I tend to write a lot about positive emotions, but there is more to well-being than this. The godfather of positive psychology (Martin Seligman) coined the acronym PERMA to describe wellbeing. The five parts of the wellness riddle are: Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Achievement.
Indeed, feeling wonderful is great. Fortunately, there is more to being well and flourishing than a smile. These other dimensions are described as:
Engagement: An experience in which we fully deploy our skills, strengths, and attention in a challenging task. When fully engaged we are “in the flow” and we forget time and everything around us.
Relationships: Connections to others that brings purpose and meaning to our life.
Meaning: a sense of purpose derived from belonging to and serving something bigger than ourselves.
Accomplishment: Pursuing achievement, competence, success and mastery for its own sake, in a variety of domains, including workplace, sports, games, hobbies, etc. **
The reason I mention the larger domain of PERMA is to encourage you to look beyond your emotions and seek out opportunities to flourish Are there areas in your life where some of these other aspects could be enhanced? For me, much of my wellness comes from my work. Through it I have found ways to combine engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement. What a transformation that was!!
Is there an aspect of your life that you can re-package and re-design into something that gives you more purpose and raison d’etre? Once this Covid-19 lockdown lightens up, is there a chance to change how you approach your work, relationships, or hobbies? Once you can go out more, how can you round out your PERMA? I suggest starting with engagement as that gets the process rolling, and it involves your interests and talents. Use this “slower period” to ask some challenging questions about what you might like to change either now, or soon.
Please be mindfully kind, thoughtful and patient with yourself and others.
Reflection Source: www.Smallercup.org
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**: "Flourish: A New Understanding of Happiness and Wellbeing: The practical guide to using positive psychology to make you happier and healthier" by Martin Seligman