How positive thinking ruins our lives. Positive psychology is a great way to change your life for the better. Founder of positive psychology.

Positive psychology

Positive psychology is a special area of ​​psychological knowledge and practice that puts the positive potential inherent in us in the center of attention. Similar ideas were discussed many times, but positive psychology appeared only in the late 90s, and its main initiators were psychologists from the USA Martin Seligman, E. Diener, J. Vaillant, M. Csikszentmihalyi, etc. Today this direction is actively developing and has various directions and sections.

What is positive psychology?

Scientists distinguish two main sections:

Subjective perception of happiness (various positive emotions, life satisfaction, pleasure, feeling of closeness, optimism, fullness of “vitality” and energy, self-confidence, constructive thoughts about yourself and your life).

The highest individual and psychological qualities of a person (love, spirituality, kindness, wisdom, courage, honesty, sense of reality, creativity, forgiveness, compassion, search for meaning, altruism, generosity, empathy, etc.).

also in positive psychology There are three main directions:

Affirmations are positive statements.

Belief in the fulfillment of desires is a positive attitude.

The ability to look at the world “correctly” is positive thinking.

Affirmations: everything we think and say

Affirmation– a short positive statement that allows you to replace negativity with positive attitudes. An affirmation can also be understood as a confident statement that emphasizes what you want to have (money, health, love, etc.).

Affirmations involve productive programming of our subconscious. This is positive psychology, which teaches us positive affirmations and sets us up for health, happiness, success and fulfillment. It often happens that what you believe in and what you desire have different vibrations, and affirmations help you tune in to the right “wave”.

At the same time, affirmations cannot be pronounced mechanically - such positive psychology will not give results, but will only force you to remember the information, which is only half the battle. Your task is to use this statement to create positive experiences in yourself instead of negative ones. That is, if you claim that you are loved, but inside you don’t believe it, it will simply be self-deception. The real result will be achieved only when positive psychology causes truly vivid positive experiences.

Here are some examples of affirmations:

I love, and my heart lives in this rhythm.

I am loved as much as I desire.

I talk about everything with love and exhale only good things.

I live in the same rhythm with life.

I was freed from pain.

I heal and clear my thoughts of worry, allowing my body to heal naturally.

My life is harmonious: there is time for everything - rest, work and entertainment.

My sleep is healthy and sound, and my body appreciates how I take care of it.

I only think about what makes me happy.

Positive attitude

This part positive psychology presupposes the presence of internal faith that the desired will come true. You need to tune in using the phrases “I am worthy”, “I can”, “I can do it”. The main motto of people with a positive attitude is: “By changing yourself, you change reality.” A positive attitude has several rules:

it needs to be developed with affirmative phrases expressed in the present tense (for example, “I have earned the desired amount and am going on a trip”),

you must definitely use the pronoun “I” - the first letter in the life of a successful person (try saying: “I am responsible for this” - and this will be the first step on the path to leadership).

Positive thinking

This is positive psychology, based on thoughts and statements that describe any events in a positive way. In many ways, this is the same as optimism, where you see the glass half full and are happy about it.

And remember: we can independently choose how to react to different circumstances in our lives, and it is our attitude that determines how we relate to life and others. Moreover, feelings and thoughts are always material, so we will always receive exactly what we emit, and this is what we teach positive psychology.

Let's understand positive psychology and turn the power of positive thinking to our advantage? In my newsletter there is a lesson dedicated to words with positive roots. Today is a continuation of this topic.

2 basics of positive psychology.

There are 2 main pillars of positive psychology:

1) The ability to relax the body and mind.

2) The skill of positive self-programming and self-hypnosis.

As for the first basis of positivism, a lot has been written about this, including on my blog.

But today we’ll talk about the skill in more detail.

Freedom from panic! Positive thinking is positive talking!

The power of positive thinking is in words.

We all remember that help us to be confident and strong, but we rarely use them:

“Day by day I am getting better and better in every way.”

“Day by day I am becoming more and more positive in all areas of my life.”

"I'm good".

Poem about the power of positive words for life:

***
A careless word will ignite a quarrel;
A cruel word will shatter life;
An unkind word will inspire anger;
A harsh word can kill;

***
Good word the path will be paved;
A cheerful word will illuminate him;
The right word will soften the burden;
And the word of love will ease your pain.

