Writing Your Way to Happiness The positive psychology movement provides a wealth of evidence to helps us understand what really makes for a happy and meaningful life. Martin Seligman, the movements founder, extended his work on Authentic Happiness to propose that we can Flourish by increasing the positive emotion, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishment (PERMA) in our lives. Barbara Fredrickson has identified a range of positive emotions which enhance our wellbeing when we experience them. They include joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love. These positive emotions dont just feel good; they also broaden our capabilities and build our resilience. Fredrickson suggests that we should ideally experience a positivity ratio of three positive emotions to every negative one. So creating more positive emotional experiences - and taking the time to notice and savour them - is really important. We are a social species and our happiness is also interconnected to others. For example, spending money on others makes us happier than spending it on ourselves. It has also been found that giving to others, whether by buying gifts, volunteering, or simply being supportive and kind, not only helps the recipient, but also makes us happier as well. Acts of kindness have been shown to have a ripple effect - people tend to pass them on. You can find out more about ways to spread kindness via the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation and World Smile Day, which is about smiling and encouraging others to smile. A simple, genuine smile brings positive emotions to ourselves as well as to others.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:57:35 +0000
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