Positive Psychology Articles

COMPLEMENTARY VALUES Darkness & light are not two different things but two complementary values of same property. Existence of one ensures the absence of other. Absence of light is called darkness. When we say ‘there is light’, it automatically means ‘it is not dark’ and similarly when we say ‘it is dark’ it implies ‘light is absent’ rnThe positive value (light) helps us to do what ever we are doing (moral/immoral, legal/illegal, right/wrong) with ease. Its ne

Questions and Intent

As it is not a perfect world we live in, that's why it's only common if we are faced with many negative and unpleasant surroundings that we tend to have bad thoughts. We are only humans and oftentimes, we may not even be aware that we're already forming bad thoughts in our minds; here are some ways to avoid them. 1) Practice thinking about what you're presently thinking about. Yeah, this may be quite confusing, difficult even. But you can save your well being and avoid undue

As winter descends we begin to feel the chill of shorter days and less sunlight. For many of us, less hours of light combined with colder temperatures results in us feel less light emotionally. For some of us, who actually have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) gloom really sets in. This gloom ...

A relatively well known self improvement technology, called subliminal messages, has been shown in numerous studies to help improve your personality, well being and mind. For example, Dr Kenneth Parker showed that subliminal messages greatly contributed to academic success over a control group. In another study, Dr Silverman discovered that subliminals helps to reduce weight in obese women, with simple affirmations and suggestions. The research goes on and on, and there are c

What is the secret to unhappiness? Some could find an infinite answer to this question. Feeling unfulfilled, weak, powerless. Feeling like a victim of fate. There's a thousand different ways to feel unhappy but, there's only a few reasons to feel unhappy. There are only a few dozen actual reasons we feel weak, powerless, and unfulfilled in life. Some of these reasons are caused by tragedy and other life changing events. Others are caused by physical and mental impairments. Ho

So if thinking positively is such a universal pursuit, why does it prove to be so elusive to so many? Dare I say, the majority? How To Start Thinking Positively In Less Than Sixty Seconds: 1. You are not your body and your body is not you but you best look after each other anyway. You might be together for a while. 2. You’ll never have more potential than you do right now, so find a way to use more of what you’ve got. 3. You think too much. 4. It’s not a time issue. Itâ

Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the US, affecting around 15 million adults a year, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Add the current controversial political and social climate to general everyday woes, and now, perhaps more than ever, we could all use a little cheering up! Here are eight easy, practical ways to create more joy in your daily life, starting today: KEY 1: Transform trials into stepping stonesr

Everybody believes that mind is a very powerful thing if properly used. But there are very few people who believe in the power of subconscious mind. How does subconscious mind work and how to use the sub conscious mind? If we get the answer of this question then accordingly we could alter our lifestyles and lead a better life ahead. Nobody has instructed how to raise our thoughts and utilize sub conscious mind in order to get better lifestyle. People don’t know the exact wa

Few individuals give any thought to the question, "Who am I?" Even when some personal crises strikes, rarely does anyone ask this critical question of themselves. If pressured to come up with a verbal self-portrait, most would probably respond with a summary of what he/she believes, as well as what he/she has done in their lives.

How do we overcome adversity and live a life of meaning, a life worth living? How do we get to the 'good life' with good mental health? How do insure that our positive emotions rather than negative will have the front row seat in our minds? One way is preparation for the change of seasons and ...

When I was a small child, I watched many movies in the Shawmut Theater in Roxbury. It was located close to Eagleton Square, which was bustling with activity and safe years ago. Today you don’t venture there if you value your life. The Shawmut was more than a movie house. It was a community ...

