By Emiliya Zhivotovskaya - October 28, 2008

How does happiness work in the body?

Ever fantasize about duplicating yourself? Like when you want to go to your kid’s little league game and be at an important business meeting at the same time? Imagine a world where there is not one, not two, but trillions of you! (Yes, that would require lots of retirement condos in Florida.) Welcome to your body!

Who Are YOU Biologically?

According to Dr. Bruce Lipton, author of The Biology of Belief, “you are a cooperative community of approximately 50 trillion single-celled citizens.” (p. 27). That’s trillions of “Mini-Yous” which breathe, eat, work, laugh, have fun, and yes, even mess up. Cells specialize and band together to form what you affectionately refer to as your skin, eyes, heart, or liver. Each of your cells knows that it is you, but also knows that it is a liver cell thanks to the genetic material in the nucleus. Since the nucleus holds DNA and sends forth RNA to the rest of the cell to create proteins, it has been thought of as the powerhouse or the brain of the cell.

How Cells and Moods Relate

Here is where the mystery starts: if DNA is the powerhouse of the cell, then is it true that your happiness is set at birth?  Not exactly. 

Yes, the genes in your DNA have a role. For example, there are genetic differences among people that affect the production and transportation of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that modulates anger, aggression, and mood. Thus you may be more genetically prone to depression and experiencing less happiness than some other people because of the genes that control your serotonin system. But believing this is the whole story is a recipe for learned helplessness. Truly believing you are doomed by genetics may prevent you from ever taking steps to make positive changes in your life. Happiness and life-satisfaction levels are only partially pre-programmed. Making yourself happier is not as futile as trying to make yourself taller.

Research by Drs. Ken Sheldon, David Schkade and Sonja Lyubomirsky, show that changing your happiness level is worth the effort. Approximately 50% of the variation in happiness across individuals in a population is genetic, 10% of it is situational and, 40% of it is attributable to behavior and thought patterns.  Recent debates on this topic show some researchers believing in an even lower genetic component.

If Your DNA Is Not the Boss, Then What Is?

What other parts of the cell affect smiling?

According to Lipton, DNA does not predict how the cell will act. DNA simply functions as a blue print that can be interpreted multiple ways.

External stimuli from the environment cause the cell to act in a specific way. When an estrogen molecule gets near a cell with an estrogen receptor, the molecule uses a lock-and-key method to bind itself to the outside of the cell. Depending on the blue-print of the cell, that estrogen can cause the cell to reproduce, or produce hair, or do other estrogen governed actions. This means that the brain of the cell is not solely the nucleus.  It is also the cell membrane. (Click here for an animated description of this process).

Is this wide cell membrane surface really what makes you giggle?  Think of the cell membrane as the entrance to a highly secured office building. Revolving doors regulate the flow of people coming in. The cell membrane does the same thing through protein receptors and channels, fondly referred to as Integral Membrane Proteins (IMPs). The cell membrane reacts to physical proteins and vibrations such as light, sound, and radio frequencies. Compare the different sensations you feel in your body when you are listening to heavy metal music compared to hard rock. That acoustic frequency is actually permeating your cells, causing them to respond a certain way.

Lipton (2008) further demonstrates how our reactions and interpretation to the stimuli in our environment affect our cells. Each time you get stressed out, your body pumps out adrenaline, which gets registered in cells through the membrane. Cells try to move away from toxins. The body snaps into fight or flight mode with blood shooting to your extremities and away from the visceral organs that sustain growth. (See Wayne Jencke’s discussion of the sympathetic nervous system.) Negative emotions, triggered from our interpretation and responses to our environment, keep the cell in protection mode. According to Lipton, “Most biological dysfunctions (except injuries due to physical trauma) start at the level of a cell’s molecules and ions” (p. 110). Hence, diseases are attributed to some form of stress.

How Can You Talk to The New Boss?

Activities that produce positive emotions produce endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin and other feel-good chemicals that cells gravitate towards and that support cell growth. Hence, on a cellular level, positive emotions support cells in flourishing.

This means that we are a product of our interaction with the world around us. We can choose the quality of our interactions and our responses to them. According to Lipton, “Genes are not destiny! Environmental influences, including nutrition, stress and emotions, can modify those genes, without changing their basic blueprint” (p. 67). Positive interventions such as expressing gratitude, putting healthy foods into your body, spending time with friends, dancing and singing, not only contribute to your happiness, but make biological changes in your body.

