Applied psychology is essentially how psychological knowledge can be applied to solve challenges. These challenges can be on the micro level, so at the individual level or all the way up to the macro level or at the level of society at large. Applied psychology covers strands as diverse as but not limited to clinical psychology, health psychology, sports and exercise psychology, educational psychology and organizational psychology. In this article we will be just covering some basics ideas that can help people socially and psychologically. Taking this broad scope of knowledge and turning it on yourself could be likened to undertaking a scientific adventure in self development.
5 reasons you should engage with applied psychology:
1. Self discovery
Nothing is as complex as a human being, even the person you know best. Learning to better understand yourself to get at what is underneath is a hugely rewarding task, understanding why you hold certain beliefs and hold certain values can inform what you should aim at moving forward. Self discovery will help you to understand your:
- Core values and beliefs
- Personality traits
- Intrinsic motivations
2. Goal setting
A clear, vivid goal orientates us and allows us to set a target and move forward towards it, once established we can then break down big goals into smaller component goals making it more manageable allowing us to create momentum. Setting our aim on a transcendent goal that lies beyond our current abilities helps drive growth. Setting the right sort of goal allows us to focus on the big picture that can help us take small steps towards the outcome even without conscious thought. Having clear goals will help you:
- Get clear on your preferred outcome
- Build momentum by breaking down big goals into its component tasks
- Focus on achieving your component tasks that lead to the outcome
3. Positive emotion and motivation
Life is tough no doubt. We all have things heavily stacked against us, some more than others, poverty, conflict, isolation, prejudice, illness etc. As a result of the effective self discovery previously discussed we can start to focus on and magnify the sources of positive emotion in our life which is one of the best antidotes to suffering. Knowing what interests you and what nourishes you can help you choose a path that is both rewarding and motivating. Focusing on your sources of positive emotion can help:
- Give life purpose
- Encourage a positive outlook
- Unlock your creative side
4. Focused attention and staying present
On the subject of our attention research is pretty clear about how narrow and biased it can be. What appears to be a rich, fully accurate audio visual experience is in fact largely constructed unconsciously for us by our brain. The upside of this though is that through training the mind we can become skilled at being able to hold our attention and ignore distractions. Having focused attention can:
- Help our ability to solve complex problems
- Help us achieve a high performance state
- Help us achieve our desired outcomes by staying focused on them
5. Stress and anxiety management
Although our sensitivity to negative emotion is largely beyond our control how we face it and how we attempt to manage it is firmly within it. Understanding how the body responds to threats as well as understanding the practice of arousal regulation will give you a set of tools for managing your relaxation with aids like music, self talk, imagery and meditation. Getting a handle on our sources of negative emotion and learning to break them down and voluntarily face them can help us overcome them making us braver and more stress resistant. Effective stress and anxiety management can help:
- Prevent you from worrying about past and future events
- Get focused on the things you can control allowing for greater agency
- Build a solid foundation under you
As I mentioned above this list is not exhaustive but rather a kick off point, the benefits of applying these ideas has far reaching benefits on both your self development and mental well-being. Picking just one of the areas above and making some small improvements can allow you to form a solid foundation of which you can start to move on to another topic.