How is your doctor making sure you thrive after your stroke?
ANYTHING AT ALL? Or is s/he planning on YOU having the will, drive, persistence, perseverance and resilience to recover completely on your own? And then thrive? My doctors had nothing to do with my thriving, they had nothing to do with my recovery past the tPA application.
http://neurosciencenews.com/thriving-feeling-good-7447/
Source: University of Portsmouth.
What
it takes to thrive, rather than merely survive, could be as simple as
feeling good about life and yourself and being good at something.
From
a teenager studying for their exams to an employee succeeding at work,
thriving can be seen at all ages and across all cultures.
Until
now and despite plenty of theories, there has been no agreement on what
makes a person thrive or on how people can try and ensure they do.
Dr
Daniel Brown, a sport and exercise scientist at the University of
Portsmouth, has pulled together all the research on what makes people
thrive, from studies of babies and teenagers, to studies of artists,
sportspeople, employees and the elderly, and has come up with the first
definitive catch-all.
He said: “Thriving is a word most people
would be glad to hear themselves described as, but which science hasn’t
really managed to consistently classify and describe until now.
“It
appears to come down to an individual experiencing a sense of
development, of getting better at something, and succeeding at mastering
something.
“In the simplest terms, what underpins it is feeling good about life and yourself and being good at something.”
The
study outlines the ‘shopping list’ underlying Dr Brown’s simple
definition. To thrive doesn’t need all the components, but suggests a
combination of some from each of the two following lists may help –
A: Is:
- optimistic,
- spiritual or religious,
- motivated,
- proactive,
- someone who enjoys learning,
- flexible,
- adaptable,
- socially competent,
- believes in self/has self-esteem.
B: Has:
- opportunity,
- employer/family/other support,
- challenges and difficulties are at manageable level,
- environment is calm,
- is given a high degree of autonomy,
- is trusted as competent.
Research has established that though thriving is similar to resilience, prospering or growth, it stands alone.
Thriving
has been examined at various stages of human life and has at times been
described as vitality, learning, mental toughness, focus, or
combinations of these and other qualities. It has also been examined in
various contexts, including in the military, in health and in child
development.
“Since the end of the 20th century, there has been a
quest in science to better understand human fulfilment and thriving,
there’s been a shift towards wanting to understand how humans can
function as highly as possible,” said Dr Brown.
Thriving
has been examined at various stages of human life and has at times been
described as vitality, learning, mental toughness, focus, or
combinations of these and other qualities. It has also been examined in
various contexts, including in the military, in health and in child
development. NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
“Part
of the reason for a lack of consensus is the research so far has been
narrowly focused. Some have studied what makes babies thrive, others
have examined what makes some employees thrive and others not, and so
on. By setting out a clear definition, I hope this helps set a course
for future research.”
Dr Brown’s research makes six
recommendations for future research, including the need for close
examination of what enables thriving, and whether thriving has any
lasting or cumulative effect on individuals.
He carried out the
research as part of his PhD studies at the University of Bath. His
primary supervisor, Dr Rachel Arnold, an expert in the psychology of
performance excellence, is a co-author of the paper.
About this neuroscience research article
Source: Kate Daniell –
University of Portsmouth
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: Full open access
research for “Human Thriving” by Daniel J. Brown, Rachel Arnold, David Fletcher, and Martyn Standage in
European Psychologist. Published online September 7 2017 doi:10.1027/1016-9040/a000294
