Regenerative positive psychology: A call to reorient wellbeing science to meet the realities of our world

Abstract

Positive psychology has had an impressive first 25 years. However, it and related wellbeing sciences are at risk of being rendered futile at a time of staggering crises across psychological, social, political, and environmental domains. This paper is a call for a new science of wellbeing, a Regenerative Positive Psychology, that reorients the field toward protecting and expanding the growth and health of the life-sustaining systems necessary for our wellbeing. This paper asks whether life has improved significantly since the launch of positive psychology, appraises the field’s disproportionate emphasis on individual wellbeing, describes regenerative approaches in other fields, and proposes Three Pillars for a Regenerative Positive Psychology that is better equipped to take on the daunting challenges ahead. As fields rooted in strengths, hope, and purpose, positive psychology together with wellbeing sciences are ideally suited to take greater leadership in facing the world’s crises and building more positive futures for all.