Lipton, B. (2008). The biology of belief: Unleashing the power of consciousness, matter, and miracles. Hay House.

Lipton, B. (2006). The wisdom of your cells: How your beliefs control your biology. Audio CD from Sounds True.

Lyubomirsky, S. (2001). Why are some people happier than others?: The role of cognitive and motivational processes in well-being. American Psychologist, 56, 239-249. Available here.

Lyubomirsky, S. (2006b). Is it possible to become lastingly happier? Lessons from the modern science of well-being. In Vancouver Dialogues (pp. 53-56). Vancouver: Truffle Tree Publishing. Available here..

Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. New York: Penguin Press.

Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2007). Is it possible to become happier? (And, if so, how?) Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 1, 129-145. Available here.

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News Daily. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Bridget Grenville-Cleave -

Well-being: A Dirty Word?

As an ex-financial controller, I can imagine the furious activity that must be taking place in the finance departments of businesses around the globe as they try to put together realistic budgets for the coming year, after a month of unprecedented stock market falls, and talk of bail-out and bankruptcies hitting the headlines every day. It’s accepted that uncertainty is one of the hardest things for us to deal with but is the sure knowledge that you’re about to nose-dive into a recession any better? Hmmm, that’s a tricky one.

One knock-on effect of this economic crisis is the growing reluctance of my UK business colleagues to talk about the value of positive psychology at work. On the one hand this is understandable, it hardly seems appropriate to be discussing happiness when you’re not sure if you’ll have a job at all the next day. My experience of working in finance is that the majority of businesses treat staff training and development funds as discretionary spend - so anything that would have been available for well-being interventions all but dries up as soon as there’s a whiff of a potential financial shortfall. And whereas well-being, and the UK government’s interest in it, was getting increasing media coverage over here, it has barely got a mention since the spectre of recession appeared.

When the Going gets Tough…

In reality though, this is exactly the time for positive psychology practitioners to show what it’s really made of, and to dispel the myth that it’s “all about happiness”. I know the Gallup organization has done several studies into the connection between happiness and business productivity, but research carried out with your own clients is hardly objective. And in reality many UK business people fall at the first hurdle - they feel uncomfortable talking about happiness in the first place, so even if the link to increased productivity were cast-iron, I’m not sure they’d be persuaded.

So does positive psychology have a role in today’s business climate? Well, the clue is in the word uncertainty. Having worked in the change management field for many years I know that in reality, most employees don’t welcome change, particularly when it’s forced on them. There may be several reasons for this (the status quo bias, for one), but here I want to focus on perceived control. It’s inevitable that when change is forced on people their sense of control is affected. We know from many studies that have been carried out on perceived control over the years (e.g. Gale & Batty, 2008; Glass, McKnight & Valdimarsdottir, 1993; Grote, Bledsoe, Larkin, Lemay & Brown, 2007; Ruthig, Chipperfield, Perry, Newall & Swift, 2007) that having a healthy sense of control over one’s life, work and environment is important for both physical and psychological well-being. A low, or external, sense of control may result in feeling depressed, anxious and unable to cope.

Developing Resilience and Perceived Control

There’s a role here for positive psychology in business to help their employees to increase their resilience in the face of economic insecurity and the inevitable work and/or personal changes that result from it, as well as to develop the ability to cope with setbacks, whether at work or at home. Starting with general coping strategies, there are really only two possible options to maintain or regain control:

Either

1. change your environment and start to resolve the issues which are causing your stress,

or

2. change yourself and adjust to the new circumstances so they don’t worry you so much.

[In reality, you may have both, but sticking your head in the sand and doing nothing is not an option - that means you’re not coping.]

Option 1 sounds straightforward enough, but there may also be a self-efficacy deficit to deal with; perhaps you need to acquire new skills or knowledge in order to achieve such a change. This in itself would help you re-establish a sense of control.

