We are living in an era where psychological discomfort and disorders of mental health, such as anxiety and depression, have increased alarmingly, according to a report from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The causes are multiple, although experts assure that it is possible to change the course towards greater satisfaction and well-being.
Viviana Kelmanowicz, a graduate in Psychology and Psychopedagogy, specialized in psychotherapy, positive psychology and building well-being, explained in an interview with Infobae that well-being is not simply reduced to being happy.
“It does not mean having a positive thought or repeating positive self-affirmations, it does not imply a permanent high mood or avoiding conflict and negativity. Wellbeing, as the word indicates, is about ‘being well’. By applying certain tools and knowledge to reach that ‘well-being’. To do this, it is necessary to deploy systematic and conscious behaviors, guiding attention towards the elements of the experience and the processes of cognitive functioning that favor that state.assured the specialist.
According to the expert, the welfare It involves feeling that our life has a purpose. Although positive emotions are part of this concept, the most important thing is the feeling that our harmony and stability depend more on our interior than on external circumstances.
To cultivate this state, Kelmanowicz has designed the method of “The law of 4”, which consists of four essential laws: self-mapping, intention, attention and knowledge. These laws act as a compass that guides and directs us towards a full and happy life.
1. Automapping: It allows people to identify their position in situations that they want to change. It’s a “atlas” personnel that delimits a territory to delve deeper into it. “It is a first step when I set my mind to something. It is a zoom-in of the territory that I want to evaluate”Kelmanowicz explained. To begin, it is necessary to define what we want to change, what is not serving us and what we want to incorporate into our lives.
2. The intention: It plays a crucial role in adhering to goals. Intention management defines how much and how we stick to our goals. “Whether you are conscious or not, most of the time your mind goes where it wants. Our attention wanders constantly, and the way to maintain focus is to keep our intention fixed on what we set out to do. “Intention works like an alarm clock that alerts us so we don’t forget our goals.”Kelmanowicz details.
3. Attention: It underlines the importance of consciously directing our ability to focus. “Where we direct our attention, our magnifying glass or our flashlight, there our brain focuses and gives light”, explains Kelmanowicz. Therefore, it is crucial to be skilled at illuminating and guiding attention towards situations that allow us to live with wisdom and well-being.
4. Knowledge: Provides direction and meaning in the search for well-being. It is based on the premise that what we put in our minds is ours, and it modulates our actions and thoughts. “A central discovery of recent years is that we have the responsibility and a great opportunity to modify the functioning and structure of the brain with our daily actions”said the specialist, highlighting the positive influence we can exert on our lives and those of others through knowledge.
Through this method, the expert urges us to take an active and conscious role in shaping our lives, using specific tools that facilitate adherence to our intentions, management of attention, acquisition of practical knowledge and, finally, the realization of goals. projects and the achievement of happiness.
