Ilona Boniwell is the program leader for the first Master’s Degree in Applied Positive Psychology in Europe at Angila Ruskin University. She is also the CEO of Positran.

In this interview, you will hear Ilona share her insights on making Positive Psychology real and tangible, and practical for people to integrate into their lives. She also talks about the role of Positive Psychology in the workplace, including how it can be integrated through play, the current state of these practices in Europe, and the terminology she avoids when proposing these changes to organizations.

Ilona Boniwell’s website: https://lifelabs.psychologies.co.uk/users/579-dr-ilona-boniwell

You’ll Learn:

● [2:00] - Ilona talks about her goal of making Positive Psychology “real and tangible.” ● [3:17] - Making strengths real by taking them from a questionnaire and knowing what to do with them. ● [4:52] - Ilona describes The Happiness Dashboard. ● [7:35] - Ilona talks about using the available tools to build our skills and maintain changes. ● [9:04] - The importance of play and it’s role in corporate workplaces. ● [10:55] - Ilona talks about how organizations in Europe are embracing Positive Psychology practices. ● [12:20] - Ilona talks about how she frames this discussion to get organizations on board with these practices. ● [13:40] - Is there a time when positive psychology is not the right solution? ● [15:28] - The Lightning Round with Ilona Boniwell!

Your Resources:

“Positive Psychology in a Nutshell: The Science of Happiness” - Ilona Boniwell 

“Oxford Handbook of Happiness”

“Building a Better Business Using the Lego Serious Play Method” - Per Kristiansen, Robert Rasmussen

“Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul” - Stuart Brown, Christopher Vaughn

The European Conference on Positive Psychology

The Positive Psychology Program

Thanks for listening!

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Special thanks to Ilona for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!