Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on studying people’s positive experiences, characteristics, and abilities. The goal of positive psychology is to promote a meaningful and satisfying life by identifying people’s strengths and skills.
Positive health is a broader movement that is based, among other things, on positive psychology and is based on a broad definition of health, in which a healthy and meaningful life is pursued. This contrasts with the current focus within healthcare on treating illness. Both positive psychology and positive health have a so-called “systemic” perspective, in which people are seen in the context of social relationships, such as with family, relationships with healthcare providers, contacts related to work, etc. The positive health approach assumes that everyone in the system, such as the individual themselves, healthcare workers, relevant (healthcare) agencies, employers, and municipalities, contributes to promoting health and does not wait until illness develops (again). Everyone has their own responsibility in this. Health is supported as a community. Approaching health from the perspective of positive psychology and positive health can contribute to a healthy lifestyle (e.g., in terms of nutrition, substance use, exercise, sleep, and relaxation), which ensures that we feel better. Investments based on this perspective have proven to be cost-effective because they can prevent illness.
A concrete example from positive psychology for promoting a healthy lifestyle is “strengths-based coaching.” This focuses on discovering and utilizing a person’s strengths. By making someone aware of their strengths and using them to achieve lifestyle changes, this can contribute to greater motivation and success. An example of this is utilizing someone’s curiosity when discovering new healthy foods.
Another example is the use of positive feedback and positive reinforcement. These interventions focus on giving positive feedback and rewards for achieving goals and making healthy choices. By focusing on what is going well and emphasizing this, motivation is increased and self-esteem can improve. This can be done, for example, by setting a reward for achieving a certain number of steps per day, or by viewing setbacks as learning opportunities.
In the case of more complex problems, such as recovery from addiction, the focus can be on meaning, involvement, and social relationships, all of which are part of both positive psychology and the positive health perspective. Discovering what makes life without substance use meaningful, where your motivations lie, and which relationships are important to you can contribute to a pleasant, meaningful life without substance use, thereby reducing the risk of relapse.
Research into interventions based on positive psychology and positive health with regard to promoting a healthy lifestyle is still in its infancy. This blog is therefore not intended to provide an overview of interventions that have been proven to be effective. At the same time, the potential and importance of this approach should not be underestimated. A positive outlook on health and lifestyle can transform lifestyle change from ‘I should’ to ‘what can I do and what do I enjoy’. This makes it fun and challenging to focus on health and lifestyle. It then contributes to personal development, growth, and autonomy—in short, to living a meaningful life.
This blog was written by Dr. Maartje Luijten, Radboud University, for RAD-blog, the blog about smoking, alcohol, drugs, and diet.
References
Bohlmeijer, E. T., Bolier, L., & Walburg, J. A. (2013). Handbook of positive psychology: theory, research, and applications. Boom Publishers.
Krentzman, A. R. (2013). Review of the application of positive psychology to substance use, addiction, and recovery research. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 27(1), 151.
Stone, B. M. (2022). A Positive Psychology Framework for Why People Use Substances: Implications for Treatment. Frontiers in Psychology, 6176.
*When writing this blog, ChatGPT was used to create the initial draft of some paragraphs. The texts produced by ChatGPT were edited by the author, and the content of the final product is consistent with the references listed at the bottom of the blog.
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