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Positive Psychology
¿Qué es la Psicología positiva?
What is Positive Psychology?
Positive Psychology has nothing to do with the idea of seeing the world through "pink glasses" or putting the only goal in life to be completely happy. Positive Psychology is a scientific discipline that focuses on identifying and enhancing the positive aspects of human experience and considers that we do not pay enough attention to our strengths. We can easily say what we do wrong or call our defects. But could we say or do we usually say in life what works for us or what our strengths are?
During his research in the field of psychology, Martin Seligman noted that the predominant approaches focused on treating mental problems and diseases, but little attention was paid to human flourishing and the pursuit of virtues and happiness. This led him to question traditional psychology and propose a more positive approach. However, Positive Psychology does not take away the importance of traumas, past experiences or negative beliefs, which are the central focus of other currents.
Seligman’s Principles of Positive Psychology:
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Focus on Strengths: Seligman proposed shifting the focus of psychology towards the study and cultivation of human strengths. Instead of focusing solely on weaknesses and mental illness, Seligman advocated identifying and enhancing the skills and virtues that allow us to thrive and achieve emotional well-being.
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The Theory of Well-being: Seligman developed a theory of well-being consisting of five key elements: positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishment. These components are considered fundamental to experiencing a full and meaningful life.
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Pursue Lasting Happiness: Seligman argues that sustainable happiness does not come simply from the pursuit of immediate pleasure, but from the construction of a life with meaning and purpose.
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Learned Optimism: Seligman is also known for his research on learned optimism, which explores how people can develop an optimistic mindset in the face of life’s adversities and challenges.
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Flow: Flow refers to a state of total immersion in an activity that is challenging and meaningful to the person. During these moments, we experience a feeling of happiness and fulfillment.
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Resilience: Positive Psychology explores how people can develop the capacity to overcome adversities and recover from difficult situations, growing in the process.
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Gratitude: Practicing gratitude regularly can improve our mood and foster a more positive outlook on life.
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Social Connections: Healthy and meaningful social relationships are fundamental to our emotional well-being. Positive Psychology highlights the importance of cultivating meaningful connections with others.
Benefits of Positive Psychology
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Improvement of general well-being and satisfaction with life.
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Reduction of stress and anxiety.
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Greater resilience to adversity.
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Increased optimism and hope for the future.
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Fostering positive and satisfying interpersonal relationships.
Would you be able to answer?:
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What are you good at?
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Do you know your strengths?
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Are you satisfied with a "good enough" option or are you looking for the best option?
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Do you compare what you have with others or are you just satisfied with what you have?
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Do difficulties make you grow or sink you?
Slow down and savor:
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Despite doing many things every day, do you feel stressed, underaccomplished, and tired?
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Could you just slow down and savor experiences?
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Despite speeding up everything, we are not any happier or healthier.
One of the objectives of Positive Psychology is to find a point of balance in everything. Both excess and lack of something are considered negative. You can read more about this below.
Positive Psychology has had a profound impact on how we understand and approach our emotional and mental well-being. By focusing on our strengths and what is right in our lives, we can improve our quality of life and develop a more positive outlook.
In our quest for a meaningful and fulfilling life, the wisdom and teachings of Martin Seligman remind us that a positive approach and the cultivation of our strengths are fundamental to achieving a happy and fulfilling life. If you wish to know yourself better, I accompany you on your way to well-being and fullness.
Ni exceso ni falta: Balance y Equilibrio
Neither Excess nor Lack: Balance
We like to have many options when choosing something. If I go to the supermarket, I want to have different types of bread, tomatoes, cheese, sausage, water or cereals. If I want to eat out, I like to have different types of restaurants in my neighborhood. If I go to the clothing store, I want to try different types of jeans or T-shirts. But how far does this abundance of choices make us feel better or happier?
In our society there is a dogma:
Maximize well-being ->
Maximize freedom ->
Maximize choices ->
More freedom ->
More wellbeing ->
is FALSE.
A few tens of years ago you went to a clothing store and had a few models of suit, T-shirt, shoes or socks. It was not difficult to choose and it didn’t take long. Today, you go to the clothing store and how many types and models of pants do you find?
Going through different stores for hours you understand that few things you like and, those you like, cost more. You are comparing different models and their prices, weigh the pros and cons of each model, you have difficulty choosing and there is something that attracts you in each option. In the end, you decide to buy a pair of trousers, you come home, and instead of being happy, you think there might be another one that you like better, that fits you better or that comes out cheaper. You’re not happy with your purchase and maybe you’ll return your pants the next day.
The same happens in any other area: food, jewelry, toys, travel destinations, cars, schools or insurance companies. For example, you want to go out for dinner one night with your partner and it turns out that around there are many restaurants of Mediterranean, Japanese, Turkish, Russian, American, Peruvian, Dutch and Moroccan food. If there were just a couple of restaurants, you wouldn’t waste much time picking one. However, that’s often not the case. Some people lose patience, become irritated or overwhelmed when they have to choose among many options.
It is clear that no one likes to have no choice. However, it does not follow that having more options is better. Having too many options does not lead to more satisfaction. Therefore, the ideal is to have some, but not too many options. Neither Excess nor Lack are good: look for Balance.
Positive Psychology proposes to have a Balance in everything. Both lack and abundance lead to less satisfaction. This rule applies to our behaviour and our values. For example, not having bravery makes you a coward but having too much bravery makes you a reckless, foolish and risk-taking person. A lack of leadership leads you to conformity, submission and obedience but its excess leads you to despotism. A person too kind can become intrusive but a lack of kindness leads to indifference and cruelty. The excess of creativity leads us to look like "weird", "crazy" or eccentric people, but its absence as banal or dull people.
It is therefore recommended to look for an intermediate point or a Balance. For this you could train what you lack and set limits on excesses. For example, to increase creativity you could sign up for painting or poetry classes, look for other ways to complete daily tasks, invent new solutions for old problems, pay special attention to the details you don’t usually notice, use the scraps of materials you throw to create other products or propose a novel solution to resolve conflict between two friends. If you have excess of courage put limits on your actions, for example, do not exceed the speed of 50 km/h under any circumstances within the city, forbid yourself to raise your voice in a fight, imagine the negative and catastrophic results for you and the people around in case of failure to perform an action or make the decisional balance to understand if it is worth doing an action taking into account possible consequences.
What strategies do you use to choose a restaurant, a watch, a school, a garment or ice cream? How long do you invest in it? How do you feel after choosing?
Have you ever thought about values? Have you had to change anything in your life to moderate your behavior and find a Balance?
