Podcast: Happiness Revisited: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishments by Prof. Ray Miller

Name of Speaker

Prof. Ray Miller, Clinical and Health Psychologist

happiness

Title of talk:

Happiness Revisited: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishments
No. 8 in the series “What has Psychology ever done for us?”
 

Bullet points of what you would like to talk about:

A previous talk on Happiness (No. 0 in the series!) concentrated on some of the simple, self-help approaches that can lead to an increase in the sense of personal well-being. Some of that will be reviewed here but the main aim will be to take a closer look at information from psychological research into Positive Psychology.
In particular the talk will look at the PERMA model developed as a result of the work of Martin Seligman. It emphasises:

• P – Positive Emotion

• E – Engagement

• R – Relationships

• M – Meaning

• A – Accomplishments

 

A few paragraphs on your subject:

We are at a time when many people are experiencing a sense of alienation, isolation and loneliness. A time of political, social and world turmoil. It can be too easy to concentrate on the negatives and neglect the many positive aspects of ourselves and our lives. But there is an alternative!
Positive Psychology has been around in various forms for over half a century but has been popularised in recent times through the work of Martin Seligman, a past President of the American Psychological Association, and others who are credited with developing the Positive Psychology movement. You can find much of his material in the book Authentic Happiness and his website with the same name.
Although many of the ideas are not new, he, and those who have adopted the philosophy, have systematically demonstrated the success of the approach through countless scientific studies. Concentrating not so much on what goes wrong in our lives, but rather what we can do to put it right, has generated a whole field of therapies and interventions. There is nothing mysterious or magical, just good habits of personal lifestyle and a determination to build on strengths that we can all possess.
 

A few paragraphs about you:

I have been a psychologist for over 40 years. Most of that time has been spent as a professional in the field of healthcare (now retired) but much of the psychology that I used, and continue to use, is based on understanding some essential concepts that I acquired during my undergraduate years.
Psychology is more than just an academic topic or applied science, although it is certainly both of these. Psychology is a fundamental aspect of our daily lives, our interactions with others and with our environment. In that sense, we all have to be psychologists and, even without aiming to become experts, we can all benefit from a better understanding of some of its principles.
Don’t expect an academic, in depth study of the topic. This will be a somewhat idiosyncratic taster to whet your appetite rather than to educate you. However, you will probably find at least some ideas that set you thinking and which may start you along the path of self-generated learning.
 

What free internet knowledge resources would you recommend to others if they wish to explore your chosen theme further?

Action for Happiness: http://www.actionforhappiness.org/
Authentic Happiness: http://www.authentichappiness.com
Living Life to the Full: http://www.llttf.com
Five Areas Resources Area: http://www.fiveareas.com/resourcearea
Positive Psychology UK: http://www.positivepsychology.org.uk/
 

What are your weblinks?

Public Email – [email protected]
Any others…. LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/RayMillerPsychol
 

This talk took place in Cabaret Voltaire on 28th Sept 2017