How words create diseases.

Listen to what you and your friends say and how they say it.

Negative thinking in phrases:

“It makes my neck hurt,”

"You get on my nerves",

"This breaks my heart!"

“I’m already sick of talking to him,”

“My back can’t handle the stress of work,”

“I wish I could die!”

"He is the source of my suffering."

Exercise to change your worldview from negative to positive:

1) Sit comfortably and gently close your eyes.

2) Take 3 deep breaths in and out.

3) Clearly imagine several positive pictures.

4) Repeat the affirmation (positive attitude) that you came up with for yourself four times.

5) Open your eyes and mentally say to yourself:

“I am completely awake and feel more positive than before.”

6) Write in the comments how you felt and what lessons you learned from this article.

Read the best materials from a happiness psychologist on this topic!

• Summer is a time of reflection, planning and new solutions. Time to collect stones. Today I’m posting a short parable about how and where to distribute [...]
• How to create your own house, apartment? Of course, not lying on the couch. And yet imagination is a great power and it must be used wisely and appropriately. Okay to [...]
• How to succeed in life is a picture with a statement from a very smart and successful person about success. Share this success thought with your friends (buttons […]
• I invite you to the Christmas tree. And I’m announcing a new Christmas competition. I’m also summing up the results of the New Year’s riddle. We read, connect [...]
• Happy Knowledge Day, dear subscribers of newsletters from the psychologist of happiness. Today's lesson is open and dedicated to a conversation about the content of this blog. […]
• My clients often ask why my wishes don't come true? Why do some people have everything, but I have nothing? I usually answer that in fact, your […]
• Today I will introduce the second of the 8 patterns of limiting thinking - polarized (black and white) thinking. I will describe how black and white appears [...]

Trying to overcome difficulties, people forget that there are good moments in their lives. Perhaps, overcoming failures, it makes sense to create happy moments? Or at least change your attitude towards events? Positive psychology deals with this issue. But is everything so clear? Can it replace classical psychology? Perhaps this approach is simply distracting people from actually solving problems? Let's take a positive approach to reading this article.

What is positive psychology?

Positive psychology is the science that studies positive sides human psyche. Despite all the obviousness, this direction arose only in the middle of the last century. The origins of this teaching are rooted in humanistic psychology. The founder of this approach is a psychologist from the USA Martin Seligman. By the way, in the late nineties he headed the American Psychological Association. Solemn speech At this event he devoted himself to the issues of positive psychology. In comparison with conventional psychotherapy, it is not aimed at combating pathology, but explores ways to achieve.

It is worth noting that since its inception, this teaching has been regularly criticized. For example, distortion of reality due to positive illusions, a simplified approach to a number of issues, as well as running away from problems instead of solving them. Be that as it may, positive psychology has firmly entered the ideas of the world scientific community, having a number of advantages and rational “grains”. We'll talk about them further.

The Scientific Foundations of Positive Psychology

The formation of positive psychology took place thanks to the work of a number of scientists. Among them: Abraham Maslow, Gordon Allport, Carl Rogers, Ed Diener, John Haidt, Alex Linley, Donald Clifton, etc. The main topics include several large-scale areas:

• Emotions that bring a feeling of happiness (optimism, pleasure, self-confidence, satisfaction, trust);
• Positive character traits (kindness, humor, spirituality, altruism, wisdom);
• External factors that positively influence people (humanism, recognition, value system, social environment).

According to supporters of positive psychology, positive emotions give a person greater competitiveness, improve his quality of life, and expand social connections. Taken together, these factors significantly complement a person’s toolkit for overcoming difficulties on the path to success. According to principle feedback Positive thinking attracts good events and luck into a person’s life.

Despite some criticism, positive psychology was quite warmly received by the world scientific community. Three centers have even been created to study this phenomenon. One of them is located in Europe, two in the United States of America.

Positive Psychology Center (PPC)

Established at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA. The Center is headed by the creator of positive psychology, Martin Seligman. Together with another famous scientist, Christopher Peterson, he compiled a list of 24 positive character traits, grouped into six types (humanity, wisdom, justice, temperance, courage, transcendence). Thanks to this, the unique VIA-Survey test appeared, which consists of 240 points that help you realize your advantages.

