Nicole Linger / Learning the Skill of Happiness

In the mid-nineties, psychologist Martin Seligman founded the positive psychology movement. psychology known as PERMA. These are Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and purpose and Accomplishment. The active pursuit of these aspects of life naturally results in higher levels of happiness, which in turn increases our emotional, mental and physical well-being.

Unlike traditional psychology, which places emphasis on the eradication of negative thought patterns and behaviours, positive psychology takes a pro-active approach to happiness. Seligman and his supporters believe that happiness is not something which happens to us arbitrarily, but rather a skill which we can learn and develop using a range of tools and techniques. Since the movement was first founded, the empirical evidence built up seems to suggest that there is a lot of truth in this idea. Seligman describes happiness as being based on three lives – the pleasurable life, the meaningful life and the engaged life – based around the five pillars of positive

Techniques such as breathing exercises and meditation can be used by practitioners of positive psychology to reduce anxiety and to better control our responses to stressful situations. Nicole Linger uses positive psychology techniques as an actress, to help prepare for auditions and performances, for example. Positive psychology also identifies key factors which influence happiness, such as spending time with loved ones, listening to music, learning a new skill or spending time out of doors appreciating nature. The more time we can devote to activities which make us happier, the happier we will become. When we do have to deal with stressful or difficult situations which trigger negative emotions, we can use positive psychology to bring forth our inner strength and remain in control of our emotions.

Barbara Fredrickson at UNC Chapel Hill formulated the ‘broaden and build’ theory of positive psychology after intensive research and study into the effects of positive emotion. Fredrickson found that happier people tended to be more open minded and aware of more possibilities. This in turn led to an increased skill set, as happier minds are more conducive to learning. These new skills open even more possibilities, creating a cyclical spiral of happiness which can increase exponentially. As with learning any new skill, happiness requires effort on behalf of the person learning it, but the benefits of this effort can be seen in almost every aspect of life.