By Deirdre Mansell
A simple model for living ‘the good life’
In his book Flourish, Positive psychologist Dr Martin Seligman identified what elements are consistently present in the lives of those who are flourishing or living what he calls ‘the good life’. Realising he had found the essential elements of happiness, he used these findings to develop the PERMA model, a foundation for happiness and well-being.
What does PERMA mean?
In the PERMA model each letter stands for an element of the good life, identified over years of scientific research. We will introduce them at a high level here, and over the coming weeks we’ll look at each one in greater detail. At a high level PERMA means:
P = Positive emotion (feeling good)
E = Engagement (finding flow)
R = Relationships (authentic connections)
M = Meaning (purposeful existence)
A = Achievement (a sense of accomplishment)
How does it work?
If we integrate all of these five building blocks of happiness into our lives, Dr Seligman believes we can improve our well-being and overall life satisfaction. While it may look like a lot to take in, there are some simple ways to get started. With consistent practice over time they become second nature.
Ready to get started?
If you’re interested in learning more about how positive psychology can engage your kids and improve your life, there are some simple steps you can take:
- Sign-up for our freebies and emails, which include free activities you can do with your kids.
- Stay tuned for the next blog post, where we’ll take a closer look at how to create more positive emotion.
Help your kids find their strengths by downloading our It Starts with Strengths Mini Activity Book.