By Chris Heffner, PsyD, PhD Well-Being and The PERMA Model Seligman (2011) argues that well-being is enhanced through thriving in one or more pillars of well-being. His model, often referred to as the PERMA Model, consists of Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment (or Achievement). The more we thrive in each of these, the higher our well-being, according to this theory, although we will each have preferences and strengths that lean toward some more than others.  These pillars are also pathways to happiness, or what he referred to as the 'happy' lives, wi ..read more

By Chris Heffner, PsyD, PhD Fading Affect Bias (FAB) The Fading Affect Bias, or FAB for short, refers to the cognitive phenomenon supported by research showing that memories associated with negative emotions tend to fade faster than memories associated with positive emotions (Skowronski, 2014). This means we tend to forget the bad times at a faster rate than the good times. Research also suggests that negative events will eventually move toward positive memories more than positive events will move toward the negative (Skowronski, 2014). In other words, as negative memories fade, events appear ..read more

By Gwendolyn Barnhart, PhD Within my studies of psychology, there are often converging viewpoints between modalities. Indeed, the commonalities in thought, viewpoint, and practice are strikingly similar.  I will briefly discuss the basic underpinnings of positive psychology and neurodiversity and intertwine them together through a theory of convergence while using the lens of positive psychology’s framework of Three Paths to Happiness, PERMA, and Character Strength Virtues. Positive Psychology The founder of Positive Psychology is past American Psychological Association President, Dr. M ..read more

By Chris Heffner, PsyD, PhD You Can Bank On it Psychological capital in many ways is like a savings account for our well-being. Just as it is good to save money for a rainy day, it is good to build psychological capital. It is beneficial for good days and allows us greater comfort and safety in taking risks, being vulnerable, and trying new things because it brings with it a greater belief in the self and our ability to succeed. It also provides a cushion in case we fall short. Psychological Capital is also useful in the not so good times by helping us overcome obstacles or at least minimize ..read more

by Chris Heffner, PsyD, PhD Gratitude: As Old as Animal Kind Gratitude may be an evolutionary component of human development, passed down for thousands of years according to sociologist Georg Simmel (Greater Good Magazine, n.d.). While we may think of it as something personal and internal, it is also considered an important social skill that helps humans interact with each other. Researchers as far back as Charles Darwin have been suggesting that the expression of emotions related to gratitude help us feel connected (Suchak, 2017). While humans may say 'thank you' or similar responses when w ..read more

By Chris Heffner, PsyD, PhD What is Happiness? "...Aristotle concluded that, more than anything else, men and women seek happiness.  While happiness itself is sought for its own sake, every other goal . . . is valued only because we expect that it will make us happy" (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p.1).  Much of psychology has been based on this idea. For example, behaviorists argue that secondary reinforcers, like money, clothes, or respect come from outside of us and provide no real happiness except for their ability to bring about  primary reinforcers, those that are reinforcing ..read more

By Chris Heffner, PsyD, PhD But Wait, there is Good News Remember, Csikszentmihalyi found that teenagers can be unhappy and can see life through their suffering, but he also found an interesting exception. When teenagers focus their energies on tasks that are challenging, their mood is more upbeat. In other words, he found evidence of when teenagers move away from a negative focus and begin to experience positive emotions. This formed the basis for his work on the concept of flow. Flow is the opposite of apathy. It is a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else se ..read more

By Crystal Hall What do you think of when you hear the word “grit”? Without context, maybe we think of something that is dirty or perhaps course. The Oxford online dictionary has two definitions of grit. The second is more applicable to the field of positive psychology. Grit is courage and resolve or strength of character. In other words, grit is the stuff within each of us that helps us to make it through the tough times and accomplish a goal. Angela Duckworth wrote a book that used this word to describe a two-fold construct that she said led to success. The first component of her construct ..read more

By Elle Harris Savoring is often associated with the infrequent double scoop of large chunk chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream with thick, hot chocolate sauce in this diet-abundant, sugar-free era, or a beach vacation in a Seattle February. The verb, “to savor” implies action; it is less passive than “to enjoy” or “to feel happy about.” Savoring suggests an intentional engagement of positive emotions to prolong a positive sensation. One source defines it as “the process by which an individual can consciously decide to enhance, increase and prolong the enjoyment of experience” (Watson, 2019 ..read more

By Elle Harris The tangy scent of an orange blossom tree. The flowing three-beat gallop aligns in pattern with my rhythmic, even-paced  heart-beat. Measured, heavy breathing of the horse. Hooves slice through air and tickle the velvet sand, flying up over evenly spaced red-flowered fences. Weight on the balls of my feet in the stirrups. My fingers tangled in black mane, following the give and take of the gallop. I dismount, look up, and thirty minutes have passed. Worries of the world sweep back in-school, work, relationship-and I am better able to handle them after that quick, empowerin ..read more