The use of positive psychology - Research Paper Example

?Running head: Positive Psychology Positive Psychology This paper focuses on the use of positive psychology to improve the quality of ones life and also how positive psychology can help when life becomes tiresome and useless. The use of principles that are learnt from positive psychology assists us in attaining some of the goals that we have set in life and achieving happiness. Positive psychology assists us in realizing the manner in which the use of positive emotions and positive cognitive states makes us better people. It helps us realize that by using positive emotions and ignoring the negative sides, this will assist us in living a much healthier and fuller life. Key words: positive psychology, happiness, principles, positive emotions, negative emotions, cognitive states Introduction There are very many positive major principles that can be acquired from the study of positive psychology. Positive psychology helps us in achieving the goals that we have set in life. By developing positive emotions and positive cognitive states, we realize that we can live a much happier life. Positive emotions also assist us in displaying a prosocial character. If we work on our positive emotions and ignoring our negative emotions, then we realize that life can be much happier and fulfilling. Additionally, when we are faced with distress or we are in an anxiety state, we can use positive psychology to help us overcome that stressful situation that we are facing. We realize that life is far much better and happier when we use our positive emotions and cognitive states to analyze a situation. Positive psychology Major principles acquired from positive psychology There are many major principles learnt from positive psychology. Some of the principles that I have learnt from positive psychology includes hope, optimism, courage, sharing and altruism. These principles are important because they help us to engage positively in our day-to-day lives. They assists us in such a way that they tell us that something good is going to happen. These principles acquired from positive psychology broaden our attention so that we can become aware and conversant with our wider social and physical environment. These principles enable us to pay attention to the society. They enable us to open up to new ideas and practices and thus become more creative than usual. Having principles which are adapted from positive psychology offer us an opportunity to create better relationships with others. Additionally, these principles also enable us to show greater productivity. These principles adapted from positive psychology also enables us to develop a win situation in that we program our mind in that we are going to win so in the end, we end up winning. Developing positive principles also enable us to progress more towards civilization. According to Diener et al. (1985), principles that are acquired from positive psychology, civilization is created if we increase the chances of a win-win situation. A win-win situation is usually created when people develop positive thinking. Indulgence in positive thinking facilitates us to engage ourselves in tolerable productivity and thinking. Positive people who engage in positive thinking are less likely to be depressed. This is because they overestimate their skills and are in a better position to remember their positive events compared to their negative events. Changes in emotional states, processes, and experience If I engage myself in principles acquired from positive psychology, my emotional state tends to be happier. I tend to become more relaxed with life and I engage myself in activities that make me much happy. The rate of productivity that I display is also high. The experience felt is energizing and it makes me involve myself in things that will produce positive results. I also tend to engage myself in remembering positive events that occurred in the past more than the occurrence of negative events. These changes are important because they enable us to engage our minds broadly. Accordingly, broad minded and positive emotions are mutually binded together. Broad minded usually entails thinking of positive things widely and applying positive things and measures to the actions. Additionally, people who use positive emotions and reactions are more likely to overcome stressful ordeal than people who usually engage themselves in negative thinking and emotions. This is also because positive emotions facilitates us to think positively and assists in solving of problems (Peterson, 2006). Changes occurring in emotional states usually assist also living life largely and additionally, someone’s life span usually increases. According to John and Lewis, a survey was done to people who came to the clinic. As part of their intake assessment, they were asked to fill out forms as to whether they are optimistic or pessimistic as to whether they will get well soon. The results of the survey shows that people 19% of the people who were optimistic lived a longer life than the others who were pessimistic (Peterson et al., 2006). Changes experienced in cognitive states and process Cognitive state is the way in which people remember, perceive, think, and solve problems. Using positive psychology, the way I remember things is very different. When I apply the principles that I have learnt from positive psychology, I tend to be more optimistic with the future. Most of the time I remember things that are positive. I tend to think only on the positive side of a problem. Most of the solutions that I come up with I tend to be optimistic. I usually have the perception that things will turn out positively. I usually have hope in the future and believe that things will turn out positively. These changes are important due to the fact that they help me engage positively in day to day activities. The productivity of work that I display is quite high compared to the time before I learnt about positive psychology and the principles that they come with (Tsang, 2007). The quality of life which I engage myself in also tends to be much happier and filled with positive results. My health also is fine. This is due to the fact that when I get ill I am usually optimistic that I will get well soon. Additionally, I tend to be happier with the people around me and what goes on in the society. Besides that, another reason why these