Introducing Psychology Read online

  This is not the only way to exercise Character Strengths though. Another exercise is dubbed the Best Possible Self. This is an exercise that is used to build Optimism most but affects many other Character Strengths as well. Creativity, Fairness, and Hope are all utilized in this exercise and if focused on can be greatly improved and increased. The Best Possible Self exercise asks an individual to imagine themselves in the best circumstances in the future. This best possible future is analyzed in a way that illuminates the possibilities in the near, middle and distant future. By engaging in this exercise an individual can build Optimism and several other Character Strengths. The first step of the Best Possible Self exercise is for an individual to imagine themselves in the future. This first part of the exercise is all about utilizing and building Optimism, Hope, and Creativity. While the individual is imagining this best possible self they are also engaging in goal setting. While goal setting can be used as its own exercise, in this context it still helps to build Accomplishment and Meaning as well as Optimism in regard to expecting favorable outcomes. This exercise can be done in written form but also in drawing or other art form. After the individual has imagined their Best Self they should write or draw about desires for the future and emotions and actions wanted to grow. After the drawing or writing is done the person should reflect on the exercise and ask directing questions about the outcome. Examine the value of the changes and the motivations behind them from one’s own and other perspectives. To receive the most benefit from this exercise it is important to visual the Best Possible Self on a daily basis. Writing or drawing this Best Possible Self everyday will reinforce and further define what it is an individual is seeking. Reflecting on past views and iterations of the Best Possible Self is also a powerful alternate way to use this exercise. Saving all drafts from the past and comparing them to the most current Best Possible Self exercise is crucial to understanding. All of these tools have been created by Positive psychology and can be used in conjunction with or separate from each other.

  There are many different exercises that focus on different Character Strengths but they are all intended to do just that. By building on the Character Strengths a person has and using them to their fullest potential is the path the well-being and happiness. In order to identify strengths Positive psychologists have come up with an activity known as the Strengths Wheel. The foundation of this exercise is the discovering of the availability and use of Character Strengths within a person. By identifying what strengths are there and in what amounts a person can determine a course of action to improve those and others should they feel the need. This element of the exercise also makes it an effective tool for the planning of building other strengths and using other exercises for increasing well-being. This exercise begins with ten concentric circles drawn on a piece of paper. Inside of this circle different strengths will be valued and evaluated. The center and smallest circle is the lowest value of 1. The largest outside circle is the highest value at ten. After the circle is drawn the individual should identify a Character Strength they have and try to apply a number to the amount or usefulness of the strength. For example, if Hope is identified as being present and used only moderately, a mark should be placed on the 3 or 4 circles. This first step of the process of identifying and naming the Character Strengths a person has and wants to improve is essential. Without the awareness of need there is nothing that can be done to lessen that need. Where Positive psychology is concerned, identifying Character Strengths allows people to find how they may begin to flourish and feel peak well-being. The next step in the exercise is to identify the potential for the use of this same strength. If the individual wants to or needs to develop a particular strength the mark should be placed on a circle further out from the center than the original mark. There may be some instances when an individual can identify that a certain strength may need to be toned down or used less. For example, Humor may be used less in some circumstances when Social Intelligence deems. In either case, a mark should be placed on a different circle from the original mark corresponding with the desired change or change in use of the Character Strengths. This desired change should be put into context of real world action. While increasing Hope in general is a worthy goal, identifying activities or contexts where it can be used and improved is measurable and immediately applicable. By identifying the Character Strengths and the areas in which they can be utilized a person can develop a plan of action or use other exercises to do so. Another use of this exercise can help a person to determine if situations or activities are helping or harming their well-being. Begin with the concentric circles again on a piece of paper. At the top of this piece of paper though, outside of the circles completely, a subject or heading should be written. This heading should be a particular activity or environment or relationship. This heading is going to be the context in which Character Strengths are going to be identified and valued. All uses and potential uses of the strengths should be applicable to this context. The rest of the exercise continues as previously. By placing this exercise in a particular context a person can decide if it is beneficial to their well-being or detrimental as well as the original use of the exercise, how to increase happiness in life. Again, these exercises, and this one in particular, can be used in tandem. For instance, using this exercise can be a great way to determine a course of action for using other tools mentioned here to build Character Strengths identified by using the wheel. Not all of these exercises need to be scheduled and have time set aside for them. In fact, some of these exercises are meant to be used like a tool in the middle of a situation. Being able to utilize these tools on the run requires a great amount of awareness regarding one’s own feelings and emotions.

