On Work and Well-Being: A Conversation With Jane Dutton, PhD

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On Work and Well-Being: A Conversation With Jane Dutton, PhD

Whether your 9-to-5 takes up only 8 hours of your day or your work seeps into many areas of your life, whether you work for yourself or for a major organization, we suspect most would agree that finding well-being in the workplace is an essential component of living a good life. But it isn’t as easy as showing up every day with a smile or deciding to be satisfied with what your job entails. Workplace well-being gets down to the foundation of what we are seeking with our work, who we are working with, what the organizations we work for prioritize, and the context of our lives outside of working hours.

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Can Magic Mushrooms Reconnect us with Nature?

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Can Magic Mushrooms Reconnect us with Nature?

Throughout my life, I’ve found myself in moments of peace and oneness in nature. The 8,000 trees at Wellesley College gave me stability, courage, and connection in moments I felt the loneliest. The foreign desert landscape of Joshua Tree National Park reminded me of being wrapped in a blanket crocheted by my grandma. The crisp air, looming fog, and iconic Redwoods of Big Sur felt like the source of all life and love in the world. When I think about what matters most, I find myself back in these moments, existing in an often isolated place but filled with the sense that everything that ever was and ever will be was there all at once. I’ve felt the most at home in moments in the natural world—not when nature was the backdrop but when nature was the occasion and presented the opportunity to slow down and tune in.

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Jellyfish, Stardust and Nicodemus: Decoding the Spiritual in Psychotherapy

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Jellyfish, Stardust and Nicodemus: Decoding the Spiritual in Psychotherapy

There’s a saying in my profession that more therapists are comfortable talking about sexuality than spirituality. If so, then I’m in the minority. I don’t care to know what goes on in your bedroom, but I do care what goes on in your soul. Interestingly, the same pattern of spirituality as taboo seems to play out among those seeking therapy. While the word “spirituality” has become more mainstream, individuals’ personal spiritual experiences and their willingness to talk about them (unlike their sexuality) has not. Often when I ask someone to tell me about their spiritual life, I hear, “I’m not religious,” or “I was raised Catholic but don’t practice anymore,” or “I’m culturally Jewish.” Even if I ask a general question on an intake form, such as “Is your spirituality or faith life important to you,” more often than not it is left blank.

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From Despair to Hope: Psychedelics and the Pursuit of Human Flourishing

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From Despair to Hope: Psychedelics and the Pursuit of Human Flourishing

If you've chosen to read this, you may be among the millions of people across the globe curious about the use of psychedelics as a potential intervention in addressing mental health challenges and fostering human flourishing. Some have dubbed the resurgence of interest (and the accompanying hype bubble) as a psychedelic renaissance. For all that is being said about it in academic journals, popular media, social networks, and around dinner tables, we are still at that uncomfortable place in the scientific process where we have more questions than answers. Hopefully, the nine minutes you invest in reading this piece sheds some light into the fascinating world of psychedelic-assisted therapy (or PAT) and fans an ember of knowledge in your inquisitive mind.

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A Conversation on Awe with Dacher Keltner, PhD

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A Conversation on Awe with Dacher Keltner, PhD

Dacher Keltner, PhD., is a researcher and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where he teaches and runs the Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory. He has studied intrapersonal characteristics and functions of emotion and now focuses on how positive emotions, such as awe, compassion, desire, and pride shape an individual’s relationships, physical environment, and sources of pleasure. In this interview with Dr. Keltner, we spoke about the science of awe and about his latest book, Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life.

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Our Sustenance: From Scraps to Soul Food, a Positive Institution

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Our Sustenance: From Scraps to Soul Food, a Positive Institution

“GOD IS GOOD.”

Regardless of your religious affiliation, in my community, the correct response here is…

“ALL THE TIME.”

The phrase is an acknowledgement that in the most difficult of times, there is something greater on the other side. We could call this hope, call this optimism, even resilience. But I’d like to call it faith.

