Simply put, positive psychology is the study of the factors that enable us to live happy and fulfilled lives.
Sounds obvious? Not so it seems. For the last 50 years, psychology has studied the reverse – that is, what’s wrong with you? With a little help from evolution and the assistance of psychology we’ve all become adept at labelling and recognising what’s ‘not quite right’ with our lives; why we’re feeling bad; what our weaknesses are and what we need to improve. Business and education has followed suit… just think about performance management systems; appraisals; coaching; behaviour policies… scratch the surface and they often start from a position of weakness.
So positive psychology reverses the focus. Without negating the fact that life and business can be tough, it helps people understand how to bring a positive focus, purpose and resilience to their lives. As such it explores factors such as:
“it's aligned with my preference for coaching in a style which emphasises possibilities rather than limitations”
“What is positive psychology? It’s a constructive fuel for change”
“Positive Psychology stimulates action in the individual to progress. Once people place their energy in a good place, they believe they are competent, they enjoy what they’re doing and are motivated to excel”