Over the weekend, I (Nikki) had the daunting task of writing a 2000 word essay for my Psych course on Positive Psychology. Thankfully, I am super interested in this field and so found it somewhat enjoyable to write the first part of the essay. For the remaining 1,600 words after I got stumped, I had to utilise a company I know who provide fast essay writing help. I know – it’s cheating somewhat, but honestly, it was too difficult to put it all together in a formal way. Naturally, I thought to share some of what I learned with you all this week 🙂
Positive Psychology as a modern movement was kickstarted back in 2000 by two Psychologists by the names of Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi. They realised that since World War II, most of the research focus in Psychology had become about curing mental illness at the expense of the other two equally important missions which were: making the lives of all people more productive and fulfilling, and identifying and nurturing high talent. In the two decades that have followed, this scientific study of strengths, wellbeing, and optimal functioning has made a lot of headway. Evidence now shows that positive psychology interventions (activities aimed at increasing positive feelings, positive behaviours, or positive cognitions) can significantly enhance wellbeing and reduce depressive symptoms. The best news is that they take little time, can be done anywhere/anytime, and are long-lasting!
A simple positive psychology exercise called ‘Three Good Things’ consists of writing down three things that went well each day and their causes every night for one week. It has been shown to increase happiness and decrease depressive symptoms for six whole months! So this week, we invite you to take this on as our Centred Challenge and let us know how you go 🙂
Want to keep going? Check out the app, happier, a digital platform to help wind positive exercises into your every day.
