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The Four Keys to Well-Being
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The 4 keys of well-being
- Resilience - The rapidity with which we recover from adversity;
- Outlook - The ability to see the positive in others;
- Attention - A wandering mind is an unhappy mind;
- Generosity - Engaging in generous and altruistic behavior, activates the key to fostering well-being.
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The ability to voluntarily bring back a wandering attention over and over again is the very root of judgment, character, and will.
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Mindfulness meditation
It typically refers to a practice for training your attention. It is an awareness that comes through paying attention in the moment, but non-judgmentally.
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Reduced amygdala activity
Meditation shows reduced activity in the amygdala, our brain’s threat detector. When the amygdala perceives a threat, it sets off the fight-flight-freeze response.
In a study, after practicing mindfulness for 20 minutes per day over just one week, participants showed reduced amygdala reactivity only while they were engaged in mindfulness, suggesting they need regular practice.
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Three domains of aging
- Physical: Most people think of aging only as physical aging.
- Cognitive: After middle age, around 60, memory and other abilities decline.
- Psychosocial
Aging and stress
In older age, there is more stress caused by problems like physical illness, the deaths of dear ones, financial problems, retirement, and loss of a sense of purpose.
What matters is how you respond to that stress. With age, although there is a decline in physical health and cognitive function, psychosocial functioning progressively improves. Older people handle stress much better than someone in their 20s and 30s.
We get wiser with age
Studies have shown that older people are better able to control their emotions; they know themselves better, make better decisions that require experience, and have more compassion and empathy toward other people.
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Positive psychology: the "science of happiness"
The "science of happiness" was born as a result of Martin Seligman's (the father of positive psychology) endeavour to approach psychology beyond the idea of r...
The plasticity of the brain
Neuroscience research demonstrates the power of positive psychology:
- Studies showed that repetitive negative thinking causes one pattern of brain activity, while positive thoughts can produce another.
- Practices such as gratitude, mindfulness, and physical activity can change certain pathways within the brain.
- Medication can also stimulate or suppress brain activity. Martin Seligman found a combined treatment plan of medication and therapy can help patients recover sooner.
Positive psychology strategies
Positive psychology treatments focus on four fundamental areas:
- Strengths: Finding one's inner strength and resilience.
- Quality of life: Goals and achievements should be underpinned by meaning and purpose.
- Hope: Ensuring a positive attitude when faced with life's trials and knowing that they have the support to cope.
- Wellbeing: A sense of environmental mastery, full engagement with the world, and personal satisfaction.