Positive Psychology research has indicated that higher levels of well-being lead to higher engagement, creativity, relationships, resilience, skills, and fulfillment. Therefore, by working on raising their well-being levels, clients will be more engaged and creative. Due to the positive relationship between well-being and personal/professional outcomes, well-being hacks may help clients maximize their potential.
As emotions are contagious, a client’s high level of well-being positively impacts other people in their lives. These happy people may provide more resources and support to the client in their goal-achievement journey.
Coaches can help their clients improve their well-being by encouraging them to use some of these suggestions before, during, or after the coaching session. According to psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, when experiencing positive emotions, people open up and become flexible in their thinking and behavior. These practices may help a client move closer toward their coaching goals. Anything a person can do to experience positive emotions can yield psychological benefits.
Use the following positive psychology-oriented hacks with your clients.
1) Count Your Blessings
Acknowledging the good things in life and being grateful for those things can enhance well-being levels. Recognizing good things in life can lead to higher life satisfaction. According to positive psychology research, recognizing good things in life and expressing gratitude is critical to enhancing well-being.
2) Take a Few Rounds of Deep Breaths
The importance of deep breaths has been shared in most cultures. According to cognitive psychology, deep breathing may increase oxygen flow to the brain, enhancing cognitive functions like perception, attention, and thinking. This improvement in cognitive function may help change the state of mind, ultimately leading to higher levels of well-being.
3) Stretch Yourself Physically or Mentally
According to legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow is “the pleasurable experience resulting from engagement in an interesting activity that properly matches or challenges a person’s skills and abilities.” Stretching oneself in any activity of interest may bring the mind to a state of flow. When an individual experiences flow, it produces total absorption, shuts off conscious thinking, and instantly enhances well-being.
4) Write Down Stories of Your Good Memories
Most people have a variety of good memories. According to Fred Bryant and Joseph Veroff, looking back at those positive events rekindles warm feelings, leading to higher well-being. Reflecting on the reasons why they happened can further boost well-being levels.
5) 2-Minute Body Scan
In his book Search Inside Yourself, Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan mentioned that emotion is a physiological experience. He recommends practicing a body scan for two minutes. By bringing attention to the body, we help it relax. Moreover, performing a body scan relaxes both the body and the mind, which helps in enhancing well-being.
6) Watching Short Videos or Photos of Loved Ones
Watching videos or photos of loved ones can instantly generate positive emotions, improving mood and increasing well-being.
7) Think Through a Plan for Making a Loved One Happy
Thinking about ways to make a loved one happy may be the most exciting hack, as it may positively impact emotional, psychological, and social well-being. When an individual thinks about making a loved one happy, it instantly changes their mental state, leading to increased emotional well-being. Furthermore, this practice has the potential to strengthen the existing warm and satisfying relations between you and your loved one, raising positive relations with others, which is an element of psychological well-being. As this type of planning will be valued by the loved one, it will also enhance the social contribution element of social well-being.
8) Recall Prior Community Work
Corey Keyes highlights that social contribution is an element of social well-being. Recalling our contributions to the community may raise positive emotions and contentment, ultimately leading to enhanced well-being. Coaches may ask questions about their clients’ past societal contributions, aiding them in recognizing their previous contributions to society and subsequently raising their levels of well-being.
9) Think About People With Whom You Have Close Positive Relationships
Having warm, satisfying, and trusting relationships is an excellent contributor to well-being. Positive relationships form a critical element of psychological well-being, as emphasized by Professor Martin Seligman in his PERMA (Positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning, and accomplishment) model of well-being. Thinking about these positive relationships instantly evokes positive emotions leading to an enriched sense of well-being.
10) Recall Previous Successes and Accomplishments
Renowned psychologist Albert Bandura suggested that reflecting on past successes and accomplishments may heighten an individual’s sense of self-efficacy. Recalling, noting, or visualizing these accomplishments holds great potential to change one’s mindset from anxious to feeling competent, resulting in an upswing in positive emotions. This process can also include recalling a memory of effectively managing complex situations in the past.
Individuals may use different hacks in various situations to enhance their well-being levels. Applying two to three hacks at any point of time may help in enhancing one’s sense of well-being.