Gallup Center

Another American center for the implementation of positive psychology, founded by psychologist Donald Clifton. A questionnaire has also been developed on the basis of this research institution, which has been translated into several dozen different languages.

Center for Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP)

This establishment is based in the UK. It is led by Alex Linley, who and his team are studying the applications of this science. The Realise 2 questionnaire they created helps to recognize a person’s strengths and the degree to which they are manifested. The emphasis in research is on suppressing personality flaws.

The presence of several specialized research centers indicates that positive psychology is a serious scientific field that deserves careful study. It is not limited to purely theoretical value, allowing its achievements to be widely applied in practice. We'll talk about this further.

What is positive psychotherapy

Positive psychotherapy is a type of psychotherapy aimed at overcoming intrapersonal conflicts through the development of human abilities. Considering that the creator of the method, Nossrat Pezeshkian, is a German with Iranian roots, his creation absorbed the rationalism of the West in symbiosis with the wisdom of the East.

Since 1996, positive psychotherapy has been officially recognized by the world community of psychologists, and in 2009 its author was awarded the Nobel Prize.

Nossrat Pezeshkian divided his research into four main blocks:

• Therapeutic – psychotherapy itself;
• Pedagogical – personality education and prevention of deviations;
• Transcultural-social – intercultural consciousness;
• Interdisciplinary – interaction with other psychological sciences.

A positive approach to the treatment of human mental illnesses, coupled with the prevention of their occurrence, has made this method one of the most popular in the world.

You can use positive psychology methods yourself.

Positive psychology techniques for every day

The tools of this science are varied, but for everyday use it is enough to master three methods:

• Self-hypnosis method;
• Question method;
• Bracelets method.

Let's look at them separately.

Self-hypnosis method

This approach is also called affirmations. They are short positive phrases that help change negative mental attitudes to positive emotions. For example, “People enjoy communicating with me,” “I am successful,” “I am a valuable employee,” etc. Based on the principle of feedback, positive statements begin to attract positivity into a person’s life.

Question method

Also known as afformations, that is, questions asked in a positive way. Thanks to them, you can rephrase statements made earlier. “Why do people like to communicate with me?” etc. This method helps to activate thinking in the direction of finding your strengths. By the way, the positive effect of using affirmations is achieved much faster. By finding answers, a person confirms his affirmations, thereby beginning to believe in them more strongly.

Bracelets Method

Helps to overcome bad habits or weakness. It is recommended to wear a bracelet that symbolizes your flaw, without removing it until the habit changes. This method activates a person’s proactivity, shows him that it is necessary to take responsibility for his life on himself. Demonstrates that the disadvantage is unnecessary and just needs to be “removed.”

Positive psychology, unlike many academic disciplines, is a science for every day. It helps you always be in a state of mental balance, believe in your strength, and overcome difficulties. No outside help is required to use it. It is enough to master a few techniques and apply them regularly, filling your life with a feeling of joy and happiness.

Trying to overcome difficulties, people forget that there are good moments in their lives. Perhaps, when overcoming failures, it makes sense to create happy moments? Or at least change your attitude towards events? Positive psychology deals with this issue. But is everything so clear? Can it replace classical psychology? Perhaps this approach is simply distracting people from actually solving problems? Let's take a positive approach to reading this article.

What is positive psychology?

Positive psychology is a science that studies the positive aspects of the human psyche. Despite all the obviousness, this direction arose only in the middle of the last century. The origins of this teaching are rooted in humanistic psychology. The founder of this approach is a psychologist from the USA Martin Seligman. By the way, in the late nineties he headed the American Psychological Association. He dedicated his ceremonial speech at this event to issues of positive psychology. In comparison with conventional psychotherapy, it is not aimed at combating pathology, but explores ways to achieve.

It is worth noting that since its inception, this teaching has been regularly criticized. For example, distortion of reality due to positive illusions, a simplified approach to a number of issues, as well as running away from problems instead of solving them. Be that as it may, positive psychology has firmly entered the ideas of the world scientific community, having a number of advantages and rational “grains”. We'll talk about them further.

