Positive Psychology
Peter Gowers
IT Supervisor, and very
amateur positive psychology
student

What is Stress?
• Stress is any demand that creates tension and requires
adaptation or change.
• Stress is triggered by the mind based on our perception of
events in our environment.
• Eustress (good stress):
– any venture which is approached with zest,
anticipation, or confidence.
• Distress (bad stress):
– Anguish of the body or mind
– Slows us down in the short run
– Leads to exhaustion
– Harms our physical or emotional health
Source - W. J. Talamonti, M.D., MPH
Medical Director – PPT for US Lunch and Learn

What is Positive
Psychology?
• “Scientific Study of optimal human functioning that aims to
discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and
communities to thrive” Martin Seligman, founder of PP
• Reaction to Normal Psychology
– Long term work to cure mental illness and return to zero
– Disease model of people
• Positive Psychology looks to help people nurture talent and
improve normal lives
• A very large collection of loosely coupled positive constructs.
Today we’ll look at:
– Happiness
– Optimism
– Strengths
– Motivation and Goals

Happiness
Happiness is a state of mind or feeling
characterized by contentment, love,
satisfaction, pleasure, or joy
Cambridge Dictionary

Is happiness Just pleasure?
Aristotle
“True happiness is
found by leading a
virtuous life and doing
what is worth doing.
He argued that
realising human
potential is the
ultimate human goal”

More Happiness Perspectives
• “I am very happy about how I am doing. The only thing I wanted to prove when I
got here was that I was a good player, and I hope I have achieved so” - David
Beckham
• “I don't believe in happy endings, but I do believe in happy travels, because
ultimately, you die at a very young age” George Clooney
• “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in
harmony”. Mahatma Gandhi
• “We are as happy as we make up our minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln
• “The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one has
to do.” James M. Barrie

How does PP define Happiness
• Happiness = Subjective Well Being (SWB) in PP.
– Pleasure
– “I feel Good”
– Satisfaction with life
• Additionally there is Eudaimonic Well Being
(EWB)
– Aristotle
– Meaning, being true to yourself
– Realising Human Potential

Measuring Happiness
• Once you measure you can test it like you
would a drug.
• Data
– Controlled groups
– Placebo
– Large studies, long time
• So we really can know what makes us happy

Measurable!
• http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/testc
enter.aspx
• PG score 3.38 out of 5. top 72% in post code. Pretty Average in
the other categories

What makes us happy
Mostly taken from Boniwell (2008)

Are we happier if
• We’re more attractive Physically

Are we happier if
• We’re Married?

Are we happier if
• We have Children?

Are we happier if
• We’re healthy?
Objective Health –
What an expert Says
Subjective Health –
What we think.

You Win
the
Lottery?
1 Year on
Are we happier if

Some More
SWB is related to: SWB is not really related to:
Optimism Age (although there are somewhat contradictory
findings in this respect)
Extraversion In three months, the effects of being fired or
promoted lose their impact on happiness level.
Social connections, i.e. close friendships Money (once the basic needs are met, the
difference between the very rich & alright is
negligible)
Real income has risen dramatically in the
prosperous nations over the last 50 years, but
levels of SWB have stayed flat.
Watching Soap Operas Gender (women are more often depressed but
also more often joyful)
Having engaging work Education level
Religion or spirituality Having children (see the next page for further
clarification)
Leisure Moving to a sunnier climate (in fact, moving to
Australia will increase your SWB only by 1-2 %)
Good sleep & exercise Crime prevention
Social class (through lifestyle differences &
better coping methods)
Housing
Adapted from Boniwell (2008)

Nuns
• Great Control group
– They didn't smoke or drink, had a balanced diet and worked as
teachers
• One study analysed the application letters of nuns entering
convents at the age of 18 for expressions of happiness
• Happiness expressed in these letters at the age of 18
predicted life duration
• It looks like happiness can buy you an extra 9.4 years of life
Source: Boniwell (2008)

Changing
your
Happiness
Source: Boniwell (2008)

Gratitude Visit.
• Someone who Affected you positively
• 300 Word testimonial
• Visit and present them with it as a surprise.
• Tested positive for happiness even after
significant time
Source: Seligman Video (Ted.com)

Optimism
What do you think will happen?

Source: Boniwell (2008)
Optimistic and pessimistic explanatory style
Event Optimist would say: Pessimist would say:
Good event (e.g.
passing an exam)
Internal: I’ve done a great
job.Stable: I am
talented.Global: This was a
good start to the exam
season. The other ones
should be easy too.
External: Don’t know how
this happened. It must’ve
been luck.Unstable:
Every dog has its
day.Specific: So what? I
can still fail the next
one.
Bad event (e.g.
failing an exam)
External: The exam
questions were simply
terrible. Unstable: No
problem, I’ll pass it next
time round.Specific:
Yesterday was my birthday
after all.
Internal: It’s all my
fault, I haven’t prepared
well.Stable: I am never
going to pass this
exam.Global: This is the
end to my dreams, I’ll
never become who I want
to be.
PERSONAL – PERVASIVE – PERMANENT
EXTERNAL - SPECIFIC - TEMPORARY

