positive psychology

Positive psychology is a term coined by psychologist Martin Seligman, and an area of psychology that emphasises what is right with people rather than what is wrong. 

Positive psychology research shows that happier people - those with higher levels of wellbeing - are:

• Healthier
• Live longer
• More tolerant of pain
• Have fewer accidents
• More successful
• More productive
• Harder-working
• Make more money
• Faster thinkers
• More creative
• Caring
• More socially engaged

APPLYING POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Positive psychology suggests that positive emotion + meaning + engagement = life / job satisfaction. Increased satisfaction leads to higher productivity.

Positive Emotion

Experiencing as much positive emotion as possible. Positive emotion increases resiliency so if we can sustain the positive emotions when we experience them and we can expand our emotional intelligence skills to shift our negative emotions more regularly we will find we can bounce back quicker.  Focus on your optimism and hope. Don’t rely on shortcuts – TV, sex, drugs, shopping are not sustainable.

Engagement

Increase your self awareness. Work out what your strengths are and use them. More importantly work out what the strengths of your team members are and allow them to play to their strengths more often. Becoming engaged in what you do more often – experience Flow.  Recraft your life around your signature strengths and virtues, your personality preferences.  Understand your purpose, values, personality and use them to your advantage. Do the same for your team.

To take a free VIA Strengths test visit Dr Martin Seligman's Authentic Happiness site.

Meaning

This Positive psychology is just not about being happy, it is about psychological wellbeing as well as subjective wellbeing in the short term.  According to Dr Seligman, people that pursue all three components - pleasure, engagement and meaning - "have by far the most life satisfaction, with engagement and meaning far and away the biggest contributors to fulfillment.“ 

Positive Relationships

The relationships we cultivate can have a profound effect on our wellbeing. Do your relationships uplift you, or drain you? Research has found that if you are happy a close friend’s chance of being happy increases by 15%, even at three degrees of separation the increase is 6%.  Human beings are social animals and if we can increase the positive influence of our relationships we will increase our ability to flourish.

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAMMES

EIW programmes are designed to offer applied positive psychology techniques and tools to increase satisfaction in the three key areas of the formula and enhance the three different aspects of your working life. If you want to achieve more satisfaction and performance, you cannot afford to ignore the impact positive psychology can have.

Applied positive psychology techniques can be combined with our emotional intelligence tools for an all round inspirational and motivational programme for greater satisfaction, productivity and interpersonal relations.

We also offer tailored Positive Leadership programmes designed to focus on leadership development and creating a positive environment for your team and organisation.

Ask us how these interventions can work for you and your organisation.