Boost your optimism and strengths by trying these positive psychology interventions

Boost your optimism and strengths by trying these positive psychology interventions

Boost your optimism and strengths by trying these positive psychology interventions

I often assign positive psychology interventions (PPIs) to my clients to support them to meet their goals. PPIs are positive psychology-based exercises that I use to support my clients to use their positive emotions and strengths to improve their wellbeing.

I’ve just finalised my uni module – Perspectives on Wellbeing – and my task for the assessment was to measure aspects of my wellbeing, try 2 different PPIs to see for myself how they work, then when appropriate, measure the aspects again afterwards to see if there has been any impact after the intervention.  

So, to help you better understand how it is to actually do a PPI, I thought to share with you the experiences that I had.  

‘Best Possible Self’ (BPS) PPI  

The intervention
Simply plan some quiet time and think about your life over the next 5 years. Imagine that everything has gone as well as it possibly could. You have worked hard and succeeded at accomplishing all of your life goals. Think of this as the realisation of all of your life dreams.   

Now spend 15-20 minutes writing about what you imagined, for 4 days in a row.  

My experiences
I have already experienced visualising my preferred future, and therefore found this intervention pretty straightforward. I did however find it challenging to do the exercise without any clear structure or detailed instructions, so I found that I had to set my own structure – I set my visualisation to be for in 5 year’s time and main themes of content did emerge eg. work, family, study, etc.  

After completing the intervention, the aspects of my life which are most important to me were very obvious and a natural prioritisation of actions I can take to meet my goals also became clear. I noticed that my mood was much more positive, which lasted a couple of weeks! And I felt overall much happier. I also started to see my challenges with a more positive and hopeful perspective and as a result have felt an increase in my optimism.   

To prove the positive impact, I had measured my optimism levels before and after the intervention on a research-based scale, and my score had more than doubled after the 4thday!  

So because of these really positive results, that only require a relatively small time investment, this is definitely an intervention that I’ll repeat when I feel that my optimism levels are getting a little low.  

‘Boost a Lower Strength’ PPI  

The intervention
Start with doing the VIA Character Strengths assessment, choose one of your lower strengths that you feel you’d enjoy to work on, think about 7 different activities you can do over a week to boost it (the VIA website has some good tips to get you started), and get going! I’d advise you to journal about the effects to capture the positive changes. 
  

My experiences
If you’ve been reading my newsletters or you are one of clients you’ll know how important I believe it is to be working with our strengths! Actually using the VIA Character Strengths assessment and developing specific strategies to utilise strengths is what I recommend for all of my clients because it can result in: increased happiness; improved physical health; reduced depression; reduced stress levels; goal attainment and academic accomplishment; increased productivity and engagement at work; etc…. So many wonderful and scientifically proven benefits of working with our strengths.   

For this assessment I chose the character strength of zest, which is defined by Niemiec as “vitality, energy, vigor, enthusiasm for life” and is “a dynamic strength that is directly related to physical and psychological wellness. This strength has the strongest ties to overall life satisfaction and a life of engagement.” (VIA website)  

The PPI is simply to apply a lower strength in a different way each day for a week. This intervention challenged me to consider what zest meant to me, and how I can best apply it in a way that benefits me and suits my lifestyle. I therefore planned a few days of exercise activities that I hadn’t tried before (yoga, longer and more complicated HIIT sessions) as well as attending an Oktoberfest party, cooking, and taking a midday nap (yes, a nap has been shown to increase vitality!).  

I found this PPI attractive as it is simple, requires creativity to select the actions to be completed and can be applied to any of the lower strengths. This simplicity and flexibility also makes it attractive to use with clients, which I propose when it’s appropriate for the individual.   

I very much enjoyed this PPI, and I appreciated the accountability it gave me to persist in doing something with zest each day, as I have observed in winter that I can experience a low mood and tend to avoid doing activities that increase my energy. After the week, I noticed that I had much more energy, felt more vital and I even wore coloured clothes more often. I also felt I could concentrate better, I was more positive and capable of handling my challenges. In terms of relationships, I felt more appreciated, connected to others and more willing to be social. I also felt my self-esteem improved. Sounds pretty good, right?! These boosts to my wellbeing are reflected in research that has already been conducted. 