Learned Optimism - Seligman
• Origin – Learned helplessness
– Can we compare to Companies?
• You can Change how Optimistic you are
– Disadvantages
• Aeroplane Safety Checks/Rising fuel Prices – reality.
• Morality not personal responsibility
– Big Advantages
• Less distress and better coping
• More productive
• Deal with reality, not denial
• Less likely to give up
• Health promoting behaviour
– Maybe it’s a balance
Source: Seligman (2006)

Source: Seligman (2006)
Personal Exercise - How
• Think of an example at work:
– The most difficult thing you encounter
– The time when your job gets really discouraging
– You feel you’ve hit a brick wall.
• Now think what you do when you hit the wall.
– Adversity - Objective
– Beliefs - Thoughts
– Consequences – Feelings and behaviour
– Disputation and Distraction – Alternative views, STOP!
– Energisation – Over time become optimistic
PERSONAL – PERVASIVE – PERMANENT
EXTERNAL - SPECIFIC - TEMPORARY

•Activating Event
•A major IT Issue in my area
•Some people quite grumpy
•Beliefs
•Things should not go wrong in my area.
•People should not be grumpy with me, I am a nice
person.
•Consequences
• Angry, hurt, annoyed, out of control.
•Disputation
• There is no universal law that things should not go
wrong in my area.
• Although I would like people to not be grumpy with
me, it is illogical to require it. I cannot control
other people’s thoughts and behaviours.

Strengths

Exercise
• When you are at your best what are you
doing?
• What are the most energising things that you
do?
• Where do you gain the most energy from?
• What gives you the greatest sense of being
who you really are?
• Pick 1 or more and discuss with someone or
just make your own notes.
Source: Linley (2008)

Feedback
• How did it feel to focus in just a small way on
your strengths?
• How often do you do that normally?

Advantages to knowing and
following your strengths
• Insight and perspective
• Generates Optimism
• Provides sense of Direction
• Helps to Develop Confidence
• Generates Sense of Vitality
• Fulfillment
• Helps achieve Goals!
• Buffers pain
Source: Boniwell (2008)

Strengths
• Conventional Wisdom
– Understand and know our weaknesses
– Everyone can learn to be competent at almost
anything
– Greatest potential for growth is your areas of
weakness

Strengths
• An Alternative way
– Know your strengths
– Find roles that fit your strengths
– Craft your existing role to utilise your strengths
– Find ways to apply talent
– Try to use your strengths in a new way
– Not just Work E.g. Strengths Date

Know Your Strengths
• Inventory – many sources. E.g. authentichappiness

What Strengths?
• 24 character strengths – Creativity to
Spirituality
• 6 Virtues – E.g. Wisdom
• Signature strengths - universal
– Apply to work,relationships, play, parenting.

Motivation and Goals
The Art of remembering what you
truly want

Life Goals
• Feeling Happy and having meaning depends on our ability to
choose direction aligned with your Values
• Set and think about Goals – Did you do that lately?
– More personal than Smart
– Feasible, personally meaningful, committed, intrinsic, community,
intimacy, growth, congruent, valued, non conflicting

Motivation
• The force behind getting up
• Extrinsic Motivation
– For the sake of something else
• Intrinsic Motivation
– For the sake of itself

Intrinsic Motivation
• Why do we fail?
– Forcing, cajoling or rewarding are not as successful
– What we’re trying to do is less important to us than
other things
– Fear of failure, so we don’t try. “What would I do if I
wasn’t Afraid?” – Spencer Johnson (1999)
• Awakening Intrinsic Motivation
– Give yourself and those you work with the chance to
make as many choices as you can
– When Delegating – provide meaningful rationale
– Acknowledge your feelings
Source: Boniwell (2008)

The End
• Happiness
• Strengths
• Optimism
• Goals and Motivation
Any Questions?

References
• Positive Psychology in a Nutshell: A Balanced Introduction to the Science of Optimal
Functioning (second edition) (Paperback) by Ilona Boniwell (Author) PWBC; 2nd edition
edition (15 May 2008) ISBN-13: 978-0954838782
• Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Human Strengths (Paperback) by Alan Carr
Routledge; 1 edition (4 Dec 2003) ISBN-13: 978-1583919910
• Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realise Your Potential for Lasting
Fulfilment (Paperback) by Martin E.P. Seligman Nicholas Brealey Publishing (6 Mar 2003)
ISBN-13: 978-1857883299
• Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life (Paperback) by Martin E. P
Seligman Publisher: Vintage Books USA; Reprint edition (14 Mar 2006) ISBN-13: 978-
1400078394
• Average to A+: Realising Strengths in Yourself and Others (Paperback) by Alex Linley
Publisher: CAPP Press (29 Feb 2008) ISBN-13: 978-1906366032
• http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology.html#
• http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html
• Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
(Paperback) by Spencer JohnsonPublisher: Vermilion; Reprinted Ed edition (4 Mar 1999)
ISBN-13: 978-0091816971
• http://positivepsychology.org.uk/