Approximate reading time: 5 minutes

PERMA Model: Seligman’s Model of Happiness

In the realm of positive psychology, Martin Seligman’s PERMA model stands out as a comprehensive framework for understanding well-being and happiness. The PERMA model breaks down well-being into five key elements. Let’s explore these elements:

• Positive Emotion (P): This element is about feeling good. It involves experiencing emotions like joy, gratitude, and contentment. Seligman suggests that a happy life is significantly marked by the regular presence of positive emotions. It’s not just about the occasional high of happiness but about cultivating an overall positive outlook on life.
• Engagement (E): Engagement refers to being deeply involved in our activities. It’s what happens when you’re so absorbed in something that you lose track of time — a state often referred to as being “in the flow.” This could happen when you’re engaged in a hobby, working on a project you’re passionate about, or even reading a captivating book. Engagement is about using your strengths and feeling invigorated by the activities you participate in.
• Relationships (R): Humans are social creatures, and relationships play a crucial role in our well-being. This part of the model emphasises the importance of connections with others, be it family, friends, or the wider community. Positive relationships provide support, love, and a sense of belonging, all of which are vital for our overall happiness.
• Meaning (M): Meaning is about having a sense of purpose or feeling that what you’re doing is valuable and worthwhile. It’s the feeling that your life and work contribute to something larger than yourself. This could stem from personal beliefs, being part of a community, or working towards goals that align with your values.
• Accomplishment (A): This element focuses on the pursuit and achievement of goals. It’s about having ambitions and working towards them, regardless of whether they are big or small. Accomplishment gives a sense of success and mastery, whether it’s finishing a difficult task, improving a skill, or achieving a personal milestone.

Seligman’s PERMA model offers a well-rounded view of what contributes to human happiness. It moves beyond the traditional, narrow focus on momentary pleasure and highlights the importance of a diverse range of experiences and achievements for sustained well-being. This model is particularly useful in helping us understand that well-being is multi-dimensional and not solely dependent on one aspect of life. It’s a tool for individuals and communities to assess their well-being and to find areas for enhancement and growth.

In summary, the PERMA model provides a framework not just to survive, but to truly thrive. It encourages a holistic approach to building a fulfilling life, combining emotional well-being with engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.

Applications and Implications

• Educational Settings: PERMA has been applied in educational programs to improve student well-being, demonstrating its versatility and effectiveness across different age groups and cultural contexts (Kern et al., 2014; Morgan & Simmons, 2021).
• Workplace Well-being: The model has also been expanded to include factors like physical health and economic security, particularly in the context of work-related well-being (Donaldson et al., 2022).

These findings and applications demonstrate the comprehensive nature of the PERMA model in understanding and enhancing human well-being across various domains of life.