1

Q1
By implementing some of the strategies discovered in my Positive Psychology class, I
should be able to tackle the issue of my poor studying habits. One concept I plan on leveraging is
managing my chronic procrastination. While people often think that it is the act of studying that
they love to avoid, it is actually the negative emotions associated with studying that they are
avoiding. In a 2020 article published by The New York Times, the author, Grant (2020), writes,
“…if you want to procrastinate less, you don’t have to increase your work ethic or improve your
time management. You can instead focus on changing your habits around emotion management”
(Para. 6). People tend to procrastinate because the task they are averting makes them feel
nervous, flustered, or even bored (Grant, 2020). Luckily, there are ways for me to manage my
negative feelings that surround procrastination. One solution is to show myself compassion after
I complete studying. People are likely to be extremely harsh on themselves when completing a
task and, due to their high standards, will often put off their work in order to avoid
disappointment in themselves (Grant, 2020). Knowing this, I should celebrate not only my
completion of studying, but also my ability to complete studying in a satisfactory manner.
Completing the task I set out to do is much better than not completing it at all, and I should be
proud of that. Replacing worry and disappointment with self-compassion will make me much
more comfortable with studying, thus less likely to procrastinate. Another method to combat
procrastination is to imagine those who benefit from and depend on me completing a task (Grant,
2020). For example, I may think about my professors being dependent on and noticing my ability
to study well. Since my study habits are a reflection of how well I do on their exams and
assignments, it will drive me to study to impress them and avoid their disappointment in me.
“We’re more likely to stay on task when we know other people are counting on us. Seeing the
person who’s depending on our work can bring focus and meaning” (Grant, 2020, para. 14).
Another concept I can apply to positively redirect my studying habits is by implementing
more flow in my life. In the book Positive psychology: The scientific and practical explorations
of human strengths, the authors, Lopez et al. (2019), define flow as a “state of ‘full capacity’
living that is believed to be directly linked to optimal development and functioning” (p. 291).
Flow is a state of full engagement and excitement towards a goal that does not elicit any external
benefits (such as money, material goods, praise from peers, etc.). Flow is experienced when a
task or goal is equally as challenging as it is rewarding. When a task is too hard, people
experience anxiety and when a task is too easy, people experience boredom (Lopez et al., 2019).
I can apply this concept to the act of studying by making sure that I find ways to engage myself
in what I am learning and come up with a study plan that is neither too challenging nor too easy.
For example, if I had an exam in a week, I could dedicate two hours each day to studying instead
of studying the entire day before or only studying 30 minutes a day. That way I will not feel
bored from studying too long or feel anxious for not studying enough. While the act of studying
does come with external rewards and I cannot always force myself to find excitement in what I
am studying, I still view studying as a part of my flow state because it is a vital component to my
education and the pursuit of a degree that I am passionate about, regardless of the accolades that
come with it. Higher education and learning about psychology is what gives my life flow, and
studying is a huge part of it. When the methods I use to study are the perfect balance of challenge
and skill, it will increase my flow and add overall value to my life.

Q2
If my friend were struggling in their pursuit of happiness, I could apply some of the
concepts learned in my Positive Psychology class to help them find ways to enhance their well-
being. The first suggestion I would make would be to become aware and end the use of toxic
positivity. In an article by the Washington Post titled Time to ditch 'toxic positivity,' experts say:
'It's OK not to be OK’ the author, Chiu (2020) defines toxic positivity as a forced, positive
mindset. Common phrases regarding this topic include, but are not limited to, saying “it’s fine”
and “it could be worse” (Chiu, 2020). While these ‘positive’ phrases may seem well-intentioned
and kind, they are actually the opposite. When people rely on toxic positivity to pursue
happiness, they are often dismissing their true emotions. There is a strong emphasis on happiness
in Western culture, which leads many Western individuals to struggle at coping with any emotion
they deem inherently negative. Instead of processing and acknowledging a negative emotion, it is
swept under the rug and masked with something more positive. These leaves emotional wounds
unhealed, and strays individuals further away from true, unfeigned happiness. Chiu (2020)
writes, “We judge ourselves for feeling pain, sadness, fear… We end up just feeling bad about
feeling bad. It actually stalls out any healing or progress or problem solving” (Chiu, 2020, para.
20). Similarly, in a study conducted by Humphrey et al. (2021) titled When the pursuit of
happiness backfires: The role of negative emotion valuation, the researchers found an association
between valuing happiness and mental health outcomes. The researchers asked participants to fill
out several surveys about pursuing happiness, personal expectancies, depression and well-being,
and the frequency and intensity of negative emotions. After running zero-order and partial
correlations, Humphrey et al. (2021) found that valuing happiness is associated with increased
personal expectancies for depression and anxiety. The higher the value placed on happiness, the
higher the likelihood of negative psychological outcomes (Humphrey et al. 2021). Both Chiu
(2020) and Humphrey et al. (2021) have detailed the consequences of pushing for an unhealthy
dose of happiness. Knowing this, I would suggest for my friend to not only deprioritize
happiness, but to place value on and cope with every emotion they feel, even the negative ones.
Western society has a habit of devaluing any emotion that is not associated with happiness and
this, in turn, causes more unhappiness. I would tell my friend that experiencing an equal amount
of divergent emotions and coming to terms with the feelings they are experiencing is much
healthier than forcing happiness.
Another suggestion I would make to my friend comes from an article titled The global
rise of unhappiness by Clifton (2022). In this article, Clifton (2022) explains how negative
experiences, such as feelings of anger, stress, sadness, worry, and physical pain have been
increasing globally for almost a decade. He then discusses how individuals that are less likely to
experience the rise of unhappiness have achieved all five of these attributes within their lives:
work fulfillment, little financial stress, good health, a good support system, and living in a great
community. While these five factors are often a privilege and not a right, I would suggest that my
friend evaluate these areas of their life and see what emotions it brings up for them. If their job,
for example, is bringing them more negative experiences than good, then it may be time for a
change. It is much better for my friend to look and their current situation and focus on where
they need adjustments, as opposed to masking these areas with toxic positivity and negative
emotion devaluation.

References

Chiu, A. (2020). Time to ditch 'toxic positivity,' experts say: 'It's OK not to be OK'. Washington

Post.

Clifton, J. (2022). The global rise of unhappiness. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/opinion/

gallup/401216/global-rise-unhappiness.aspx

Grant, A. (2020). Procrastinate much? manage your emotions, not your time. New York Times.

Humphrey, A. Szoka, R. & Bastian, B. (2021): When the pursuit of happiness backfires: The role

of negative emotion valuation, The Journal of Positive Psychology.

DOI:10.1080/17439760.2021.1897869

Lopez, S.J, Pedrotti, J.T, & Snyder, C.R. (2018). Positive Psychology: The scientific and

practical explorations of human strengths. SAGE Publications, Inc.