When people hear the words “positive psychology” they might think it means allowing only for happy feelings at all times, or “fake it ’till you make it.”
The full range of emotion is welcome here.
Positive psychology is the study of what works in humans. By identifying and building each person’s unique strengths, positive psychology helps us improve our functioning, wellbeing, and relationships. Positive psychology recognizes the challenges and hardships inherent in life, and honors human suffering. Life and career coaching using a positive psychology framework offers evidenced-back tools and practices to enable a shift. When faced with hard moments of negative emotion, positive psychology starts with self-compassion, and then allows us to better access our right brains. In our right brains we can access calm, creativity, curiosity, intuition and a wide range of positive emotions. More positive emotions often translates directly to more options in front of us, in real time.
No faking it.
Toxic positivity rejects negative emotions entirely, and suggests we put on a happy face (even when we don’t feel happy). Research shows negative outcomes to our wellbeing when we force positivity.
How does Positive Psychology build what works?
We begin by identifying your strengths. Figuring out your signature strengths holds the key for increase ease and flow in your life – you feeling like your best most effortless self. From there we will customize a path forward for your personal and/or professional life, using a variety of research-based techniques and tools. Wondering exactly how this looks?
Check out Bryan’s reflection about career coaching with Ann Imig