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Nourishing Bodies and Enhancing Relationships: The Power of Shared Meals

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Nourishing Bodies and Enhancing Relationships: The Power of Shared Meals

Across the globe, since time immemorial, the most common ritual among humans has been the shared meal. Even before the dawn of humanity, eating was a social act. Our hunter-gatherer predecessors were more successful when they worked together and felt more secure when they cooked and ate their food together (Sutton, 2001).

Most people can recall the kitchen in their childhood home—perhaps a holiday table surrounded by the people most important to them. Or a meal with a colleague where they bonded over the food they ate, shared recollections, or had a memorable conversation. Eating is a universal human act. People may not always like each other. They may not get along or have much in common. Yet, we all have to eat.


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Pathways to Well-Being through Cooking for Family and Friends

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Pathways to Well-Being through Cooking for Family and Friends

Preparing holiday meals takes time and effort—from the shopping and menu planning to the cooking and table setting. The process can become anxiety-provoking and overwhelming. Approaching the preparation of these meals with a positive mindset can make a world of difference. When I cook Thanksgiving dinner, I think about the opportunity I am creating to strengthen social bonds with family and friends. I reflect on the gratitude I have toward myself for hosting the dinner. I embrace other positive emotions like pride and love, which research suggests contribute to a more positive mindset (Fredrickson, 1998; 2001; 2009).

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Happiness is Edible: Why Happiness Also Comes From our Relationship with Food

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Happiness is Edible: Why Happiness Also Comes From our Relationship with Food

In Mexico, as well as in various countries around the world, there are endless proverbs articulating the relationship between food and well-being. El amor empieza en el estómago (Love starts in the belly). Barriga llena corazón contento (A full belly makes the heart happy). El agua separa a la gente del mundo y el mezcal las une (While water separates people around the world, mezcal brings them together). Las penas con pan son menos (Troubled times with bread are lesser).

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On Food and Flourishing: Reflections from Dr. Paul Rozin

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On Food and Flourishing: Reflections from Dr. Paul Rozin

Paul Rozin, PhD., Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, has researched human food choice from biological, psychological, and anthropological perspectives. He has studied the psychological significance of flavorings placed on foods in different cuisines, the cultural evolution of cuisine, the development of food aversions, the development of food preferences, family influences in preference development, body image, the acquisition of liking for chili pepper, chocolate craving, and attitudes to meat. Most recently, he has focused on the emotion of disgust, the entry of food issues into the moral domain in modern American culture, French-American differences in the food domain, among many other topics in his research CV.

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In Memoriam | Katie Wittekind (C’18)

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In Memoriam | Katie Wittekind (C’18)

In a Quaker-style memorial earlier this summer, members of Penn’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) alumni community gathered to honor and pay tribute to Katie Wittekind (C’18), who died in a biking accident this past Mother’s Day. Katie possessed great perspective, and she loved to dance. Among other things, she’s remembered for her warmth, wisdom, courage, light, lived values, infectious smile, and zest for life.

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Social Prescribing | Buffering Loneliness and Nurturing Well-being Through the Arts, Humanities, and Community

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Social Prescribing | Buffering Loneliness and Nurturing Well-being Through the Arts, Humanities, and Community

“Good morning Paula, how are you today? What can I help you with in the here and now?” I had become accustomed to Nicole’s questions. For eight weeks, she had become an important fixture in our lives. Through her curiosity, compassion, and skills as a social worker, Nicole enacted the kind of psychological support that I needed after losing my husband. 

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How Friendship Thrives in Shared Struggle

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How Friendship Thrives in Shared Struggle

I applied to the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania one year after receiving a brain cancer diagnosis. At this point, I wasn’t sure how the disease would progress or how quickly. My motivations and goal hierarchies honed in on improving all aspects of wellness in my control and letting go of the rest. Being diagnosed with a terminal illness changes your priorities—almost instantly.

