The second stop of the Journey to Psychological Wellness (A.P.P.L.E.) is Positivity. Positivity, as described by psychologists, is not simply being positive, it is a psychological competency that enables one to have flexible thinking styles. Scientific studies in positive psychology have shown that this competency can be learned and developed even among those who have pessimistic predisposition. Through systematic training in this competency, one can have higher self-efficacy, a stronger sense of optimism and hope for dealing with different challenges in life.
The following elements are essential for developing Positivity.
1. Enhancing self-awareness : First remain aware of our own thinking habits and their impact. Every one of us has unique thinking habits to help manage our world effectively. However, when these thinking habits become rigid, we might be stuck with certain thinking style that is not helpful for us to handle different situations. For example, setting a higher standard and being self-reflective all the time can improve task performance in most situations. However, when the situation takes an unexpected turn, we might be at risk of falling into depression and anxiety if we keep ruminating or evaluating our performance, thinking about how to get perfect next time, and why we failed compared with other people. Cultivating awareness of our thinking habits can thus prevent us from indulging in such rumination pattern.
2. Learning realistic optimism : A realistic optimistic thinking style is the opposite of rumination and rigid thinking. Scientific studies have indicated that optimistic people not only can see problems and crises in life, but also can see possibilities and opportunities at the same time. Therefore, they can be more vigilant about changes, have better problem solving skills and believe they can solve problems with their own efforts. An example of optimism training is learning to ask constructive questions. For instance, "What can I learn from this adversity?" "What can I see the personal qualities I am developing in this crisis?"
3. Appreciating yourself : Being able to acknowledge our worth enables us to embrace our goals. Being able to acknowledge our personal qualities enables us to have confidence in our ability to achieve the goals. One of the ways to train this ability to appreciate ourselves is to learn setting reasonable goals; to stay flexible and creative in thinking of the ways to achieve our goals; and finally to learn enhancing our will power to attain goals.
Life is always full of grey areas. Putting the black-and-white dichotomous thinking style into different aspects in life will bring us more stress, pessimism and disappointment, which would create psychological and physical hazards for us in the long run. The good news from science tells us that positive thinking styles can be learned through flexible cognitive training.
