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Positive Psychology Articles
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- Make The Offering - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2023 from Rick HansonOne of the strangest and most meaningful experiences of my life occurred when I went through Rolfing (ten brilliant sessions of deep-tissue bodywork) in my early 20's. The fifth session works on the stomach area, and I was anticipating (= dreading) the release of buried sadness. Instead, there ...
Views: 310 - Back to Basics - by Submitted on Oct 23, 2023 from Rick HansonIn middle school, I thought it would be cool to play a musical instrument and picked the clarinet. My wise parents rented one rather than buying it, and I started practicing. (In the garage because it sounded pretty screechy.) After a week or two of doing scales, I got bored and picked my way ...
Views: 304 - Admit Fault and Move On - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2023 from Rick HansonHave you ever watched two people quarrel, or otherwise be stuck in a conflict with each other? Usually, if either or both of them simply acknowledged one or more things, that would end the fight. Recall a time someone mistreated you, let you down, dropped the ball, made an error, spoke ...
Views: 301 - Pay Attention - by Submitted on Dec 11, 2023 from Rick HansonFrom moment to moment, the flows of thoughts and feelings, sensations and desires, and conscious and unconscious processes sculpt your nervous system like water, gradually carving furrows and eventually gullies on a hillside. Your brain is continually changing its structure. The only question ...
Views: 296 - Leave the Red Zone - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2023 from Rick HansonThere I was recently, my mind darting in different directions about projects in process, frazzled about little tasks backing up, uneasy about a tax record from 2010 we couldn’t find, feeling irritated about being irritable, hurrying to get to work, body keyed up, internal sense of pressure. Not ...
Views: 294 - Don't Beat Yourself Up - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2023 from Rick HansonA previous JOT - admit fault and move on - was about our relationship with other people. This JOT applies the same practice to ourselves. Most people know they have less than wonderful qualities, such as too much ambition (or too little), a weakness for wine or cookies, something of a temper, ...
Views: 289 - Know You're a Good Person - by Submitted on Oct 16, 2023 from Rick HansonFor many of us, perhaps the hardest thing of all is to believe that "I am a good person." We can climb mountains, work hard, acquire many skills, and act ethically - but truly feel that one is good deep down? Nah! We end up not feeling like a good person in a number of ways. For example, I ...
Views: 284 - Top 10 Artificial Intelligence Innovations to Transform Your Life in 2024 - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2024 from Mahipal NehraTop 10 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovations for 2024. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just a buzzword anymore; it's an integral part of our daily lives. As we approach 2024, AI is poised to become even more embedded in various aspects of our society, promising to revolutionize ...
Views: 283 - Find Your North Star - by Submitted on Dec 25, 2023 from Rick HansonI did a meditation retreat (at Spirit Rock, a wonderful place, including for workshops). One evening as we walked out of the hall after the last sit, I was feeling rattled and discombobulated. (One of the benefits of a retreat - though it can be uncomfortable - is that it stirs up the sediments ...
Views: 283 - Managing Stress and Preventing Burnout - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2025 from Paul JenkinStress is an inevitable part of life. You’re bound to face numerous challenges in your daily life, and most commonly, in your work. Whether it’s meeting deadlines, handling difficult colleagues, or managing personal responsibilities, stress can manifest in various forms. While this is ...
Views: 283 - Be the Body - by Submitted on Oct 30, 2023 from Rick HansonAs a kid, I was really out of touch with my body. I hardly noticed it most of the time, and when I did, I prodded it like a mule to do a better job of hauling "me" - the head - around. This approach helped me to soldier through some tough times. But there were costs. Many pleasures were ...
Views: 282 - Cling Less, Love More - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2023 from Rick HansonAs a rock climber and a parent, I know some physical kinds of clinging are good - like too-small holds or small hands! But clinging as a psychological state has a feeling of tension in it, and drivenness, insistence, obsession, or compulsion. As experiences flow through the mind - seeing, ...
