For centuries, the field of psychology focused on speaking about the negative — investigating what was wrong with us or releasing suffering from depression, trauma, and addictions. But over the last decade, we’ve seen an important shift. Scientists are now turning their consideration into what makes people flourish.
What thoughts, actions, and behaviors make us more prolific at work, happier in our relationships, and more fulfilled at the end of the day? That’s the focus of the field of positive psychology, often referred to as the science of happiness.
Positive psychology doesn’t turn a blind eye to suffering or mental illness, but it does encourage individuals and even communities to accept practices that can boost optimism, increase resilience, and live happy, engaged lives.
We can’t change our genes, but we can change ourselves.
So, can we train ourselves to become happier? The science says yes. Our happiness level is a result of a complex interaction of genes, behaviors, and what’s going on in our lives at an exact moment in time. And while each of us has a genetic set point for happiness, we can offset it, which brings us to the most significant takeaway from the scientific research.
You’ve got the power to take control of your happiness by choosing your thoughts, behaviors, and actions. Recent research into the types of interventions, or exercises, designed to promote positive emotional qualities, such as kindness and mindfulness, suggests that such qualities may be the product of skills we can learn through training — in the way that practice improves our musical or athletic abilities.
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Over time, we can build permanent habits that increase our resilience and improve our happiness levels.