The playing field isn’t level. Research shows that, all things considered, negative emotions have an unfair advantage over us, grabbing and holding our attention more easily. We spend much of our time handling problems and figure that happiness will pop up on its own when the time is right. Our inherent putting-out-fires approach to life […]
In a previous article, I wrote about “Science and Spirituality in the Spa.” I recognized the trend in the spa industry to become more scientific and evidence-based, but I cautioned that spas should perhaps move towards spirituality and not towards science. After all, we already have a massive health care industry that is looking at […]
Today’s article is also published on Positive Psychology News Daily. With the release of his new book, “Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being,” Martin Seligman presents his new model for wellbeing under the codename PERMA. PERMA is an acronym for the five pillars of wellbeing that Seligman has identified through decades of research […]
I am proud to welcome Sara Firman, BSc. MPhil. LMT, to The Psychology of Wellbeing. She is an independent spa therapist, consultant and writer who shares a her wonderful perspective on spa culture on her Vision Spa Retreat blog. Her unique perspective comes from working in clinical, spa and private settings as both a therapist and a manager in […]
The tendency in holistic or “mind-body” wellbeing is to focus on the importance of mental wellbeing for physical health. Reducing stress, practicing mindfulness, and experiencing positive emotions all have an impact on our physical health. But the mind-body connection works in the other direction too. Using our bodies and developing physical fitness is also good […]
I am so excited to welcome Marcello Spinella, Ph.D. as a guest blogger on The Psychology of Wellbeing. He is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. I have come to know, admire and respect him for his incredibly knowledgeable and insightful postings on the “Friends of Positive Psychology” […]
I was recently invited to speak at a symposium on “Redefining the American Spa Experience” for the Washington Spa Alliance, an impressive group of spa and wellness professionals in our nation’s capital. The theme of the day seemed to be exploring the relationship that spas have with science. I tried to contribute to the dialogue […]
I recently wrote “Confessions of a Carnivore,” about my month-long stint last August in vegetarianism. To motivate me during the month, I read “Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Froer, which gives a “too close for comfort” look at how our food is produced in the modern world. Reading this book is like taking the red […]
Today’s article is by TeachStreet’s Kenji Crosland. TeachStreet is a website dedicated to providing local and online classes, as well as connections to reliable psychology tutors. The Psychology of Wellbeing is a featured blog on the TeachStreet website. You can learn more about TeachStreet’s educational community here. The philosopher and spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti once said […]
In the last several years, psychology has been flipped on its head with the growth and popularity of positive psychology. While psychology traditionally has focused on studying things we want less of such as depression and mental illness, positive psychology has focused on things we want more of: happiness, positive emotions, optimism, strengths, and meaning […]
