Positivity and happiness - Fleximoms chat with Dr Roshni Sachar
We got into a chat with Dr Roshni Sachar, who is the first person to bring Positive Psychology Coaching to India. She completed her PhD in Positive Psychology from IIT Delhi. Roshni worked with United Nations for over 7 years for an international position with WHO. Apart from that she has also served with the corporate sector and development sector. Read on to know more about Roshni and positive psychology:
Getting Started:
When I learnt about this new discipline which is only a decade old in the world and realized that I could pursue a PhD in it from IIT Delhi, I grabbed the opportunity. After completing my PhD I decided to make a career out of my passion for this subject and to allow people to benefit from this new science of human flourishing. Now, I undertake corporate workshops, trainings, seminars, group coaching and individual coaching on all aspects of life.
What is positive psychology?
Positive Psychology in layman terms means focusing on what is right with human beings. It is the science of human flourishing and focuses on optimum human functioning. In positive psychology you channelize your energy in the right directions, the good thing about it- it is for EVERYONE. Positive psychology can be branched into a lot of categories including authentic happiness, mindfulness, identifying signature strengths, appreciative inquiry, flow, positive leadership to name a few. Basically positive psychology helps an individual reduce stress, develop authentic happiness and build positivity. It is a terrific way to tackle stress for back to work moms. It helps them to juggle and get used to everything.
How is it different from traditional psychology?
Traditional psychology waits for you to first develop a problem and then cures you. Positive Psychology focuses on what is right with human beings and not what is wrong, as traditional psychology does. Technically it prevents one from getting into an adverse situation through positivity. It has a two-pronged approach, firstly to prevent mental illness and secondly to enhance your well-being. Roshni feels she personally has gained a lot from it, it made her self aware. Most of us live through life without even knowing ourselves well, leave alone understanding other people.
Positivity in Life
Many of us especially moms tend to indulge in guilt, self-criticism and become conscious of what we are thinking and doing, positive psychology teaches you how to refrain from doing so. Roshni feels there is a duality in mind, so you need to control the mind and let not the mind control you. She further adds, “I would say staying positive contributes to staying happy.” Change the way you think, become conscious of your thoughts, change those to positive thoughts, be mindful, live in the present and you are on the path to happiness.
Roshni says, “positivity leads to happiness, it seems very simple we when ask people to nurture positive thoughts, but it is easier said than done. Positive thinking requires a cognitive behavior change which needs to be learned. To stay happy in our everyday lives people should start with developing positive thoughts, a cognitive behavior change needs to be made which can be learnt through coaching.”
Work, Career and Positive Psychology
On being asked what role Positive Psychology plays in entrepreneurship, Roshni said, “in order to run a successful business, one needs to stay inspired, passionate and motivated consistently.” According to her an entrepreneurial venture is your baby, without motivation, passion and constant love it won’t survive. Positive psychology helps you maintain momentum in your work life, it instils in you all the factors needed to get going whether you are an entrepreneur or not. It increases meaning and engagement at work. It helps you set and achieve goals, energizing you and stimulating creative thinking. You learn to excel using your inherent qualities.
Career in positive psychology:
To pursue PhD in the subject it is mandatory to have a psychology background. Otherwise one can undertake short courses which are soon going to be offered, or else hire a Positive Psychology coach to help you with HR and training as of now and get familiarized with it.
If you still have any question on Positive Psychology or want to feel the positivity in your lives visit the site.
