....is very casually taken for granted despite being the most significant in everyday life. Understanding our own body & mind is of utmost importance. A kind of systematic study carefully collected by observations which helps in different ways is referred under physiological aspects of humans. Similarly, understanding our own mind including thoughts, emotions & actions is equally important. A science of mind or soul that undertakes study of human behaviour & mental processes is termed Psychology!
Every human being is a separate individual with different mental sets & so no two people can lead exactly the same life and have similar experiences. Hence, this falls under rational branch of science which helps to study human behaviour based on facts with observation and experimentation, bridging the divide between social science and natural science. It is a science of consciousness which makes person aware about their own thoughts, emotions and actions, in an attempt to explain, predict, modify & improve life by applying Psychology in routine life so that things can be done with more efficiency because mental wellness is a vital factor of longevity and a key to living a healthy and happy life. Of course, there is a huge influence of heredity which is reflected in human behaviour & abilities - still it makes a unique combination when psychological skills acquired, learnt & then applied in everyday life making Psychology, both an Art & Science!
Psychology is not something that has always been around. The discipline has evolved over time, and it continues to change. There are two schools of thought that are followed in psychology- the biological and the psychodynamic. The biological school of thought focuses on the physical aspects of the mind, while the other looks at how our thoughts affect our mental health. As the main focus is on studying & understanding higher mental processes like thinking, decision making, reasoning, learning & memory wherein information flows from different brain areas underlying behaviour of person in specific situation that might change in due course of time with age and experience that eventually impacts person's actions. Even the amount of stress experienced in particular settings can be very well studied under various structural & functional perspectives of psychology either directly or indirectly. Here the ultimate goal is to understand human behaviour & emotions.
Though the theoretical basis of psychology is strong enough, its empirical approach is important too. Psychology offers motivation to be constantly engaged in certain productive activities. It involves much of interpersonal communication skills in order to express oneself with use of both verbal & non - verbal signals. Allows person to gain emotional ability of acceptance, dignity, gratitude & forgiveness that plays an important role in personal as well as professional relationships. Emotional regulation by correctly identifying & classifying emotions helps in accurate expression of emotions which are culturally universal in nature across the world. Even memory enhancement is possible by eliminating distractions and minimising distractions by learning different techniques useful in everyday practice. Allows forming opinions on basis of individual experiences because it often follows a fixed plan to measure human behaviour in various aspects.
Thus, the purpose or importance of Psychology is to successfully predict human behaviour further leading to control and change with help of efficient coping strategies that act as a driving force and helps navigate better allies in individual's social environment. So along with mental well-being it ultimately helps to improve overall health of a person. Hence, it focuses on emotional, cognitive, behavioural, and social well-being all together. Because like physical health, psychological health is an integral part of our overall holistic wellness!
Reference Bibliography
Psychology, Class-XI, Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Curriculum & Research.