by Kayleigh Roberts and Christine Harris
People commonly associate Positive Psychology with optimism and mind over matter. It is more complex and involved than saying or thinking “good thoughts”. Positive Psychology attempts to achieve happiness by doing: practicing gratitude, genuine self-examination, and self discipline.
We can use Positive Psychology to prioritize happiness in both the present and build strengths to fulfil personal goals for the future. To be successful involves consistent work everyday.
There is an overload of negative messages in the news and media that can subconsciously cause us to shutdown or lose faith in people or the world. To challenge downtrodden views by sensationalist media is important. Realistically, the media tends to express extremist views that sell fear and insecurity. Think of reality television; a balanced view is considered boring, although pragmatism and stability are arguably more enjoyable. Changing the way you think, optimising what you do, and spending your time better create a path to happiness.
Set goals. Identify what you most want to change or improve in your life and create a goal to work towards achieving that purpose. Don’t stress, this does not have to be your life’s purpose. It can be simple or complex, and you can tweak it as you go.
Make room for ritual. Schedule daily and weekly activities to make yourself happy and for your personal well-being. Organise them at regular times throughout your day. Stick to these goals even if you don’t feel like it. Chances are you won’t feel like doing things, pleasurable or challenging, until you create a habit. It takes roughly a month to create a habit. It could be doing YouTube dance tutorials for 30 minutes every day (with breaks and modified as needed) and going to an Improv class once a week.
Say mantras. Repeat a phrase that you want to embody, you can tie it into your meditation practice, say it to yourself on your drive or in the shower, or for daily motivation. It’s important to identify a belief you want to change or a goal you want to accomplish; cater your mantra to you. For example, If you feel weak say I am strong. Breathing is easy. Exercising is easy. I love myself deeply. Using prompts like saying your mantra when you enter a doorway, see or hear someone laugh, see or hear an animal, or when you look at your phone will assist in staying on task, creating the habits and optimising your brain.
Exercise. Your mind and body are connected. Consistently dedicating 30 minutes of your day to light or moderate exercise has countless positive effects on your mood, body, mind, and stamina. Keep searching for a way to move that works for you. Don’t stress about your ability; focus on improving upon what you can do. Yes, some people go to the gym and deadlift 35 stone, but you can get strong increasing your reps of small barbells, swimming, yoga, dance, tai chi, or whatever interests you.
Express gratitude. Express what you are grateful for each day. Be grateful to yourself for working on self-improvement and prioritizing your happiness and well-being.
Learn to Fail Forward. Taking risks and failing make you a stronger person, now more capable to fight bigger battles. Playing it safe and striving to stay in your comfort zone is a commitment to failure. If you never muster up the courage to put yourself out there, you will definitely fail. If you strive and challenge yourself, you will experience some failure and some success. You will progress in a positive direction. You will be stronger, and who knows, you may live your dream. Don’t roll over because you are afraid of failure; roll the dice.
““[I]t’s not necessarily going to work out the way you want it to work out, but it is taking you forward, and you are leaving the nest. And that never can be a mistake—to fly instead of staying in the nest with all the poop and everything that’s in there.” ”
Build Your Strength. In your journal write down your main goals: what you want to focus on create, become, or what you want to heal or repair in your life. Make rituals, realistic daily goals, and set aside dedicated time to focus exclusively on those goals. Meditating when you wake up or light exercise before breakfast are excellent. Pair an activity with something you already do, like practicing mantras, quick exercises, or breathing exercises while you wait on the tea kettle. Be consistent. Organise these into a daily checklist and hang it where you will see, do, and check off your accomplishments everyday.