A very positive side effect of this week-long PPI is that it has now evolved into a consistent exercise programme. I still exercise most days of the week with high levels of motivation and I feel awful when I haven’t worked out! Which motivates me to be consistent.   

Overall impact of the PPIs 

The combination of increasing my optimism from the first PPI and developing a lesser strength, has resulted in me feeling more positive, energetic and engaged in working towards my goals. In general, I feel like much more is possible in my life than just a few weeks ago. 

Would you like to try these for yourself?

Useful resources

– Here’s a little more background on how I use them with my clients.

I’d love to hear about your experiences if you decide to do these PPIs, please don’t hesitate to share them with me!

 

What are positive psychology interventions, and how do I use them with my clients?

What are positive psychology interventions, and how do I use them with my clients?

What are positive psychology interventions, and how do I use them with my clients?

According to my lecturers from the University of East London, Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) are ‘theoretically-grounded and empirically-validated instructions, activities, and recommendations that are designed to enhance well-being’.

So, they are essentially science-based exercises that practitioners, such as coaches or therapist, use with clients to support them to use their positive emotions and strengths to improve their wellbeing. They are usually simple to do and can be continued long after the coaching relationship has ended, as a kind of self-coaching practice.

Many wonderful benefits

Implementing PPIs has been shown by studies to improve:

  • wellbeing
  • happiness
  • performance
  • relationships
  • work outcomes
  • health

PPIs in practice

As I particularly focus on wellbeing with my clients and I apply evidence-based practices in my work, PPIs are an essential part of my coaching practice.

When starting to work with a new client, I always tell them that the more they put into their coaching, the more they will get out of it. And that I will therefore almost always give them ‘homework’ exercises to do between sessions to cement any new awareness they’ve gained, as well as to accelerate their progress towards their goals. Which I’ve found (until now, as long as I don’t use the word ’homework’!) that it’s very well accepted!

I choose the PPIs based on what my clients want to change – is it their optimism levels, overall mood or perhaps they want to improve an aspect of their performance at work. I’ll also consider their individual goals and preferred learning style and discuss my proposed PPI with them. After they’ve done the PPI exercise, we’ll debrief and they’ll share their learnings with me.

Try for yourself…

If you’re curious about trying out a PPI for yourself, why not try the ‘Best Possible Self’ exercise…

Simply plan some quiet time and think about your life over the next 5 years. Imagine that everything has gone as well as it possibly could. You have worked hard and succeeded at accomplishing all of your life goals. Think of this as the realisation of all of your life dreams.
Now spend 15-20 minutes writing about what you imagined, for 4 days in a row.

Useful resources

read about how I boosted my optimism by doing the Best possible Self PPI

– Or of course please get in touch at hello@kellycampino.com and we can have a chat about it in a complimentary consultation.

What is Positive Psychology? And what’s it got to do with coaching?

What is Positive Psychology? And what’s it got to do with coaching?

What is Positive Psychology? And what’s it got to do with coaching?

So what is Positive Psychology, and how can it benefit you? Here’s a quick overview…

Positive Psychology defined

There are many, many different definitions of positive psychology, but I chose this one by Gable and Haidt as I find it is the best summary of what is actually a complex and evolving science…

Positive Psychology is ‘the study of the conditions and processes that contribute to the flourishing (wellbeing) or optimal functioning of people, groups and institutions’. Or put more simply, it’s the science of human flourishing and focuses on enhancing what is already right.

The ultimate goal – to flourish

Here are some descriptions of flourishing that I collected:

  • emotional vitality
  • positive mental health
  • vigorous and healthy growth
  • living an authentic life
  • functioning positively both individually and socially

And studies have shown that when we flourish, we can:

  • feel more empowered, and less helpless
  • develop clear and attainable personal goals, and achieve better results
  • have higher levels of self-control and persistence
  • have less illness
  • experience higher levels of intimacy

What a very worthwhile goal to aim for!!

