Positive Psychology

Positive psychology is a study to understand the significance of our life and its view—which is living ahead than the time and being remarkable. Generally psychology is concentrated on treating the abnormalities such as mind sickness or behavioral issues and diagnosing with apt remedy. Positive Psychology is a stream which research on leading a simple life with contentment and fullness and to earn what they are good at it and enhance their routine.

Over the years, curiosity in public to know more about positive psychology is humongous. In recent days, it is common amongst people in finding ways to become more contended and succeed in what they are good at it.

Positive Psychology is a stream of psychology founded by Professor Martin Seligman. It deviates the attention from what is medically wrong, towards the progress of wellbeing and discovering a life filled with contentment, sensible, joyful, committed and positive networks and achievements.

Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describe positive psychology in the following way: “We believe that a psychology of positive human functioning will arise that achieves a scientific understanding and effective interventions to build thriving in individuals, families, and communities.”

The 5 elements of PERMA are:

1. Positive emotions: feeling good
2. Engagement: being fully involved in tasks
3. Relationships: being genuinely linked with others
4. Meaning: determined living
5. Achievement: responsible for performance and reward

Positive Psychology is not about keeping a smiling face every time. We all know the fact that life can be hard at sometimes, depressing and obstacles are just unavoidable. Whereas proven scientific studies present that there is pinpoint approach and a technique that encourages people to overcomes the obstacles in life in a lot better way and loves your life irrespective of any ups and downs.

1. It helps us to understand the potential of transforming individual’s aspect. This is targeted on many strategies, activity and also      complete schedule is laid on positive psychology, whereas comparatively minute difference in an individual’s aspect may direct to surprising changes in creating wellness and better values for life.
2. People overestimate the impact of money on their happiness by quite a lot. It does have some influence, but not nearly as much as we might think, so focusing less on attaining wealth will likely make you happier (Aknin, Norton, & Dunn, 2009).
3. Gratitude is a big contributor to happiness in life, suggesting that the more we cultivate gratitude, the happier we will be (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005).
4. Oxytocin may provoke greater trust, empathy, and morality in humans, meaning that giving hugs or other shows of physical affection may give you a big boost to your overall well-being (and the well-being of others; Barraza & Zak, 2009).
5. Spending money on experiences provides a bigger boost to happiness than spending money on material possessions (Howell & Hill, 2009).

“Before World War II, psychology had three distinct missions: curing mental illness, making the lives of all people more productive and fulfilling, and identifying and nurturing high talent,” by Seligman in 2005.

Soon after World War II, the basic attention of psychology transformed to the top preference.(Shortly after WWII, the primary focus of psychology shifted to the first priority: treating abnormal behavior and mental illness.)It was  during 1950s, psychologists and humanist thinkers  like  Carl Rogers, Erich Fromm, and Abraham Maslow played a vital role in reforming the importance of the rest two fields  by promoting new concepts and theories that concentrated on joyfulness and the positive attitude in human personality

It was in the year 1998, Seligman was elected as a president of the American Psychological Association and positive psychology was his key areas of interest and subject got immense popularity by his influence.