The Workshop
Positive Psychology, a concept created by Martin Seligman, is the idea that we need to focus on the positives of our lives rather than the negatives. What this workshop will do is help you find those positives, focus on them, and grow with them in the future.
There are 7 habits that are coined from positive psychology and the science of happiness; relationships, acts of kindness, exercise & physical well-being, flow, spiritual engagement & meaning, strengths & virtues, & having a positive mindset.
This workshop will walk you through a series of stations, each focusing on one of the habits listed above. There will be activities, information provided and advice on how to capitalize on each of the habits to help you live a happier life.
Why is this Important?
Understanding your happiness within is a milestone needed to accomplish things in the future. Impression Management is goal directed conscious or unconscious processes in which people attempt to influence the perceptions of other people. To portray a confident, healthy, happy personality, we must understand what it takes within to personify what we want to portray. By understanding and practicing the 7 habits of happy people we are able to manage the impressions we give to others & illustrate the lives we wish to be living.
The Stations
1. Relationships
"Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give." - Eleanor Roosevelt
The happiest people share a common characteristic and that is their close ties with friends and family & their commitment to spending time with them. A person must have a willingness to share themselves while being genuine listeners for those around them.
What you will do:
Activity: Reflection on their relationships
Ask the clients to think about who their current relationships, someone they've lost communication with, and the type of friend or family member they want to be for other people.
Current Relationships:
- How do you feel about this relationship?
- Do you know what's going on in their personal life at the moment?
- When was the last time you spoke?
- Are you satisfied with the answers to these questions? Would you change anything about this?
Lost Relationship:
- What was the reasoning for ending communication?
- Do you miss this person?
- Could you confide in this person? Could this person confide in you?
- Was this person a beneficial addition to your life?
- Are you satisfied with the answers to these questions? Would you change anything about this?
Yourself as a Friend or Family Member:
- Do you act as a support system for your relationships?
- Do you remind your friends and family that you are there for them in times of need?
- Do you go out of your way to invest in their personal lives?
- Are you satisfied with the answers to these questions? Would you change anything about this?
2. Acts of Kindness
Cultivating kindness by caring for others' well-being, either through organized volunteering or simple acts of kindness
Psychological research finds that caring for others in a selfless manner boosts happiness, increases life-satisfaction, and decreases depressive symptoms. additionally, those who receive social support can gain the psychological benefits of disease protection & even death.
What You Will Do:
Activity 1: Brainstorming ways to be more helpful
- Write a letter to someone in your life you care about and explain why they are important to you
- Hand out a booklet to help keep track of daily acts of kindness
- Hand out pamphlets with volunteer opportunities
Activity 2: Random Acts of Kindness Activity
Create a personalized banner of service acts that can be done on a daily basis to encourage the client to give back on a regular basis
Examples
- Pick up trash in the neighborhood
- Send thank you notes to the fire department and police station
- Hold the door for someone
3. Exercise & Physical Well-Being
"The part can never be well unless the whole is well." - Plato
Research shows that there is a close connection of the mind and body. Positive lifestyle factors include: exercise, nutrition, sunlight and sleep, which are associated with improved mental well-being and lower the likelihood of depression and anxiety.
The mind and body are intertwined and what we put into our bodies, greatly affects our mood, energy and the way we perform. Along with nutrients we consume to nurture our bodies.
What you will do:
Activity: Teaching healthy habits revolving around exercise, nutrition & sleep
Exercise: Inclusive Yoga class
Clients are encouraged to go home and continue to practice poses on their own
Nutrition: Guest speaker, Dr. Jeff Gardere, author of Food on Your Mood.
Shows the importance of nutrients for healthy brain chemistry
Sleep: teaching clients how to create better sleeping environments
4. Flow
Being completely absorbed in an activity
If we experience flow in all activities we choose to partake in, we perform better, gain more positive outcomes & become more committed to long-term, meaningful goals
What you will do:
Activity: Guest Speaker
Jess Lively
- Her mission is to help people become more peacefully fulfilled by shifting their approach to life
- Focus on living from value-based intentions
- She will define flow for you
- She will tell you personal stories about flow in her own life
- She will teach you ways to find the meaningful activities in your life that will make it easy for you to experience flow
- I.e.) The activity must be voluntary
- I.e.) The activity must be intrinsically motivating
- I.e.) The activity must require skill and be challenging with clear goals toward success
5. Spiritual Engagement & Meaning
Scientists have discovered a strong link between religiosity, spirituality & happiness
Religious organizations provide us with environments that involve like-minded people, which provides us with opportunities for socializing, community service & making friends within a network of common interests.
SPirituality and prayer also provide people with the opportunity to become more in-tune with oneself focusing on positive and in the moment thinking rather than the anxieties or stresses that consume them currently.
What you will do:
Activity: Meditation
Meditation creates a strong link with well-being because it calms the body, reduces stress and anxiety & promotes positive thining
- Jool App
- Headspace App
6. Strengths & Virtues
Positive psychologists have found that the happiest people are those that discover and use their strengths and virtues for a greater purpose
Focusing on the positives of your life, rather than the negative, is a key outcome of using your strengths and virtues. According to research, you can boost your long-term happiness and well-being by using your strengths in novel ways and situations. You are also more likely to value a job, relationship, hobby, or institution that aligns and continuously engages your core strengths.
What you will do:
Activity: Take the VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire
- Measure 24 character strengths
- Brainstorm careers, relationships, hobbies, etc. that align with your character strengths.
7. Positive Mindset: Optimism, Mindfulness & Gratitude
The power of positive thinking
With a positive attitude we experience pleasant and happy feelings. This brings brightness to the eyes, more energy, and happiness. our whole being broadcasts good will, happiness and success. even our health is affected in a beneficial way. We walk tall, our voice is more powerful, & our body language shows the way we feel.
Positive thinking is contagious
We affect and are affected by the people we meet, in one way or another. This happens INSTINCTIVELY and on a subconscious level, through words, thoughts and feelings, and through body language.
What You Will Do:
Activity: Focusing on the good
- Start with a short lecture on mindfulness, then have the clients take a minute or two for deep breaths and meditation in order to be fully in the moment and mindful
- Do a gratitude activity with a loved one - share how grateful the clients are for one another
- Do an exercise in which the client writes down 5 positive and optimistic things about themselves and their lives at the moment
Credits:
Created with images by estall - "necklace jewelry silver" • Foundry - "couple relationship brothers" • MindfulMarianne - "yoga asana challenge" • karen H. nickname.{ pooh} - "flowers"