Using positive psychology to AIM for a positive life
According to positive psychology, you need to take three main steps to achieve health and well-being. They are covered by the acronym AIM:
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Attending: Pay attention to the genuinely good stuff that happens to you. Don’t just filter it out.
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Interpreting: Don’t always view experiences in a negative light. See the positive wherever you can.
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Memorizing: Remember positive events and paint positive mental pictures of your experiences.
Learning resilience through positive psychology
There are seven main skills that can help you bounce back from any adverse experiences you may go through. Keep them handy to stay resilient.
| Learnable Skill of Resilience | Applying the Skill |
|---|---|
| Emotional awareness /Regulation | Identifying what you’re feeling. Controlling your emotions. |
| Impulse control | Tolerating uncertainty. Taking time to think about decisions/actions. |
| Optimism | Having a realistically optimistic explanatory style. |
| Causal analysis | Looking at problems from all angles. Considering all the factors. |
| Empathy | Recognizing and understanding the emotions of others. Building social support through well-maintained relationships. |
| Self-efficacy | Knowing your own strengths. Using those strengths to cope with adversity. |
| Reaching out | Taking appropriate risks. Trying new things. Accepting failure. |
Using positive psychology to respond in healthy ways
Remember that harmful repetitive habits are the bane of the well-lived life. Taking the steps in this table can help you to tackle bad habits head-on.
| Habit | Healthy Response |
|---|---|
| Stop being angry. | Anger is a primitive emotion geared to the fight or flight stress reaction. Cut down the amount of time you spend feeling hostile. |
| Cheer up, it may never happen. | Start looking on the bright side of life. Find the joy in ordinary things. Don’t waste time on negativity. |
| Get a life. | Engaging in activities with other people is good for you. Having a variety of activities to fall back on can reduce the negative impact of challenging times. |
| Cut back on harmful habits. | Habits like drinking too much or smoking, especially when they’re connected to feeling low, are really destructive. Get help to change. |
Identifying your signature strengths with positive psychology
Psychologists have identified 24 key strengths under six main headings. You have at least some of these — you really do. Identify them by using this list.
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Wisdom and knowledge: creativity, judgment, curiosity, love of learning, perspective
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Courage: bravery, perseverance, integrity, enthusiasm
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Love: intimacy, kindness, sociability
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Justice: sense of responsibility, fairness, leadership
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Temperance: forgiveness, humility, caution, self-control
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Transcendence: appreciation, gratitude, optimism, humor, spirituality