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More on the How of Happiness: An Interview with Sonja Lyubomirsky

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More on the How of Happiness: An Interview with Sonja Lyubomirsky

Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky has been studying how and why people can become happier for over 30 years. Her research includes cognitive, motivational, and behavioral processes in subjective happiness. In this interview she reflects on some of the origins of the research of happiness, her current work, and how we as teachers, leaders, and parents can influence happiness in ourselves and others.

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All in on AI: Why Positive Psychology Practitioners Should Explore Artificial Intelligence

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All in on AI: Why Positive Psychology Practitioners Should Explore Artificial Intelligence

In late 2021, a clip of Bill Gates explaining this new concept called the internet to a skeptical David Letterman was making the rounds on social media. In that clip from 1995, Gates explained that the internet was a gateway to information—where companies could do commerce and people could share stories. An incredulous Letterman exclaims to Gates and the amused studio audience, “It's wild what's going on” (Giller, 2018). Now, almost three decades later, it's just as wild. Moreover, we can choose to watch or we can choose to act.

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Reclaiming Our Lives: The 30-Day Digital Detox as a Catalytic Positive Intervention

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Reclaiming Our Lives: The 30-Day Digital Detox as a Catalytic Positive Intervention

The predatory forces driving the attention economy have pushed many of us into unhealthy patterns of digital technology use. I believe the negative impacts on both personal and societal well-being are mounting. Clearly seeing these negative impacts points us directly towards an immense source of well-being—to the well-being that accrues from abstaining from detrimental digital tech use. Imagine getting off some drug that was wreaking havoc on your relationships, your emotions, your ability to get things done, and your basic sense of self-respect. This would bring a tremendous amount of well-being, would it not?

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Capitalizing on Positive Technology: An Interview with Lyle Ungar, PhD

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Capitalizing on Positive Technology: An Interview with Lyle Ungar, PhD

In a recent address to students in the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program at the University of Pennsylvania, field pioneer Martin Seligman (personal communication, April 23, 2023) commented that if he had an opportunity to do his studies again, he would explore the intersection of positive psychology and artificial intelligence (AI). Seligman is hardly alone in his fascination with AI. For example, just days after its launch in November 2022, consumer-facing AI chatbot, ChatGPT, which in response to prompts can generate humanlike text and conversation, hit one million users (Buchholz, 2023). Two months later, the application soared to 100 million users, and industry estimates suggest that as of last month, the site had 1.8 billion all-time views (Ruby, 2023).

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Crafting OurStory

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Crafting OurStory

African Americans are resilient and strong. 

These six words—the first sentence of my final capstone as a student in the University of Pennsylvania Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program—were a foundation on which I was raised. As I look to my brothers and sisters, my sons and my daughters, my parents and grandparents, my aunties and uncles—only some of whom I’m actually related to—I hear and witness this story again and again. We are a people of cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005) and multiple strengths (Hurd, 1995; Littlejohn-Blake & Darlin, 1993; Mattis et al., 2003).

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MAPP 2.0 : A Vision for Our Evolution

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MAPP 2.0 : A Vision for Our Evolution

When I entered the University of Pennsylvania Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program back in 2009, it was because I felt a calling to apply more substance and salience to my work in television. I had recently left a job as a news anchor, and although I found great fulfillment in the work, the substrate left me…wanting. I was using my face and voice to disseminate information that, net-net, made people sick. I didn’t realize this consciously at the time. It took my education in positive psychology and my capstone on positive psychology and the media to crystallize with research most of us now know empirically: Watching the news engenders anxiety (McNaughton, 2001) and depression (Potts & Sanchez, 1993). Until then, however, it was just an instinct. An instinct that turned out to be correct.

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Turning Pain into Fuel for Positive Change

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Turning Pain into Fuel for Positive Change

The morning after a birthday party she threw for me fifteen years ago, I woke up in a hospital emergency room to learn that my girlfriend, Laura, was killed in a drunk-driving crash. Although I had no recollection of driving the car, and we’d planned for her to be our designated driver, I was responsible for her death. A year later, I pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and went to jail to serve a short sentence. There, I unexpectedly found the solitude and stillness to consider a future that would honor Laura’s memory.

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