The wellness movement appears to have the answers that our burnt-out minds need. However, suggests that a superficial focus on candles, juice cleanses, and a “good vibes only” approach to life is unlikely to create meaningful changes to your wellbeing.
Authors
Ben Gibson
Lecturer in Applied Psychology, De Montfort University
Victoria Ruby-Granger
Lecturer in Psychology, De Montfort University
It’s not a surprise that wellness culture has become so popular, especially . A US$4.4 trillion (£3.5 trillion) wellness industry clean beauty, clean eating and energy-boosting supplements will provide happiness, meaning and a stress-free existence. But if wellness can be bought, why aren’t we all happier?
Purchases may make us happy () but genuine changes to wellbeing are probably limited. In fact, , journalists and psychologists have expressed concerns that wellness culture may exacerbate , promote an unhealthy relationship , and even conspiracy theories and multi-level marketing scams.
Wellness culture focuses on what feels good for you as an individual, providing only a surface level experience of wellbeing. Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, one of the founders of the positive psychology movement, said in his 1991 , that “it is by being fully involved with every detail of our lives, whether good or bad, that we find happiness”.
Indeed, that long-term wellbeing comes from a committed pursuit of both pleasure and meaning. Consider the psychologist Martin Seligman’s model of flourishing: . Seligman’s model breaks wellbeing into distinct, workable “elements”, which gives us an idea as to how to make .
A of 1,624 participants recruited online found an intervention based on the Perma model increased levels of happiness and helped decrease depression symptoms, although the intervention seemed to work best for people around the middle range of wellbeing.
Studies have also found Perma-based interventions in university students following the Covid pandemic, seem to improve the of lung cancer patients and in breast cancer patients. And researchers have tested this model across different , , and .
Perma is an acronym that stands for what Seligman considers the five pillars of wellbeing: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement. This model suggests that rather than spending money to focus on “self-care”, we should aim to meet what psychologists consider our for competence, autonomy, and relatedness.
Perma suggests we ask ourselves: Am I acting in ways that make me feel competent, in control, and connected with others? Here are some wellness tips that work, based on the five pillars of Perma:
1. Positive emotions
The states that we are at our most psychologically creative, responsive and flexible when we are experiencing . However, it’s important to move beyond momentary hedonic pleasure and aim to reap the rewards of a range of positive emotions. This allows us to experience more positive emotion, as part of an .
Take one (or more) of psychologist Barbara Fredrickson’s , and find ways to cultivate more of it in your life. These emotions include awe, joy, inspiration, gratitude and love. For example, to cultivate gratitude try the : take time to list three good things that happened in your day, or three things that you felt grateful for. You can also write about the cause of those things.
Maybe combine this with nature’s wellbeing benefits by looking for three good things . If it’s difficult to find green space in your area, there are creative ways to with nature into your daily life, such as taking the time to look at the stars at night. Notice the bumblebees or count the different types of plants you see on your walk to work.
2. Engagement
Find an activity that gets you , a state of deep engagement in an intentional, inherently rewarding activity in which we lose track of time and feel at one with what we are doing. It’s also sometimes known as “getting into the zone”.
Flow activities stretch us just enough to keep us engaged, but not so much that we become bored or demotivated. include music, sports and even gaming.
3. Relationships
It’s quality over quantity when it comes to personal relationships. It sounds simple, but look to (or find) people who are eager to and be wary of those who belittle them.
This will help you prolong the good feelings that go along with life’s little wins. Personal connection is important, and features as a core component in .
4. Meaning
Find a way to connect with something larger than yourself. , join a community group or perform a random .
Thinking about a future can help you set goals and help you understand what gives you purpose in life.
5. Achievement
Do something challenging; something that stretches your abilities. You may want to and use your strengths. Some strengths, such as perseverance, are . True positivity is not just about feeling good, but about that life sets us.
Just remember: Perma pillars are independent paths to wellbeing, but they’re also highly related. Taking up dancing, for example, might be a way to experience positive emotions and flow, allowing you to make new connections so that you stick at it long enough to develop a sense of purpose or achievement.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