Views: 280 - Rest Your Weary Head - by Submitted on Jan 29, 2024 from Rick HansonThe traditional saying that's this week's practice has been sinking in for me lately. Thoughts have been swirling around like a sandstorm about work, things I've been reading, household tasks, finances, concerns about people, a yard that needs mowing, loose ends, projects, etc. etc. The other ...
Views: 278 - Feel Good in Fall - by Submitted on Dec 09, 2023 from Janice WaldAlthough fall is almost over, it's not too late for a Feel Good Fall article. These articles are designed to boost your mood. INSPIRATION LINK PARTIES Every Monday I throw link parties that boost people's inspiration and positivity. Participants share ideas for crafts, recipes, and ...
Views: 277 - YOUR SEASONAL BOOSTER SHOT: Fully Loaded with Ambrosial Juju to Keep You on Your Toes (if not Jumping for Joy) - by Submitted on May 31, 2024 from joan pancoeRECOMMENDED: To see all visuals and activate all ...
Views: 277(1 vote) - Enjoy Now - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2024 from Rick HansonThere’s a profound and miraculous mystery right under our noses: this instant of now has no duration at all, yet somehow it contains all the causes from the past that are creating the future. Everything arising to become this moment vanishes beneath our feet as the next moment wells up. Since ...
Views: 272 - Gift Yourself - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2024 from Rick HansonCan you remember a time when you offered a gift to someone? Perhaps a holiday present, or a treat to a child, or taking time for a friend – or anything at all. How did this feel? Researchers have found that giving stimulates the same neural networks that light up when we feel physical pleasure, ...
Views: 272 - See What's Likable - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2024 from Rick HansonLiking feels good, plus it encourages us to approach and engage the world rather than withdraw from it. Your brain continually tracks whether something is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. In essence, is it a carrot, a stick, or safely ignored? Naturally, we like - we enjoy - what's ...
Views: 268 - Find What's Sacred - by Submitted on Jan 08, 2024 from Rick HansonThe word sacred has two kinds of meanings. First, it can refer to something related to religion or spirituality. Second, more broadly, it can refer to something that one cherishes, that is precious, to which one is respectfully, even reverently, dedicated, such as honesty with one's life ...
Views: 264 - Mastering Self-Development for Thriving Digital Careers - by Submitted on Mar 28, 2024 from Christopher thomasStaying ahead of the curve is crucial for success in digital careers in today's quickly changing digital economy. Since there is an ongoing need for professionals in industries such as performance marketing, digital marketing, analytics, and creative content creation, self-improvement is an ...
Views: 264 - Be Home - by Submitted on Feb 06, 2024 from Rick HansonThroughout history, people have wondered about human nature. Deep down, are we basically good or bad? When the body is not disturbed by hunger, thirst, pain, or illness, and when the mind is not disturbed by threat, frustration, or rejection, then most people settle into their resting ...
Views: 262 - Change the Channel - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2024 from Rick HansonIn response to a previous JOT – Find Stillness – a wise therapist, Betsy Sansby, reminded me that sometimes a person just can’t find any stillness anywhere. Maybe you have epilepsy or chronic pain or are wildly worried about a child or other loved one, or have been rejected in love or had the ...
Views: 260 - Avoid The Rush - by Submitted on Jan 01, 2024 from Rick HansonAs I was meditating one morning, our cat hopped up onto my lap. It felt sweet to sit there with him. And yet - even though I was feeling fine and had plenty of time, there was this internal pressure to start zipping along with emails and calls and all the other clamoring minutiae of the ...
Views: 258 - Find The Good News - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2024 from Rick Hanson“Tell the truth.” It’s the foundation of science – and the foundation of healthy relationships, communities, and countries. But the truth of things is complicated. To simplify, there is the good of things that are enjoyable and helpful, the bad of things that are painful and harmful, and ...
Views: 256 - Find Your Own Way - by Submitted on Mar 19, 2024 from Rick HansonThe human body has about 100 trillion cells (plus another ten quadrillion microscopic critters hitching a ride, most of them beneficial or harmless). Each one of your cells has aims - goals, in a sense - controlled by its DNA: cells conduct processes aimed at particular functions, like building ...
