With mental health we tend to concentrate on all the bad stuff. Symptoms such as depression and anxiety can spoil our lives. What I would like to do is discuss those periods in our lives when we are feeling more cheerful. When the world seems a less challenging place and we are more at peace with our place within it. 

The technical, medical name for this subject is “Positive Psychology”. It is a relatively new topic in the world of psychology starting several years ago. I will include some relevant research later but first I will try to explain why I have felt so good today and yesterday. 

I have selected 5 events that brought me joy during this 48 hour period:

1  Friendly visit. 

A close friend had suffered a traumatic week. Her very elderly husband was rushed to hospital at the beginning of the week. She had been staying alone at a nearby hotel for 4 nights. We suggested a visit to her apartment for lunch that we would provide. We took cobs and cakes from the local bakery. She was absolutely delighted!

2  Moodscope ‘Post Day’.

I always feel a mixture of excitement and apprehension when my posts are published. However, I always enjoy reading other’s views and responding to their comments. On these Saturdays Moodscope is my priority as I make connections with many different members.

3  Important conversation.  

A situation had arisen concerning a family member with the potential to cause an argument between Mrs Teg and myself. I decided to take the most open route possible and make a “full disclosure”. We discussed the position calmly and reached an amicable agreement. I was very relieved.  

4  Play and win.

We regularly play “Rummy” a popular card game. I had not won for several games but managed to do so. To feel that winning buzz again was up lifting.

5  Entertainment

Towards the end of the day I viewed some entertaining TV and listened to some of my favourite music. Always a tonic.  

Now what about Positive Psychology? A common definition is: ‘The scientific study of what makes life most worth living (Peterson 2008).’ It is an approach to studying human thoughts, feelings and behaviour, with a focus on strengths instead of weaknesses. 

The founder of PP was Martin Seligman about 15 years ago. He said “The aim of PP is to catalyze a change in psychology from a preoccupation only with repairing the worst things in life to also building the best qualities in life.”

PP is based on the acronym PERMA which stands for:

P   Positive Emotions: It includes hope, joy, love, compassion and gratitude. 

E   Engagement: Having a sense of engagement in which we may lose track of time and become completely absorbed in something we enjoy and excel at is an important piece of well being.

R   Relationships: Being social creatures we need to cooperate and build connections with each other.

M   Meaning: Finding purpose and meaning in life is essential for long term well being. This can lead to a sense of fulfilment and a deeper connection to something greater than themselves.

A   Accomplishment: Achieving goals and experiencing a sense of action contribute to self esteem, confidence and overall well being.   

I have given a brief flavour of PP, there is so much more if you are interested. I hope you can see how my 5 personal examples fit into the PP strategy.

Teg

A Moodscope member