Positive Psychology

Trying Not to Try: The Art and Science of Spontaneity

In a famous story from ancient Chinese philosophy, Butcher Ding has been called upon to play his part in a traditional religious ceremony. The ritual, to consecrate a newly cast bronze bell, requires the butcher to sacrifice an ox in a public space, with the ruler and a large crowd looking on. It is a […]

Relationship Boundaries

Are you good at setting healthy relationship boundaries? This skill is critical to building a relationship that balances closeness with independence, which is key to all healthy relationships. And it’s a skill that’s just as important to practice with friends and family members as it is with romantic partners. Setting relationship boundaries – both emotional […]

What is Forgiveness?

What is forgiveness? What does it mean to forgive someone, or yourself? Most psychologists would define forgiveness as a conscious choice to let go of your feelings of resentment, anger, or need for revenge toward a person(s) who has harmed you in some way. The key issue, however, is that this is a choice you […]

What is Happiness?

What is happiness? Psychologist Dr. Ed Diener identifies happiness, or “subjective well-being,” as a combination of two things: life satisfaction and having more positive than negative emotions. Another leading psychology researcher, Dr. Martin Seligman, describes it as three elements: pleasure, engagement, and meaning, with the last two having the greatest impact on living a happy […]

The Four Steps of Taking in the Good: HEAL Yourself

The Four Steps of Taking in the Good: HEAL Yourself In his insightful, practical book Hardwiring Happiness, well-known psychologist and author Rick Hanson, PhD, makes the point that even though our brains are “hardwired” to give more weight to negative rather than positive experiences and emotions, you can learn to retrain your brain to switch […]

Awakening From the Trance of Unworthiness

During high school, I consciously struggled with not liking myself, yet it was during college that I became distressed by the intensity of my self-aversion. On a weekend outing, a roommate described her inner process as “becoming her own best friend,” and I broke down sobbing, overwhelmed at the degree to which I was unfriendly […]

Favorite Laughter Quotes – The Starter List

Here at Webpsychology, we couldn’t agree more with Charlie Chaplin, who famously said that “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” So since we’d hate to see you waste a perfectly good day, we’ve assembled some of our favorites to help you keep smiling, both inside and out. A good laugh and a long […]

Courage

Courage By Michael H. LeBlond, PhD, MBA Licensed Psychologist How often have you heard “just feel the fear and do it anyway.” This actually is not far from the definition of courage. What courage is not is the absence of fear. When most people think of courage they think of it in one […]

Can You Learn to Be Kind to Yourself?

Do you ever feel like your sense of self-worth goes up and down like a ping-pong ball, depending on whether you’re feeling successful or more like a failure? Do you sometimes tell yourself “nobody’s perfect,” but you don’t really believe it? You might benefit from developing what is called “self-compassion.” It’s learning to be kind […]

Mindfulness and Six Key Elements of Psychological Well-being

What does it mean to be a psychologically healthy person? Many people assume that good mental health means feeling happy most of the time. Indeed, studies show that positive emotions have many benefits. They increase resilience to stress and encourage us to learn, grow, and bond with others. However, there’s much more to good mental […]

Gratitude Quotes to Get You Started

One of the most effective ways to bring more happiness into your life is to appreciate the good that’s already present. To help you get started, we’ve assembled a list of our favorite quotes on the importance of recognizing life’s gifts. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is […]

Being True to Yourself – In This Moment

Ask yourself how often you experience life, rather than going through the motions, pretending to feel differently than you do, engaging in distractions, chasing altered states, trying to cooperate with someone else’s agenda, or wanting everyone to understand you and your problems. Imagine releasing yourself from that facade and opting instead for an encounter with […]