And say you’ve exhausted all the possibilities which fit into Option 1, or that the challenge you face really is outside of your control, what does Option 2 mean? It’s all about developing mental flexibility, i.e. the ability to change the way you interpret what goes on around you. If we turn to Thompson’s (2002) definition of perceived control (”A person’s self-assessment of their ability to exert control”) we can see that three possible courses of action arise:

• Changing to goals that are reachable in the current situation, i.e. lowering your expectations of what can be achieved in the circumstances.
• Creating new avenues for control, such as focusing on other life domains where achieving control is more likely, such as in your hobbies.
• Accepting the current circumstances. As mentioned above, this doesn’t mean doing nothing, it means making sense of the situation in such a way that you can move on from it. There are any number of different techniques which could help here, from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques (Hayes & Stroshal, 2004) to Stephen Covey’s (1989) Circles of Concern model.

Survival of the Fittest?

In addition to exploring ways to increase perceived control, we could also consider using resilience models such as ABCDE, or explanatory style - either of these would help develop the flexible thinking patterns that are a pre-requisite for healthy coping. Any or all of these suggested approaches could be used in 1:1 coaching or in groupwork.

There is also the bigger issue of whether positive psychology itself will survive the economic meltdown. Critics often cite the lack of empirically tested interventions as a weakness of this ’science’. With research funding difficult to find even in the good times, I’m sure many academic researchers have been wondering how they’re going to continue to finance their projects. I think we need to make a concerted effort to ditch the frivolous connotations that the subject has acquired over the past 10 years. By positioning it as a set of tools which businesses can use to increase their ability to cope with adversity, it’s more likely to demonstrate its true value and thus survive into the next decade.

P.S Reference Gail Schneider’s posting on the topic of the credit crisis on October 23, in the UK we say that London is the financial capital of the world! ;->

Images

1. bazril

2. David Reece

3. Mafic

4. _ES

Covey, S. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. London. Franklin Covey & Co.

Gale, C. & Batty, D. (2008). Locus of control at age 10 years and health outcomes and behaviours at age 30 years: The 1970 British Cohort Study. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70, 397-403.

Glass, D., McKnight, J. & Valdimarsdottir, H. (1993). Depression, burnout and perceptions of control in hospital nurses. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61(1), 147-155.

Grote, N, Bledsoe, S., Larkin, J., Lemay, E.P. & Brown, C. (2007). Stress exposure and depression in disadvantaged women: The protective effects of optimism and perceived control. Social Work Research, 31(1), 19-33.

Hayes, S.C. & Stroshal, K.D. (2004). A practical guide to acceptance and commitment therapy. New York, Springer

Kahneman, D., Knetsch, J. L., & Thaler, R. (1991). Anomalies: The endowment effect, loss aversion, and status quo bias. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 5, 193-206.

Ruthig, J., Chipperfield, J., Perry, R., Newall, N. & Swift, A. (2007). Comparative risk and perceived control: Implications for psychological and physical well-being among older adults. Journal of Social Psychology, 147(4), 345-370

Thompson, S. (2002). The role of personal control in adaptive functioning. In C.R. Snyder & S.J. Lopez (Eds). Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 202-213). New York, Oxford University Press.

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News Daily. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Marie-Josée Salvas - October 24, 2008

As I am sure you have, I recently witnessed a heated argument between two neighbors who disagree over the  Presidential campaign. Perhaps you found yourself in this very same situation? If your relations with people supporting the opposing view have been more difficult as of late, please pay attention!

The Confirmation Bias and Our Internal Lawyer

Studies of everyday reasoning show that people tend to make their decisions instinctively and then try to find evidence to support their point of view.  We are typically much better at noticing and remembering information that supports our position rather than information that proves us wrong: that’s our confirmation bias. When our perception of the world is challenged, we are more likely to distort and reinterpret events so they fit our original perception than we are to reevaluate our position – that’s a process known as assimilation. If confronted with opposing views that are difficult to turn to our advantage, we are perturbed. In this case, to diminish the dissonance, cognitive science tells us that we quickly find loopholes in the other party’s argument.  This is what Jonathan Haidt cleverly calls our “internal lawyer”: when we create the reasoning to support our views that already fits our emotional beliefs in our views.

Confirmation biases, assimilation, and internal lawyers are all processes that we use quite frequently.  They are in action at work, at home, at our kids’ soccer game.  They protect our self-esteem, but impair our judgment. They make us feel better, but do worse. The result? My neighbors’ disagreement.

