Go from Surviving to Thriving with Positive Psychology
Positive Psychology recognizes that life is not easy – it never has been. From the beginning of time and onward, the goal has always been about survival. As we’ve evolved, however, so have our survival instincts. It’s not just about meeting basic needs anymore, like obtaining food and finding shelter, or even being at the top of the hierarchy with the best food and the best shelter. It’s about living well and “finding” happiness; about being healthy, and connected, and at peace with yourself. Truthfully, it’s not really about pure survival any more. It’s about finding ways to truly thrive.
Following the “Survival Plan”
The world we live in today was designed with a specific “survival plan” in mind… gr ow up, get an education, establish a career, find a spouse, get married, buy a house, have kids, keep your kids alive until they become adults, retire, and then enjoy the rest of your life in well-deserved freedom.
The thing is, even those with the best of the best in this “survival plan” still struggle with physical and mental health issues. They still experience their own versions of existential crises, and although they’re surviving, they’re not really thriving.
At a certain point, psychological science began developing diagnoses for individual s who feel anxious or depressed despite their success in life. Interestingly, those same diagnoses can be applied to individuals who are not only less successful, but are truly struggling with their “survival plan.” The idea behind these diagnoses is that if you’re following the “survival plan” (with or without considerable success) and you’re not happy, then there must be something wrong with your brain.
Mental health author and journalist, Johann Hari begs to differ. “You aren’t a machine with broken parts,” he writes in his book, Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unpredicted Solutions. “You are an animal whose needs are not being met,”
Enter Positive Psychology
Similarly, in the late 1990s, Dr. Martin Seligman began advocating for a shift in t he focus of psychological science. He believed that we should put less emphasis on mental illness and pathology, and instead begin studying what is good and positive in life. Through his work, Seligman developed a theory that examined Positive Psychology interventions designed to improve people’s mental health and quality of life. His theory involves five main components including:
Positive emotion
Engagement
Relationships
Meaning
Accomplishments
The idea behind this work (PERMA) is that simply eliminating the challenges from our lives will not resolve our internal issues. We need meaning and purpose in life i n order to truly thrive.
For instance, experiencing positive emotions, like hope, faith, curiosity, joy, com passion, love, pride, delight, and gratitude feels good. So if we take time to cultivate and savor more positive emotions, we’ll feel better more often. Theoretically, if we engage in therapeutic work to replace negative thought patterns with positive ones, we’ll be happier overall.
Each of the components involved in Dr. Seligman’s theory is crucial for shifting from survival mode to thriving in life – or at least, improving mental health and overall well-being.
Give it a Try
Working with a mental health professional can help you introduce these concepts into your life with support, encouragement, and someone to talk to when things don’t go as planned. Not sure where to start?
The good news is you can come connect with a variety of mental health counselors at the SWFL Wellness Fair. Meet real people, see real faces, find a mental health counselor that you easily connect with and actually like!
Try cultivating and savoring your positive emotions. Be more engaged in life. Engage in activities you enjoy, do work that allows you to exercise the skills and abilities at which you excel. Examine your relationships and social life. Find and spend time with people you truly enjoy. Add meaning to your life by finding a sense of purpose. What matters to you? What do you have to give back to the world? And finally, set goals for yourself and celebrate every accomplishment big or small. According to Positive Psychology, these are the keys to living a life that feels good.
What do you think? Is mental health something we can take control over? Should we invest more time and energy exploring Positive Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Yoga, Meditation and other such practices? Or is it more likely that there really is an issue that can only be addressed with medication and other mental health interventions? Or maybe it’s a little bit of both.
