PERMA - Positive Emotion

In just about every conversation I have around wellbeing and happiness, and the age-old 'pursuit of happiness' we come back to the question:

“Is happiness what we pursue?”

After all, happiness is but an emotional response. And like all emotional responses is fleeting. (Except for sadness - that lasts about 200 times longer than happiness, as an emotion. Probably the subject of another conversation!).

I think perhaps wellbeing is really what we crave. That calming sense that all is okay.

This is a subject that the greatest minds in our history have pondered. Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, and now you and me (!), have considered EUDAIMONIA and what it means.

Basically, EUDAIMONIA is translated as 'flourishing' or 'wellbeing'. It is considered the ultimate goal. Aristotle said (and Plato was his mentor so we can assume he was in on it, too) it was the pursuit of virtue, excellence, and the best within us. Some even say Aristotle believed it was the 'meaning of life'.

There are five building blocks that enable flourishing that come under the acronym PERMA, the brainchild of Martin Seligman.

Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Achievement.

Over the coming newsletters we shall take a look at what each of these mean. Let's start with Positive Emotion.

This is considered to be the cornerstone of wellbeing. Hope, interest, joy, love, compassion, gratitude, empathy amusement and fun are all positive emotions we desire.

I encourage you to seek out your share of positive emotions. Spend time with the people you care about. Indulge in activities you enjoy, listen to uplifting music, make time to play (another conversation for another day!) and reflect on gratitude (yet another conversation).

Next newsletter I will tell you about engagement in terms of PERMA.

If you want to talk about wellbeing and how we can enrich your organisation and your people, reach out to me. I'd love to help.