As I would later come to study in the Master’s of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania, these experiences of nature connection are more than poetic; they’re scientifically meaningful. And small intentional interventions can offer us one path forward as we seek to reconnect to the rhythms of nature, noticing the beauty, connection, and love it offers.
Read MoreThere have likely always been fierce debates about what well-being means. When Aristotle opined on the topic a couple of millennia ago, he was writing a treatise about ethics (ca. 350 B.C.E./1994). Some say he was writing to his son, Nicomachus (Natali, 2013). Think of it as a father’s guide on how to live a good life—something worth paying attention to if your father happens to be one of the most influential thinkers in Western civilization.
Read MoreWhether walking home from work on that first warm spring day or taking a trip to a national park, being in nature just feels right. Although environmental psychology has been around for half a century and people have mused over the feelings and experiences of being in nature for even longer, in many ways, positive psychology has only relatively recently ventured into the nature conversation. With the proposed third wave of positive psychology and Mike Steger’s (2025) call for a regenerative positive psychology, more and more of us are considering the role of nature in well-being, especially in this time of climate collapse and environmental degradation.
Read MoreReferred to by USA Today as “the game changer behind the game changers,” Paddy Steinfort (C’15) is a former professional athlete who has served as advisor and coach to world champion sports teams and MVPs, the US Army, a top emergency-medicine program, world-renown tech and finance executives, and some of the best performers and highest achievers in the world. And yet, people are people, he reminded us in our conversation with him earlier this year. Even the very best of the best can have unhelpful thoughts, beliefs, and feelings that can compromise their performance.
Read MoreMental performance remains a critical differentiator at the highest levels of competition for elite athletes. Traditionally viewed through the lens of psychological skills such as attentional focus, confidence, or emotion regulation, mental performance is also shaped by deeper, stable psychological traits, such as character strengths, which influence how athletes focus, sustain confidence, and manage emotions under pressure. Despite this, the intentional, deliberate, and specific identification, assessment, and development of character strengths has generally been ignored in athlete development processes at all levels.
Read MoreWhy are some people successful but not happy? Why are others happy and successful? When does passion add to our lives and success, and when does it detract from our overall well-being? If you’ve ever wondered about the connection between success, well-being, and happiness, this conversation with Dan Lerner is for you.
Read MoreIn this, the final interview in our special issue on mindset and performance, Gloria Park, PhD (C’05) and I met for one of the best conversations I’ve had in a long time. Dr. Park is Director of Performance Psychology with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, a Certified Mental Performance Coach, and fun fact, the first Assistant Instructor in the University of Pennsylvania Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program. In this rich and inspiring exchange, she shares her take on the nuances of the “A” in PERMA, Martin Seligman’s model of well-being, as well as strategies to leverage the best within us. Whatever the details, depth, and dimension of the challenges we face, she contends, we’re not only equipped but optimized to face them.
Read MoreIn this issue of MAPP Magazine—which explores thriving sexuality, shifting narratives around reproductive health, as well as new work in developing a comprehensive model of sexual well-being—you can delve into the still-emerging sub-sect of positive psychology, positive sexuality. And in this article, you’ll read excerpts from our moving conversation with Stanford University Director of Positive Sexuality, Brianna Booth, PhD (C’11), who shared with us about her work and the power of storytelling and attunement to help not only to change narratives around sexuality but also to foster intimacy and connection.
Read MoreEvery month, nearly 1.8 billion people worldwide menstruate (Rohatgi & Dash, 2023). Menstruation is a normal, healthy bodily function, and it is core to our existence. And yet, it continues to be highly stigmatized and woefully under-addressed in terms of education and support. As such, menstruation is an ongoing source of emotional and physical distress for individuals. The oft-associated shame, embarrassment, confusion, and unmitigated discomfort have powerful downstream effects on health, body image, sexuality, education and opportunities, and overall well-being. How we approach menstruation is indicative of a broader issue around female health disempowerment and requires stigma-defying positive interventions to truly change the tides.
Read MoreWhat are the ingredients for emotional connection during sexual activity (e.g., Blumenstock et al., 2020; Štulhover et al., 2014)? Can we move away from the black-and-white, good-or-bad perspectives and investigate the nuances of how casual sex impacts partners’ mental health (e.g., Kaestle & Evans, 2018)? How can partners in monogamous marriages and long-term relationships not only keep their sexual spark for one another burning (e.g., Mark & Lasslo, 2018), but thriving (e.g., Ménard et al., 2015)?
