and what can make us happy. It is concerned with the pursuit of happiness, as well as how we can lead more enriching, fulfilling and satisfying lives. Since the beginning, psychology has concentrated on mental illness but ever since the landmark book – “Authentic Happiness” by Martin Seligman, psychology has been striving towards focusing on well-being, happiness, and how can we successfully lead a better life. The science of positive psychology lays emphasis on investigating the potential concepts with statistically sound experiments and the research results are subject to stringent scientific standards, previous literature and critical peer review. This makes the concepts and findings of positive psychology more helpful.

Some people are naturally happier than others and there are people who have the ability to be happy most of the time and are optimistic looking at the brighter side of things and can bounce back from setbacks of life with greater ease and equanimity. Research shows as how we can do the things which elevate our natural level of happiness farther up the happiness scale as well as how we can stay happy. In fact, it is believed that we have control over a great part of opportunity for our total happiness, which gives us enough space to grow toward greater and more consistent happiness.

Here you may try the “Good Things” activity for a week. Each night before you sleep, recall three good things that happened to you that day. The good things don’t have to be dramatic or some earth-shattering events, just simple satisfying events such as finishing some delayed household chore, submitting some project before deadline, reading a good book, listening to some good uplifting music, meeting with some long lost friend or enjoying a happy meal – simple daily life events that made you feel gratified and happy. Now savour each moment – let it swirl around in your mind for some as you “taste” its goodness and enjoy the good vibes and feelings embrace you. Positive Psychology indicates that indulging in such an activity correlates with greater feelings of well-being and happiness.