Positive Psychology Interventions

Positive psychology is not just about being positive, it is about recognising what is going on in our lives but then still cultivating what is good – whether this be a rebalancing towards positive emotions, focussing on our strengths or building on our hope, optimism and resilience. All of these make a big difference in times of adversity and can easily be neglected when we are focussing on day to day reality. But the good news is there are specific activities we can do to tip the balance in these areas in our favour. And when we start to build these activities into our lives and make it a habit then things can get better at a very deep level. How we see the world can change and our resilience for when things do become more difficult increases substantially.

Cultivating happiness

Happiness can be a difficult to define, elusive to achieve, but is something we instantly recognize when we feel it ourselves or see it in others. Broader theories of psychological wellbeing exist which extend beyond happiness. Examples include the need for autonomy, achievement and connectedness. Where these needs are met this can in turn lead to happiness and more general psychological wellbeing.  Being in a positive mental state is good for you. Studies have found that people with higher levels of subjective wellbeing tend to be less self-focussed, less vulnerable to disease, less hostile, more loving, more forgiving and more decisive. 

None of this seems much good if you aren’t feeling particularly happy or things around you aren’t that great. But if you find yourself in this position there are three parallel approaches that can help.

(1) Negative emotions serve a function and should be listed to. Where something in our life needs to be addressed, then quick practical steps may be the solution. Where we have experienced loss or grief this needs to be processed. There are no short cuts to this but there is plenty of support that can help.

(2) Our thoughts and ways of thinking can sometimes add to any distress, when the circumstances around us don’t necessitate this. When we are feeling anxious we can perceive the world as more dangerous than it actually is. When we are feeling depressed we can build up negative views which may not be true. All of these thoughts can be challenged. When we replace them with more realistic alternatives this can bring a lot of benefits.

(3) A third approach that can be done in parallel is that of positive psychology interventions. These are intentional and practical activities that can increase happiness and wellbeing in their own right. This is a parallel approach as you don’t need to fix your thinking first before starting these and the benefits start straight away.

Ways to cultivate happiness

A number of positive psychology interventions are set out in the book ‘The How of Happiness’ by Sonia Lyubomirsky. While this isn’t an exhaustive list it provides a great starting point to taking action to improve your happiness and wellbeing. Any one or more of these can have a big impact and a number can be done in parallel. Often one will jump out as the one you really want to try. The activity needs to be natural and enjoyable for it to feel authentic and have the most benefit.

  1. Expressing gratitude – Recognising what is good in our lives and expressing it, whether by journaling or telling yourself or others what you are thankful for
  2. Cultivating optimism – Imagining the best possible future for yourself in each area of your life and capturing this by journaling
  3. Avoiding overthinking and comparisons – Using cognitive techniques can help us cut down on overthinking
  4. Practising acts of kindness – Whether spontaneous or planned, directly or anonymously
  5. Nurturing friendships – Investing time in our social relationships can bring big benefits
  6. Developing strategies for coping – These can be practical strategies to cope with stress
  7. Learning to forgive – Forgiving allows us to release a lot of any hurt or anger we may be holding towards someone or a situation and is very freeing as a result
  8. Increasing flow experiences – We can enter into states of flow when we become totally absorbed in something we are doing
  9. Savouring – There are so many good things in life that we just don’t notice and can capture by taking time to savour them
  10. Committing to our goals – We need to write them down first, but then by committing to defined action by certain points in times this can increase our motivation and progress
  11. Practicing spirituality – This is a very important area for anyone who feels spirituality is an aspect of their life, as it can get neglected but have huge benefits if spiritual practices are done on a regular basis
  12. Taking care of our bodies – Healthy eating, enough sleep and regular exercise may sound simple but are often things we neglect and can have a transformative effect on on our mood and wellbeing

The hardest part is often getting started with one of these activities and then keeping it going as a habit over a period of time. When we don’t feel like doing something positive it is hard to motivate ourselves to actually do something positive. If so, please do consider working with a coach or friend to give you that extra initial boost. Also, keeping track of how we feel before and after the period of positive activities can be really encouraging in terms of seeing how much progress it is possible to make.

Recognising our strengths

Studies have found a range of benefits that follow from knowing our character strengths – unique traits or characteristics that are natural and that give us energy when we use them. Too often we can get caught up in activities which we are good at but aren’t particularly natural and which take our energy. These activities are more likely to be learned behaviours rather than strengths. Our strengths are unique to who we are as individuals. By identifying, recognising, cultivating and using our strengths more we more fully express who we are. The increased use of strengths is also likely to lead to an increase feeling of competence and actual achievement. Both are key parts of psychological well-being. We have a need for competence and achievement and using our strengths more can help us get there.