Do we really have all we need within us to be happier, healthier, less stressed, or anxious in life? This book shows you how that can be true - people who apply this book's practices in their life have been shown to experience these benefits. You will learn how you can build your happiness and manage your stress at the same time! Dr. Ryan Niemiec, a global leader in character strengths and mindfulness, expertly walks you through how you can develop your best qualities. Some of these qualities - whether it is courage, zest, creativity, mindfulness, hope, self-regulation, or leadership - may be hidden, blocked, or lost. They are awaiting your discovery! Modern science is revealing new pathways for living a full life. The practices and ideas compiled in this book are some of the best strategies available to help you lead that life of authenticity, peace,strength, and meaning. And, these strategies aren't just for you - they're for all of us. They help build stronger relationships and contribute to the greater good. Packed with stories, practices, tips, and insightful research findings, this book has everything you need to work with your strengths and your mindfulness. What you have here is a toolbox of strategies for life. The toolbox is woven together in a process that you can easily tailor to your current work, family, and social life. This book can be also used in conjunction with participation in the groundbreaking Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice program.

Discover the secret to positivity by tapping into your inner strengths!As a teen, your brain is changing every day. You’re more aware of the challenges and difficulties of life. You’re questioning everything. And you can tell when grownups are being fake or dishonest. All of these sudden realizations can be overwhelming, and as a result, you may fall into a “negativity trap.” And while there’s nothing wrong with a little sarcasm or skepticism—after a while, negative thoughts have a way of turning inward, causing stress, damaging your self-esteem, and crushing your confidence. So, how can you start building the real positivity you need to be happy, healthy, and in control of your life?You only need to look inside yourself.In this unique workbook, you’ll learn to tap into the power of your own character strengths—such as bravery, creativity, being a good friend, perseverance, honesty, and more—in order to build self-confidence, boost a positive attitude, and cope with the inevitable stress of life. You’ll also find out how to spot strengths in those around you, such as friends, family, teachers, and more. Finally, you’ll discover how your own character strengths can help bolster your engagement in life, enhance positive and healthy relationships, give your life greater meaning, increase your accomplishments, and even improve your physical health.This isn’t a workbook to help you be sunny and happy for the benefit of others. It’s not a workbook to help you ignore the difficulties and injustices of our world. What it is is a toolkit for finding your own inner strengths and using those strengths to be your very best. Imagine all you can accomplish with the power of real positivity—both for yourself and the world!

This book examines the science and practice of character strengths as the backbone for understanding, studying, and applying positive interventions across a wide range of disabilities. It explores character strengths as positive personality qualities most central to an individual’s identity that create positive outcomes for building well-being and managing adversities and contribute to the collective good. The book recognizes disability as a part of the human experience that can emerge for anyone and the necessity for examining and applying strengths-based approaches. It explores what is known about character strengths and various disabilities from a science and practice perspective. The book reviews research on the assessment, correlations, concepts, populations, and applications of character strengths across disabilities. It disseminates disparate research and little-known best practices and hypothetical practices, along with multiple case examples, in the effort to advance the science and practice, bring a balanced approach to the field, and contribute to human flourishing. Key topics of coverage include: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and character strengths. Intellectual and physical disabilities, medical illness and character strengths. Mental and emotional disorders (e.g., trauma) and character strengths. Character strengths and disability across special issues including justice, inclusion, dual-diagnosis, and spirituality. Understanding character strengths as internal capacities and abilities across disabilities, problems, and suffering. Character Strengths - the Abilities Within Disabilities is an essential and valuable resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, practitioners, and therapists as well as graduate students in the fields of developmental and positive psychology, rehabilitation, social work, special education, occupational, speech and language therapy, public health, and healthcare policy.

The #1 mindfulness-based program combining mindfulness and character strengths * Detailed primer on combining mindfulness with character strengths * Step-by-step guidance through the 8-session program * Full of inspiring quotes and stories This new, fully revised, and expanded second edition of the handbook for the groundbreaking, evidence-based Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice MBSP program is the guide you need. Developed by author Dr. Ryan M. Niemiec, scientist, educator, practitioner, and a global leader in mindfulness and character strengths, the MBSP approach is about the discovery, deepening awareness, exploration, and application of character strengths. It is about understanding and improving how we pay attention in life - the quality by which we eat, walk, work, listen, and experience joy and peace. And it is about seeing our potential - which is ignited by our strengths of perseverance, bravery, curiosity, hope, kindness, fairness, and leadership. MBSP is not only about our own and our clients' happiness, it is about the happiness of others too. It is an evolving, evidence-based program that can help people to relieve their suffering by using mindfulness and character strengths to cope with, overcome, or transcend problems, stressors, and conflicts. Counselors, coaches, psychologists, researchers, educators, and managers will discover the "how-to" delivery of mindfulness and character strengths. Following primers on the two strands of MBSP and deeper discussions about their integration, practitioners are then led step-by-step through the sessions of the popular MBSP program. The session structure, scripts, tips, lecture material, processes, examples, and audio files are all there ready for use. This time-tested manual can bring beginners up-to-date on these topics while serving to stimulate, inform, and provide valuable tools to the intermediate and most advanced students of mindfulness and/or character strengths. Audio tracks and accompanying scripts as well as appendices on MBSP are available for download and clinical use.