Views: 255 - Find Stillness - by Submitted on Feb 27, 2024 from Rick HansonThings keep changing. The clock ticks, the day unfolds, trees grow, leaves turn brown, hair turns gray, children grow up and leave home, attention skitters from this to that, the cookie is delicious but then it’s all gone, you’re mad about something for a while and then get over it, ...
Views: 251 - Let It Go - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2024 from Rick HansonMost people, me included, are holding onto at least one thing way past its expiration date. It could be a belief, perhaps that your hair is falling out and you are ugly and unlovable as a result, that you can’t say what you really feel in an intimate relationship, or that you must lose ...
Views: 251 - See Good Intentions - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2024 from Rick HansonHustling through an airport, I stopped to buy some water. At the shop’s refrigerator, a man bent over, loading bottles into it. I reached past him and pulled out one he’d put in. He looked up, stopped working, got a bottle from another shelf, and held it out to me, saying, “This one is cold.” I ...
Views: 247 - Drop The "Shoulds" - by Submitted on Apr 01, 2024 from Rick HansonOne time I watched a three-year-old at her birthday party. Her friends were there from preschool, and she received lots of presents. The cake came out, she admired the pink frosting rose at its center, and everyone sang. One of the moms cut pieces and, without thinking sliced right through the ...
Views: 245 - Let it R.A.I.N. - by Submitted on Mar 25, 2024 from Rick HansonWhen you're young, the territory of the psyche is like a vast estate, with rolling hills, forests and plains, swamps, and meadows. So many things can be experienced, expressed, wanted, and loved. But as life goes along, most people pull back from major parts of their psyche. Perhaps a ...
Views: 245 - Embrace Change And Adaptability: Empower Your Life With A Sphynx Kitten - by Submitted on May 22, 2024 from Word SmithChange is an inevitable part of life, and embracing it with a positive mindset can lead to personal growth and new opportunities. One unique and rewarding way to embrace change is by welcoming a Sphynx kitten into your home. These remarkable feline companions are not only a joy to have around, ...
Views: 242 - How You Can Cultivate A Positive Mindset - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2025 from Paul JenkinThoughts are very powerful. They can shape our perspectives, influence our attitudes, and redefine our actions. A simple shift in outlook can ultimately change who you are. More often than not, we are alone with our own thoughts. Different things are running through our minds every single ...
Views: 239 - Lean Into Good On First Waking - by Submitted on Apr 29, 2024 from Rick HansonWaking up is like the sun rising. At first, it's mostly dark, as glimmers of consciousness begin to light the shadows. Emerging into full wakefulness, the fogs and veils dissolve and the whole plain of your mind comes into view. It's quiet: a restiveness in the body, sleepy still, not yet much ...
Views: 239 - See Deep Wants - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2024 from Rick HansonI did my Ph.D. dissertation by videotaping 20 mother-toddler pairs and analyzing what happened when the mom offered an alternative to a problematic want ("not the chainsaw, sweetie, how about this red truck?!"). Hundreds of bleary-eyed hours later, I found that offering alternatives reduced the ...
Views: 234 - One Breath at a Time - by Submitted on May 06, 2024 from Rick Hanson[If for you the breath is associated with trauma and discomfort, you probably shouldn't try this practice in its form below. But you might adapt it to something that is more nurturing for you, such as a saying or image.] Breathing brings you home. Body and mind twine together in the ...
Views: 231 - Feel Already Full - by Submitted on May 13, 2024 from Rick HansonOne slice of the pie of life feels relaxed and contented. And then there is that other slice, in which we feel driven and stressed. Trying to get pleasures, avoid pains, pile up accomplishments and recognitions, be loved by more people. Lose more weight, try to fill the hole in the heart. Slake ...
Views: 219 - Meditate - by Submitted on May 27, 2024 from Rick HansonMeditation is to the mind what aerobic exercise is to the body. Like exercise, there are many good ways to do it and you can find the one that suits you best. Studies have shown that regular meditation promotes mindfulness (sustained observing awareness), whose benefits include decreased ...
