Scott Glassman, author of A Happier You, discusses positive psychology. Topics include the power of gratitude, finding awe and perspective, celebrating small steps, the importance of values, self-acceptance, and promoting a positive psychology program and book.
Cultivating gratitude through practices like journaling and expressing thanks can lead to increased happiness, well-being, improved sleep, and stronger social connections.
Cultivating awe in everyday life by appreciating the complexity, grandeur, and growth of the world promotes curiosity, humility, openness, and enduring well-being.
Deep dives
Overview of Positive Psychology and its Benefits
Positive psychology focuses on human flourishing and living the best life possible. It emphasizes personal strengths, accomplishments, connections with others, and purpose in life. By embracing positive psychology, we can generate hope and improve not just our individual lives, but the global society as well, especially in the face of challenges such as geopolitical instability, racism, climate change, and the ongoing pandemic.
A Happier You Program: Seven Weeks to Well-Being
The A Happier You program is a positive psychology-based program designed to help individuals find more joy and meaning in their lives. Over the course of seven weeks, participants are guided through five core processes: attending, self-valuing, connecting with others, engaging, and transcending. Each week focuses on different exercises and practices that cultivate well-being, such as mindfulness, identifying personal strengths, gratitude, incorporating lightness and playfulness, engaging in enjoyable activities, practicing kindness, and fostering love for oneself and others.
The Power of Gratitude in Positive Psychology
Gratitude plays a vital role in positive psychology. It is the warm appreciation for the positive things we have received, whether from someone or something. Cultivating gratitude shifts our energy from what we lack to what we already have, leading to positive emotions and improved well-being. Gratitude interventions, such as journaling or expressing thanks to others, have been associated with increased happiness, well-being, improved sleep, and stronger social connections. Practicing gratitude can be as simple as noticing and appreciating the small blessings in everyday life.
Finding Awe in Everyday Life
Awe refers to a deep appreciation and admiration for the complexity, mysteriousness, grandeur, or growth in the world. It allows us to transcend our immediate concerns and connect with something greater than ourselves. Awe can be found in various aspects of life, from nature and the stars to ordinary things and human achievements. Cultivating awe helps us shift our perspective, reduce mundane problems, promote curiosity, humility, and openness. By finding awe in everyday life, we gain a sense of connection, purpose, and enduring well-being.
Scott Glassman, PsyD, author of A Happier You, joins us to discuss positive psychology. Glassman is a licensed psychologist, and clinical associate professor at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Glassman’s program, A Happier You®, was featured on National Public Radio (NPR) and CBS News through national syndication. He has appeared on SiriusXM’s Doctor Radio to discuss his work on happiness.
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