Positive psychology offers a helpful 5-step model for flourishing in life and staying mentally well called P.E.R.M.A.
- P – Positive Emotions: gratitude, intentions, focusing on the positive etc.
- E – Engagement: Participating in life
- R – Relationships: Connecting with others
- M – Meaning: Having a sense of purpose and meaning in everyday life
- A – Accomplishment: Feeling a sense of achievement either big or small
In challenging times when it may feel like there is little to feel good about, even the smallest action can lift your spirit and increase your energy so you can remember the possibilities and potentially available.
Now it’s your turn:
Score yourself on a scale of 1-5 for each area to understand where you’re flourishing or where you’re languishing.
Next, use these insights to write ‘one massive action’ that you can take immediately to improve each area and move up the flourishing scale.
If you’ve struggled to come up with ideas for moving up the scale from 1 to 5, I share some ideas to help you in each area of P.E.R.M.A.
Let’s get started:
Positive Emotions
Each day is a new opportunity to start over and fill your cup with positivity. Spending just 5 or 10 minutes on your mindset in the morning and throughout the day can yield hours of positive feelings making you more resilient and resourceful. Here are some ideas for how to bring more positivity into your life (even if you have very little time):
- Spend 5 minutes writing your gratitude list
- Write out your goals, intentions and priorities
- Read an inspiring book or listen to an uplifting podcast
- Be in nature and stop to appreciate the beauty
- Make time for daily meditation
- Move your focus from your head to your heart
- Turn off the news and turn up some empowering music
Now it’s your turn. Stop what you’re doing now and TAKE ACTION on at least ONE idea.
Engagement
The more you show up to life, the more life shows up for you — and the more engaged and happier you feel. When you withdraw and disengage from life and relationships, your mental wellness and happiness decline. Here are some practical ideas for increasing your engagement with life (even if you have very little time):
- Initiate a project at home, school or work and show up for it
- Start a hobby or join a club, group, or community and go regularly
- Get off your device and live in the present moment
- Become an activist for a cause you believe in
- Create a goal that scares you and commit to it
- Get into the wild and go camping with your friends or family
- Slow down and notice your language and how you show up for others
Now it’s your turn. Stop what you’re doing now and TAKE ACTION on at least ONE idea.
Relationships
Relationships encompass all the various interactions individuals have with partners, friends, family members, colleagues, bosses/mentors/supervisors, and their community at large. Relationships in the PERMA model refer to feel supported, loved, and valued by others. How to build relationships:
- Join a class or group that interests you
- Ask questions of the people you don’t know well to find out more about them
- Create friendships with people you are acquainted with
- Get in touch with people you have not spoken to or connected with in a while
Now it’s your turn. Stop what you’re doing now and TAKE ACTION on at least ONE idea.
Meaning
How do you find purpose and meaning? Contrary to what many believe, the true purpose isn’t attached to a person, place, or thing; it’s a deep calling for who you’re committed to being.
A strong sense of purpose and meaning in everyday life contributes greatly to your mental wellness.
Purpose provides clarity, focus, and the determination to persist through challenging times. While meaning generates a sense of joy and happiness, a feeling that your life matters. How to find meaning:
- Get clear on your values
- Commit to working in or starting a business that aligns with those values
- Do a timeline to understand your life journey, lessons, and purpose
- Find a way to bring meaning to someone else’s life
- Let go of extrinsic goals and focus on intrinsic goals
- Spend time in solitude reflecting on the big questions in life
- Explore the concept of self-actualisation and what it means for you
Now it’s your turn. Stop what you’re doing now and TAKE ACTION on at least ONE idea.
Accomplishments/Achievements
Do you keep promises to yourself? A feeling of achievement is an essential aspect of mental wellness. Whether it’s a big goal or simply ticking off your list of priorities, there’s a certain satisfaction you feel when your head hits the pillow at night knowing you’ve achieved something meaningful that day.
Choosing a goal, taking action, and keeping your promises give you peace of mind and calm your nervous system. Goals can be big or small, but most of all, they need to be meaningful to you. Improving your mental wellness can be as simple as committing to one small daily action. How to feel accomplishment:
- Finish a project that you’ve been procrastinating on
- Decide on a new and exciting goal for yourself and write it down
- Write out your ‘no matter what actions each morning, and be sure to cross them off
- Notice what distracts you from 4 achieving your goals and remove it from your life
- Make Sunday your strategy day for planning your goals to optimise your week
- Take time to reflect on what’s going well and acknowledge your progress and how far you’ve come
Now it’s your turn. Stop what you’re doing now and TAKE ACTION on at least ONE idea.
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