Positivity

About positivity

What it is, why it happens and what helps. Contents:

• What positivity really means
• Why positive emotions matter
• The rise of positive psychology
• Happiness around the world
• The negativity bias
• What the research shows
• Three good things
• Gratitude
• Your strengths
• Kindness
• Savouring
• Self-talk and self-compassion
• Relationships
• Body and mood
• Meaning and purpose
• Positivity on hard days
• A simple positive day
• How self-help methods fit in
• FAQs

What positivity really means

Positivity is a way of meeting life that notices the good, expects that things can work out and treats people, including yourself, with warmth. It is not about ignoring problems or forcing a smile. Healthy positivity welcomes every feeling while choosing, again and again, to grow the moments of joy, gratitude, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe and love. These are the ten positive emotions the psychologist Barbara Fredrickson has studied for decades. Positivity is a skill, and like any skill it grows with practice. You can find related topics in our Wellness hub.

Why positive emotions matter

Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory explains why good feelings are more than pleasant. Negative emotions narrow our attention, which helps in an emergency. Positive emotions do the opposite: they broaden attention and thinking, making us more creative, open and curious. Over time, these broadened moments build lasting resources, such as friendships, skills, resilience and health. [6] A large review by Sonja Lyubomirsky, Laura King and Ed Diener, covering 225 studies, found that frequent positive emotions are linked with success in work, relationships and health, and that happiness often comes before these successes, not only after them. [7]

The rise of positive psychology

For much of the 20th century psychology focused mainly on problems. In 1998, as president of the American Psychological Association, Martin Seligman called for a science of what makes life worth living, and positive psychology was born. Researchers such as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who studied flow, Christopher Peterson, who co-created the VIA classification of character strengths, Barbara Fredrickson, Sonja Lyubomirsky and Ed Diener built the field. Earlier thinkers had paved the way, including the humanistic psychologists Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. Today positive psychology is taught in schools and universities worldwide. Laurie Santos’s course on the science of well-being became the most popular class in Yale University’s history, and its free online version has reached millions of people.

Happiness around the world

Every culture has its own wisdom about a good life. Bhutan measures progress through Gross National Happiness, an idea introduced by its fourth king in the 1970s. The annual World Happiness Report has ranked Finland as the happiest country for several years in a row, pointing to trust, social support and a sense of freedom. Denmark gave the world hygge, a cosy sense of togetherness, and Japan the idea of ikigai, a reason for being. Across southern Africa, ubuntu, “I am because we are”, places wellbeing in our connection with others. Buddhist teaching describes mudita, sympathetic joy in the happiness of others, alongside loving-kindness and compassion, and Hawaiian culture speaks of aloha as a spirit of love and goodwill. The common thread is that positivity grows through connection, meaning and appreciation.

The negativity bias

If you find it easier to notice what is wrong than what is right, you are not alone. Our brains evolved to pay close attention to threats, so bad experiences tend to stick more strongly than good ones. The psychologist Rick Hanson describes the brain as “like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones”. The answer is not to push the negative away but to give the positive a little extra time. When something good happens, pause and let it sink in for 20 or 30 seconds. Hanson calls this “taking in the good”, and with practice it helps good experiences leave a stronger trace.

What the research shows

Simple positive practices have been tested in many studies. In a well-known online study, Martin Seligman and colleagues found that writing down three good things each evening for a week, or using a top character strength in a new way each day, increased happiness and reduced low mood for up to six months. [1] A meta-analysis of 39 randomised studies with more than 6,000 participants found that positive psychology interventions improved wellbeing. [8] In a study by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, people who kept a weekly gratitude list felt more optimistic about the coming week and better about their lives. [2]

Kindness works too. A meta-analysis found that performing acts of kindness reliably increases the wellbeing of the person doing them. [3] Loving-kindness meditation, practised for several weeks, increased people’s daily experience of positive emotions and built personal resources such as purpose and social support. [4] Positivity may even be linked with a longer life. In a famous study of Catholic nuns, those whose early-life autobiographies expressed the most positive emotion lived several years longer on average. [9] And in two large studies from Boston, the most optimistic men and women lived 11 to 15% longer on average and were more likely to reach 85. [10]

Three good things

Each evening, write down three things that went well today and why they happened. They can be small: a good cup of coffee, a call with a friend, finishing a task. Explaining why helps you notice your own part and the kindness of others. Many people find that after a week or two they start spotting good things during the day, ready to write them down. The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley offers a free guided version of this practice.

Gratitude

Gratitude means noticing and appreciating what is good in your life and the people who helped bring it about. Try a weekly gratitude list, a gratitude jar filled with notes or a gratitude walk where you notice things you appreciate. Seligman’s “gratitude visit” invites you to write a letter of thanks to someone who made a difference and read it to them. People often describe this as one of the most moving experiences of their year. Gratitude traditions are found across the world, from grace before meals to Thanksgiving and harvest festivals.

Your strengths

Everyone has character strengths, such as kindness, humour, curiosity, courage, fairness or love of learning. The VIA Institute on Character offers a free online survey that ranks your 24 strengths. Once you know your top five, your “signature strengths”, try using one in a new way each day. If curiosity is a top strength, visit a new place or learn something new; if kindness, plan a surprise for someone. Using your strengths tends to feel energising and natural, and it builds confidence. Our guide to self-confidence has more ideas.

Kindness

Kindness is one of the quickest ways to lift your own mood. Try doing five kind acts in one day, such as holding a door, sending a thank-you message, helping a neighbour or giving a genuine compliment. Lyubomirsky’s studies found that doing several kind acts in a single day can be particularly uplifting. Volunteering, sharing skills and simply listening to someone also count. Kindness spreads, too: people who receive kindness are more likely to pass it on.

