The PERMA-Model

One of the basic models of Positive Psychology is the PERMA model developed by Martin Seligman.

Positive Emotions

Experiencing joy, gratitude, interest and other positive emotions.
Positive emotions are important for our well-being. Happy people like to look back on their past, look forward to the future with hope and enjoy the present. It is not just about being happy all the time. Positive psychology recognises that all emotions are important, even the negative ones. However, positive emotions such as joy, gratitude and contentment can help us to recover and thrive. They expand our minds and open us up to new possibilities and ideas.

Engagement

Being fully immersed and absorbed in an activity (also known as flow).
When we focus on those things that we fully enjoy and care about, we can become absorbed in the moment and enter a state known as flow. It is the state where we are so absorbed in what we are doing that we forget about time and everything around us. It is often in these moments that we do our best and find real satisfaction.

Positive Relations

Forging deep, meaningful relationships.
Everyone needs someone. We are social beings and relationships play a crucial role in our well-being. We enhance and share our well-being by building close relationships with people around us (family, friends, work colleagues, neighbours). Positive psychology emphasises the importance of healthy, supportive relationships and social connectedness for our happiness and life satisfaction.

Meaning

A sense of belonging and purpose in life.
This refers to the feeling that our lives have a purpose, that we are part of something bigger. It is about using our strengths to contribute to something beyond ourselves. When we spend time on something bigger than ourselves, we grow beyond ourselves.

Accomplishment

The pursuit of success and the achievement of goals.
Everyone needs successes (including the brain). To achieve well-being and happiness, we need to be able to see the successes we have already achieved in life and say to ourselves, "I did it, I did it well."  This refers to pursuing goals and achievements for their own sake. It is not only about external rewards, but also about the pursuit of mastery, personal growth and self-realisation.