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The Positivity Effect: Simple CBT Skills to Transform Anxiety and Negativity into Optimism and Hope
Harness the power of positivity to overcome anxiety— and thrive! If you suffer from anxiety, you may feel stuck in a vicious cycle of rumination, worry, and avoidance—and ultimately miss out on all life has to offer. But what if you could shift your thinking and start living with more expansiveness, hope, and happiness? What if you could transform stress and anxiety, and find lasting balance, peace, and joy? This book can show you how. Based in proven-effective cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and positive psychology, psychologist Dan Tomasulo—author of Learned Hopefulness —offers powerful skills to help you overcome negative thinking and harness the power of positivity to reduce stress, boost confidence, and find instant calm and sustainable happiness. With this uplifting guide, you’ll learn how Not being anxious is not the same as thriving. Nor does worrying less mean that you are at peace. With this inspiring guide, you’ll learn to do more than just stop worrying—you’ll learn to completely transform your outlook for long lasting serenity and joy.
200 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2023
26 people are currently reading
2659 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 26, 2023
Thank you to the author and publisher for giving me an advance copy of this book. The book is well written and ways to follow. However, positivity is a privilege. This is not properly discussed. Nor is the harm of toxic positivity. This book is fine and helpful for someone who has the privilege and resources to choose to live a positive life, but for many it is not a reality or a possibility.
February 13, 2024
Repetition is the key to success in your transformation of thinking. Dan Tomasulo, a psychologist that specializes in acquiring happiness and hopefulness, has written a guide to teach individuals how to improve thinking in order to be happier and hopeful. This book provides instructions, and action steps to improve your positivity. It is backed by research and includes evidence based practices. The following states of mind are addressed: hope, empowerment, resilience, and optimism. While the science of thinking is explored and explained, the words and verbiage utilized is understandable to all readers. Dr. Tomasulo does a great job of presenting the information in an easy to read format, which also allows the reader to implement provided strategies. If you struggle with negative thinking and/or anxiety, this book is a must read to transform your thinking, and your life. I highly recommend this book. Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 9, 2023
I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway. I am glad I did because this book was like reading a textbook and I would never have wanted to pay for it. I could not get past page 25. I am not looking for reference quotes throughout a self help book. I am looking for a candid conversation.
July 22, 2025
You can easily can get lost in long explanations, not fluid at all, an author that speaks too much and says very little...
August 7, 2025
CBT keeps being pushed on us - why?
CBT is a tiny tool in the toolbox. It may help many clients manage *symptoms* of anxiety, depression, and trauma, BUT it does not deal with the *root cause*. Only psychotherapy can offer measurable, lasting effects.
In practice, many patients don't feel seen when their complex histories are reduced to thought distortions or behavioural targets. CBT tends to emphasise short-term results and overlooks the slower, messier work of real emotional healing. A skilled clinician may appreciate CBT's strengths — but also knows it's often not enough.
CBT is a tiny tool in the toolbox. It may help many clients manage *symptoms* of anxiety, depression, and trauma, BUT it does not deal with the *root cause*. Only psychotherapy can offer measurable, lasting effects.
In practice, many patients don't feel seen when their complex histories are reduced to thought distortions or behavioural targets. CBT tends to emphasise short-term results and overlooks the slower, messier work of real emotional healing. A skilled clinician may appreciate CBT's strengths — but also knows it's often not enough.
January 18, 2024
Nagyon hasznos volt számomra ez a könyv. Elérte nálam,hogy akarjak pozitívan gondolkodni,nem mondom hogy máris sikerült de elindultam a fejlődés után. Szuper könyv volt,az írói remek példákat hoztak amivel sikerült megértenem miért is fontos az optimizmus. Voltak benne gyakorlatok amiknek nem teljesen értettem a miértjét de idővel biztos ez is kitisztul. Ha egy kis pozitivitásra lesz szükségem biztosan újra fellapozom a könyvet!
July 9, 2023
This book goes into great depth in explaining what anxiety is. I feel like I have a deeper understanding about anxiety. I have learned different ways to cope with it and will be using these techniques in my everyday life. If you or someone close to you struggles with anxiety, this book will help give you a better understanding and strategies to work through it.
September 28, 2023
Finally an outstanding book on how to effectively improve our lives WITHOUT THE FLUFF
It's difficult to define this book. Is it self-help? Yes, but unlike the myriad books and programs I've read and diligently applied. This actually helps. Just give it a look-see. So darn difficult to find any source that will persistently work.
It's difficult to define this book. Is it self-help? Yes, but unlike the myriad books and programs I've read and diligently applied. This actually helps. Just give it a look-see. So darn difficult to find any source that will persistently work.
January 19, 2025
This book was given to me by one of the most inspiring students I have met. The thing I like about these types of books is that I feel better just reading them. The hard part typically comes after you finish the book, staying in that mindset. I got a lot out of this book. It changed my perspective in a few different ways. Some of the advice may seem obvious, but some of it just didn't click with me until I read it here. I definitely recommend that you spend time reading through and doing the activities in the book, but if you choose not to, the main ideas essentially come down to:
1. Changing your perspective is key. The good is out there, but you have to go looking for it. The best (only) way to feel better is for the positive thoughts to significantly outweigh the negative. "When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change."
2. With this shift in perception, you will find hope. Hope is not just believing that a positive outcome possible, but also recognizing that you can make that outcome happen, while having a strong desire to do so.
3. Focus on your past successes and use them to empower you towards future successes. By default, we typically have more negative than positive thoughts. When thinking about past challenges, it is important to focus on the times where we were successful in overcoming adversity, and use the confidence from this to propel us through future setbacks.
4. You need to be able to adapt to change. The less adaptable you are, the more anxiety and stress you will encounter. See new roadblocks as a challenge that you need to overcome and let this challenge motivate you. "What stands in the way becomes the way." Consciously take time to think about your potential detours when you run into a problem. Think before acting. You will be surprised how quickly your mind can come up with various paths and assess which one is best.
5. Be optimistic about the future. Keep your thoughts focused on positive outcomes and good things will happen. "My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon."
6. Let your passion drive you and focus on your strengths.
To anyone who read this far, I hope you get as much out of this book as I did, and that the rest of your amazing existence on Earth is filled with as much positivity as there can be, and that you get everything out of life that you are looking for.
1. Changing your perspective is key. The good is out there, but you have to go looking for it. The best (only) way to feel better is for the positive thoughts to significantly outweigh the negative. "When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change."
2. With this shift in perception, you will find hope. Hope is not just believing that a positive outcome possible, but also recognizing that you can make that outcome happen, while having a strong desire to do so.
3. Focus on your past successes and use them to empower you towards future successes. By default, we typically have more negative than positive thoughts. When thinking about past challenges, it is important to focus on the times where we were successful in overcoming adversity, and use the confidence from this to propel us through future setbacks.
4. You need to be able to adapt to change. The less adaptable you are, the more anxiety and stress you will encounter. See new roadblocks as a challenge that you need to overcome and let this challenge motivate you. "What stands in the way becomes the way." Consciously take time to think about your potential detours when you run into a problem. Think before acting. You will be surprised how quickly your mind can come up with various paths and assess which one is best.
5. Be optimistic about the future. Keep your thoughts focused on positive outcomes and good things will happen. "My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon."
6. Let your passion drive you and focus on your strengths.
To anyone who read this far, I hope you get as much out of this book as I did, and that the rest of your amazing existence on Earth is filled with as much positivity as there can be, and that you get everything out of life that you are looking for.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews