PERMA Model: What It Is And What It Says About Psychological Well-being
Everyone chases happiness, but very few know how to achieve it. Becoming happy is a complex task, because not everyone has the same idea of what happiness is and there are many ways to understand it.
The PERMA Model or theory of well-being describes how people choose what makes them happy freely. It includes those elements of well-being that contribute to feeling good, having an optimal mood and facing day-to-day life in a positive way.
This model was developed by Martin Seligman, who is considered the main founder of Positive Psychology. His objective is to make it easier for people to consider a future and move towards it, in order to achieve the much desired happiness.
Seligman proposes 5 components in his model, which contribute to well-being. When the person develops and improves each of these components, he approaches happiness, satisfaction and motivation. The PERMA Model has an objective cone help give meaning to our lives and work toward goals that contribute to feeling fulfilled.
Each of the five components that make up the model meets three properties:
Components
These are the components of the PERMA model:
1. Positive emotions
Although it seems the most obvious part of the model, working on positive emotions is essential to feel well-being. It doesn’t just mean smiling at life, it also means being optimistic about the future and be positive every day.
Life is a process in which there are ups and downs. If you focus only on the bad and undervalue the good, it will give the feeling that there is no hope and that there is no way to move forward and be happy.
It is very important to be aware that although things do not always turn out as one would expect, knowing how to deal with them in the best possible way allows us to move forward.
Satisfying the body’s basic needs, such as thirst, hunger or the need to sleep, provides physiological pleasure, but enjoy tasks that provide intellectual and artistic benefits They are emotionally satisfying and give a sense of self-actualization.
Feeling pleasure in everyday tasks and maintaining an optimistic view of life allows you to persevere and face the challenges of everyday life.
2. Commitment
When something is truly enjoyed, time flies. The pleasure that a hobby offers, such as sports, dance, playing an instrument or being a member of an interesting project, helps you stay committed and constant.
Everyone needs some activity that allows them to get away from the daily routine, something that will be positive as long as it does not isolate you from the rest of society. Leaving aside work or routine stress momentarily helps you clear your mind and regain energy.
Pleasurable activities can absorb those who do them, feeling a sensation of flow that gives them peace of mind.
3. Positive relationships (Relationships)
According to the PERMA Model, Relationships are a crucial element in achieving a full and meaningful life.
Many people believe that happiness depends mostly on what one does oneself without taking into account one’s social circle, that it is not necessary to turn to others to achieve a fulfilling life. Seligman’s model considers that the opposite is true. Since humans are social animals, it is necessary to interact with other people in order to survive and thrive.
Take care of relationships with family, friends and partner or even with co-workers, contributes to having a social network that provides emotional support. When difficult situations arise, being able to ask other people for help makes it easier to reach a solution quickly and efficiently.
The feeling of loneliness is one of the most serious problems in society since, although it is not a psychological disorder or an illness, it causes damage. Furthermore, despite feeling alone, there are people who isolate themselves even more. The individualism that has been promoted in recent decades is really counterproductive, especially considering that human beings have survived for years by cooperating.
4. Meaning
According to the PERMA Model, It is important for people to ask themselves what their life purpose is, or what they can offer the world. Living day to day without having a long-term goal is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can make you feel somewhat lost and you may have the feeling that you are not going to be a useful person.
Searching for meaning in one’s existence may seem like a very philosophical and even intimidating task, but doing so already contributes to feeling in some way directed towards a goal and allows one to try different options.
During this process you can try volunteering for a charity, helping a family member in need, writing a book, reorienting yourself at work…
5. Accomplishments
Setting goals doesn’t make much sense if you don’t try to achieve them. Goals should be realistic but also somewhat ambitious. Developing a plan for the objective will always help you get closer to achieving it.
How to apply it to our lives?
Knowing the components of this model and what they refer to helps understand Seligman’s proposal, but that does not mean that it is an easy task to integrate it into our lives. A good start is look for what makes us happy, what motivates us every day or even that which sometimes takes us out of the monotonous routine.
Once we have found pleasurable activities, consider what they offer us and why we have been doing them frequently. Set yourself acceptable challenges. Focus on your personal relationships and look for ways to make more meaningful connections with them and make new ones.