Your brain evolved in three stages (to simplify a complex process): - Reptile - Brainstem, focused on AVOIDING harm - Mammal - Limbic system, focused on APPROACHING rewards - Primate - Cortex, focused on ATTACHING to "us"

A lot of studies have showed the health issues related to the extra burden and the work load that the students are getting. From some of the recent studies and the research materials we have seen that the people have claimed that the assignments and the homework are putting a lot of stress for the students and this is getting their health effected a lot. By the time the students are being pushed to the schools and the teachers are the one that deal with the students assigning

Plants need soil, water and light. And so do writers. Your “soil” is the foundation of basic good writing skills, which you probably learned years ago. Your “water” is the stuff that keeps pouring into your brain through all of your senses. It provides the information you can use as you write. And your “light?” Well, that is the bright idea that comes to you in an “aha” moment. It is that wonderful thing that gets your “juices” flowing and lets you write great copy – content, articles, and blog posts.

Living in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia Canada we are given the opportunity to experience many, many different cultures than our own. Life has changed dramatically since the days of my childhood back in the 1960s when 99% of the people in my life were Western European Caucasians who spoke English, although possibly with a bit of some European accent.r

Sometimes things are difficult. Your legs are tired and you still have to stay on your feet another hour at work. You love a child who's finding her independence through emotional distance from you. A long-term relationship could be losing its spark. It's finals week in college. You're trying to start a business and it's struggling. You've got a chronic health problem or a disability. Sometimes people don't appreciate your work. You're being discriminated against or otherwise treated unjustly. The body ages, sags, and grows weary.

I love the Beatles as much as the next guy; maybe even more. But current research clearly demonstrates that there is quite a bit more to Happiness than a ‘warm gun.’ (For those of you who may not be up on your Beatle trivia, I’m referring to a song, written by John Lennon, off their eponymous double-disc album “The Beatles,” also known as “The White Album.”)

THE LITTLE CHILD I AM TODAY will always be within me, sending out feelings into my "grownup" mind. Time and experience may seem to bury him, but the child will be there. If I am now secure, feel loved, and little hurts are healed, in later years I'll feel down deep, not cries of fear and pain, but rather...songs. from Listen to my Feelings by Ruth Reardon

Home decorating decisions are often heavily influenced by the homeowner’s personal style and preferences. A home should make a statement about the homeowner, but there is plenty of room to creatively accomplish this. Your decorative choices play a major role on mood and mental health, so home decorating efforts should take this into account as well. These are some of the primary ways that home décor can impact mental health and how you may make smart improvements going for

An important aspect of personal empowerment is having an ability to be emotionally present and aware of your internal emotional experience. So often we try to figure out what we need to do next with our brilliant intellect, we then miss the valuable information our emotions are telling us about an experience. I see my feelings/emotions as my ally. They round out my experience and when I also pay attention to my feelings, I am fully grounded and oriented in my world. Often my

Summer has always been my favorite season. I grew up on the beach, and summer entailed long days in the ocean followed by long evenings on my bike. To me, summer is synonymous with both a sense of freedom and a sense of hope and possibility. Always another adventure, another barbecue, another day outdoors ahead. Alas, I am not a child anymore. I can’t remember the last long beach day I had (except when I was last on vacation), and my bike was stolen a few years ago (and no,

We spend so much of our time trying to get somewhere. Part of this comes from our biological nature. To survive, animals - including us - have to be goal-directed, leaning into the future. It's certainly healthy to pursue wholesome aims, like paying the rent on time, raising children well, healing old pain, or improving education.

A million years ago or so when I was in college studying social work, I learned a really important lesson. It was that the minds of people are supposed to progress and become more enlightened as we evolve on our personal journey. I learned at this time that there are four questions that are supposed to be asked and eventually answered. They are: • What am I? • What am I really? • Who am I? • Who am I really?r

A Quick Preamble: I don’t care what anybody says or thinks…our world, our life, IS a beautiful thing, a GIFT that we should not/must not/ waste, squander or destroy because of all the negativity that’s either in our lives in some way or surrounding us – in abundance it would seem..! There are, sadly, many people in the world that live for and live with negativity because of greed (mostly), avarice and selfishness…and because it’s simply “easier” to be unhappy,

In private moments we may find ourselves reflecting upon our lives, what could have been, how we might have overcome adversity, and our true potential. We often cast our hopes and dreams aside, and then experience feelings of disillusionment or emptiness. We feel cheated of our inalienable ...

