Positive emotions are characterized by feelings of enjoyment, satisfaction, happiness, strength, and inspiration, says Georges Chahwan. People who have a large number of positive psychological resources have the ability to cope with their problems more successfully than people who lack these resources (Seligman et al., 2005). The resource can be anything that helps us maintain high spirits in the face of adversity; it could be something as simple as good health or having one\’s friends around during trying times.
Studies show that adversity tends to make people feel helpless but if they are able to gather their inner strength and courage they may become empowered (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2000). People who have a more positive outlook towards life and their challenges tend to overcome them with greater ease than those who see the situation as negative.
Positive emotions can also help people bounce back from traumatic experiences, adds Georges Chahwan. They enable people to recover from past trauma by facilitating the process of rethinking the experience (Wortman et al., 1993). This helps put things in perspective and enables them to find meaning in their suffering (Wortman et al., 1993; Park & Folkman, 1997). According to Park, life\’s challenges are unavoidable and it is how people deal with them that determines their mental health. It is also important to note that negative emotions such as anger, sadness, and fear can contribute to a person\’s stress levels and make them feel bad about themselves. This further weakens their ability to cope or even lead normal lives.