We can merge Positive Psychology and Positive Physical Activity to establish Positive Exercise Prescriptions (PEP) for flourishing individuals and communities. People can reach for healthier, happier, and richer lives by moving well, reducing the grave risks of inactivity. Let’s seek harmonious passion in moving well.

In London last week, shortly after the tennis at Wimbledon 2011 had just come to an end, Dr. Martin Seligman used a timely analogy. He announced that the UK was now on ‘centre court’ towards creating a positive human future and at a possible inflection point for positive psychology.

Continuing with the theme of covering some of the chapters in the Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology and Work, this month’s article covers key points from Chapter 12: “More than Meets the Eye: The Role …

The Society of Behavioral Medicine recently published a debate on the health implications of positive psychology between Lisa Aspinwall and Richard Tedeschi on the one hand and James Coyne and Howard Tennen on the other. Positive psychology for health care has been a bit of a controversial subject since some feel that too much positivity or optimism can be damaging to health or cause people to be lax about their health.

I have been using heart rate variability (HRV) software in my well-being programs for more than 10 years. People simply connect themselves to the software and watch how their HRV varies in real time depending on their emotional experience. Generally their HRV will decrease when they experience negative emotions and increase when they are in a neutral or positive emotional state. But the results aren’t always what people expect.

Love. Joy. Appreciation. Gratitude. Awe. Until Martin Seligman and his colleagues began documenting the value of these emotions not only to our spirits but to our productivity and well-being, these words were primarily found in religious contexts. With his new book, Flourish, Martin Seligman brings our attention to the compelling evidence that has emerged from the field of Positive Psychology, a field he forged.

Early this year, I spent a week visiting my mother in a supported living facility. I lived there, sleeping on a cot in her room and taking meals with her in the communal dining room. The staff have established a culture of respectful “just-enough” caring. They help when help is needed, and let people manage on their own when it isn’t. What can positive psychology offer to people who live in such facilities as well as the people who care for them? What happens to our emotional lives as we age?

What do you think when you hear the term work life balance? What about these alternatives: work life conflict, work life collision, work life integration, work life enrichment, work life boundaries, work life facilitation, work life management? Do we really understand what people mean when they say they need better work life balance? What can the research of Positive Psychology offer to someone who is seeking help with a work life balance problem?

Primitive man’s reaction to death was one of fear. Today, man still reacts to death with fear. Without exchanges about end-of-life issues, there is confusion, which adds a psychological, spiritual, and financial burden for those dying, and their families. Our failure to address these concerns can lead to greater suffering.

Barbara Fredrickson is responsible for important research that underpins positive psychology. A recent paper co-authored with graduate student Bethany Kok describes new research from her Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory (PEPLab) concerning the relationship between positive emotions and the way the body functions.