Views: 216 - Lived By Love - by Submitted on May 20, 2024 from Rick HansonFeeling both the world and myself these days, one phrase keeps calling: lived by love. Explicitly, this means coming from love in a broad sense, from compassion, good intentions, self-control, warmth, finding what’s to like, caring, connecting, and kindness. Implicitly, and more ...
Views: 212 - Be Helpful - by Submitted on Jun 11, 2024 from Rick HansonWhy? I'm doing a series on my personal top five practices (all tied for first place). I have so far named three: meditate (including mindfulness, self-awareness, and, if you like, prayer), take in the good, and bless (including compassion, generosity, and love). I saw one way to ...
Views: 210 - Bless - by Submitted on Jun 03, 2024 from Rick HansonLately, I've been wondering what would be on my personal list of top five practices (all tied for first place). You might ask yourself the same question, knowing that you can cluster related practices under a single umbrella, your list may differ from mine, and your practices may change over ...
Views: 209 - Come to Center - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2024 from Rick HansonI’m old enough to remember a time when people usually answered “good” when you asked them the standard, “How are you?” (often said “harya?”). These days the answer is commonly “busy.” I know what it feels like to get very busy and start to feel dispersed: juggling a dozen priorities at ...
Views: 209 - Cultivate Goodwill - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2024 from Rick HansonAs the most social and loving species on the planet, we have the wonderful ability and inclination to connect with others, be empathic, cooperate, care, and love. On the other hand, we also have the capacity and inclination to be fearfully aggressive toward any individual or group we regard as ...
Views: 202 - Accept Dependence - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2024 from Rick HansonWant to try a little experiment? Stop breathing. Really. For a few seconds, maybe a few dozen seconds, and see how it feels. For me, this experiment is an intimate way to experience a deep truth that we live dependently, relying on 10,000 things for physical survival, happiness, ...
Views: 193 - Transform Ill Will - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2024 from Rick HansonGoodwill and ill will are about intention: the will is for good or ill. These intentions are expressed through action and inaction, word and deed, and-especially-thoughts. How do you feel when you sense another person taking potshots at you in her mind? What does it feel like to take potshots of ...
Views: 191 - Drop the Load - by Submitted on Jul 22, 2024 from Rick HansonYou may have seen the old Mickey Mouse movie in which he is working at a conveyor belt in a factory. More and more widgets come at him that he must handle, and he gets increasingly frazzled as he struggles to keep up. Do you ever feel the same way? Think about all the dishes, emails, ...
Views: 190 - Give Them What They Want - by Submitted on Jul 09, 2024 from Rick HansonResearch shows that relationships are built from interactions, and interactions are built from moments. A critical moment in an interaction is when one person wants something from the other one. ("Wants" include wishes, needs, desires, hopes, and longings.) The want could be simple and concrete, ...
Views: 188 - It’s All In The Mind: Manifestation - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2025 from Paul JenkinThere’s a new buzzword that has grown in popularity all over social media, and that is – “Manifestation!” Manifestation has become a phenomenon that everybody seems to be interested in at the moment, particularly on TikTok. The platform’s bite-sized content format has transformed the topic of ...
Views: 184 - Get Out of the War - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2024 from Rick HansonBy "war," I mean here a mindset, not combat between nations with tanks and bombs. The "war" I'm referring to is an attitude of conflict and animosity toward a person, object, or condition. Parents can feel at war with a misbehaving teenager, and certainly vice versa. Neighbors quarreling over a ...
Views: 181 - A Mad Mystic’s Guide to Sanity Amidst this Never-Ending Tsunami of Change, Change, Change - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2024 from joan pancoeA Mad Mystic’s Guide to Sanity Amidst this Never-Ending Tsunami of Change, Change, Change TO ACTIVATE ALL LINKS AND VIEW ALL IMAGES ...
Views: 173(1 vote) - Grow Inner Strengths - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2024 from Rick HansonI've hiked a lot and have often had to depend on what was in my pack. Inner strengths are the supplies you've got in your pack as you make your way down the twisting and often hard road of life. They include a positive mood, common sense, integrity, inner peace, determination, and a warm heart. ...
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