cognitive changes and processes are important it is because they help somebody live life largely and self acceptance. If one is able to accept the way they are, they tend to be much happier than before and relate positively with the people who are around them. Additionally, they tend to seize every opportunity that is presented before them so that they can progress with their lives well. Applying the Information and Changes noted There are various ways in which I am applying the information that I have acquired. Firstly, I have promised myself that I will only be engaging myself in positive thinking. If I engage myself in positive thinking, I also tend to remember most of the positive events that occurred in the past. This makes me much happier and more positive with life. They help me realize that I actually have a purpose in this life and that everything that I do has it purpose. I have kept all the negative memories that occurred in the past beside and I am now a much happier person. In addition to that, in relation to the relationships that I have, I have decided that I will mate somebody who is similar to me. I have also understood that I should be able to forgive faults since I also fault others. I have realized I ought to communicate kindly and clearly to my partner. I have also decided to be communicating with members of my extended family. I will be checking up on them and see how life is taking them. This is making me happier and feel much relaxed with myself (Schoder-Abe’et al., 2007). I have also started engaging myself in a few close relationships. I have realized that I actually need friends in this world. I will work hard to maintain the close relationships that I have. This makes me much happier because when something is troubling me, I have friends that I can talk to. My friends make me happy because they do not judge me and they accept me with my flaws and weaknesses. I have promised myself that I will also return the favor. I will do my best to be the friend that they expect me to be. I will also forgive my close friends who have faulted me. Goals and plans for applying the information in the future I have set some goals and plans which I have promised myself to engage in the future. Some of the goals which I have set in relation to the environment include that I have to enjoy the fine weather once in a while. I also have plans of getting myself a house in an environment which is calm. The environment must be able to offers me physical and financial safety and security. This will assist me in living a peaceful and a happy life. The environment that I plan to get must have a beautiful geographic view (Rowatt et al., 2006). I also have plans of engaging in regular exercise and eating healthily. This will assist me in keeping fit. I have promised myself that I will be going for morning runs every day. When I come from school or work, I will be going for swimming exercises. If the weather does not allow me to go for swimming, I will enroll myself in a gym which will assist me in keeping a fit and healthy shape. I have written a future food timetable of the foods that I will be eating. I have plans of eating a fruit every day. I have also plans of avoiding to eat junk food where possible. This will assist me in living a much healthier and fuller life. The goals that I have set during my recreation time are to involve myself in activities that are beneficial to my body. I have made plans to be eating quality food in moderation. This will assist me in keeping shape. During the holidays that I will be having during the year, I will rest and relax. I have promised myself that I will take the holidays in moderation. Additionally, in the vacations that I will be having, I have promised myself to engage co-operatively with friends. Some of the recreation activities that I will engage myself in with my friends and family include dancing, physical work projects, surfing, and sailing. This will assist me in living a much positive life than the one that I was living before. Pro-social behavior in workplace and future career Some of the pro-social behaviors that I will engage myself while in the work place include helping my work mates with some tasks that they find difficult to handle. This will assist me to be much happier and giving back to the society through the people at my work place. Additionally, if I see a chance in which one of my work mates can advance in, I will assist them with the information. Besides that, I will assist the organization with information that might be helpful to them for achieving their growth and information that give them the opportunity to venture in to new height. According to Diener-Biswas (2006), people who have a skilled career tend to be much happier than the ones who are involved in an unskilled profession. This is because jobs provide a certain kind of stimulation and there are people who find this as an opportunity for satisfying their curiosity. There are other people who find work as a sense of purpose and identity. People tend to be much happier and fulfilled in a rewarding job that offers the opportunity to be empowered rather than receiving orders every time from their executives and superiors. If people tend to be in a much happier job, they will definitely engage themselves in pro-social characters that will be beneficial to their work mates and the organization as a whole. People who are more satisfied in their work place will bring benefits to the company and their fellow work mates. People who have positive emotions and cognitive state tend to be much happier when the people around them are also progressing. The application of the positive principles acquired makes people happier and productive to the company and their work mates (Otake et al, 2006). Challenges and obstacles One of the challenges that I have faced in my pursuit to happiness is that sometimes I tend to seize an opportunity when it comes in hand. This slows down my cognitive development. I lose an opportunity which is given to me due to negative emotions. When I dwell on the past, I do not think of the positive memories that I have experienced. Instead, I reminisce on the negative memories that I have. This makes me live a less fulfilled life. Additionally, another obstacle that prevents me from applying the principles that I have learnt from positive psychology is conformity. There are some certain behaviors which