Positive psychology, in plain English

A short guide to the field that studies what makes ordinary life feel meaningful — and the practices that come out of it.

Positive psychology, formalized by Martin Seligman in the late 1990s, is the empirical study of what makes life worth living — strengths, meaning, positive emotion, relationships, and engagement, not just the absence of pathology.

A few core ideas

PERMA. Seligman's five elements of flourishing: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment.
Broaden-and-build. Barbara Fredrickson's theory that positive emotions widen attention and build durable psychological resources over time.
Character strengths. The VIA framework: 24 strengths (curiosity, gratitude, kindness, love of learning, etc.) that, when used, are associated with higher wellbeing.

What it isn't

Positive psychology is not toxic positivity. The mature version of the field is clear that suffering, grief, and difficulty are real, important, and not to be papered over.

Keep reading

Gratitude — a daily practice — Gratitude practice is one of the most replicated interventions in positive psychology. Here's what the research shows and how to begin.
Emotional wellbeing — small daily inputs — Emotional wellbeing is mostly built by the same handful of small daily inputs, repeated.
Daily rituals — why small things matter most — Rituals — small, repeated, meaningful acts — quietly shape who we are. The research on them is more interesting than you'd expect.

Ready to try it? Open the daily practice.