PERMA Model of Wellbeing by Martin Seligman

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Patty Mulder
May 20, 2026

PERMA Model of Wellbeing: this article explains the PERMA Model of Wellbeing, developed by Martin Seligman in a practical way. This article contains the definition of the PERMA Model, the meaning of each of the elements of the acronym, practical examples and a summary. After reading it, you will understand the basics of this stress management and Personal Happiness psychology theory. Enjoy reading!

What is the PERMA Model of Wellbeing?

The American psychologist Martin Seligman is considered to be the founder of positive psychology; a subject he studied extensively. He is associated with the University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology Centre.

In 2011, his book Flourish was published, in which he describes the PERMA Model as a foundation for happiness and well-being. The PERMA Model of Wellbeing helps to understand the elements of happiness.

PERMA is the acronym for the five – according to Martin Seligman – important building blocks of well-being and happiness: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relations, Meaning and Achievement. Additionally, Martin Seligman indicates that each element of wellbeing and happiness has to have three characteristics itself, namely:

  1. Every element has to contribute to well-being and happiness;
  2. All elements are equally important;
  3. Every element has to be determined and measured independently from the other elements.
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Figure 1 – 5 Elements of PERMA Model

Positive emotion, the first element of the PERMA Model of Wellbeing

As a human being, you should feel good and get hope and inspiration from the things you do. Positive emotions seem almost obvious when talking about happiness and well-being.

This emotion can already be felt when the first when life’s basic needs are satisfied. Examples would be food, drink and sleep. Only when those needs are satisfied, can people allow positive emotion through intellectual stimulation and creativity. Moreover, positive emotions help people to handle negative ideas.

Positive emotions can only be assessed subjectively by the individual in question.

Engagement

This is about someone being completely engaged with his activities and carrying out his activities with passion and commitment. It is also described as the flow theory.

Just like positive emotion, engagement can only be measured subjectively. The more someone is involved with the work or task he is doing, the higher his level of engagement. On an additional note, he should also get energy from the activity and find it enjoyable.

After all, it requires a lot of stamina and concentration, but it will lead to a high level of engagement and productivity in the end.

Relations

How authentic is someone’s connection to the people around him? How is their interaction with colleagues, friends, family and other social connections? Happiness and well-being are inextricably connected to pleasant, useful and good interpersonal relationships.

The better these relationships are, the more they will lead to positive emotions and full support of each other. Social interaction with people and stable relationships lead to happiness and well-being. That is why it is good to start friendships and encourage others to do so as well.

This offers the foundation for good, trusting relationships that make people respect each other. This will improve the general quality of life.

Meaning

What is a person’s purpose in life and in what way does he contribute to the world around him and society in general? Which ideas and beliefs does a person have and what gives his life meaning?

To love and be loved inspires people to live and take care of themselves as well as others. When does a person live a meaningful life and what is that meaning? If someone has answers to all these questions and feels he has a higher purpose in life, than meaning has also been fulfilled as part of his happiness and well-being (Ikigai). Research has shown that religious and spiritual people particularly experience life as more meaningful than people who do not believe.

Achievement

This is about a sense of performance and success, about constantly challenging oneself and the opportunity to strengthen and improve one’s skills. Achievement is primarily about making efforts to improve one’s performance. That mainly involves challenges that help to improve a person’s self-image in order to allow him to be proud of the performance he delivered.

This strengthens confidence and that results in increased happiness and well-being. By setting feasible goals, people are actually able to achieve them. That will lead to a feeling of satisfaction and motivate someone to keep going.

Summary of the PERMA Model of Wellbeing

The PERMA Model of Wellbeing can help to increase people’s awareness. When a person is able to focus on the combination of all of PERMA’s elements (positive emotions, meaning, engagement, relationships and achievement), he will experience more happiness and well-being than people who have not managed all of these PERMA elements yet.

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Recommended books and publications on the PERMA model

The PERMA model helps us better understand well-being and happiness through five building blocks: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement. The model demonstrates that well-being does not consist of a single component, but rather of multiple elements that can reinforce one another. The books and publications listed below provide further insight into positive psychology, flourishing, happiness, meaning, flow, relationships, and the measurement of well-being.

