Positive Psychology
What is positive psychology? And isn't it just "thinking positive"?
No, certainly not! "Thinking positive" needs to have a realistic foundation to work. Otherwise, we would have all "thought" ourselves into utopia by now!
The negative quite easily attracts human attention and memory, and the large literature on "bad is stronger than good" (Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Finkenauer, & Vohs, 2001) testifies to this. It makes evolutionary sense that neg- ative emotions, tied as they are to threat, loss and trespass, should trump happiness. What kind of brain survived the ice ages? The one that assumed the good weather would last, or the one that was strongly biased toward anticipating disaster any moment now?
Human beings are naturally biased toward remembering the negative, attending to the negative, and expecting the worst. The problem is—-what we think will affect how we feel, and if you are "stuck" on thinking and focusing only on negative thoughts, then this will also make you feel negative most of the time.
Positive psychotherapy aim is to re-educate attention, memory, and expectations away from the negative and the catastrophic toward the positive and the hopeful, which produces a positive affect on your emotions.
I encourage you to try it yourself:
- Each morning as you wake up ask yourself: "what are 3 good things that can happen to me today" and see if this will make any difference in how you feel during the day.
Mental Health Therapist, Kateryna
Please note:
This post is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your condition.
No, certainly not! "Thinking positive" needs to have a realistic foundation to work. Otherwise, we would have all "thought" ourselves into utopia by now!
The negative quite easily attracts human attention and memory, and the large literature on "bad is stronger than good" (Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Finkenauer, & Vohs, 2001) testifies to this. It makes evolutionary sense that neg- ative emotions, tied as they are to threat, loss and trespass, should trump happiness. What kind of brain survived the ice ages? The one that assumed the good weather would last, or the one that was strongly biased toward anticipating disaster any moment now?
Human beings are naturally biased toward remembering the negative, attending to the negative, and expecting the worst. The problem is—-what we think will affect how we feel, and if you are "stuck" on thinking and focusing only on negative thoughts, then this will also make you feel negative most of the time.
Positive psychotherapy aim is to re-educate attention, memory, and expectations away from the negative and the catastrophic toward the positive and the hopeful, which produces a positive affect on your emotions.
I encourage you to try it yourself:
- Each morning as you wake up ask yourself: "what are 3 good things that can happen to me today" and see if this will make any difference in how you feel during the day.
Mental Health Therapist, Kateryna
Please note:
This post is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your condition.
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