How To Be Happier: A Look At Positive Psychology | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

How To Be Happier: A Look At Positive Psychology

Smile, and Fake it Till You Make it!

21
How To Be Happier: A Look At Positive Psychology

Positive psychology is a "new direction" in the field of psych that focuses on theory, research and application techniques to understand what is best about us, including well-being, creativity, resilience and fulfillment. It is the study of the average person and their ordinary human strengths and values, and how to improve their day to day lives. Positive Psychology attempts to advocate for a balanced life, and teach people to flourish and thrive.

People everywhere want to be as happy as possible. Most everyone's goal in life is to increase their happiness levels. Some positive psychologists believe that we have a happiness "set point" that is genetically determined; however, research has shown that it is possible to change one's level of happiness and reprogram the brain. There are five key aspects to increasing one's happiness including: focusing on positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.

The phrase, "fake it till you make it", is critical when focusing on an increase in positive emotion and happiness. Studies have shown that simply smiling, even if you are not particularly in a good mood, can improve your positive emotions and overall happiness. The self-perception theory states that when you act "as if" you are happy, you can change your emotional state. Our thoughts heavily influence our emotions, so it is important to focus the way we perceive events in our life in an optimistic light. In fact, optimism is one of the strongest predictors of a high subjective well-being, or happiness indicator. Optimism is cognitive and can be acquired with hope and practice.

The second part of improving one's happiness involves engagement in our life. To simply go through the motions of life is an easy way to remain unhappy or even just complacent in life. Instead, we ought to aim to be mindful and truly absorb the ongoing experiences in life. To be fully present can increase our positive emotional states, increase self-awareness, reduce stress and improve physical health. Positive psychologists further concentrated on the experience of "flow", meaning to be completely focused on the task at hand, merging action and awareness until the rest of the world is temporarily shut out. According to Mihalyi Czikszentmihalyi, happiness involves achieving control over the contents of one's consciousness and increasing our time spent in the state of flow. To experience flow is to be working at the peak of your ability, spending time in a task you have chosen for its own sake, and feeling a total sense of control. Mindfulness and engagement can be increased by finding activities that are conducive to your personal flow experience. Total engagement and absorption in life allows one to discover their true sense of purpose, increasing happiness.

The third aspect that is necessary for optimal levels of glee is strong relationships. Healthy relationships with other people can positively effect one's entire life. People who have close relationships with others are less vulnerable to poor health and premature death and they are generally happier with others than when by themselves. Families are our first and most critical social environment. They ought to provide a goal for existence, appropriate challenges and skills and provide a sense of acceptance, control and self-confidence. Strong close friendships consist of a trust, genuine concern for one another, interdependence and commitment to remain in the relationship through its ups and downs. In relation to romantic relationships, it is chemically proven that the feeling of love increases our happiness, as brain scans of people in love show higher levels of dopamine and oxytocin, both of which decrease stress and anxiety and increase feelings of intimacy. However, romantic relationships in which the pair follows these four rules can not only last longer, but improve positive emotions between the two persons involved.

1. Share appreciation for small favors

2. Celebrate your partner's successes

3. Make relationship enhancing attributions for behavior (optimism, positive emotions, acceptance, etc.)

4. "Mind" your relationship, try to be engaged in your partner and your lives

Understanding the meaning of our lives, or simply belonging to and serving something bigger than yourself, can infinitely increase our day to day happiness. Having a purpose in life provides people with a reason to get up and move everyday, other than simply going through the motions of life. We are all on this earth to serve a greater cause, and though that may be different from person to person, we all have a purpose to help make this world a little better each day.

Finally, focusing on more goal-directed behavior can increase our well being significantly. Goals that express our personal needs, wants and motives as well as have specific intentions for completion enhance our achievement and happiness in life. Intrinsic and authentic goals rooted in one's core values improves our subjective well being and in return, our happiness.

Each of these five aspects of life can help one flourish and therefore, increase their overall happiness. Positive psychology aims to focus on how to improve each of these key aspects in order to make people happier, making it a significant field of study for everyone on earth.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

185472
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

11725
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

455589
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

25168
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments