Title: Commitment Devices Activity: Use a commitment device to help achieve an important, difficult goal. Background: A commitment device is a tool set in place by individuals in the present to help their future selves achieve goals that otherwise would be difficult to accomplish. When talking about achieving goals, in economics we often refer to Time Inconsistency, a concept explaining... Continue Reading →
May 2017: “Making your Bed”
Title: Making your Bed Activity: Make your bed every morning Science: This simple task has been shown to have positive effects in three important aspects of well-being: happiness, sleep, and productivity. According to a survey of 68,000 people by Hunch.com, only 27% of people make their beds in the morning (59% of people don't make their beds and 12% pay... Continue Reading →
April 2017: “Physical Activity and Well-Being”
Title: Physical Activity Activity: Exercise every day and reflect on how you feel before, during, and after. Science: Physical activity psychology has increased in popularity over the years, now with multiple scientific journals dedicated exclusively to the topic. There have been numerous studies demonstrating correlations between physical activity and well-being -- I'll summarize just three of them here:... Continue Reading →
Lessons from: “The Book of Joy”
I am taking a step away from positive interventions to highlight some quotes from "The Book of Joy: Lasting Hope in a Changing World," a new book authored by The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams. The book is divided into three sections, The Nature of True Joy, The Obstacles to Joy, and The Eight Pillars... Continue Reading →
March 2017: “Disconnecting Before Sleep”
Title: Disconnecting Before Sleep Activity: Do not use your phone for 30+ minutes before going to sleep. To aid in this, set your alarm for the next day and charge your phone, ideally out of reach from your bed. Science: Recently, there's been a lot of research and discussion around improving sleep patterns and our dependence... Continue Reading →
Feb 2017: “Habit Forming”
Title: Habit Forming Activity: Decide on 3-6 habits you would like to form or goals you would like to achieve. Break down each habit or goal into a short title (e.g. meditate) and a short description (e.g. meditate for 10 minutes every day). Track each habit/goal every day for one month. Science: Understanding the science behind... Continue Reading →
Jan 2017: “Three Good Things”
Title: Three Good Things Activity: Every day, write down three good things that happened before going bed; briefly reflect on each thing - why did it make you happy? Science: Gratitude has been proven to be an important factor of happiness and well-being. The general idea is simple: when we experience gratitude we are focused on positive... Continue Reading →
Welcome!
Hi and welcome! Positive psychology is a relatively new scientific study focused on understanding and cultivating happiness and well-being. Over the last few decades there has been an abundance of positive psychology research produced by academics from all over the world. Within this research are numerous simple-to-implement interventions that are actually scientifically proven to increase... Continue Reading →
