I used to be positive all the time and then it just got drained out of me

I recognise my bad behaviours. Perfectionism, blaming myself too much and looking for others to blame to offset it, magnifying and polarising issues, and catastrophising. But how do I take action towards being positive?

I've looked into the region beta paradox, if the options are having a positive attitude and negative attitude, positivity will get you to the end goal the fastest, but people take the negative route when it doesn't seem time consuming, impactful, or when it's cathartic. In my case I'm trying to escape my deep desire for catharsis in exchange for a productive and happy lifestyle.

I'm looking for some more studies on explanatory style.

In the book "Learned Optimism", it gives a brief description of a study where students were asked to fill in questionnaires to test their explanatory style and depression symptoms before they took an exam and also asked what grade they would interpret to be a "fail" by their own standards.

They were then asked to fill in the questionnaire for depression symptoms after the exams. Those who had a pessimistic explanatory style before the exams and also failed the exams (by their own standards) tended to score higher on the depression questionnaire after the exam. And they scored higher on the depression questionnaire by significantly more than those who failed their exam (by their own standards) and did not have a pessimistic explanatory style. This could be taken to show that a pessimistic explanatory style was a significant factor in whether or not someone becomes depressed following a personal failure. Is this a fair summary of the experiment?

The book raises a interesting caveat with this interpretation and that is that something else could be the cause of both the negative explanatory style and the depression following the exam failure.

I'm not an academic or a psychologist so to me it feels quite strange to talk about people in this statistical way. I know that this is a necessary part of these kinds of experiments. However, it would be good to know some other details about the people in the experiment. For example, did those with a negative explanatory style have a history of depression? Did they have more at stake from potentially not achieving their own standards on the exam? Did they set realistic standards for themselves?

Does anyone know if any similar studies have been done that try to control for these kinds of factors?

Hi everyone! I’m studying psychology and have to write a meta-analysis on a positive psychology intervention targeted at a specific problem and group of my choice. There are so many options out there, and I’m feeling stuck. I’m curious—what are some of your favorite interventions, and why? Any suggestions would be really appreciated!

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Writing as a relife?

So I m reall in overthinking, anxiety and apatia. Meds are good. But I m into my history departmeant and I m writing research paper. And I have this feeling of diversion (but not in flight mode) finding very helpfull, permamently, but it works.

Whats your opinion/expericence?

Bit about me- 29M and a bit introverted, sometimes come off as awkward and rude. Just today i chose to not say anything when i was given less money than expected, even while knowing that the person wasn't intentionally paying less. I usually don't go out much and talk to lot of people, but when i do these kinda occurrences recur. Need advice on how to improve on this.

Studies show that a sense of purpose is a critical component of well-being. How can sustainable living contribute to this, especially in communities where people are more connected to nature and each other? Let’s discuss how community design, with a focus on sustainability, can positively affect mental health and happiness.

Positive psychology emphasizes living a meaningful and fulfilling life. Could immersion in nature, natural rhythms, and communal farming provide new paths to happiness and purpose? Share your thoughts on the connection between sustainable lifestyles and psychological well-being.

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Is there much good research on Sport and Positive Psychology?

For context, my daughter played net ball for a year or two, then they started playing girls that were about 1 year older for week after week and lost every match, at age 12 she switched to volleyball. I suspect because of the losses But not all the girls switched.

Any way I read "The Chimp Paradox" by Prof Steve Peters. I notice that has many practical suggestions that look to have come from sport, it would be good there was more data. I understand deliberate practice has been used in sport Just wondering about Positive Psychology and sport.

Hey! ;)

I hope that I didn't break any posting rules, I checked them and I don't think I found anything I could break. I think that people interested in positive psychology could be the best people to ask my question.

[Tl;tr: I want to learn to enjoy time]

I have everything. I'm super efficient. I connect quickly with people. I have close friends. I have family. I am good-looking. I am hardworking. I am healthy. I am constantly learning. I achieve high results quickly. I connect deeply with the emotions of every person I care about. I have my faith. I am not afraid. I have bonds with many people. I have many friends. I do impossible things. I also do art. I love my life and what I am doing.

But today, after one conversation, I realized that I do all this without enjoying what people usually enjoy. Instead, I enjoy little pieces of my life. Special short moments. I write them down deep inside me. They are things that are mine and mine alone. I would also like to be able to draw them out, but that's a question for the future.

Would someone be kind enough to tell me how to enjoy time? 

I am thinking of traveling, fooling around. Why is it fun to travel together with someone? ? Singing songs around a campfire? Making jokes? A sunny day? Walking in the park? Watching a movie together? Admiring art? Going out to a bar? Or sewing a teddy bear?

How to enjoy time with someone? Alone?

Today I felt how much this separates me from the people close to me. Because I wish I could give that too. But I don't want to pretend, I never do so. I want to understand. To change myself. And then do it, being still who I am.

What I feel now is that my eyes are just turned in a different direction, other from the people close to me. I want to know what they are looking at. And to be able to look at their world through their eyes, not just mine. I would like to be able to enjoy trips, exploring a new place, painting something funny, singing together, or just spending time with someone.

