What is positive psychology?
It is a special branch of psychology that deals with different concepts of happiness such as optimism, happiness, personal growth, character strengths, psychological well-being, wisdom and creativity and studies what is it that enables optimal functioning of people and how good social relationships affect the good psychological state of an individual.
In addition to focusing on positive thinking and positive emotions, positive psychology especially tries to recognise the factors that enable individuals and groups to succeed and flourish and of course to be happy.
Let us start with happiness...
We often wonder what exactly a happy life is. Is it money, power, houses, cars? Christopher Peterson, the founder of positive psychology, does not think so. He is convinced that other people make us happy. Money is exceptionally important for the happiness of poor people but much less so, if they are financially settled. Then, other factors such as freedom, interpersonal relationships, satisfaction, quality of life and trust become more important.
A surprising 40% is in our handsHappiness is partially determined by genetics and fate, but not completely. 40% lie in our hands. Happiness thus can be learned and we propose that you think about positive things in your life, be independent, brave and cheerful, be inquisitive for knowledge and eager to learn, be enthusiastic and learn to assert yourself but at the same time be kind and compassionate. Enjoy the life that you are living.
And how to apply all this to the business world...
Business people and managers find positive psychology in the workplace interesting, as it deals with discovering factors that enable both individuals and the group to develop and function optimally in the workplace. A person, who is miserable at work, cannot be truly happy. A positive attitude at work is therefore very important.
You need to be aware that satisfied employees with a high level of well-being are better co-workers, have better social relationships, help each other and thus increase the company’s success. This can also be learned. Make sure that your employees are happy.
Our master’s students have also the opportunity to listen to the course Positive psychology for modern business management. All individuals who find this topic interesting can also enrol in this course. Please email at info@dobafaculty.com if you like to participate.
“The secret of happiness is not always doing what one wants, but to love what one does.” (Tolstoy)
We also recommend: In 2012, Leo Borman’s The World Book of Happiness
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