A diverse science

The science of positive psychology covers diverse topics such as happiness, optimism, strengths, creativity, flow, wellbeing and personal growth. The focus is on what is already right and going well for us, whilst still recognising negative emotions and challenges as natural and important aspects of our lives. And it’s not just to support our individual wellbeing, but when we for example show acts of kindness and enhance our social connections, there are also benefits for group and communities as well.

Positive psychology coaching & its benefits

Applying positive psychology can support us to thrive in all aspects of our lives. That’s why it goes so absolutely perfectly with coaching.

Anyone is able to flourish, however sometimes some extra effort and the right support is needed to get there. Positive psychology coaching is an approach to coaching, that’s science-based and includes different strategies or interventions that are implemented to support the clients’ wellbeing. In my coaching practice, my mission is to support my clients to thrive at work. In every session, I apply science-based tools and models to support them, with benefits including:

  • developing meaningful goals
  • becoming more resilient
  • maximising their strengths
  • increasing their self-confidence
  • improving their overall wellbeing.

This is just a very brief snapshot of positive psychology and its relationship with coaching. As I continue with my studies, which I am absolutely loving!, I’ll be very happy to share more of what I learn with you.

Are you currently flourishing?
What do you already know about positive psychology?
Have you already implemented positive psychology practices?

Useful resources

– Here’s a Ted talk from Martin Seligman, where he explains positive psychology

If you’d like my support to flourish / thrive, then I’d be delighted to hear from you! Please get in touch at hello@kellycampino.com for a complimentary consultation.

How can taking time off make me more productive?

How can taking time off make me more productive?

How can taking time off make me more productive?

That does sound counter-intuitive and a low priority when we have a lot on our plate.

But by planning regular breaks from work and consciously switching off when we get home, research has shown that this leads to not only reducing stress, but also increasing our performance and productivity.

So there is scientific proof that a complete break is good for us… and our employers!

Brendon Burchard (THE productivity master!) has a great, and easy, technique to incorporate breaks and increase our productivity. He suggests working in 50 minute uninterrupted blocks of time (meaning closing your email tabs, social media alerts, putting away your phone, etc.) then taking a 10 minute break to clear your mind and prepare it for your next 50 minute block of productivity. This break could be grabbing a cuppa, a walk around the building or doing some stretching. He also suggests to do a short meditation in this break, in which you repeat ‘release, release, release,…’ over and over for up to 2 minutes to really close off your previous task before diving into the next one.

Do you think these suggestions could be useful for you?

Do you already plan breaks into your agenda? How about a walk at lunchtime? Even 20 minutes of fresh air and a change of scenery can help.

And do you really switch off when you get home? Unless you have critical work to do, keep your computer and phone off and out of sight.

Give it a go for a couple of weeks and watch how your productivity increases!

I’m off for my cuppa now… 😉

Meaningful work: how clarifying your life purpose can lead to work you love

Meaningful work: how clarifying your life purpose can lead to work you love

Meaningful work: how clarifying your life purpose can lead to work you love

A client recently had a huge breakthrough in one of our sessions – she defined her life purpose. She said it was like fireworks going off!!!

Life purpose is essentially our why – it’s about who we are, our reason for being, the impact we have on our world – and why we do what we do. It may sound a little out there, but I can attest, that since I’ve worked out my purpose, making decisions has been much easier, as has finding the right work for me.

How to reveal your life purpose

Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to help work out what your life purpose is:

  • What’s been the main impact that you’ve had on people around you?
  • How have you contributed to your local community?
  • How have you helped others, and even changed their lives?
  • What’s your unique contribution to the world?
  • What do you want your legacy to be?
  • Who do you really admire, and why?

To give you a little guidance, some examples are:

  • I ignite positive change in our world
  • I support others
  • I am a teacher of spiritual wisdom

A short disclaimer: this is not an easy task to achieve. I mean, it’s a pretty significant thing to understand why you exist! And the process can take some time, but it’s oh so worth it.

Connecting life purpose with meaningful work

Now that my client understands what we life purpose it, this knowledge will be like a guiding light to help her find a career with much more meaning than in the work she does now.

Does your work have meaning for you?
Is it aligned with your life purpose?
Do you know your life purpose?

Useful resources

– read my blog on how I found work that was meaningful to me

get in touch for my support!