How about we shift the focus from Mental Illness to ‘What is good and optimistic in life’?!
Sounds like a great way to shift individual and organisational thinking patterns to focus on flourishing and thriving instead of being absorbed in what’s wrong, what’s not working, and what people are doing poorly!
Creating a shift in focus towards bringing out the best in people and cultivating an environment of optimism and positivity. Imagine the remarkable impact this would have on productivity, happiness, loyalty and retention, in a workplace!
This can be done by focussing on the five components of P.E.R.M.A.
Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.
Over the next four weeks, we will break down each of the components and share with you how to implement these into your daily life to bolster your health and wellbeing, to enhance your life and career.
In 2011, Dr Martin Seligman developed his theory of P.E.R.M.A. as the five essential components that when pursued independently, contribute to a life of optimism, happiness and wellbeing.
Research has shown significant positive associations between each of the five P.E.R.M.A. components and physical health, vitality, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and commitment within organisations (Kern, Waters, Alder, & White., 2014).
On that optimistic note, let’s start with the ‘P’ of P.E.R.M.A.
Positive emotion is so much more than just feeling ‘happiness’. Positive emotions include intense feelings of hope, joy, compassion, pride, love, amusement and gratitude, just to name a few.
When we increase these aspects of positive emotions in our day, we are enhancing our intellectual and psychological wellbeing, cultivating our physical capabilities, and magnifying our resilience. We can stack them up and feel them regularly, regardless of the situations we find ourselves in.
Increase your positive emotions each day and you will significantly decrease the harmful effects of negative emotions!
So how do we intensify positive emotions in our day?
- Savour the things you are grateful for each day. Spend time thinking about them and enjoying them.
- Reflect on what is going well and how you have contributed to those optimistic outcomes.
- Connect with people who build you up and inspire you each day.
- Play, have fun, participate in uplifting activities.
- Be Physically active!
To experience higher levels of wellbeing and be able to flourish and thrive in our life, it is vital we instigate the daily practice of intensifying our ‘Positive emotion’.
When you consistently do something every single day that puts a smile on your dial, has you feeling positive and grateful, then you will reap the rewards in all areas of your life and career.