Positive Psychology and the Recession

So we are officially in recession. It all seems like doom and gloom. Companies are closing down, banks are in trouble, car makers cannot sell cars. What is fueling all this?

Research from neuro-economists like Gregory Berns, author of Satisfaction, indicates that when people are fearful they cling to what they have. Our nervous systems shut down in a primordial effort to survive and restrict the ability of our minds and bodies to function. As people withdraw, they reduce spending, which leads companies to cut back, thus accentuating the very condition they seek to avoid. As our governors reduce spending to compensate for declining revenues, they, too, reinforce the downward cycle of fear and uncertainty.

Positive psychology seeks realism, not to ignore or avoid the negative, but to emphasize the positive. Achieving that requires seeing our current circumstances as temporary, not permanent. It means avoiding negative people and counteracting this with our own optimism. Similar to the idea of “pay-it-forward,” let’s pass optimism to our neighbors and ignore media reports designed to promote anxiety.

Posted by Stephen Williamson

Related articles by Zemanta

• I am good at dealing with recessions! (flowingmotion.wordpress.com)