Science and Practice of Wellbeing

Our brain can be an enormous asset in the quest for a satisfying, flourishing life, and that is even truer since the advent of neuroscience. But to maximise its discoveries, we must understand how the brain works in regard to wellbeing. Thus, Unit 1 helps participants to understand the functions of the two main brain systems, especially in relation to threat and reward responses. There is discussion on fuelling and maintaining the brain through diet, exercise, and sleep to help keep it in an optimal state. Neuroscience also shows up in Unit 2, as the habit cycle takes centre stage: how do we install and maintain a habit? What are the cues that help us to do this – or to get rid of a bad habit? The Upward Spiral of Lifestyle Management, explained in the unit, can get that process started when a dopamine-fuelled brain helps a person to make the healthy choices that result in long-term wellbeing. Along the way, the practice of mindfulness confers many benefits for the practitioner, including shifting body and brain into self-repair mode. Unit 3 discusses this and also leads participants through two different mindfulness exercises to kick-start this brain-friendly practice.

Module 3 deepens your understanding of how central emotions are to wellbeing. Working from a Basic Emotion Theory stance, we cover crucial aspects of the science of emotions, including the startling notion – for some – that we should treat emotions as data. Thus, we must look nonjudgmentally to their survival value, and to their underpinning triggers, in order to understand them (Unit 1). Both positive and negative emotions serve us if we know how to use them effectively, but positive affect is more useful in generating the upward spiral effect – building resources on every level – described in the Broaden and Build Theory (Unit 2). The four-quadrant emotion chart (Unit 3) is invaluable to a comprehensive understanding of how to use emotions effectively, as each quadrant (formed from a matrix of low-high energy and positive-negative affect) is appropriate for different types of life tasks. Strategy-planning for optimal wellbeing is aided by employing two schemas for categorising strategies.

What are all the ways we can achieve wellbeing? Module 4 conveniently divides them into physical strategies (Unit 1), mental strategies (Unit 2), and environment strategies (Unit 3). As indicated earlier, diet, exercise, and sleep stand as the primary physical tickets to a life of wellbeing, supplemented by strategies as diverse as breathing, laughing, and luxuriating. The mental wellbeing strategies are approached in the context of learned optimism, and include activities such as savouring, self-talk, journalling, and setting goals; some research suggests pathways linking optimism to physical health. To those who do not believe in “geographical problem-solving”, positive psychology says, “no”: changing the environment – either physically or mentally – can boost our wellbeing as we explore, engage with nature and music, learn new things, and (sometimes) turn off technology.

Do you know what your top strengths are? Do you know what your clients’ are? Do you know how to spot strengths in yourself and others? Module five is all about strengths: those aspects of ourselves that we are good at which come naturally to us and which energise us when we employ them. After hearing about what constitutes a strength and what the research trends around strengths are, Unit 1 looks at how we can identify strengths in ourselves and others: both informally and formally, with multiple formal assessment tools identified, and one – the VIA – explained more in-depth. While strength-spotting is important, we also need to know how to apply our strengths. Unit 2 delves into how strengths can be overused, underused, or used inappropriately. The relationship between strengths and achievement of goals is notable in that two people with the same goal might approach that goal very differently if they are coming from a base of very different strengths. We explain this dynamic, offering multiple examples. Importantly, wellbeing is greatly assisted by reaching a “tipping point”, wherein a person is able to use their strengths enough in daily life that they are not undone by the remaining portion of necessary life tasks which they do not enjoy, or which do not call on their strengths.

Module 6 first looks (in Unit 1) at research which has shed light on how relationships and communal bonds influence human beings – even unconsciously – and what the necessary ratios of positive-to-negative are with both emotions and communication events (if we are to boost our wellbeing). Unit 2 moves on to relationship wellbeing strategies, and explains how altruistic/kind acts, volunteering, appreciation, and even forgiveness work to boost the wellbeing of the person doing them, perhaps even more than that of the recipient; exercises to assist forgiveness are included. The final portion of the module (Unit 3) offers practical relationship strategies, including ones revolving around love, touch, pets, talk, letters, and celebration. The bottom line on wellbeing from relationships is that if we want things to be better, we must take action.

In this final module of the course (comprising this sole unit), we review the contents of the previous six modules, highlighting major themes and understandings for each. We trace the evolution of the course from the early, more theoretical units examining wellbeing research and basic brain understandings through the focus on emotions to the last three content modules, which concentrate on wellbeing strategies and strengths. We conclude the course repeating several assertions: that positive psychology is not a spectator sport; that not everyone will embrace it; and that the best approach is one which extends compassion to self, to others, and to the relatively young science that underpins the psychology.