The Science Behind Personal Well-being

The science behind personal wellness is quite interesting. In 2000, Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi of the University of Clarenot published a special monograph entitled ” Happiness, Competence, and Optimal Human Function,”  in the journal American Psychologist .

Their publication was dedicated to a new field in psychology, called positive psychology. This publication is more or less the formal introduction, or “birth certificate” for the new psychological movement (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). It is also under this branch of psychology that we can place “personal well-being”.

According to these authors, positive psychology is a science that deals with subjective experiences. It studies the processes that underlie people’s positive qualities and emotions. This branch of psychology seeks to improve people’s overall quality of life (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000).

Social psychology

Consequently, positive psychology has a lot to say when it comes to the science behind personal well-being. As a science, it studies the processes that contribute to optimal function, whether it concerns a single individual, groups of different sizes and at an institutional level (Gable & Haidt, 2005).

As a branch, it is dedicated to and inspired by the quest to promote the optimal function of three main pillars. Subjective experiences (happiness, hope), positive traits (forgiveness, wisdom) and bourgeois virtues (responsibility, altruism) (Linley & Joseph, 2004). In addition, it also focuses on preventing manifestations of psychopathologies through developing and cultivating positive traits and qualities.

As we have already mentioned, positive psychology works within the framework of the science of personal well-being. That said, it tries not to go beyond the framework of scientific methodology. Remember that many researchers consider the latter as the best approach to understanding and explaining various phenomena.

This framework defines a clear way of acting. Precisely by trying to place oneself within the framework, positive psychology tries to use valid and reliable methodological strategies. This includes studies and experiments that are quasi-experimental and based on correlation. We say they try, because it is not always possible to achieve. The reason for this is that positive psychology will sometimes have to work with subjective measurements that are affected by uncontrolled variables.

The keys to the science behind personal well-being

According to science, being grateful, not comparing oneself too much with others, and accepting circumstances that cannot be changed are the keys you need to achieve personal well-being. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin analyzed brain activity during a 12-year study on meditation and compassion.

In this study, which used fMRI technology, it was possible for the researchers to see how the different areas of the brain associated with happiness were activated with more intensity and higher frequency when the subjects did not compare themselves with others, appreciated the circumstances and accepted situations. they were in. This study examined brain functions using various techniques and tools, such as nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR).

The results of this study had a major impact. The National Academy of Sciences and The United States published the findings in 2004, and it is considered the fifth most consulted scientific reference in history.

Optimism before relapse: A pillar of the science behind personal well-being

Pessimistic people share a common trait. They tend to believe that bad events will last a long time and that they will lead to tragic consequences that they cannot control.

Furthermore, many people believe that they can count on a direct access to happiness, joy, comfort and enjoyment. In fact, they should work on these feelings by practicing their personal virtues and strengths. The latter are incredibly important, and people often overlook these aspects. Usually they are forgotten in favor of materialistic goals.

Pessimists will often ignore the fact that many of the internal circumstances they experience are in fact under their control. They have the ability to act to achieve something. This has a lot to do with things like mastery beliefs, adaptation mechanisms and insecurity tolerance (UT).

When it comes to our health, we can decide to act in four different situations. Deciding to quit smoking, committing to exercise often, maintaining a balanced diet and a healthy level of optimism. Believe it or not, several researchers have argued that optimism is as important as the other variables in this example.

We are talking about a data-based optimism related to your picture of reality. Your abilities and resources are the shield of this optimism. It is inspired by the confidence an individual gains by exercising his freedom. This will expand your opportunities for creativity, and allow your intelligence to flow with your desire for self-expression.