What is the PERMA model and how to use it to make life better
Miscellaneous / / September 27, 2023
A guide to achieving well-being and prosperity from the founding father of positive psychology, Martin Seligman.
When we're happy, we're productive, get along well with other people, and generally feel great about ourselves. But happiness can be difficult to catch and hold on to. When we focus too much on it, we often don't get satisfaction. The PERMA model will help you succeed in your search. She was invented and described in his book “Path to Prosperity"Founder of positive psychology Martin Seligman.
What does the PERMA model consist of?
The acronym PERMA is derived from the first letters of the five key elements we need for long-term well-being.
- P - Positive Emotion - positive emotion. It can be anything: peace, gratitude, satisfaction, pleasure, inspiration, hope, curiosity, love. The point is to enjoy life here and now, while all the other components of the model are present.
- E - Engagement - involvement. When we are truly involved in a situation, task or project, we enter a state of flow: time seems to stop, we forget about ourselves and focus completely on the present. The more often we experience this type of engagement, the greater our chances of well-being and flourishing.
- R - Positive Relationships - positive relationships. Humans are social creatures, and good relationships provide the basis for our peaceful and joyful existence. Those who have meaningful, positive relationships with others are much happier than those who do not.
- M - Meaning - meaning. We find it when we engage in something that is bigger than ourselves. For example, we help other people and devote our time to charity. Our life must have meaningso that she can be successful.
- A - Achievement - achievement. Many people strive to become better in some way: to master valuable skills, achieve a significant goal, or get ahead of others in something. Therefore, achievement is an important component of prosperity.
How to apply the PERMA model in life
Positive emotion
We can't be happy all the time, but we can make sure that we experience pleasant emotions more often, such as pleasure, fun, enjoyment, calmness, joy or inspiration.
If you feel like you don’t have enough positive experiences in your life, figure out why this is happening. Start with work. Think about whether or not you are leveraging all of your strengths and talents in your current role, and find ways to realize your full potential.
Then determine what people, events and things bring you pleasure. For example, if you love nature, but work in an office and cannot often use this source of happiness, put it on your desktop houseplantsso that they lift your spirits.
The main goal is to find ways to bring more positive emotions into everyday life and not put off such things until a more opportune moment that never comes.
Engagement
It is most closely related to creativity, but we can dive into flow state and when we play sports, and when we spend time with friends, and when we work on an exciting task.
To increase your level of engagement at work, you need to reduce the number of distractions and improve concentration. Additionally, whenever possible, you should choose projects that will provide an interesting challenge to your skills.
Also take a look at your hobbies and evaluate where they fit into your life. We often miss out on time that we could devote to personal interests, especially when we are overworked or stressed. Try to do more things that make you happy and engaged.
Positive Relationships
They can connect us with family, friends, neighbors or colleagues. The main thing is that such relationships lift your spirits and allow you to feel supported. If this does not happen, find the reason. Perhaps you yourself should pay more attention to strengthening connections and more often become the initiator of communication.
Make a commitment to regularly spend more time with your loved ones. Relationships require our commitment and hard work. They only get better when we put in the effort. However, it is also important to remember that you cannot change other people. If a relationship doesn't bring you joy, you shouldn't stay in it.
Meaning
People often want to believe that they are working and living for a greater purpose. That is why the search purpose are of great importance for overall well-being.
It is important to give meaning not only to your professional life, but also to your personal life. Find something that makes it meaningful, like spending more time with your family or doing kind things for others every day. And you will feel great satisfaction.
Achievement
The fifth element of the model can be difficult because it is easy to overdo it. In modern society, achievements are highly valued. When we're not busy, we can feel like we're not living up to expectations and living life to the fullest.
But if we constantly push ourselves in the race for the next achievement, we risk taking on too much, working too hard, and eventually burning out.
If you don't think you're devoting enough time and energy to achieving your dreams, determine what you really want to achieve and take action now. And if you feel like you're spending too many resources on it and thereby throwing your life out of balance, you might want to take a break and focus on other elements of the PERMA model.
Make your way to happiness🧐
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