A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Only a true marketing wizard could transform his image from that of a guy best known for torturing dogs into the world’s foremost apostle of happiness. And that’s exactly what the University of Pennsylvania’s Professor of Psychology Martin Seligman pulled off. Seligman launched his career in experimental psychology by administering painful electric shocks to man’s [...]
Many people have probably heard the term “positive psychology”, but know little about what it means in practice. Positive psychology aims to find ways to make life better for people, and ensure they’re the most mentally healthy person they can be. Officially established in 1998, positive psychology is a relative new field. It has quickly [...]
You get all kinds of happiness advice on the internet from people who don't know what they're talking about. Don't trust them. Actually, don't trust me either. Trust neuroscientists. They study that gray blob in your head all day and have learned a lot about what truly will make you happy. UCLA neuroscience researcher Alex [...]
How do you describe happiness? Is it being bubbly all the time or having a constant smile on your face? When researchers look at happiness they look at two different things: a person’s emotional state – do they feel like they are experiencing more positive emotions than negative emotions? – and how they look at [...]
If more people focused on their mental fitness, however, they'd likely become more successful in achieving the goals they set for themselves—physical fitness or otherwise. After all, your body won't do what your mind doesn't tell it. Building mental muscle is the key to self-discipline, delayed gratification, grit, and perseverance. And those are the skills [...]
Some people are genetically inclined to be highly empathic or not. But, generally, we develop empathy as children, primarily through observing how others show it. We may be on the receiving end of expressions of empathy and come to value it for the emotional benefits it had for us. Then we may show empathy ourselves [...]
Flickr Images Even for the relatively self-aware and emotionally adept, struggles can take us by surprise. But learning healthy ways to move through adversity—a collection of skills that researchers call resilience—can help us cope better and recover more quickly, or at least start heading in that direction. 1. Change the narrative When something [...]
Getty Images Mindfulness sounds pretty great. Who could be against teaching people to be more present in the moment, to try to worry less about the past and future? But in the Sunday New York Times, Ruth Whippman, author of America the Anxious: How Our Pursuit of Happiness Is Creating a Nation of [...]
Pixabay Images Research demonstrates that happy people are successful across multiple life domains, including marriage, relationships, health, longevity, income, and academic and work performance. They are better able to multitask and endure boring tasks, and are more creative, trusting, helpful and sociable. So how do we teach the skills of wellbeing to students? [...]
Flickr Images While the little things in life can certainly make your day, a growing body of research says keeping your eye on the long game can make a major difference in how much you enjoy your life. One recent study found that living your life with a sense of purpose could make you less [...]
