The Science of Happiness: Positive Psychology and You

Editor's Notes

• #2: Reduce anxiety, stress, and depression and increase well-being, joy, contentment, happiness with . . . The Pleasant Life (chocolate, orgasm) The Good Life (Absorption, Flow, Eudamonia) The Meaningful Life (?) Happiness is a personal, subjective experience, which we’ll discuss. I’ll also provide a working definition of happiness from the emergent, if not burgeoning field of Positive Psychology, which we’ll define as well.
• #3: Psychology = “the study of the soul” or “the study of the psyche” Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” (1893) Norwegian, Expressionist painter Lost his mother at age 5 Lost his sister Unable to commit to a relationship with a female Feared abandonment, separation, but also feared become engulfed and losing his creativity Question for audience: What feelings / emotions / themes does this painting evoke? Anxiety Terror Trauma Horror Fright Fear Panic Abandonment Alienation Separation Depression Death Grief Helplessness Loneliness Isolation Uncertainty Psychiatrist James Masterson, author of The Search for the Real Self, p. 212 ff.
• #4: First wave of psychology = diagnosis and labeling; asking and answering the question “What’s wrong with people?”. Better question: what is wrong with psychology? Mission of psychology = cure / treat mental illness, alleviate suffering . . . a noble cause. M. Scott Peck, the now deceased yet popular psychiatrist and author of the best-selling The Road Less Travelled , opened his book with the famous line, “Life is difficult.”. Some would argue that the absence of disease is not (equal to) health. The language of DISTRESS, DIAGNOSIS, DISORDER . . . DARKNESS The language of pathology.
• #5: Pierre August Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” (1880-1881; 1883) Pierre Auguste Renoir, (1841-1919) French Painter, Impressionist What feelings / emotions / themes does this painting evoke? Community Relationships Joy Conviviality Rest Leisure Connection Curiosity Relaxation Intimacy Informality Warmth Light Festivity Friends are sharing fruit and wine.
• #6: What’s right with people? How can people thrive? How can people flourish? Post-Traumatic Stress vs. Post-Traumatic Growth Growth mindset “Grit is our passion and perseverance towards reaching a long-term goal while resilience is the optimism to keep bouncing back from failure.” https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/5-ways-develop-grit-resilience/
• #7: “. . . The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play. “ – authentichappiness.org “Positive psychology proposes to correct this imbalance by focusing on strengths as well as weaknesses, on building the best things in life as well as repairing the worst. It asserts that human goodness and excellence is just as authentic as distress and disorder, that life entails more than the undoing of problems.” – authentichappiness.org (FAQ) Psychologist Martin Seligman (from the University of Pennsylvania) is the “Father of Positive Psychology” and the movement, which began in 1998 when he was elected to serve as President of the American Psychology Association. His theme for his 1-year term was . . .. What’s interesting (if not ironic) about Seligman’s career trajectory is that he spent a significant chunk of his career becoming an expert on depression, trauma, and actually coined a psychological phenomena called “learned helplessness”. Interestingly (if not ironically), Seligman is noted for his theory of “learned helplessness” and his work on depression, trauma, and other negative emotions. Decided to ask, “What’s wrong with psychology?”. About.com: “When people feel that they have no control over their situation, they may also begin to behave in a helpless manner. This inaction can lead people to overlook opportunities for relief or change.”
• #8: Positive Psychology is both philosophical, existential, and practical (pragmatic). Other questions that Positive Psychology asks: What is The Good Life? Question posed by philosophers (e.g., Aristotle) and theologians (Thomas Aquinus). What makes life meaningful? (or what is the engaged life?) Question posed in every college-level Philosophy 101 or Religious Studies 101 classes. We are meaning-seeking creatures; use “signature strengths” for a higher purpose. An Austrian and Jewish psychiatrist by the name of Viktor Frankl claimed that the pursuit of meaning is humanity’s fundamental drive or motivation. As an aside, he developed a school of psychotherapy called Logotherapy, which literally means “healing through meaning”. What are people’s strengths? In other words, what is right about people? How can people flourish and maximize their potential?
• #9: Positive emotions: peace, contentment, pleasure, joy, inspiration, ebullience, flow, engagement, transcendence Positive traits: 6 virtues (wisdom, courage, temperance, transcendence, justice, and) and 24 strengths Positive institutions: schools, workplaces (for-profit, non-profit), governments (ideally, democracies, not dictatorships) PERMA Positive Emotion Engagement: the experience of “flow” (Positive) Relationships: family, friends, colleagues Meaning: Connection to a higher purpose or The Transcendent (Jewish psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl stated that the pursuit of meaning is humanity’s fundamental drive . . . in contrast to the pursuit of sex, power, etc. He developed Logotherapy from his experiences and philosophy. Accomplishment / Achievement: Focusing on PERMA results in “flourishing” and thriving.