  An example of this kind of exercise is called Breathing Space. This exercise is one that can be used every day or in the event of an adverse situation. When an individual is experiencing negative emotions this exercise asks them to stop and ask themselves a series of questions. This does several things, first among them it stops the negative situation from perpetuating. Often times a person can ruminate on negative emotions or situations and continue to affect their emotions and feelings. This first step of stopping the continuation of a cycle of negative feelings and emotions is important. The next step is to ask a series of questions. The purpose of these questions is to identify the negative and positive things having an immediate effect. After these have been identified they can be built or let go and the negative situation can be viewed from a different perspective. The first question to ask is “Where am I?” This is a question about physical space as well as mental space. Often times negative emotions can be manifested when ruminating on past negative emotions. By being mentally present in the physical space a person can focus back on the situation and off of the negative emotions. The next question a person should ask themselves is “How am I?” This is a gain a question of physical and mental well-being. The physical aspect of this question is important. Based on the hierarchy of needs, if the physical being is not well it is difficult if not impossible for mental well-being to be improved. So, asking the question if one is physically okay is important in this exercise. Asking, “How am I?”, also helps reveal our mental strength and state of mind. This can be done as an inventory of the emotions at the time or Character Strengths one is using. The final question one should ask is “What am I thinking?” This focuses the inquiry on the persons mental state and focus of attention. This question will interrupt the train of thought that might have been responsible for creating and continuing the cycle of negative emotions. Again, this is the all important step of identifying issues so one can be aware and create a plan of action. After asking these questions and answering them, a person should close their eyes and focus on breathing. This is important to focus on the breath for several minutes in order to give the questions and pause time enough to take effect. This exercise is a powerful one as it requires Mindfulness and the choice to shift focus and energy. Doing this activity and repeating it on a daily basis
is recommended to help with the building of many Character Strengths. This has similar results to many kinds of meditation and seeks to achieve the same things.

  Another powerful exercise to increase well-being and positive emotions in life is known as a Gratitude Journal. Journaling was mentioned as an effective tool for developing many Character Strengths and this one in particular was developed to build Gratitude. The first step of this exercise is to find a dedicated journal to use for the practice as well as a dedicated space and time. This scheduling and dedication to the exercise boosts its effectiveness since a person is making a commitment in time and energy and space. After these important aspects have been secured, use the journal to make a list of three to five things to be grateful for. The more detailed the description of situations or people in the journal the better. After listing the items the exercise asks us to explain why we are grateful for these things. Sometimes the explanation can be as simple as the creation or feeling of positive emotions. In this part of the exercise it is also important to be as detailed as possible. By using the language of Character Strengths and Positive psychology great strides can be made in identifying and building on positive aspects on a person’s life. After the list has been made and the explanation for these things has been written the exercise is almost done. Reflect back on the list and explanations and attempt to think of things not immediately apparent. Think how these things might change without some aspect of them that you were not immediately grateful for. This Gratitude Journal can be used to greatly affect many Character Strengths. Using this same technique helps to utilize and build Optimism and Hope. By focusing on other strengths, such as Leadership or Spirituality, this tool can be used to great purpose. And while this may be applicable to many strengths it should be noted that dedicated notebooks or journals are important to the efficacy of this exercise.

  Similar to the Gratitude Journal, this next activity can be used to focus on and build different strengths and get positive emotions out of many aspects of life. This exercise is called the Beautiful Day. In this exercise a person is asked to make a schedule of a day they would call a good day. This is not to be done in complete fantasy, instead it should be a day in the near future. During the building of this day it is important to keep Character Strengths in mind. This is important to build the strengths but also because by utilizing our strengths we gain more pleasure from experiences. In this exercise it is also recommended to have some boundaries or stipulations. One requirement is some alone time and some time spent actively involved with other people. This is done in order to allow for the full spectrum of Character Strengths to present themselves and be utilized. In the design of this perfect day, as mentioned before, it should not stray too far from normalcy. This means that whatever daily patterns, such as waking and sleeping, that are important to the normal functioning of a day should be included. It should be noted though, that it is encouraged to break from the normal pattern for some time during the Beautiful Day. As the day is designed there are several things to keep in mind. Firstly, as this day is supposed to be realistic, time may be mismanaged or something may go wrong. This should be a built in concept to the perfect day and accounted for. After the Beautiful Day had been outlined and detailed, the person should reflect on the day and do their best to imagine the day and its experiences. Go through every activity of the day and list the strengths that are being actualized. This exercise will require Mindfulness and awareness of one’s emotions and motivations throughout the day and activities. In addition, it should be noted what aspects could be added ore removed from the schedule to improve the day.