The Scientific Foundations of Positive Psychology

The formation of positive psychology took place thanks to the work of a number of scientists. Among them: Abraham Maslow, Gordon Allport, Carl Rogers, Ed Diener, John Haidt, Alex Linley, Donald Clifton, etc. The main topics include several large-scale areas:

• Emotions that bring a feeling of happiness (optimism, pleasure, self-confidence, satisfaction, trust);
• Positive character traits (kindness, humor, spirituality, altruism, wisdom);
• External factors that positively influence people (humanism, recognition, value system, social environment).

According to supporters of positive psychology, positive emotions give a person greater competitiveness, improve his quality of life, and expand social connections. Taken together, these factors significantly complement a person’s toolkit for overcoming difficulties on the path to success. Based on the feedback principle, positive thinking attracts good events and good luck into a person’s life.

Despite some criticism, positive psychology was quite warmly received by the world scientific community. Three centers have even been created to study this phenomenon. One of them is located in Europe, two in the United States of America.

Positive Psychology Center (PPC)

Established at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA. The Center is headed by the creator of positive psychology, Martin Seligman. Together with another famous scientist, Christopher Peterson, he compiled a list of 24 positive character traits, grouped into six types (humanity, wisdom, justice, temperance, courage, transcendence). Thanks to this, the unique VIA-Survey test appeared, which consists of 240 points that help you realize your advantages.

Gallup Center

Another American center for the implementation of positive psychology, founded by psychologist Donald Clifton. A questionnaire has also been developed on the basis of this research institution, which has been translated into several dozen different languages.

Center for Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP)

This establishment is based in the UK. It is led by Alex Linley, who and his team are studying the applications of this science. The Realise 2 questionnaire they created helps to recognize a person’s strengths and the degree to which they are manifested. The emphasis in research is on suppressing personality flaws.

The presence of several specialized research centers indicates that positive psychology is a serious scientific field that deserves careful study. It is not limited to purely theoretical value, allowing its achievements to be widely applied in practice. We'll talk about this further.

What is positive psychotherapy

Positive psychotherapy is a type of psychotherapy aimed at overcoming intrapersonal conflicts through the development of human abilities. Considering that the creator of the method, Nossrat Pezeshkian, is a German with Iranian roots, his creation absorbed the rationalism of the West in symbiosis with the wisdom of the East.

Since 1996, positive psychotherapy has been officially recognized by the world community of psychologists, and in 2009 its author was awarded the Nobel Prize.

Nossrat Pezeshkian divided his research into four main blocks:

• Therapeutic – psychotherapy itself;
• Pedagogical – personality education and prevention of deviations;
• Transcultural-social – intercultural consciousness;
• Interdisciplinary – interaction with other psychological sciences.

A positive approach to the treatment of human mental illnesses, coupled with the prevention of their occurrence, has made this method one of the most popular in the world.

You can use positive psychology methods yourself.

Positive psychology techniques for every day

The tools of this science are varied, but for everyday use it is enough to master three methods:

• Self-hypnosis method;
• Question method;
• Bracelets method.

Let's look at them separately.

Self-hypnosis method

This approach is also called affirmations. They are short positive phrases that help change negative mental attitudes to positive emotions. For example, “People enjoy communicating with me,” “I am successful,” “I am a valuable employee,” etc. Based on the principle of feedback, positive statements begin to attract positivity into a person’s life.

Question method

Also known as afformations, that is, questions asked in a positive way. Thanks to them, you can rephrase statements made earlier. “Why do people like to communicate with me?” etc. This method helps to activate your thinking in the direction of finding your strengths. By the way, the positive effect of using affirmations is achieved much faster. By finding answers, a person confirms his affirmations, thereby beginning to believe in them more strongly.

Bracelets Method

Helps overcome bad habits or weaknesses. It is recommended to wear a bracelet that symbolizes your flaw, without removing it until the habit changes. This method activates a person’s proactivity, shows him that it is necessary to take responsibility for his life on himself. Demonstrates that the disadvantage is unnecessary and just needs to be “removed.”

Positive psychology, unlike many academic disciplines, is a science for every day. It helps you always be in a state of mental balance, believe in your strength, and overcome difficulties. No outside help is required to use it. It is enough to master a few techniques and apply them regularly, filling your life with a feeling of joy and happiness.

Happy people are able to maintain a positive way of thinking and a positive attitude in most life situations. How do they do this? Positive psychology reveals some of the secrets of happy people