Health

The arts have inspired us for centuries. Think of the emotion you still feel when you hear the song you associate with your first kiss or remember the play that made you laugh to tears. The arts add much richness to life. Yet, they are practically absent from work places.

Let’s explore what the arts can contribute to our work lives and to good health.

Gretchen, you are indeed an accomplished author and I do enjoy your books. You achieve a lightness and self-discovery that many academic books lack, and yet you still root much of your work in the scientific findings that I value.

E-mail is a double-edged tool. While using e-mail increases stress, it also allows us to work remotely and to leave work to attend a child’s activity. How can we get more of the benefit and less of the cost?

We intuitively know that when we sleep poorly, we are drawn to snacking and overeating. We also know that nothing gets rid of a crappy mood faster than a good sweat and that lower stress levels contribute to a better night’s sleep. So why are so many programs treating sleep, food, mood, and exercise as if they were separate topics?

It may be easier to advocate for positive psychology when life is on an upward slope, but for me, it has been the tough times that have truly shown me the value of the science. In July less than 24 hours after facilitating the Penn Resilience Program I got a phone call which would plunge me into a test of my own resilience.

Victor Strecher summarizes it well. “What’s the point of high energy and living a long time if we think life sucks? When we have purpose, we want to be at our best so we can better serve that purpose. Purpose is akin to the root system of a tree, grounding and feeding the whole organism so it can flourish and thrive, no matter what the exterior conditions are.”

I was thrilled to speak at two back-to-back Positive Psychology conferences this summer. I came away from the two experiences with my brain filled with new resources to integrate into my work and dozens of new connections. I am so grateful to be part of a community that is at the forefront of bringing positive health and wellness to people worldwide.

New data shows that work engagement is better than usually reported. Workplace bullying needs some active attention. Wellness programs may benefit from sneak approaches, such as using smaller plates in lunch lines. The interface between work and life is smoothest when employers and employees collaborate on the solutions. These are just some of the takeaways from the stimulating Work & Well-Being 2014 conference held on May 30 in Washington, D.C..

While psychology generally has been a “neck-up” discipline, several positive psychology practitioners and researchers are looking at involving the whole body. Here’s a selection of our great speakers who will be appearing in Ottawa, Canada on July 17 and 18. (Today is the last day to register at the early bird rate.)

At the upcoming Canadian Positive Psychology conference in Ottawa this July, many different keynotes, speakers and presenters will be sharing insights into their research and application of positive psychology. Typically, we think of positive psychology as serving a non-clinical population, but these forward-thinkers are taking positive psychology to populations that may be seen as vulnerable, disadvantaged, or difficult.

Many sources in the wellness industry erroneously treat the concepts of disease prevention and health promotion as if they were one and the same. That’s a big mistake, and not recognizing the inherent distinction between the two undoubtedly reduces our ability to implement our health intentions. Here’s why, and how to use each.

Over generations of survivors, humans developed thinking shortcuts which are still very pervasive today. Of these common shortcuts, 5 are very costly to our health. While it is unlikely that we’ll ever break free of their influence, increased mindfulness can alleviate their effects on our thought processes, behaviors, and wellness.

When they want to feel more loved, valued, respected or connected, most people give away their power. They ask (or want) others to be different, which means someone else’s behavior determines how happy they will be.
What do happier people do?

The desire to fit in is a powerful shaper of behavior. In some cases, social pressures serve us well. In other cases, social pressures are lagging behind their times. Here’s how to use social pressure to extinguish four unhealthy social norms.

The main message of this book is that it doesn’t work to focus only on the cognitive aspects of psychological well-being if you want to increase human flourishing. There are many processes involving the physical body that contribute to psychological well-being. If you have a serious interest in positive psychology and mental health, then reading Positive Psychology and the Body is a must.

Today I’d like to spend a few minutes looking at the many health benefits of owning a dog.

Love contributes to health. It doesn’t stop with counting blessings. It’s not abstract. It’s deeply physical. Let’s follow the argument made by Barbara Fredrickson during the IPPA World Congress.

Since most business leaders are immersed in their own negativity bias, there is a distinct competitive advantage for focusing on the positive side of the science. Positive approaches remind us not only to give our attention to our most challenging customers and employees, but also to spend quality time with our best customers and employees. If you are in business, it is likely that your competitors are neglecting some of these opportunities. If you can do them well, you can indeed profit from the positive.

This is a ground-breaking volume of positive psychology research, and the breadth of perspectives is unparalleled. Not only are new and more specialized topics included, but even familiar topics are illustrated with up-to-date research, case studies, and examples. Clearly this is what positive psychology students and teachers need to progress the science, do high quality research, and put it out into the public domain.

Adopting an optimistic, playful attitude to problems over which you have no control improves your coping and your longevity.. Elders benefit from having a good sense of humor, including the ability to laugh at themselves. Restorative therapy gives control back to people. We can help them be the people they want to be through good food, exercise structured for their needs and goals, and positive energy.