Both Information-Seeking and Bonding

On another line of thought, I also attended this week the naturalization ceremony of a new American Citizen. After he swore allegiance to the country, a video was presented. The message was simple: we were all created equal, and we all have the right to freedom and to pursue happiness. It is through our individual contributions that we’ve built this country, and contributing starts with our neighbors and communities.

In this time of presidential elections and economic uncertainty, this was a neat reminder. As humans, we are information-seeking and bonding creatures. Information-seeking and bonding are both ubiquitous and fundamental. These dispositions are good news as they certainly contributed to much of the country’s and the world’s advancement.  But of course, we have to use them.

I’d also like to remind us of the strength of wisdom. In the VIA Classification, strengths of wisdom and knowledge are paired together. VIA also associates wisdom with perspective, which “represents a superior level of knowledge, judgment, and allows the individual to address important and difficult questions.” In other words, it is through information-seeking that we can achieve wisdom.

So here’s where it all comes together: next time you strike a conversation with someone who supports “the other” presidential candidate, I’d like to suggest you put your internal lawyer away and pull on your natural tendencies as information seeker and bonder to achieve a wiser process. Listening to what your neighbor has to say rather than instinctively and defensively trying to prove your point is not only a more mature way to approach the discussion, but also a strategy more conducive to the country’s advancement. And in the end, that’s likely what we all want.

All the best until next month!

Images: Presidential Candidates, Neighbors reconcile

American Naturalization Ceremony – October 22, 2008, Philadelphia, PA.

Haidt, J. (2006) The Happiness Hypothesis, Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. NewYork: Basic Books.

Peterson, C & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character Strengths and Virtues: A handbook and classification. Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.

Reivich, K. & Shatté, A. (2002). The Resilience Factor: 7 keys to finding your inner strength and overcoming life’s hurdles. New York: Basic Books.

Schulman, M. (2002). The Passion to Know, A Developmental Perspective. In Snyder, C. R., & Lopez, S. J. (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 313-326). New York: Oxford University Press.

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News Daily. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

Whatcha think?

In other news, raffle results are here.

By Gail Schneider - October 23, 2008

I live in New York City. Perhaps because it is the financial capital of the world, anxiety about the economy is everywhere. In Starbucks people sit grimly reading the Wall Street Journal and the patois overheard is about Lehman Brothers, AIG and bailouts. With every lurching move of the Dow, you can feel the collective panic or collective sighs of relief. In this environment how can positive psychology help?  

In their book The Resilience Factor, Karen Reivich, Ph.D. and Andrew Schatte, Ph.D. make the case that resilience is a key ingredient of happiness and an essential means to adapt and triumph over life’s adversities. A specific skill they discuss called “Putting it in Perspective” is a perfect tool for these times. It is designed to address beliefs about the implications of an adversity and guide individuals to a more accurate way of thinking about it. It works by exposing the chain of catastrophic thinking that cascades out of the adversity, replacing it with a more realistic set of beliefs. After identifying the adversity - in this case, the precipitous decline of the stock market - spend a few minutes writing all your worst case beliefs about the events that will occur as a result, in a step-by-step chain. In this example the chain may begin with a belief that “I’ll lose money” and it may end with “I’ll be living under a bridge.” The next step is to estimate the probability of these fears. Repeat the same process for a separate list of best case beliefs. It may begin with a thought that the market will stabilize and end with you finding a lottery ticket on the street that makes you an instant millionaire. Rate the probabilities of each step in this chain and then spend a few minutes composing a list of most likely outcomes. By using this list it will be easier to zero in on the problem and begin to create solutions. “Putting it in Perspective” can help quell anxiety by changing catastrophic beliefs about the future.

Positive psychology research has shown the powerful connection between physical well-being and emotional well-being. In his book Spark, John J. Ratey, M.D. examines the mind-body connection referencing research that show physical exercise is as effective in altering mood as antidepressants. Getting moving can help create a calm, focused mind in anxious times. So, get to the gym for an aerobic workout and you are likely to feel much better as long as you are not watching CNBC!