  1. Butler, J., & Kern, M. L. (2016). The PERMA-Profiler: A brief multidimensional measure of flourishing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 6(3), 1-48. → This article is important for measuring the PERMA model. The authors developed the PERMA-Profiler, which allows the five components of well-being to be examined separately. This is practically valuable because well-being is not just a feeling but can also be made visible in various areas of life.
  2. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: Harper & Row. → This book aligns particularly well with the E for Engagement. Csikszentmihalyi describes how people can become fully absorbed in an activity. This helps us understand why engagement, concentration, and challenge are important for well-being. Flow often arises when skills and challenge are well-matched.
  3. Diener, E. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 95(3), 542-575. → Diener provides an important foundation for research on subjective well-being. The publication helps place the PERMA model in a broader context within happiness and well-being research. Well-being is not only about pleasure, but also about satisfaction, meaning, and the way people experience their lives.
  4. Diener, E., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2008). Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. → This book makes research on happiness accessible and practical. It shows that well-being depends not only on circumstances, but also on relationships, goals, values, and daily habits. As a result, it aligns well with the PERMA model, which examines well-being from multiple angles.
  5. Forgeard, M. J. C., Jayawickreme, E., Kern, M. L., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Doing the right thing: Measuring wellbeing for public policy. International Journal of Wellbeing, 1(1), 79-106. → This publication discusses how well-being can be measured for policy and society. The source is relevant because the PERMA model is not only used at the individual level but can also help to better understand well-being in groups, organizations, and communities.
  6. Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218-226. → Fredrickson demonstrates why positive emotions do more than just make us feel good. They can help us think more broadly, build relationships, and cope better with challenges. As such, this article aligns closely with the P for Positive emotion.
  7. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. New York, NY: Delacorte. → This book is not directly about the PERMA model, but it does offer a valuable addition to well-being and mindful attention. Mindfulness can help you deal with experiences in a more positive and calm manner, without denying difficult emotions. As a result, this source fits well with practical well-being development.
  8. Kern, M. L., Waters, L. E., Adler, A., & White, M. A. (2015). A multidimensional approach to measuring well-being in students: Application of the PERMA framework. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(3), 262-271. → This article applies the PERMA model in an educational context. The source demonstrates how positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement can be measured among students. This makes PERMA more concrete for schools, counseling, and personal development.
  9. Lambert, L., Passmore, H.-A., & Holder, M. D. (2015). Foundational frameworks of positive psychology: Mapping well-being orientations. Canadian Psychology, 56(3), 311-321. → This publication helps situate PERMA among other models of well-being. This is useful because positive psychology encompasses multiple perspectives. The PERMA model is a robust and practical model, but it is not the only way to describe well-being, happiness, and flourishing.
  10. Peterson, C. (2006). A primer in positive psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. → Peterson provides a clear introduction to positive psychology. The book covers themes such as strengths, optimism, relationships, meaning, and happiness. This makes it a good background resource for readers who want to understand the PERMA model within the broader field.
  11. Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New York, NY: Free Press. → This is the core source behind the PERMA model. Seligman describes well-being based on five elements: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. The book demonstrates why well-being is broader than happiness alone and why each element can contribute individually to flourishing.
  12. Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60 (5), 410-421. → This article demonstrates how positive psychology interventions can contribute to well-being. Consider gratitude, strengths, and positive reflection. The source aligns well with PERMA, as the PERMA model not only describes what well-being is but also provides guidance for exercises that can enhance well-being.

How to cite this article:
Mulder, P. (2018). PERMA Model of Wellbeing (Seligman). Retrieved [insert date] from Toolshero.com: https://www.toolshero.com/psychology/perma-model/

Original publication date: February 21, 2018 | Last update: May 20, 2026

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Patty Mulder
Article by:

Patty Mulder

Patty Mulder is an Dutch expert on Management Skills, Personal Effectiveness and Business Communication. She is also a Content writer, Business Coach and Company Trainer and lives in the Netherlands (Europe).
<b>Note: all her articles are written in Dutch and we translated her articles to English!</b>

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