Read MoreThis fall, we’re at the brink of a new frontier in positive sexuality. So, to wrap this issue and a wonderful year of work alongside positive psychology experts, practitioners, and contributors across disciplines and from around the globe, we’re pleased to share excerpts from our conversation with another trailblazer. Vera Ludwig, PhD. is the new Director of the Human Sexuality and Well-Being Project at the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center. In this interview, she shared her own perspective about positive sexuality and offered an early glimpse into a project that promises to continue to move the field forward.
Read MoreThis summer, over 300,000 people gathered in Paris to watch the opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympics. People from all over the world came to witness a spectacle that included a stunning performance by Celine Dion, athletes parading down the Seine, playful nods to French culture with fashion, Marie Antoinette references, and traditional music filling the air.
Read MoreSeveral years ago, I had the opportunity to be a part of a global change summit organized by World Merit. Our team of change makers from around the world was tasked to create an action plan for one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations. The culmination of the nearly three-week experience was presenting these action plans at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. I chose to focus on goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. I can still remember the excitement and nerves the first day of this experience as I met the teammates I would be working with for the next few weeks. We went around the circle and shared why we chose goal #11 and what the idea of community meant to us. A new friend, Wandile, from South Africa, shared with the group the Zulu word ubuntu which roughly translates to, “I am because you are.” This word and sentiment has stayed with me ever since and captures the reverence and the wisdom of community better than I could ever articulate myself.
Read MoreIt is election season in the United States of America, causing excitement for some, trepidation for others, and perhaps even apathy for a few. It also means, when it comes to government, the public’s focus tends to be on two specific people: the presidential candidates from the major political parties rather than the nearly 22 million government workers who serve our communities in a variety of important functions, from health and safety to education and transportation and more. These workers are all too often part of a bureaucracy that does not get the positive attention—or credit—it deserves. So, it is a good time to remember how public service can take a backseat to politics, overshadowing the importance of the community impact and well-being of government workers beyond those in elected office, like the ones we encounter teaching our children, processing mail at our neighborhood post offices, ready to jump into action at our local fire departments, or picking up the trash from our curbs.
Read MoreIn this article, Dr. Lomas explores the complexities and nuances of community and collective well-being and distinguishes it from the related topic of flourishing. Read on for some of his newest insights and personal musing about the importance and urgency to not only consider the culture and context characteristic of positive psychology’s third wave, but also to move beyond it.
Read MoreIkigai (i-key-ga-ee) is a word that has been defined as “one’s reason for being” or “a life worth living.” This Japanese term comprises two characters – “life” (生き) and “to be worthwhile” (甲斐). The experience of ikigai is typically associated with engagement in meaningful experiences and activities to which one devotes effort, attention, and focus (Kumano, 2018). The origin of the term is traced to ikiru-kahi, itself a composite of the words “to be alive” and “worth.” Psychiatrist Mieko Kamiya (1966) is attributed as the first to popularize the term in her pioneering work Ikigai ni Tsuite (What makes our life worth living). Since then, numerous popular press books have been written about ikigai. Arguably the most popular is Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life (Garcia & Miralles, 2016), one of 2,000 books listed on Amazon about this concept of well-being. The popularity of the concept, particularly its association with longevity, has also been featured in an episode of the 2023 Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.
Read MoreAs primals world beliefs researcher Jer Clifton once said during his Research Methods and Evaluations class, most research begins with an observation and a question. Without realizing it, my capstone project for the University of Pennsylvania Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) started with some observations that evolved into questions a few years before I officially began the program.
Read MoreAbout a decade ago, in my 30s, I found myself in the middle of a major personal breakdown. Having recently moved to New York City, I was far from family and friends and felt I had reached the end of my mental and physical capacities.
Read MoreOne of the first things I noticed when I began to investigate positive psychology and, particularly, after I discovered the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania, was the faces of its professors, practitioners, and the program’s alumni. Most of theirs were much lighter than my own.
Read MoreAlthough I didn’t yet know it, my journey with positive psychology started in 1982, when I was three years old. That year, I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic, progressive disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. At that time, there was little hope for people with CF. Many did not live to adulthood. Even today, there is no cure for the disease, and only 11% of the CF population is over the age of 40 (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, n.d). In 1982, most parents of children diagnosed with CF were given the same message: Take your child home and love them hard because you probably won’t have them for long.
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