What drew you to study the Diploma of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing?
“I attended a Happiness and its Causes conference in 2013 which got me interested in Langley and DPP.”
I did a MSCEIT accreditation where I met the facilitator then started working with Langley then did the DPP. It all happened so quick.
How was your experience studying this course?
“My experience was that it was an amazing opportunity to sit for six glorious and luxurious days to reflect on myself, get some really robust and interesting science and apply it all in a practical way.”
That’s what I love about this. It has something for everyone regardless of why you are drawn to it. Whether it’s professional or personal.
How are you spreading positive ripples in your world?
“When I have spent a day in weet-bix, runny noses, mountains of washing and the 500th time I’ve buckled a child into a car seat – I remember how these seemingly meaningless tasks allow me to achieve my Purpose.”
It really is sooooo difficult to choose what to share about how my learning from the DPP and positive psychology has impacted my life. There are so many things both big and small that add up to significant ripples and in some cases tidal waves.
My mantra now is to live a life of purpose and pleasure. I guess it’s PERMA in a nutshell. I condensed the ERMA into Purpose.
If I had to choose my favourites it’s Ellen Langer’s theory of mindfulness and I LOVE Paul Wong’s PURE model of meaning. They both help me to connect to meaning and purpose. For example, my role as a foster carer. Apart from the obvious use of my learning from the DPP about positive emotions, emotion coaching, positive parenting, positive relationships and strengths in caring for these little ones, I am now more aware of the significance of fostering to my own wellbeing and therefore I make decisions that prioritise fostering over things like my career or relaxation and sleep, because I know it fills me in deeper ways.
Additionally, when systems in child protection in Victoria break down and are frustrating, I use positive emotions to remember PURE and rather than get disillusioned and give up on fostering, I aim to Understand the system and remember to take Responsible action. This motivated me to get more involved by joining advisory groups in DHS and speaking in public forums about foster care.
PURE and additionally, learned optimism, strengths and self-determination theory supported me in getting through a potential cancer diagnosis. I was aware of the possibility of spending the next few months in more negative emotions than positive emotions which would have impacted my positivity ratio as well as my relationships and wellbeing. I had also put fostering on hold and changed work around so I knew I was sacrificing meaning and engagement. Also with a potential cancer diagnosis I recognized it’s easy to feel like you have no control over what is happening to you and regaining some of that would be important.
Over five months of x-rays, scans, tests, MRIs, biopsies and surgery. I used my strength of humour to give me a sense of power and increase positive emotion. I used learned optimism to dispute thoughts that this ‘bad event’ was pervasive and permanent. I asked myself ‘how useful is it to worry about this now?’ I leaned on my positive relationships with friends and colleagues to support in emotional and practical ways – which gave opportunities for them to show kindness and me to show gratitude.
I chose to focus on nutrition as a way to increase engagement and meaning and give myself a sense of competence and autonomy. I researched the role of metabolism on health and chose to go on a ketogenic diet and a protocol of fasting. My purpose was to improve health, burn fat, reduce inflammation, reset my microbiome, and regenerate at a cellular level. I completed six 5-day water fasts. Doing this gave me opportunities for a sense of accomplishment, engagement and flow through the learning and the practice. Fasting was almost spiritual and it provided an enormous feeling of personal competence and accomplishment in a situation where I would potentially be feeling helpless and dependent on others. In the end I got the all clear and recovered in record time from the surgery. My surgeon was impressed. I put it down to the intentional activities I took.