I consider myself to be a Philosopher of Consciousness; to my philosophical thinking, what is most basic is, "what is real." Our Reality, currently, is determined by what we in the Western World have bee Indoctrinated and Programmed to Believe it is.

This practice is definitely a case of teaching what you need to learn: I've been working through a big bucket of tasks lately with little chance to rest. (I console myself with knowing that the bucket is emptying a lot faster than it's filling with new tasks.)

Now a day people are becoming aware that what we think affects our health. Many of the physical disease are results of emotional issues. Lots of people are becoming the victim of so-called psychosomatic disease. This is nothing but mental imbalance. Person thinks that he is not well even though he is perfectly fine. "I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situatio I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances." - Martha Washington

From the ngére tribal rituals of the Suya Indian Amazonian tribes to the strobe-lit techno haze of the all-night New York club, music is the phenomenon, perhaps the only one, that binds us all. The familiar, if overused, claim of ‘I don’t have a single note in my head’, may be used by many as an opt-out in sing-song situations meaning ‘don’t ask me to sing, ‘cos I can’t’, but this is largely proven inaccurate after a couple of drinks, or some social encouragement.

I admit it: whether close to home or far away, I wish some people were different. Depending on who they are, I wish they'd stop doing things like leaving cabinet doors open in our kitchen, sending me spam emails, or turning a blind eye to global warming. And I wish they'd start doing things like being friendlier toward me or spending more money on public education. Even if it doesn't affect me directly, for their own sake I do wish that various people I care about were more energetic, less anxious, or less self-critical.

“Ironically, after I have spent a year practicing dying, the quality most noticeably enhanced is a new joy in life.” Stephen Levine Although our society is obsessed with a wide-ranging struggle against mortality, I have spent 17 years assisting both “terminally ill” children and adults to come to peace with the fact that they are dying. I am continually impressed with the radical life changes that some people make when faced with death. Some even report discovering their own “deathless nature” as they begin to appreciate each valued moment.

As a Positive Psychologist I help women find a personal sense of well-being that frees each woman to live a life of meaning, purpose and joy. May I share with you a little of my jou ey? My original research with women happened as a result of my conce s around pain that so many women ...

A New Year and a new life. That's why it is important to make resolutions that you intend to accomplish THIS YEAR! Whatever you decide to add to your list, big goals or small ones setting things up right is essential for you to succeed. Here are the secrets for you to make resolutions that you can achieve. Start by creating a long wish list of what you would like to accomplish, be daring, think of all the things you really would love to succeed with this year. Write down all your ideas. Let them sit ove ight and then look over them the next day.

A torn piece of land, not quarter acre in size. A bite of dust on the horizon, a place of the unknown. It looked shallow in its attempt to reach the sky, yet unde eath the earth I knew was a mountain just waiting to be born. A small frame and size, my garden is but a land of possibilities. Giving the right attitude, a purposeful intent and a determined bit of labor this barren place can produce miracles if I only reach downward and put my heart into it. I dream of the lost e

If you have the time and money, which isn't always the case, psychotherapy should generally be seen as the first best option for addressing mental health issues such as anxiousness or a depressive state. Turning to medication straight away can be a mistake. Seeking Relief from Psychological Disorders Psychological conditions like anxiety and depression can be debilitating. They manifest both psychological and physical symptoms that interfere with day-to-day activities, especi

Courtesy ~ gracious, polite, or considerate remark or act; showing respect; polished manners Please, Thank You, Excuse Me... In this day, sad to say, courtesy isn't always "common". The fact that the term even exists indicates that at some point in time there must have been such a thing as "Common Courtesy". In fact, for research purposes I have been watching reruns of Father Knows Best and Andy Griffith, and you know what I've found? That as little as 50 some years ago court

