ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY FEELING BETTER: Applying the science of success to increasing your well-being
ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY FEELING BETTER: Applying the science of success to increasing your well-being
By James “Jed” Foster, MA, LMFT
At Comprehensive Gastrointestinal Health, our holistic, multidisciplinary approach was designed with patient overall well-being at the forefront. Feeling better, thinking better, eating better, sleeping better: these are among the many goals we’re targeting by working with you to raise your quality of life and getting you back to doing the things that bring you joy, contentment, or a feeling of normalcy that’s been missing for a while.
As the behavioral health specialist at CGH, my domain is “the stuff of life.” I am honored to hear your stories and anecdotes about the good, the bad, and the ugly in your journey to increased levels of well-being. Partnering with you to find the tools you need to build the foundation for sustained growth and positive, lasting change is what I do; and one of the resources I pull from in order to support that partnership is the world of positive psychology.
Simply stated, positive psychology is the “Science of Success.” It’s the scientific inquiry into what makes the happy happy, the content content, and the successful successful. Positive psychology helps to answer the question, “What are those that seem to be ‘winning’ doing differently from those of us that feel like we’re losing.” In obtaining my certification in applied positive psychology in 2016, I was able to take a sustained, deep-dive into a world of scientifically backed, common sense approaches and “life hacks” that – when put into practice – can literally be life changing. For example: did you know that optimism is a learned behavior and a choice? I didn’t. I used to think that the moderately-sized chip I had on my shoulder that painted my world in cynical skepticism was something I’d carry forever. I was wrong. You can change the way you think and how you perceive the world around you. Some changes are as easy as flicking a light switch, but the trick is getting up and walking over to the wall to find that switch. It only works when applied.
Since positive psychology informs my theory of therapy and change, I like to keep up with the latest news from those in the field conducting the research on flourishing – and then share it with my patients. I recently found this article, which discusses some of the insights coming out of the recently held International Positive Psychology World Congress in Australia. Check it out and see how positive solitude, future-mindedness, and “relational energy” are helping people connect with creativity, increase well-being, and just plain feel better.
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/three_emerging_insights_about_happiness
Just a reminder than CONSULTATIONS WITH COUNSELORS ARE OFTEN COVERED BY STANDARD HEALTH INSURANCE – take advantage of the opportunity! We are eager to help IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE and have you THINK LESS ABOUT YOUR GUT or just help improve your overall WELLNESS. Call 224.407.4400 or visit compgihealth.com to schedule a consultation.