Another proven tool to increase well-being is mindfulness, which has been described as a gift of the present—the here and now. Ellen Langer, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University states that by increasing mindfulness we escape rigid mindsets and our behavior may be guided rather than governed. Her research shows that increasing mindfulness results in “greater competence, health and longevity, positive affect, creativity, and charisma and reduced burnout to name a few of the findings.” One way of increasing mindfulness is through the practice of meditation where the focus of attention is on a conscious intent to let go of judgments and to open up to a more accepting, patient and trusting experience of the present.

Finally, in times of adversity, positive psychology research shows that the presence of warm and supportive interpersonal relationships is highly correlated to well-being outcomes. Studies suggest that of the many factors that influence happiness, relatedness is at or near the top of the list (Argyle 1987). One of my positive psychology professors summed up this concept in three simple words: Other People Matter.

So, when the market is volatile and the economic news is dire, try tamping down the anxiety level by “Putting it in Perspective,” becoming more physically active, cultivating mindfulness to be present in this moment without ruminating on what may happen in the future and increasing your social interactions. Positive psychology can’t control the direction of the Dow but it just may change the way you think about it.

Images: water aerobics. 

References

Argyle, M. (1987). The psychology of happiness. London: Methuen.

Langer, E. (2005). Well-being: Mindfulness versus positive evaluation. In C.R. Snyder& S.J.Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp.214-230). New York:Oxford University Press.

Ratey, John J. M.D., (2008). Spark. New York: Little Brown and Company.

Reivich, K. & Schatte, A. (2003). The resilience factor. New York: Broadway Books.

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News Daily. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Derrick Carpenter - October 22, 2008

I often find there are certain themes or ideas that – although previously unexplored – all of a sudden come to my attention over and over again until they cannot be ignored. During the course of my positive psychology education, many such ideas crossed my path. And among them was the film Groundhog Day. I had never seen the film, but I kept hearing that the 1993 classic was an exemplar of positive psychology tenets. So a few weeks back I decided to give in to my curiosity. Bill Murray’s character, a sarcastic and surly local weatherman, keeps waking up to live the same day over again. As the film progresses and Murray’s character learns that he has ultimate control over how happy he will be in his never-ending purgatory, he transforms his attitude and eventually becomes the kind-hearted town hero. I loved the film so much I watched it again the next night.

BOOK REVIEW: Positive Psychology at the Movies by Ryan M. Niemiec and Danny Wedding (Hogrefe & Huber, 2008)

Besides eliciting positive emotions in the viewer, Groundhog Day is a fantastic visual display of the character strength of gratitude. Films, which intrinsically revolve around the study and exploration of character, are a terrific medium for a journey through the VIA character strengths. A new book published this summer, Positive Psychology at the Movies: Using Films to Build Virtues and Character Strengths, by psychologists Ryan M. Niemiec and Danny Wedding perfectly lays the landscape for this wonderful journey of positive psychology in film. The well-structured text provides an endless selection of films with character strengths and virtues as dominant themes. It becomes clear at first glance that the authors have a thorough fundamental understanding of positive psychology, extensive experience in critiquing and evaluating films, and a true passion for uniting the two.

With an introductory chapter on the foundations and history of positive psychology, the book is appropriate for positive psychology novices, but the added perspective of film keeps everything fresh for experts. The bulk of the book is structured around the 24 VIA strengths. For each strength Niemiec and Wedding first discuss the key concepts and relevant research. While the authors inject opinion from time to time, these sections are great stand-alone summaries on the strengths. Each strength is then discussed in the context of relevant films and film characters, including a section on portrayals of the opposite of each strength and a section focusing solely on international film.

The major highlights of the book, besides the writing itself, which is both entertaining and academically rigorous, are found in special sections. Each section on a given strength includes a set of Practical Applications. While these lists of recommendations on how to cultivate a strength occasionally involve film references, they encompass a very general set of guidelines and interventions. Anyone who followed all of the suggestions for a given strength would certainly notice improvements. These lists are fantastic resources for positive psychology practitioners. Additionally, the set of appendices is a must read. The authors have cited a single best exemplar film for each of the 24 strengths, as well as fuller list of movies, ranging from 11 to 131 per strength, rated on a scale from good to excellent. These lists could fill your film-watching agenda for years. Suggested discussion questions for classrooms or therapy, a brief selection of suggested clips for presentations or lectures, and an example of a positive psychology syllabus incorporating film are all nice bonuses.