  Another powerful use of the journal is the Self Esteem Journal. This was a practice mentioned briefly earlier but detailed here. This is an important exercise that can be used as a treatment for difficulties in life but in the context of Positive psychology it is used to increase well-being and happiness. The Self Esteem journal will boost the Character Strengths associated with intrapersonal care such as Bravery and Curiosity and Creativity. It is important to know that this exercise can be changed and adapted but at its heart is the building of strengths identified by one’s self. In the Self Esteem journal, the individual should answer a set of questions or finish a set of prompts. These prompts help to identify strengths used and to be worked on. A prompt that should be used is “Today I achieved/accomplished.” By finishing this sentence, a person will identify an action or characteristic they feel they have reached the goal of. A question that should be asked in the journal is, “What was something I did for someone else?” After answering this question move onto the next prompt, “I felt proud when.” After finishing the prompts and question one should then ask themselves questions about their answers. Identifying the Character Strengths that made these positive experiences possible is key. Also, brainstorming ways to increase the use and occurrence of the experiences and strengths is a valuable tool to use with the Self Esteem Journal.

  Mindfulness Meditation is a powerful tool that can be used to help increase positive emotions and well-being. This is an important task to attempt and master and can be done so by following these steps. First, locate a safe space where there are no distractions and someone can get comfortable. This space should not be in an area where work is typically done and will ideally be dedicated to this and other practices of Positive psychology. Once this space is found find a comfortable position but seated. This can be in a chair or couch or cross legged on the floor. It is not necessary to close eyes or turn off lights but often visual input can be distracting and that is counter to the purpose of this exercise. Once comfortable in a safe space the individual should focus on breathing. There shouldn’t be an attempt made to change breathing, just a focus of attention on the regular act of breathing. Try to focus on the feeling of the air as it is inhaled and exhaled. Feeling the chest and the lungs rise and inflate and then fall as air is exhaled. This focus on breath stops a person’s mind from wandering and wondering about whatever was happening outside of the safe space. If these thoughts happen to creep in, focus on breathing should be regained and concentrated on. After focus has been gained and distraction is no longer a concern awareness should be expanded. This should start with the muscles of the face, neck and chest. Focusing on the relaxation of muscles, awareness can continue down the body at a slow pace. If attention wavers, return to focus and breathing a begin the progression again. Once focused and mindful of the entire body, feeling the use of muscles and breathing, one should feel totally aware and mindful of their body. After being in this state for several minutes, follow the steps backward to return to the original state of focus. This Mindfulness Meditation is not only important as it improves detrimental emotions but also because it builds and adds to the already positive emotions. Mindfulness Meditation is very similar to Breathing Space but is slightly more involved and time consuming. It is recommended to engage in Mindfulness Meditation at least once daily and even up to five times a day.

  A quick exercise that can increase Humor and Social Intelligence and spread happiness to others as well. Three Funny Things is a tool that helps improve happiness and other Character Strengths other than the obvious ones. This activity is simple, write down three funny things that were experienced during the day. The first funny thing should be something that the individual was directly involved in. These things do not need to be laugh out loud funny and sometimes the humor needs to be found in a situation. This will improve Social Intelligence and Empathy as well as increase positive emotions surrounding these events. The second funny thing that should be written down is something that was observed but not involved. This can be something spontaneous or planned such as a sitcom or comic strip. This increases awareness and mindfulness of humor in everyday life and leads to noticing it in more places. The third Funny thing written down should be about the individual doing the exercise. This may be the most difficult to find if it is not immediately apparent. Again, this does not have to be laugh out loud. It can be a situation or thought had d
uring the day that was odd or unusual. Analyzing our thoughts and actions throughout the day to find humor is an important activity. Three Funny Things is an exercise that identifies and build Character Strengths in daily life and can lead to more well-being and feeling of happiness. This is an activity that can be used to build other strengths as well. For instance, to build Kindness, write down three instances where Kindness was used, seen, and received. This will lead to greater awareness of the actions and emotions and a higher frequency of experiencing them.

  Another exercise, similar to building the perfect day, is writing a Future Diary. This exercise allows a personal to reflect on the experiences and emotions during a day and project the most beneficial of those into the future. This is another activity that should be done in a dedicated notebook. There should also be a dedicated time and place to write the Future Diary. The first step in the Future Diary is a brief synopsis of the past day’s events and emotions. This can be a small blurb quickly recounting the largest emotions during the day, anything to be grateful for, any obstacles or accomplishments experienced, and any important relationships. This step forces a person to reflect and be mindful of their day and emotions and how it might come to affect their future. The next step is to write the future with the past in mind. Whatever positive emotions were experienced that day should be brought forward to the next day. While writing the Future Diary examine those emotions and try to identify what they were associated with. Design the future to contain as many of these elements as possible. The obstacles from the past should be addressed in the Future Diary. Identify plans and Character Strengths to use in order to overcome the obstacles in the future. This will not only increase the chances of further developing those strengths but it will also improve Optimism and Hope. The final step on the Future Diary is to write the benefits and outcomes of the changes that are going to be made. It is important to be realistic about the responses of people and organizations to the changes that are going to be made in the future. Resilience and mindfulness are built by this exercise as well as other strengths.