Positive Psychology: The Benefits Of Living Positively 💗
Sunday, February 26, 2017BY: JOANNA FISHMAN
Positive psychology often is passed off as pop psychology or New Age-y by those who haven’t actually looked into it.
The
actual theory behind positive psychology was defined in 1998 by Martin Seligman
and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and looks at all aspects of a person’s psychology.
It does not discount traditional psychology, nor supersede it. Rather than
viewing psychology purely as a treatment for the malign, however, it looks at
the positive. Positive psychology is a recognized form of therapy and
is offered by some counselors and psychologists.
Psychology
has always been interested in where people’s lives have gone wrong, and what
has resulted because of it. Illnesses
such as depression are
well-documented and patterns of depressive behavior
well-known. However, until recently, what makes people happy and how they
achieve inner happiness and well-being has
been a mystery.
Practitioners
of positive psychology study people whose lives are positive and try to learn
from them, in order to help others achieve this state of happiness. It is a scientific study and not remotely
hippie-ish, despite its connotations.
Among
the other health benefits listed above, positive thinkers have a lower
incidence of cardiovascular disease. They tend to have lower blood pressure
than those who do not engage in positive thinking. The health benefits extend
to the emotional side, too. Optimists will have better physical and
psychological well-being, and better skills for coping with stress and
hardship.
It
is important to remember that simply having a positive mindset won’t actually
stop bad things from happening. But it does give you the tools to better deal
with bad situations. Sometimes your coping skills come down to nothing more
than refusing to give in to your negative side and your fears. For some people,
positive thinking comes quite naturally. For others, seeking professional help
is necessary to get them on the right track.
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