The Art of Wellbeing

Much of the focus of psychology has for 60 years centred around mental illness or abnormal psychology.  Articles were 100 to 1. Given the costs associated with stress related rehabilitation it is understandable why so much focus is on diagnosing and treating mental health conditions.  At the same time we need to recalibrate our bearings.  The inordinate focus on what's wrong takes us away from the research  of those elements which make one right.  A shift is needed!

More recently researchers in the field of Positive Psychology attempt to identify those elements of which when understood and applied change lives for the better.   Martin E. P. Seligman  who spearheaded research in this area  authored a seminal work Authentic Happiness and carried on the previous contributions of Steven Covey  7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Victor Frankl,  Man's Search for Meaning, James Allen,  As a Man Thinketh.  Other more recent contributors include Danial Coleman, Emotional Intelligence  and Ellen Langer, Counterclockwise.

Good therapists not only shift  patterns of distorted thinking, but more recently direct individuals to harness latent strengths, build mindful capacity and  strengthen dispositional resilience.

A look at characteristics common to those who have acquired the art of wellbeing include;

• Optimism   Optimistic people tend to interpret their troubles as transient, controllable, and specific to one situation. Pessimistic people believe that their troubles last forever, undermine everything they do, and are uncontrollable.  Optimism is one of two dozen strengths that bring about greater wellbeing. (pg.10 of Authentic Happiness) 
• The key to disputing pessimistic thoughts is to first recognize them and then to treat them as if they were uttered by an external person, a rival whose mission in life was to make you miserable.
• Courage  First acknowledge fears, then confront them. Be willing to take a risk, to step out of your comfort zone, and embrace the challenge. Those who do suffer less post traumatic stress.(Suzanne C. Kobassa) Dispositional Relilience
• Think good thoughts  In 27 studies depressed people had an equal ratio of bad thoughts to those who were not depressed.  However, non depressed people had roughly twice as many good thoughts as bad ones. This simple point is powerful.  This is supported by the results of therapy.  Depressed patients who improve the ratio from 1.1 to 2.1 improve, those who stay at 1.1 do not.(pg. 226 of Authentic Happiness)
• Focus on  Signature strengths! These are the relative strengths you have which need to be optimized. To quote Martin Seligman; "I believe the time has come to resurrect character as a central concept to the scientific study of human behaviour." When one does this Martin Seligman calls this living your calling.  Take the online test and see where and how your attributes can contribute to your own happiness and wellbeing.
• Six core virtues when practiced bring a sense of wellbeing and security.
• Wisdom and knowledge
• Courage
• Love and humanity
• Justice
• Temperance
• Spirituality