• #10: Happiness is subjective, personal, “fuzzy”. How do you define happiness? Or what does happiness mean to you? Is happiness momentary and fleeting, or is it enduring and abiding? Is happiness wealth? Is happiness love? Is happiness climate? Is happiness physical health? Is happiness a winning lottery ticket? Pleasure, Engagement, Meaning
• #11: Momentary happiness vs. enduring (abiding) happiness Positive Psychology focuses on enduring / abiding / long-lasting happiness. Hedonic treadmill? Happiness / Hedonic “set point theory”. What percentage of our happiness is determined by our genetics and family upbringing? 50% What percentage of our happiness is determined by life circumstances? 10% What percentage of our happiness is within our influence and control? 40% Source? According to Positive Psychology studies (more than 200; involving more than 275,000 people), happiness leads to greater success in all life domains such as work, health, friendship, socialability, creativity, and energy. Shawn Achor: “Happiness = precursor to success”. Success does not lead to happiness, but happiness leads to success. Happiness is not the goal; it is a prerequisite to achieving the goal.
• #12: 3 Pathways to Happiness 4 Ways to Improve Savoring 5 Ways to overcome Adversity
• #14: These practices are designed to impact Losada Ratio, which is a ratio of positivity to negativity. Researchers (Fredrickson and Losada) have discovered that a ration of 3 positive experiences to 1 negative experience (3:1) is essential for well-being, thriving, and flourishing.
• #15: This activity is a daily exercise that you can incorporate into your life . . . Before you go to sleep. I challenge you to try it for 21 days or, better yet, 1 month. [Note: Find out how long it takes to develop a new habit.] AKA Three Blessings Journal, What Went Well Today Exercise, Gratitude Journal Purpose of Exercise: Change your focus. Break up depression, decrease anxiety, reduce stress. Increases happiness and resiliency. Bask in what’s gone right instead of ruminate on what’s gone wrong. “Hunt for the good.” What’s going well? Provide example. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOGAp9dw8Ac Bonus questions: How did this good thing come about or happen? How can I add more of this good thing to my life? Losada Ration: 3:1? Broaden and Build Theory: Dr. Barbara Fredrickson Train brain to release “feel good chemicals” (serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine) that counter stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline? Cite study?
• #16: Too often humans are stuck in the past, ruminating about regrets, losses, failures; or we are fretting, worrying, catastrophizing about a future that has not yet happened. In the process, we miss out on the “now,” our present experience. Definition: “Mindfulness is the intentional process of paying attention and being aware of our moment-to-moment experiences in a non-judgmental way.” http://blogs.psychcentral.com/positive-psychology/2011/06/cultivate-mindfulness-to-enhance-well-being/ Mindfulness = “way of being” (Jon Kabat-Zinn) Jon Kabat-Zinn video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmEo6RI4Wvs Concrete Exercise: The Three Senses The Process: Become aware. Be in the present. Observe your surroundings (internal and external). Most important, observe thoughts and feelings without judging them.
• #17: Distribute handout. Become more aware of the present moment. Let’s all take a moment to quiet ourselves by taking three deep breaths. Notice to yourself . . . Notice to yourself . . . Notice to yourself . . .
• #18: Savoring is the process of enhancing and sustaining positive experiences; to increase the intensity and duration of positive experiences. How to savor? Examples: Share positive experiences: a sunset, a picturesque view Memory Building: Take a picture; write in a diary or a journal Self-Congratulate: Absorption: Immerse self in moment / activity. Get absorbed in the moment. Kabat-Zinn: raisin exercise
• #19: “optimal experience” “state of consciousness” “enjoyment, creativity, involvement” “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the prev ious one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost.” Mihalyi’s TedTalk Mention Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a Hungarian psychology professor, known for his work on happiness, creativity, and his concept of “flow”.
• #20: Examples of Flow: A proficient musician learning a new piece of music. A casual runner training for a 5K. A fiction writer drafting a short story. A professor teaching a theory. Playing a game of chess. A software engineer writing computer code. Preparing and cooking a meal. Playing a sport Teaching? Overlearning Playing a game of chess Handout? 8 elements of Flow experience Clear goals and immediate feedback Equilibrium between the level of challenge and personal skill Merging of action and awareness Focused concentration Sense of potential control Loss of self-consciousness Time distortion Autotelic or self-rewarding experience Identify your flow experiences. What brings you flow? High Challenge, High Skill leads to Flow.