Find calm in the midst of everyday chaos. This strengths-based workbook offers a unique step-by-step approach grounded in positive psychology to help you reduce chronic stress in a busy, frazzled world. Chronic stress is a serious problem for many people, and can lead to a host of health and mental health problems, such as heart disease, anxiety, and depression. If you're one of millions who are feeling overworked, overstressed, and overloaded (and chances are, you are!) this much-needed workbook offers a refreshing new approach to help you find peace of mind and start living the life you truly want to live. In this evidence-based guide, a psychologist offers an innovative strengths-based stress reduction plan grounded in positive psychology. You'll find tips and strategies for identifying your key character strengths-such as perseverance, social intelligence, bravery, self-control, and more-and discover how these strengths can help you cultivate greater happiness, better relationships with others, and improve your overall health. Character strengths are a unique catalyst for both happiness and stress management. The skills and practices offered in this workbook can be learned by anyone, because the capacity for these strengths exist in everyone-including you!

This book is the epitome of positive psychology: it takes the "backbone" of positive psychology - character strengths - and builds a substantive bridge between the science and practice. Working with clients' (and our own) character strengths boosts wellbeing, fosters resilience, improves relationships, and creates strong, supportive cultures in our practices, classrooms, and organizations. This unique guide brings together the vast experience of the author with the science and the practice of positive psychology in such a way that both new and experienced practitioners will benefit. New practitioners will learn about the core concepts of character and signature strengths and how to fine-tune their approach and troubleshoot. Experienced practitioners will deepen their knowledge about advanced topics such as strengths overuse and collisions, hot button issues, morality, and integrating strengths with savoring, flow, and mindfulness. Hands-on practitioner tips throughout the book provide valuable hints on how to take a truly strengths-based approach. The 24 summary sheets spotlighting each of the universal character strengths are an indispensable resource for client sessions, succinctly summarizing the core features of and research on each strength. 70 evidence-based step-by-step activity handouts can be given to clients to help them develop character strengths awareness and use, increase resilience, set and meet goals, develop positive relationships, and find meaning and engagement in their daily lives. No matter what kind of practitioner you are, this one-of-a-kind field guide is a goldmine in science-based applications. You'll be able to immediately bring the science of well-being into action!

Now with dozens of evocative movie images to help discuss key points Three completely new chapters on "PERMA" (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment), the 5 core areas of well-being discussed by positive psychologists: o Positive Relationships o Mindfulness and Resilience o Achievement, Meaning, Engagement, and Positive Emotions Now discusses nearly 1,500 positive psychology movies - 400 of them new to this edition More in-depth discussion of film exemplars for each character strength, exploring its dynamics, use for coping, benefits - and now with movie exemplars of overuse and underuse of each strength New exemplars include Edward in the Twilight series (self-regulation); Robert Downey, Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes (exceptional judgment/critical thinking); Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (prudence); The Artist (zest); and dozens more New appendices listing "Positive Psychology Movies for Children, Adolescents, and Families"; "Movies of the Year" for recent years; and "Positive Psychology Short Films" More extensive commentary on research and practice for each of the 24 character strengths, now with over 800 scholarly references Updated charts, references, practitioner resources, and more!Drawing on the authors' vast experience of teaching, movie discussion groups, and with patients, Positive Psychology at the Movies combines research-based advice on how to improve life and flourish with clear explanations of the scientific background - using movies to exemplify, illuminate, and inspire. The book leads systematically through the 6 "virtues" and 24 "strengths" that the "founding fathers" of positive psychology, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Christopher Peterson, and Martin Seligman, found to be nearly universal across cultures. In each case the authors look at: Key Concepts, Relevant Research, an Exemplar from a key movie, other movie portrayals (including international cinema), Antitheses, Key Enablers and Inhibitors, Practical Applications, and Summary. Readers or classes are invited to consider key issues - and the book also provides a syllabus for positive psychology courses based on movies. Positive Psychology at the Movies is uniquely suited for: (1) individuals or groups wanting to understand the concepts of positive psychology and thus improve their own lives; and (2) for teaching the concepts and practical benefits of positive psychology, in university/college, at work, during counselling or coaching, and in other settings.