And you, what do you enjoy?

And why?

PS: Note: If someone answers, I will start asking a ton of questions in the comments haha

PSS: No, I'm not joking with this question. I got a little busy and forgot how to do it. Or maybe I never knew?

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All of my most traumatic moments in my life came when I was counting my blessings and feeling good and optimistic (the contrast really stands out). Afterwards, someone would usually give me a speech about thinking positive, or joke around to "help me see the lighter side", which seems naive at best, insulting at worst. Is there a way out of this?

How to get rid of intrusive thoughts about disrupting regular functions of the body?

I feel as if my mind prohibited happiness to enter itself and whenever i feel happy i turn it into stress and negative thoughts

Hey everyone! I am a therapist and sex educator and I host a virtual workshop series called The F*ing Truth where I offer sex education from a sex-positive, research based lens that goes beyond traditional sex ed.

This weekend, I am hosting The F*ing Truth About Sexuality After Abuse. Registrants will have the opportunity to learn about the impacts of abuse on the mind and body, how tto reclaim safety, power, and agency in their sexual lives, and how to be a positive supportive figure for those doing this difficult work.

The workshop is on Sunday from 12-2 PM MST. All who register (whether you can attend the live presentation or not) will receive a copy of the recording and slides after the presentation. Information and registration can be found on the products page of my website: www.breakthemoldtherapy.com

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The development of human causal learning and reasoning | Nature Reviews Psychology

I am about to start my master's thesis around the topics listed above and seeing a mix of theoretical frameworks to choose from. I am planning to conduct qualitative research through interviews with emerging adults to better understand the components that lead to flourishing, thriving, and/or well-being depending on the framework I choose to focus on. Do you know of any leading researchers or frameworks to follow when exploring these topics? I have looked into PERMA, flourishing index, SDT, etc.

Hi Folks,

I have a very specific memory of hearing Angela Duckworth on the No Stupid Questions podcast telling a story about receiving the advice that she should make a ranked list of all of the projects that she might undertake, which would like stretch to several dozen items, and then immediately remove all but the top few items in deciding what projects to pursue. I am familiar with this kind of an exercise through maybe the work of Paul Rozin or as something Warren Buffett has advocated for.

The problem is that after quite a bit of searching (and even asking Chat GPT) there does not appear to be any such NSQ episode. Memory works in funny ways. I think I am likely remembering something I heard on something other psychology podcast.

I am a therapist, and this podcast episode came to mind recently as I was working with a client who I thought might benefit from hearing the argument and research suggesting a narrower deeper focus as a means to better/more satisfying performance.

I am writing because I thought someone here might either remember the specific podcast episode I have in mind or have some reference to a good, ideally engaging, relatively low time investment resource (like a podcast or YouTube video) laying out the case for spreading ourselves thicker.

Any help would be much appreciated.

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For me was" the art of being fragile" by Alessandro D' Avenia.

PS: Also self help book recommendation are accepted 🫶

If you've ever felt lonely, whether related to a romantic relationship or something else, how did you deal with it? - I personally struggle with it, I write, read, study, work, play in a band, and still the emptiness prevails, especially during the evening hours. It automatically throws me into the negative. The breakup happened four months ago, and I have recovered, but the emptiness and loneliness bother me a lot. I would be glad if you could share some of your experiences.

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This happens occasionally when driving an automatic transmission car.

There are two aspects to this. First, muscle memory which I believe is developed through repetition.

Second is the mindset aspect as when I'm renting out an automatic car, there are thoughts at the back of mind that I'll press the wrong pedal and end up in an accident. I belive the fear and worry is a future projection that this will happen to me, which is an element of anxiety.

What mindset hacks could I adapt o to ensure I press the right pedal everything I get into an automatic vehicle and improve my muscle memory?

P.S.. I don't know if driving a manual car affects this aspect.

Thank you I'm advance for your support and help.

I have lots of choices to do as well I have lots of popular youtubers I subscribed, I have lots of ebooks downloaded, I have lots of physical books I bought, I have more social media app too(reddit, pinterest facebook and tiktok, which each of them I have lots of following on them). I wonder how can I do it all? What goes first?

I'm working on a stress management group for a domestic violence/human trafficking organization I work on. I wanted to add some time with Flow & Flourishing and have several thoughts for good exercises were the group in-person. However, since it's virtual, I'm having difficulty identifying exercises that could be used in the group. I am very open to ideas, thank you in advance for any help!

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Hey y’all, my cofounder and I just released the MVP (minimum viable product, think proof of concept) for a startup we're working on — let us know what you think!

Our long-term vision is to build a positive psychology companion that measures your PERMA (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) over time, and dynamically recommends the best positive psychology interventions when you need them.

Think Duolingo x Headspace but for making you happier using positive psychology.

If you want to follow along, the best way is by signing up. We're following the YC (Y Combinator) doctrine of first building something a few people love, rather than something many people kinda like. Specifically, that looks like creating a group chat of all the most active users of What Went Well and working with them to build an app people love and use.

https://www.whatwentwell.org/