Have you ever heard or read about personal strengths? These are very powerful tools that help us improve.
Last update: 13 September, 2020
Psychology, like all branches of science, has evolved a lot over the years. In the past it was thought that simply by talking about what made us feel bad and identifying the cause of the discomfort we would be cured. Today we know that talking about it is not enough. We need to be able to get the most out of our strengths.
Neural activation patterns and habits of thinking and behavior need to be changed to affect us emotionally and lead to changes. In this article we will try to understand getting the most out of our strengths.
The role of positive psychology in personal strengths
positive psychology
This perspective is based on the scientific method. This means that the models and exercises on which it is based have been previously studied and tested to demonstrate their effectiveness in a significant percentage of the population. Which indicates that they are not due to chance or the placebo effect.
In other words, positive psychology focuses on what the person does well to improve it. By getting a positive result, the person tends not to focus on what is hurting. It has been proven through countless scientific studies and meta-analyzes that positive psychology works.
Contrary to what many believe, therefore, this discipline does not push the person to be the most positive and happy in the world, nor to start the day with a smile while drinking coffee in a unicorn-shaped cup. Rather it consists in discover the strengths that help us in times of difficulty.
Getting the most out of our strengths is possible if we consider them talents
Knowing one's strengths is synonymous with talent, since it is personal techniques to deal with everything that limits us and prevents us from enhancing our skills. Working on strengths is much more helpful than trying to improve on weaknesses.
Self-esteem, self-confidence, the ability to forgive oneself and others, creativity must come from within, not from the outside. This happens when you know your strengths and are put into practice in the right way.
Identifying the strengths is essential
We often have many more strengths than we think
If you still don't know what they are, we invite you to discover them with the help of the FORTE method, a test from the European Institute of Positive Psychology (IEEP). The STRONG test is a concept developed by the IEPP according to which each person can have up to 26 strengths with 3 different levels of presence: very present, little present or in balance.
Strengths in balance increase levels of psychological well-being, that is, they are an inexhaustible source of well-being, positive emotions and resources to improve ourselves.
Various studies show that knowing and using personal strengths increases well-being, satisfaction, engagement and productivity. Taking into account your strengths is therefore a guarantee of success.
Utilities and Benefits: Getting the most out of our strengths
Once you've found and identified, it's time to make the most of their strengths to foster personal and professional development. Some concrete examples of how they can help us on a daily basis are:
- They increase self-esteem.
- They improve assertiveness.
- They reduce the mania for control.
- They improve emotional management.
- They foster the capacity for forgiveness.
- They make us gain confidence in ourselves.
- They promote positive emotions.
- They calm anxiety.
- They reduce negative automatic thoughts.
We all excel at something, the first step is to understand what to then improve it and enjoy the benefits it offers us.
