My Reflection On The Positive Psychology Course

My experience with the positive psychology course this semester has been overwhelmingly enriching, and I have been able to apply course topics and related research findings to my own life. I had a small notion of what positive psychology was before this semester. However, learning more about different research studies and their findings has helped me see positive psychology as its own force in the science of psychology. Course assignments have helped me understand, retain, and apply the positive psychology principles to my own behavior and perspective, as well. Regarding course assignments for this paper, I will keep my focus on the major assignments throughout the semester, as I feel that these in particular have had the most substantial effect …show more content…
I had prior experience with mindfulness, but my consistent effort with practicing this semester led to better benefits than I had previously experienced regarding meditation. I enjoyed the structure of the weekly lessons, and learned more about the concept of mindlessness. This gave me motivation to practice, and strive for more mindful living, in general. I feel calmer, more centered, and have more cognitive clarity than I have felt in some time because of my mindfulness practice this semester. This has led to more cognitive and social flexibility—further increasing positive outcomes for me, and thus engendering positive emotions. Through mindfulness, I can tap into how I am feeling and find senses of perspective and calm with aspects of myself that would’ve tripped me up previously (such as negative moods or thought …show more content…
For example, I previously did not know that the positive psychology movement has its roots in the humanistic branch of psychology. I would have thought that the cognitive tradition in psychology played a large role in the positive psychology movement because of the prominent role of emotion. However, it makes sense to me now that with research foci on social connections as gateways to helpful resources, and also how positive institutions (such as a university) and positive groups (such as family) can build us up and help us actualize our potential for living above zero, the humanistic viewpoint has bequeathed a lot of influence into the positive psychology movement. Positive psychology stands on its own currently, and while it does not discount the medical model, it seeks to explain and predict positive aspects of functioning and how we can live fuller, happier, and more meaningful lives. It is comforting to know that there is life to be lived above