Niemiec and Wedding have put so much care and attention into their research and choices that I believe this book is a must for positive psychology instructors who intend to integrate film into their lectures. Anyone working as a coach, consultant, or professional using positive psychology can both use the book as a resource to incorporate film as necessary into their work and to refresh and revitalize their perspective on positive psychology through film. And for the casual PPND subscriber, Positive Psychology at the Movies can help guide you to films that will encourage discussion among family and friends about the presence of character strengths in your own lives.

As I thoughtfully added Groundhog Day to my select list of favorite films, Niemiec and Wedding’s wonderful volume has me adding new films to my must-see list by the dozens. I found it ironical that among their well-crafted practical applications, one of their recommendations for increasing vitality is to “spend less time watching television or in front of a computer monitor” (p. 78). I figure if we have any chance of succeeding, we ought to fill the television time we do have with substance that matters and encourages character evaluation. Positive Psychology at the Movies will immediately take you to the great films you should be watching.

References
Niemiec, R. M. & Wedding, D. (2008). Positive psychology at the movies. Hogrefe & Huber.

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News Daily. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

By Denise Clegg - October 20, 2008

Fear and Panic are making headlines these days, as though they were members of a godly pantheon come down to Earth, crushing economies, sowing chaos and seducing the most virtuous among our women. But fear and panic are not great external forces; they are powerful internal ones, generated deep in the brain. Day after day our headlines tell a story of sympathetic nervous systems gone wild. (See Wayne Jencke’s recent article about the sympathetic nervous system.)

Three weeks ago I got a full-feature demo of exactly what Vaillant means and it put my worries and rumination in perspective. On a hike, climbing up and over boulders, I interrupted a rattlesnake during her sun bath. I didn’t even see the snake until my body had carried me several boulders away.

Her primordial warning ignited an ancient recognition and response by my sympathetic nervous system. It chose flight. Thank you reptilian brain! Takes one to know one! The system worked perfectly. Something about the elegance and power of the survival response made me more respectful of its value and role in life, and protective of its resources.

We can’t control world events or prevent catastrophes, but we can broaden and build and serve one another through what Vaillant has called the limbic pleasures of human connection. A growing body of research shows our that neural mechanisms for such pleasures, including compassion, gratitude, nurturing, and community building evolved as powerfully and as long ago as the instinct to freeze, fight or flight.

Find Positive Meaning

Studies have shown that individuals who experience positive emotions such as love, compassion, and gratitude, in addition to the natural negative emotions experienced during and after a crisis or painful life event, are less like to suffer from depression and more likely to develop and achieve future goals and better psychological functioning. Keeping a gratitude journal and writing about one’s daily blessings has been shown to increase positive emotions in the short term, and may contribute to long-term well-being.

Be Open

Focusing on the present moment and being open to sensory experience can increase positive emotions and build resources, challenging negative affect and rumination. Studies show that practicing mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation, actively savoring pleasant experiences, and going outside during good weather increase openness and well-being.

Do Good

Helpful, kind behavior generates and reinforces positive feelings. Fredrickson notes, “Counting one’s own kindnesses” may function like “counting one’s blessings.” Both strategies have been shown to increase positive affect. A second area of research shows that actively working to solve problems by setting and pursuing goals to address adversity can reliably increase positive emotions even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Be Social

Research demonstrates that the happiest people are those with the strongest social relationships. A recent series of studies show that individuals who are randomly assigned to “act extraverted” experienced more intense positive affect than individuals assigned to “act introverted.” According to Fredrickson, “beyond doing good for others, simply interacting with others appears to be a reliable strategy for increasing positivity.”

Conclusion

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary pleasures. Positive psychology research shows that practicing the limbic pleasures of love, connection, kindness, and appreciation can make us happy in time-present, foster resilience through difficult times, and build a more positive future.

Fredrickson, B. (2007). Promoting positive affect. In M. Eid & R. J. Larsen (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being. The Guilford Press.

Vaillant, G. (2008). Spiritual evolution: A scientific defense of faith. Broadway Press.

Rattlesnake - from About.com about Phoenix Arizona

This article first appeared on Positive Psychology News Daily. To see the original article, click here. To comment on this article, click here.

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