
We all want to live our best lives. We want to achieve happiness and contentment while also living a healthy, sustainable life. And not just that, we also want to thrive to become the best versions of ourselves. But how can we attain all these things?
The PERMA Model by Martin Seligman (2011) provides a framework for how one can achieve well-being. In his theory, he identified five key elements, all of which are exclusive from one another and are pursued for their own sake. It is also important to note that these elements do not define well-being; rather, they all contribute to make up one’s well-being. So, what are these five key elements?
The Five Key Elements of Well-Being
P – Positive Emotion
E – Engagement
R – Relationships
M – Meaning
A – Accomplishment
How PERMA Affects Well-Being
Research has shown that pursuing these five elements can have several positive outcomes. They can make you more satisfied with your life and increase feelings of hope and gratitude. They can make you more engaged and active in your school or work which can improve your performance. They can promote a growth mindset and an active approach to life which can encourage you to pursue fulfilling opportunities and grow as a person. They can be a buffer against negative emotions and mental disorders like depression and enhance your physical health, vitality, and activity. They can even predict positive outcomes in the future such as academic or career success and healthy marriages (Jimenez et al., 2023; Kern et al., 2014).
Well-being is not just the absence of mental illness or negative experiences; it is also the presence of positive experiences and emotions, the feeling of fulfillment with one’s life, and the ability to reach one’s maximum potential. There are so many ways we can achieve our best lives; however, the PERMA model can be our initial framework to guide us on our path to flourishing and happiness.
We at Fidecita wish you the best in your mental health endeavors. Click here to know more about Fidecita HR Advisory’s Mental Health Care services.
References
Butler, J., & Kern, M. L. (2016). The PERMA-Profiler: A brief multidimensional measure of flourishing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 6(3), 1-48. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v6i3.526
Jimenez, W. P., Hu, X., Garden, R. & Zeytonli, A. (2023). The potential and peculiarities of PERMA: A meta-analysis of two well-being measures with working samples. Journal of Personnel Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000329
Kern, M. L., Waters, L. E., Adler, A., & White, M. A. (2014). A multidimensional approach to measuring well-being in students: Application of the PERMA framework. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(3), 262-271. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2014.936962
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free Press
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