Have We Discovered a Formula for Happiness?
I learned a lot of cool stuff in my coaching training. Much of it affirmed things I already knew, but I can be a bit of science geek, so I really enjoyed learning some of the research behind how the mind works and what makes us feel the way we feel.
The field of coaching has been greatly informed by the work of Martin Seligman, who is considered to be one of the founders of positive psychology. Historically, the field of psychology has been focused on diagnosing and treating what is “wrong” with us. There is nothing wrong with that, but Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Center at University of Pennsylvania, helped define a combination of factors that lead to well-being and happiness.
He developed the acronym PERMA to capture the theory that emerged from his research:
Positive emotions – feeling good
Engagement – being completely absorbed in activities
Relationships – being authentically connected to others
Meaning – purposeful existence
Achievement – a sense of accomplishment and success
Ambitious, high-achieving leaders like the ones I coach are really focused on achievement. It feels tangible and we’re groomed to believe that achievement/success=happiness. It can be confusing when it doesn’t pan out like that. People find themselves thinking: “I just got a big promotion and closed on my dream house. Why don’t I feel happier?”
We’re all human, so most of us will not be soaring in all these categories at once. But, if you want to keep one thing front of mind always, research shows that people who are the happiest have really strong relationships—family, community, friends, tribe.
Everyone’s recipe for happiness and well-being is different and may change depending on circumstances and where you are in your life. If you’re feeling little off, taking an inventory of your life using PERMA might help you identify where you want to place a little more attention.
If you want to identify strategies that help you flourish and create habits that support your new life style, give me a holler.