I had earlier on adapted from my friends in school. These behaviors that I have adapted slow down my rate of being happy. For instance, my friends at school sometimes encourage me to go drinking and smoking. When I get drunk, I have a misjudgment of things. My rate of consciousness goes down such that I am not in a position to identify whether what I am doing is right or wrong. Moreover, another challenge that I perceive is the manner in which I view my body image. When I watch the television, there is a certain perception of the way people with a perfect body should look like. This makes it difficult for me to cope with the manner in which I view myself. Sometimes I think that I am too fat. As much as I try and apply positive thoughts and emotions, I am defeated. According to Shimai et al. (2006), if a teenager is to succeed in developing good character traits and achieving happiness, then they must stop comparing themselves with others. My friends in school also have a dieting program to keep fit. They sometimes skip meals at lunch time. When I see them doing that, I get distracted and start thinking of my body image. This is another great obstacle that comes in my way. Unanswered questions One of the unanswered questions that I carry with me that make me question the validity of the information that I have learned from positive psychology is how is it possible for somebody to think of the positive outcome of a situation when they are faced with a depressing situation (Joseph & Lewis, 1998). One of the depressing situations that one is unable to control using positive emotions is the death of the spouse, parent, or a close relative. Thinking of the positive events that you hade in the past with the deceased person only makes one more depressed instead of rescuing them from their state of depression. Therefore, I tend to thing that some circumstances which befall us should be treated by a psychologist and not use positive psychology to treat the depressed person. Besides that another unanswered question that I have is to how effective is positive psychology when a person is faced with danger. If someone is faced with danger, for instance a snake which wants to attack, how effective is using positive psychology if someone is to escape from a snake bite. In using positive emotions or one engaging themselves in a positive cognitive state, how is this effective from preventing a snake bite to occur? It is most likely that in using the principles that they have learnt from positive psychology here, one will not be saved from a snake bite. One should be calm and hope that the snake which wants to bite will not bite. Additionally, does the use of positive psychology to treat all patients actually work? In my own opinion, when one wants to apply positive psychology, they should not try and generalize the patient or victim. In the use of positive psychology, a psychologist should first try and understand the kind of individual that they are dealing with. People are very different from each other and what works for one patient might not be effective in another individual. Therefore, when using positive psychology to treat a patient, one should be careful on the paths that they trend in. Conclusion There are many principles that can be acquired form the study of positive psychology. One of the principles that one can acquire is faith, hope courage, and sharing. These principles that are acquired from positive psychology are important because they enable us to live a much happier and fulfilling life. They broaden our attention in the environment and give us a wider view of the things that are in our environment. There are many changes that one experiences when they apply the principles that they have learnt from positive psychology. By viewing things positively enables us to be more productive in our society. Furthermore, when we are suffering from a certain ailment, when we are optimistic that we are going to recover we get well quickly. When we apply the information learnt we achieve the full purpose of our lives. Positive psychology also assists us in setting meaningful goals for the future and ones that are attainable. It helps us become more satisfied with our work. If people tend to be in a much happier job, they will definitely engage themselves in pro-social characters that will be beneficial to their work mates and the organization as a whole. Although there are some challenges and obstacles that one is sure going to face, positive psychology assists one to face the challenges and obstacles with courage. It helps us understand that when we become optimistic with the future, then it is likely that good things are going to pass our way. References Diener, E., Emmons, R., Larsen, R., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of personality assessment. 49: 71-5 Diener-Biswas R. (2006). From the Equator of the North Pole: A study of Character Strengths. Journal of happiness Studies 7:3, 293-310 Joseph, S., & Lewis, C. (1998). The Depression-happiness scale: reliability and validity of a bi- polar self report scale. Journal of clinical psychology. 54 Otake, K., Shimai S., Matsumi-Tanaka, J., Otsui, K. & Fredrickson, L. B. (2006). Happy people Become Happier through Kindness: A counting Kindnesses Intervention. Journal of Hapiness Studies 7:3, 361-375 Peterson, C., Park, N., & Seligman, E. P.M. (2006). Greater Strengths of Character and Recovery from illness. Journal of Positive Psycology. 1:1,17-26 Peterson, P. (2006). Strengths and Character and Happiness: Introduction to Special Issue. Journal of Happiness Studies 7:3, 289-291 Rowatt, C. W., Powers, C., Targhetta, V., Comer, J., Kennedy, S. & Labouff, J. (2006). Development and Initial of an Implicit Measure of Humility Relative to Arrogance. The journal of Positive Psychology 1:4, 198-211 Shimai, S., Otake, K., Park, N., Petreson, C., & Seligman, E. P. M (2006). Convergence of Character Strengths in American and Japanese Young Adults. Journal of Happiness Studies 7:3, 311-322 Schoder-Abe’ M., Rudolph, A. & Schutz, A. (2007). High Implicit Self-esteem is not Necessarily Advantageous: Discparencies between explicit and implicit self-esteem and their relationship with Anger Expression and Psychological Health. European Journal Of Personality. 21:3 Tsang, J. (2007). Gratitude for Small Favors and Large Favors: A Behavioral Test. The journal of Positive Psychology 2:3, 157-167 Read More