Author: patwdoyle11

Life is a series of transitions and my blog captures my retirement transition journey.

More Tools for Putting Positive Psychology into Practice

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Continuing my insights from the series of Coursera classes on Positive Psychology (link here), this blog post will share more tools beyond Savoring (link here) and Cultivating Positive Emotions (link here). Positive Practice Tool: Utilizing your Character Strengths Utilizing your Character Strengths is a significant part of putting Positive Psychology into practice.  By focusing on … Continue reading More Tools for Putting Positive Psychology into Practice

Thanksgiving Remembrance & Letting Go

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Like many, this year’s Thanksgiving will be different. I’m planning a full Thanksgiving turkey dinner for two.  And that stark reality brought to me a realization that I need to give up on a dream, finally.  A blogging buddy (Linda - blog link) posted recently about letting go of dreams.  I need to let go of … Continue reading Thanksgiving Remembrance & Letting Go

Another Tool for Putting Positive Psychology into Practice

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Learned optimism is one of the most important aspects of my retirement transition.   For most of my career, I was a critical-thinking pessimist.  I was excellent at looking at worse case scenarios and planning to avoid pitfalls on any project or change we were doing.  I had a boss once tell me “you’ll never be … Continue reading Another Tool for Putting Positive Psychology into Practice

Putting Positive Psychology into Practice – Savoring

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As I continue to actively put Positive Psychology into practice, I am exploring some of the practices in more depth. Today I wanted to think/write more about Savoring to see if it stimulated some new activity ideas.  Savoring is the #1 Positive Practice in my list of 11 (see blog link here). When I first … Continue reading Putting Positive Psychology into Practice – Savoring

Fall in Florida Update – Reminisce

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For this update, I focused on the positive.  Reminiscing about fun/good experiences is an element of putting Positive Psychology into practice. (see post link here) As part of the Investing in Experiences practice, when planning activities, it’s about the pleasurable Anticipation, being Attentive in the present, and Reminiscing about positive past.  Beyond boosting my positivity, I … Continue reading Fall in Florida Update – Reminisce

Embrace Being a Homebody

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I’m trying to talk myself into enjoying being a homebody.   Obviously Covid-19 has made me one with our self-isolation beginning in early March.  Seven months in and I really miss my “out & about” activities and connections with others.   But I am trying to focus on the positive (putting Positive Psychology into practice), so embrace … Continue reading Embrace Being a Homebody

Putting Positive Psychology Into Practice – Part 2

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This blog captures my recent synthesis of Positive Psychology explorations.  It’s my list of Positivity Practices /Positivity Skills Development where I’m capturing possible How-to’s not just on the absence of negative (the bad things to “stop”), but also on the cultivation & nurturing of the positive.  Why am I doing this?  Research continues to support … Continue reading Putting Positive Psychology Into Practice – Part 2

Putting Positive Psychology Into Practice

~ patwdoyle11 ~ 19 Comments

During the first couple of years of my retirement transition I explored Positive Psychology and worked on becoming a more positive, optimistic person.  (Yes, I was a highly critical pessimist!   Yes, optimism can be learned.)  I choose to be more positive because in my retirement life vision I wanted to be happy.  As I explored … Continue reading Putting Positive Psychology Into Practice

Mind Space

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Looking back, it is interesting to explore what was taking up my mind-space this summer.  With the deadly pandemic numbers, the tumbling economy with job losses & business closures, the social unrest of systemic racism, climate-change driven natural disasters, the political nightmare of hypocrisy and power plays, and even my at-home chaos of mid-move boxes … Continue reading Mind Space