The main promoter of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, introduced a new paradigm in its discipline in 1989 with the PERMA model. Seligman took advantage of his inaugural speech as president of the American Psychological Association to contribute his initiatives.
Until then, psychology was seen as a discipline that tried to alleviate human suffering by understanding and treating mental health disorders and maladaptive behaviors. But, as Seligman pointed out, Fighting someone’s mental suffering is not the same as providing them with well-being. The expert then advanced what ended up being called positive psychology, which seeks to shift the focus toward everything good and positive in life. To do this, it was necessary to find a model that focused on those elements.
In this Psychology-Online article we will talk about the PERMA model by Martin Seligman. For Rebeca Gómez, registered psychologist and teacher at the European Institute of Positive Psychology (IEPP), Positive Psychology, with which she works daily, is the key to growing and standing out as a professional, enhancing personal strengths and taking care of the well-being of her patients. and students.
PERMA model
Martin Seligman, who is considered the founding father of positive psychology, set the goal that people can consider a future and move towards it to achieve happiness and positive emotions.
This path can only be traveled through five elements. Each of them is intrinsically motivating and contributes to well-being. And although they are screens that must be overcome to reach the final achievement, each of them can be pursued on their own and measured independently.
The method has ended up being called PERMA, by the acronym formed by each of its principles. Thus, the P is for Positive Emotions, the E belongs to Engagement, the R is for Relationships, the M is Meaning and purpose, and finally the A is for Accomplishment.
Positive emotion (P)
The positive emotions in him are those that allow a human being to grow and be closer to happiness. They can be cultivated internally or learned externally. This includes joy, love, satisfaction, hope, gratitude or compassion.
At this point, it is important to note that the positive emotions they are a lot more complex than simply feeling happy or smiling. Thus, a person may feel happy for having overcome a serious surgical intervention, looking to the future with hope, but for this to happen they have had to go through a moment of high emotional stress.
Commitment (E)
The E in PERMA is Engagementwhat in Spanish can be translated as commitment. Here, more than Seligman, the key figure is the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyiwhich defined a similar concept, that of flow. With it, the individual lives in the present moment focusing almost completely on a complex task. Commitment is therefore demonstrated in the activities carried out or in exercises such as full attention or mindfulness.
Positive relationships (R)
As social animals, Human beings have an intrinsic need to establish bonds with members of the same species. They do this in tribes, families, circles, organizations… Psychology and other branches of knowledge have empirically proven that Social Connections Help Prevent Cognitive Decline and increase physical health.
For Seligman, these positive relationships are closely associated with the ability to strengthen interconnections with other people. Some examples that help strengthen these relationships are sharing good news with others or having enthusiastic conversations with other people.
Meaning (M)
Meaning in Spanish is meaning. This element is accompanied by purpose. The idea is to make people understand that our existence in the world is closely linked to achieving a vital purpose, a help for others. Thus, living day to day without setting goals, without having concerns, may not be a bad thing, but it is synonymous with feeling empty or lost. Thus, search for meaning in one’s own existence It must lead to gaining satisfaction.
Realization (A)
The A in Accomplishment is accomplishment. The PERMA Model suggests that the Individuals are happier with themselves when they work to achieve their goals.. Many people maintain that achieving their goals is always a productive task, although they can also go through unpleasant phases to do so. own path towards final goals It serves to put aside the temporary bad feelings that may appear.
In the opinion of Seligman, and positive psychology, covering all these areas is the key to having a full well-being. It is not about advancing all elements together, nor about forcing their compliance, but it is about keeping them in mind.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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