Savouring

Savouring means fully enjoying good experiences. You can savour the past by recalling happy memories, the present by slowing down to enjoy a meal, music or nature, and the future by looking forward to plans. Share good news with others, take a mental photograph of special moments and keep reminders such as photos or souvenirs. Savouring works hand in hand with mindfulness: both invite you to be fully present.

Self-talk and self-compassion

The way you speak to yourself shapes how you feel. Notice your inner voice and ask whether you would speak that way to a friend. Swap “I always mess things up” for “I made a mistake, and I can learn from it”. Optimistic thinking, as Seligman describes in Learned Optimism, sees setbacks as temporary, specific and changeable. Self-compassion adds warmth: treating yourself with the same kindness you would offer someone you love. [5] Our guide to self-esteem has more practices.

Relationships

Relationships are at the heart of a positive life. The Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has followed people since 1938, found that warm relationships are the strongest predictor of health and happiness across a lifetime, as its director Robert Waldinger describes in his popular TED talk. Make time for people who lift you up, share good news, celebrate others’ successes and reach out to someone you have not seen in a while. Even brief friendly chats with neighbours or shop staff can brighten your day. Our Relationships hub has more.

Body and mood

Your body and mood are closely linked. Regular movement, especially outdoors, is one of the most reliable mood boosters. Sleep, sunlight, regular meals and time in nature all help. Laughter, music and dancing lift mood too. Simple breathing, such as a long, slow out-breath, helps the body relax. Our Health hub has guides to sleep, healthy eating and energy.

Meaning and purpose

Lasting wellbeing comes not only from pleasant feelings but also from meaning: feeling that your life matters and is connected to something bigger. Seligman’s PERMA model names five elements of wellbeing: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment. Meaning might come from family, work, faith, creativity, community or nature. Try writing about your “best possible self”, the life you hope to be living in a few years. Then pick one small step towards it this week. Our guide to motivation can help.

Positivity on hard days

Healthy positivity makes room for difficult feelings. On hard days, the aim is not to feel great but to be gentle with yourself and find small sources of comfort and hope. Let yourself feel what you feel, reach out to someone you trust and do one small thing that helps, such as a walk, a warm drink or a favourite song. Even on difficult days, noticing one small good thing can make a difference. Our guides to stress management and overthinking have more ideas.

A simple positive day

Morning. Before checking your phone, name one thing you are looking forward to. Step outside for some daylight.

During the day. Do one kind act. Use one of your strengths. Pause to savour a good moment.

Afternoon. A short walk, ideally somewhere green. Reach out to a friend.

Evening. Write down three good things and why they happened. Five minutes of loving-kindness meditation before sleep.

How self-help methods fit in

Many methods on this site focus on positive feelings. Abraham-Hicks and the Law of Attraction emphasise feeling good and focusing on what you want. Ho’oponopono uses four warm phrases for peace and connection. Meditation and mindfulness help you notice and savour good moments, and visualisation helps you picture good outcomes. You can see every method we cover in the full list above.

Frequently asked questions

How can I be more positive?

Write down three good things each night, practise gratitude, do kind acts, use your strengths and spend time with people who lift you up.

Does positive thinking really work?

Simple positive practices have been tested in many studies. A meta-analysis of 39 trials found they improved wellbeing. [8]

What is the three good things exercise?

Each evening, write down three things that went well and why. It lifted happiness for up to six months in a large study. [1]

Why do I focus on the negative?

The brain evolved to notice threats, so bad experiences stick more easily. Lingering on good moments helps balance this.

Does gratitude make you happier?

Yes. People who kept a weekly gratitude list felt more optimistic and better about their lives. [2]

Can positivity help health?

In two large studies, the most optimistic people lived 11 to 15% longer on average. [10]

Is it OK to feel negative emotions?

Yes. Healthy positivity welcomes every feeling while making more room for joy, gratitude and hope.

The best videos on positivity

Hand-picked and checked one by one: TED talks from Shawn Achor, Martin Seligman and Robert Waldinger, plus Barbara Fredrickson, Rick Hanson, Sharon Salzberg and Laurie Santos.

The science of happiness

Daily practices

Kindness, connection and wellbeing

Books on positivity

Free resources

Experts to follow

Get help

If low mood lingers for weeks, a counsellor or your doctor can help you feel more like yourself.

Find a therapist or counsellor

• US and Canada: Psychology Today (US) and (Canada) directories.
• UK: BACP therapist directory.
• Australia: APS Find a Psychologist, and Relationships Australia for couple and family services.
• Elsewhere, including Europe and India: ask your doctor or local health service for a referral, and check that anyone you see is registered or accredited where you live.

This hub is for information, not a substitute for medical or psychological care.

Sources

1. Seligman et al. (2005), Positive psychology progress: empirical validation of interventions, American Psychologist 60(5):410-421
2. Emmons & McCullough (2003), Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 84(2):377-389
3. Curry et al. (2018), Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 76:320-329
4. Fredrickson et al. (2008), Open hearts build lives: positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 95(5):1045-1062
5. Neff (2003), Self-compassion: an alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself, Self and Identity 2(2):85-101
6. Fredrickson (2001), The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, American Psychologist 56(3):218-226
7. Lyubomirsky, King & Diener (2005), The benefits of frequent positive affect: does happiness lead to success?, Psychological Bulletin 131(6):803-855
8. Bolier et al. (2013), Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies, BMC Public Health 13:119
9. Danner, Snowdon & Friesen (2001), Positive emotions in early life and longevity: findings from the nun study, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 80(5):804-813
10. Lee et al. (2019), Optimism is associated with exceptional longevity in 2 epidemiologic cohorts of men and women, PNAS 116(37):18357-18362

Written by Saj Ali. Last updated 31 October 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it.