Positive Psychology

What is positive psychology?

By positive psychology we refer to that part of psychology that aims at the scientific study of personal well-being, seen as a benchmark for quality of life. Positive psychology also includes the improvement of the individual’s personal psychological competencies with the aim of improving the quality of his or her life. In this way, the focus shifts from “how to solve a problem” to “how to improve the mental and physical state”: in other words, we move from “I don’t feel bad” to “I feel good”. Positive psychology focuses on helping people to be happier, to lead a happy and healthy life, to achieve more success in the private and professional sphere and to reach their full potential.

Main purposes and arguments of positive psychology

The main objective of positive psychology is to make the individual’s life more productive and satisfying, through the strengthening of his own resources that allow him to help him grow. Everything lies in identifying the balance between perceived personal capabilities and the contexts in which they develop, thus avoiding the emergence of situations of anxiety or boredom in the short term, and unsatisfactory or meaningless lives in the long term.

In the real world, positive psychology is applied in various fields, including education, therapy, personal initiative, stress management and problems at work. Using the strategies and methods of positive psychology, teachers, therapists and employers can implement motivational techniques to encourage people to discover and develop their strengths. The main topics of interest in positive psychology are happiness, optimism and conformity, mindfulness, hope, strengths, and positive thinking.