Positive psychology Archives

What is hedonism and how does it affect your health?

Hedonists get a bad rap: psychology shows that taking pleasure can help your mental health

Surfing promotes grit, a concept being championed by psychologists

Want to develop ‘grit’? Take up surfing

People with grit persist, and are more likely to succeed in challenging circumstances

Positive psychology has a focus on personal strengths

What is positive psychology?

You don't need to wait: Better wellbeing can be as simple as exploiting your strengths and available resources

A behaviour management approach which focuses on understanding what individuals are trying to achieve by their behaviour. Problem behaviour persists because it serves a purpose and is an attempt to meet a person’s needs, however imperfectly. Psychologists work to understand the individual’s motivations and reinforce more constructive methods. This approach has proven useful in addressing…

Flow, or the experience of being totally engaged in an activity, boosts our wellbeing

Focus on the zone

Moments of pure absorption in your work provide powerful insights that help to boost your wellbeing and performance

Flow

A state of being totally absorbed in an activity, in which we feel both adequately challenged and equipped with the skills to meet the challenge. The concept forms part of ‘positive psychology’. Flow, also referred to as being in the zone, was developed by the psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. He has linked achieving flow to increased…