Published inElemental·PinnedMember-onlyWhat Is Mental Toughness, and Where Can I Get Some?Research into athletes’ mindsets can help every person become psychologically stronger — When someone is described as being “mentally tough,” it typically signals that they’re resilient, self-assured, and bold. Ask any athlete what the concept means in sports, and they will answer, “you thrive in competition,” “you’re self-confident,” and “you can handle the pressure.” But all these statements describe behavior, rather than…Life Lessons4 min readLife Lessons4 min read
Published inExplore the Limits·PinnedMember-onlyPsychological Capital, Your Best Investment YetWho are you now, and who are you capable of becoming? — We are all at times overwhelmed by life and lacking in what is needed to take on something new. But according to new research in the field of positive psychology, building psychological capital can help. PsyCap, as it’s typically shortened to, can help you manage who you are now and…Strawberry20214 min readStrawberry20214 min read
Apr 26Member-onlyYou Can’t be Good at Everything Everywhere All at OnceWhat if trying to be good at everything is a big mistake? Experts in strength-based theory tell us we should invest time and energy in our personalized strengths rather than aiming to be great at everything — ending up mediocre at best. Clinical evidence finds that clients are most animated…Positive Psychology2 min readPositive Psychology2 min read
Apr 23Member-onlyThe Outliers Among Us: Harnessing the Unexpected for Positive ChangeThe power of positive deviance — If you are not using ‘positive deviance,’ you may be missing out. But what is it? Positive deviance departs from the typical, breaking from the norm and using unexpected behavior to produce incredible, far-reaching, positive effects. Research shows outliers often succeed against all the odds, figuring out problems others cannot…Thinking2 min readThinking2 min read
Apr 18Member-onlyFinding Ways to FlourishAn evidence-based approach to living the good lifePsychology1 min readPsychology1 min read
Apr 17Member-onlyStage Fright in the Bedroom and the BoardroomOvercoming performance anxiety — If you’ve ever wondered how ‘stage fright’ can impact your success, you’re not alone! Performance anxiety can affect any of us — sometimes in the most unlikely situations. Psychology tells us the following: Whether anxiety helps or hinders performance is related to how we interpret it. Anxiety isn’t all or…Performance2 min readPerformance2 min read
Published inExplore the Limits·Feb 17Member-onlyWhat I Learned From Studying Intrinsic MotivationThe drive to do something meaningful — Have you ever noticed that when you’re really passionate about something, you feel a burst of energy that lasts for hours, even days? That essay you wrote for five hours straight in the early hours, the book you can’t put down day and night, or the article you want to…Motivation6 min readMotivation6 min read
Jan 26Member-onlyFrom Overwhelmed to Overcoming: The Power of Learned HopefulnessWe all, at times, feel overwhelmed by the challenges we face. Engaging hope can help. After all, psychological research shows hope is more of a habit than a state of mind, and like any other, it can be learned. Learned hopefulness is the ability to maintain a positive outlook in…Motivation2 min readMotivation2 min read
May 12, 2022Member-onlyCould Positive Psychology Be Your Best Ally Yet?The science of flourishing needs to be part of your creative model — Four weeks after the pandemic hit in 2020, my employer let me go. It was unexpected, yet so was my sense of overwhelming relief. I’d been a misfit for too long, so I saw this as an opportunity… Two years of freelancing and more than 200 psychology articles later, I…Psychology6 min readPsychology6 min read
Mar 11, 2022Member-onlyHope is More Than Wishful Thinking‘We need hope like we need air’ Hope is stronger than hate. After all, hope is not just wishful thinking; it is a resolve that cannot be broken. The father of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, spent years studying this and other positive emotions and said that hope is “when you expect the best in the future, and…Ukraine2 min readUkraine2 min read
