on What Went Well

I stumbled on the discipline of 'positive psychology' in my reading about gamification, and it has gone on to be a very satisfying subject to study. I started with the primer 'Optimal Functioning,' a short introduction, and went on to read 'Flourish' by Martin Silegman.Positive psychology suggests that the best approach to psychological health is not just analyzing negative emotion. Looking for causation and suggesting remedies to depression or anxiety doesn't enhance 'wellness' in the impacting way that actively seeking and drawing out positive thoughts and feelings does. A suggested exercise is the 'What Went Well' activity. According to Seligman's studies, people who write down three things that 'go well' every single day, with a short explanation of why, are much more likely to experience positive emotion on a regular basis within a month of beginning the practice, than those who don't participate.The entries don't have to be richly detailed, and you aren't expected to have three major life events every single day - but by recognizing the good, small things that occur on a regular basis, optimistic outlook and positive energy can grow significantly.I'm writing this post because four months into the 'What Went Well' experiment, I'm  more consistently in a good mood, regularly having positive experiences, and more actively engaged in my own day-to-day well being. For example, something that is going well for me today - I'm sharing the concept of positivity with anyone reading this blog. I highly recommend the W.W.W. practice, and hope that some readers will give it a try.