THRIVE Blog

Articles, videos, and research on what makes life worth living. What it means to thrive is different for everyone so AllPsych's Thrive Blog is designed to help you understand the foundations of what it means and what it takes to thrive so you can begin applying them to your own life. Make sure to check out our THRIVE Courses where you can add action to your knowledge and start improving your well-being.

Psychedelic Encounters With "Higher Powers" Have Lasting Spiritual Effects

Psychedelic Encounters With “Higher Powers” Have Lasting Spiritual Effects

When someone says they’re "ready to meet their maker," they don’t usually mean they’re about to drop acid, but encounters with "higher powers" are in fact a common effect of psychedelic drugs ...
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/ / Alcohol, Behavioral Psychology, Meaning, Positive Psychology, Spirituality
Looking at the Big Picture Increases Happiness

Looking at the Big Picture Increases Happiness

Sometimes in life, being happy means looking at the big picture and not getting stuck on the details. Recently, a team of researchers tested that idea in a very literal way. Psychologists ...
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/ / Cognitive Psychology, Happiness, Positive Psychology
A Daily Gratitude Exercise

A Daily Gratitude Exercise

Psychologists increasingly believe gratitude to be a powerful emotion that can boost happiness and wellbeing. Gratitude is interesting not only because of its links to happiness but because it’s something we intentionally ...
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/ / Gratitude, Positive Psychology, Treatment
Meditation Can Improve Ability to Cope Flexibly

Meditation Can Improve Ability to Cope Flexibly

Don’t we all just want to have better coping skills? Coping skills have to do with how we handle stressful situations, and they seem to be an important part of mental health ...
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/ / Coping, Meditation, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, Treatment
Are People With Social Anxiety Afraid of Positive Feedback?

Are People With Social Anxiety Afraid of Positive Feedback?

The way we typically think about it, social anxiety involves a fear of being evaluated negatively by other people. Which is true. But an interesting line of research suggests that people with ...
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/ / Clinical Psychology, Positive Psychology, Social Anxiety, Social Psychology
News Flash: The News Is Making You Less Happy

News Flash: The News Is Making You Less Happy

Breaking news, this just in! According to reports we’re getting, uh, it seems that the news might be messing with your mental health. And by reports, I mean a study just published ...
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/ / Emotion-Affective Psychology, Happiness, News, Positive Psychology
3 Quick Positive Thinking Exercises

3 Quick Positive Thinking Exercises

It’s easy enough to say that the key to happiness is being able to focus on the good things in life. But how to actually do that? There may not be a ...
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/ / Cognitive Psychology, Happiness, Positive Psychology
Optimism Predicts Healthy Aging

Optimism Predicts Healthy Aging

If you expect that the future holds good things, you might be right. It’s a common idea that optimism can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and psychology research has tended to back up ...
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/ / Developmental Psychology, Health Psychology, Older Adults, Optimism, Positive Psychology
Awe, the Unknown and Science

Awe, the Unknown and Science

Think of an experience you’ve had that inspires awe – seeing the night sky or a stunning landscape, for example. Part of that feeling is probably a sense of wonder at the ...
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/ / Awe, Media Psychology & Technology, Positive Emotions, Positive Psychology
Mental Imagery Can Enhance Motivation

Mental Imagery Can Enhance Motivation

A lack of motivation can put to ruin the greatest plans – or the smallest ones for that matter. Getting the motivation to do something is a complex process that takes place ...
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/ / Cognitive Psychology, Mindfulness, Motivation, Performance Psychology, Positive Psychology