• #21: Learning (Learned) Optimism ABCDE Disputation Exercise: Optimism vs. Pessimism “Learn to argue with yourself” by asking yourself and answering questions. Here are some questions that help with the process of disputation: Evidence: What is the evidence? Alternatives: What are the alternatives? Are there other ways of looking at . . .? Implications: What the implications of my thinking? What does my thinking mean for my life? Usefulness: How useful or helpful is my thinking? Distribute worksheet. Distract Distance Dispute belief to feel more optimistic and energized What is Energization? Letting go of pessimism.
• #22: Think realistically and less painfully; challenge yourself. Ask and answer these questions: What is the evidence of this belief? What are the alternatives to this belief? What are the implications of this belief? What utility does this belief have? How useful is this belief? Evidence: What is the evidence? Alternatives: What are the alternatives? Are there other ways of looking at . . .? Implications: What the implications of my thinking? What does my thinking mean for my life? Usefulness: How useful or helpful is my thinking?
• #23: A Gratitude Letter = akin to a belated thank-you letter. Benefits both sender and recipient. Real story? While studying counseling and counseling theories, I learned about a man named Carl Rogers, who is know for his empathy and unconditional acceptance of people. This caused me to reflect on American Literature professor whom I had in college. During a meeting about one of my papers, I had made the off the cuff remark that my girlfriend at the time had left for the Peace Corps, which left our relationship in an ambiguous state. He actually made a comment to my academic advisor that I might be dealing with a difficult situation, which lead to me sharing about my personal life. 15 years later, I sent this American Literature Professor an email, thanking him for his sensitivity and perception, Relieve depression Build and solidify relationships
• #24: Austrian and Jewish psychiatrist Viktor Frankl claimed that the pursuit of meaning is humanity’s fundamental drive or motivation. As an aside, he developed a school of psychotherapy called Logotherapy, which literally means “healing through meaning”. This “philosophy of life” was borne out of Frankl’s experiences in concentration camps.
• #25: Universal virtues, studied across cultures over 4,000-year period. Poured over sacred texts The Values in Action Inventory of Character Strengths measures 24 strengths; they are subsumed under the 6 broad virtues. These Virtues serve as a classification system and a taxonomy. The Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification is referred to “Manual of Sanities”! Antithesis of APA’s “Manual of Insanities”. CSV vs. DSM V See VIA Character Institute (www.viacharacter.org) or Authentic Happiness (www.authenttichappiness.org). Register for FREE on website and take the VIA assessment. Full version contains 240 questions. Mention handout that delineates al 24 strengths. Once you discover strengths, pursue opportunities to use them and apply them. Exercising strengths is the way to authentic happiness, according to Martin Seligman. Mention also Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment?: www.strengthsfinder.com/home.aspx Your Signature Strengths Are Your Top 5 Strengths
• #26: Word cloud?
• #28: What are your “signature strengths”? How can you use your strengths?
• #29: www.viacharacter.org VIA Institute Change slide?
• #30: Hyperintention: Dereflection: Paradoxical Intention: prescribing the symptom 8. "The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind." William James (1842-1910) The Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Happiness Learning to see reality differently. Perspective shift “I’ll be happy when . . .”. Change yourself to be happy; don’t wait for events to happen to be happy.
• #31: TED Talks One of your handouts is a list of websites, books, and articles. I point you to TED Talks on happiness, and I recommend starting with Martin Seligman’s “The New Era of Positive Psychology”. Technology, Education, and Design “We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we're building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. This site, launched April 2007, is an ever-evolving work in progress, and you're an important part of it. Have an idea? We want to hear from you.” Technologists, scientists, philosophers, philanthropists, religious leaders, etc. TED Talks on happiness: http://www.ted.com/talks/tags/happiness Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi TED Talk http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html Martin Seligman’s TED Talk http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology.html
• #32: $0.99 in App Store Note: Not yet available for Android / Google Play? Developed by a company called Signal Patterns with Positive Psychology professor and researcher Dr. Sonya Lybumirsky, author of The How of Happiness. www.signalpatterns.com/iphone/livehappy_std.html www.livehappyapp.com The Way Way Back Dan in Real Life
• #33: John Stockdale was a prisoner of war in Vietnam War. Exercises: 3 Good Things Mindfulness Gratitude Letter Kindness Journal Future Diary? 3 Funny Things Gift of Time Peterson, C. & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. New York: Oxford University Press.