There’s not a single person that wouldn’t agree that family plays a crucial role in the development of a person. The family is supposedly the environment where one spends most of his time , and where he or she should feel most natural , without the need to build an image for oneself. However , even though there are many things that can be considered beneficial from living in a family, if a family has problems they tend to instill themselves into the individual, shaping ce

No one is sure when people started to gamble, or how it happened. However, it is certain that it has been around for a very long time. The world of today is both fascinated and disgusted with the implications of gambling, which continues to attract men and women to the possibility of quick, easy profit since the time of the pharaohs.rnEarliest known six-sided dice had been invented in Mesopotamia in approximately 3000 BC. At about the same time, according to the tablet found

When I was playing rugby as a youth and later when I started coaching various youth age group players I observed that the fastest, strongest and the most skilled player usually achieved the most in the game. When I became a professional rugby player and then after retirement I started coaching elite academy players I began to notice that these factors did not seem to matter as much anymore since everybody was fast, strong and skilled. Now this got to me wondering. But as time

Each season requires special behaviors and activities on our part to optimize for ourselves living a purposeful and happy life. We actually have to practice our positive emotions, just as the champion tennis player practices her swing. We have to try to use our mental capacities as fully as ...

Occasionally we all get those moments when we feel a little sorry for ourselves or that the world is not always quite so fair. Happens to all of us, certainly has done to me and I am sure it is the same for you as well. Having the odd moments of Thoughts Leading to Nought are part and parcel of our existence as humans. The difference is in our ability to be accepting of these moments. Oh, we can be…but definitely not for too very long! Just as negative thinking can become hab

If you were to ask someone if they wanted more love in their life, it is very unlikely that they would say they wouldn’t and that they don’t need any more. That would be like saying you don’t need to ever eat again because you are full. Even if our lives were full of love we would still want ...

Before long, autumn will be upon us. In the northern Hemisphere autumn is easily recognizable by a spectacular display of vibrant colors as the changing weather heralds in the season of harvest. Here in Florida, the change from one season to the next is much more subtle – to say the least. I read somewhere that the only color changes you can expect to see in Florida are the ‘license plates.’

How many times have you been in a public place that you have witnessed a child screaming its head off for no apparent reason? How many of those times that you witnessed the child screaming did you also witness the parent or caregiver screaming as well? I think it is sad to realize that this situation happens far too often and that it is (in most situations) completely preventable. The two questions that come to mind for me in regard to this situation are: • Why is the child really screaming? • Why is the parent really screaming?r

Perhaps one of the strongest motivations for the development of the recent branch of psychology known as Positive Psychology, is the desire to move away from viewing the purpose of care as the treatment of mental illness. Professionals see things that are wrong with patients and they go to work to try and correct or fix the problems.

Currently I am a part-time blogger along with my day job. I do blogging because I love to write. My friends always ask me how I get time to write. They always get surprise when I send them mail for my new article. This was not the case earlier. I also had the same problem “I don’t have time”. “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” William Penn

Once upon a time, a scholar came to visit a saint. After the scholar had been orating and propounding for a while, the saint proposed some tea. She slowly filled the scholar's cup: gradually the tea rose to the very brim and began spilling over onto the table, yet she kept pouring and pouring. The scholar burst out: "Stop! You can't add anything to something that's already full!" The saint set down the teapot and replied, "Exactly."

Mindfulness is about stabilizing. Studies have shown that people who have experienced trauma can benefit highly from this type of work. (Cullen, 2011). When people have experienced trauma, they can be challenged with high levels of stress, anxiety and depression at any time. When we increase focus, stress and anxiety decreases, and as insight increases, depression may also be reduced. The implications of effective mindfulness on these specific features are truly significant and the more studies that are being done, the stronger the evidence of effective results of mindfulness.