"Positive psychology" Blog Posts

You can lump people into two distinct groups: those who set New Year resolutions, and those who don't. But, maybe there's a third way

Career Skills, Decision Making, Empowerment, Problem Solving

What's the difference between positive thinking and positive psychology? That was my first question to positive psychology expert Margaret Greenberg in our Expert Interview. (Mind Tools Club Premium members and Mind Tools Corporate users can hear the full 30-minute podcast here.) It was a question she'd heard before. "I can't tell you how many times […]

Expert Interview, Leadership, Team Management

Have you ever found yourself lost for words at a time when you needed them desperately? It's easy to think that there's not much "going on upstairs" for those that are sitting silently in your meeting but, often, this is a gross underestimation. There are an infinite number of reasons why a person might be inclined […]

Career Skills, Communication, Uncategorized

I turn my back on the gray, drizzly high street and stand at the threshold of the store, blinking in the light of a thousand LED bulbs. The light bounces off the glossy white walls, and sparkles on the cases of a hundred smooth and futuristic-looking mobile phones. It also glints off the solid black […]

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Imagine you're at work, sitting with your two colleagues. It's mid-morning and the company coffee bar has opened. One colleague asks, "Fancy a coffee?" You might indeed fancy one, but experience has taught you that the invitation does not extend to you. As usual, the other agrees that a coffee would be a great idea […]

All Posts, Communication, Inclusion, Problem Solving, Stress, Team Management

  Do you have to love what you do for a living to be happy at work? As an editor, I play with words all day and, right now, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do. I may not wake up and dread my working day now but, during my past roles, I […]

Communication, Leadership, Problem Solving, Stress, Team Management

I know quite a few people who seem to be having mid-career crises at the moment. They're all in their mid-30s and worked their socks off in their 20s by regularly doing late nights, not taking time off, and spending numerous weekends in the office. Usually, they have an end-goal in mind: to gain a […]

All Posts, Career Skills, Learning Skills, Stress

There are several areas in my life where I’m constantly striving to improve myself. And, for each one, I motivate myself using different methods. For example, one way that I try to better myself is through keeping fit, and this year I trained for a half marathon. To keep motivated, I printed off my training […]

All Posts, Career Skills, Communication, Learning Skills, Stress

I recently interviewed the German psychologist Gabriele Oettingen about her WOOP motivation method, which switches the focus from dreams to the obstacles that block those dreams. It’s an interesting take on positive psychology, and refreshing, too. The well-worn theme that happiness will get you everywhere is beginning to ring a bit dull, probably because I’ve […]

All Posts, Communication

I’ve always admired the work of positive psychologist Martin Seligman. His effective techniques are widely used by individuals and organizations, and I particularly like his work on optimism. I was therefore intrigued to discover a new take on positive thinking by Gabriele Oettingen, one of Seligman’s former colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania. Now a psychology […]

All Posts, Expert Interview, Stress