HOW 'POSITIVE THINKING' REALLY WORKS

Experts develop a well-being oriented mindset that helps them balance life

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Positive psychology forms the backbone of wellbeing programmes around the world. Many people aiming to improve their mental health and live a good life are told to follow a programme of activities that focus on making an intentional effort to improve their wellbeing.

But as per Jolanta Burke (Associate Professor, Centre for Positive Health Sciences at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences), a recent research she conducted with colleagues shows that while wellbeing experts often recommend these activities to others, in real life, they rarely practice them themselves. This discrepancy may tell us something important about what truly sustains wellbeing over time. The team interviewed 22 experts and practitioners in positive psychology - some with more than a decade of experience. All of them regularly recommended wellbeing activities to clients, friends and family members and told me they would tailor each activity according to an individual's needs.

But when asked about their own application of positive psychology practices, it became apparent that they didn’t engage in these activities regularly. They only tended to use them during difficult periods, when they felt a need for a wellbeing boost.