Are you as happy as you could be?

Think about it! Do you feel like you’re the happiest version of you?

Of course, you’re happy (at least we hope you find happiness in each day!), but have you ever wondered if you could be just a little more joyful?

Just as all things, our emotions ebb, and flow. The good news is that if you want to be the happiest person you know, you are in complete control of making that happen!

It’s really possible! Stay tuned; we are going to show you exactly how!

First things first, let’s talk about a theory that you must understand before prancing about becoming the happiest person you know.

THE PERMA MODEL

Let’s talk about the PERMA model! This is a theory of how to achieve happiness created by author and psychologist, Martin Seligman.

This theory is based on positive psychology research. The equally-important facets of PERMA are: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments.

Now, let’s take a more in-depth look into what each area of PERMA looks like and how you can implement it into your day to day.

It’s safe to say that if you’re looking to be happier in general, you’ll want to read on! Let’s analyze how to achieve each of these facets of happiness.

HOW TO BE THE HAPPIEST PERSON YOU KNOW

1. POSITIVE EMOTION

Positive emotion distinguishes between pleasure and enjoyment. Pleasure comes from satisfying bodily needs that are necessary for survival.

But enjoyment is much more intellectual. It comes from creativity, complexity, and purpose. Enjoyment is tightly wound up in human potential.

People who are on track to using their full potential are more likely to experience enjoyment. While both pleasure and enjoyment facilitate positive emotion, enjoyment is a more sustainable, deeper positive emotion. Because of that, it has a greater impact on mental and physical health.

Allow yourself to do things just for fun and without expectations or organization!

Here’s a little secret, you can literally find enjoyment all around you! Go ahead, look around you and name three to five things that bring you joy!

Maybe it’s the smell from your diffuser, perhaps it’s a photo of loved ones, maybe it’s how warm you feel, or the cup of tea on your desk! You simply have to look, but we have a sneaky feeling you’ll start to find it everywhere.

2. ENGAGEMENT

Try to achieve flow – or blissful, focused immersion in an activity – on a regular basis. This will prevent you from becoming bored and will create meaning and purpose.

Whether you want to pursue current hobbies or find new hobbies, the important thing is to do something each day that is not tedious, mundane, and mind-numbing.

This is especially vital if your job is not intellectually engaging. When people are engaged, they are not only happier, but they can achieve their full potential.

If you’re unsure of what gets you into your flow, try making a list of everything that you enjoy doing! Often, you’ll find activities within that list that drop you into your flow state quicker than you can say lickety-split!

For more on flow (and learning how to hack it), check out this article!

3. RELATIONSHIPS

Social connections bring meaning to life. You can be the wealthiest person in the world, but if you don’t have deep social connections, you will not be happy.

A common misconception is that introverts don’t need much social interaction. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. While it is true that introverts need their alone time to recharge, they also need social relationships as much as anyone!

When it comes to relationships, the key to remember is to be an active participant – not a consumer. That is, don’t set out with the goal of finding someone who will care for you. Set out to care for others, and love and support will naturally flow back to you.

Check out this article on the Four Essential Relationships! It’s important to understand what kind of relationships you have in your life. No matter what kind they are, make sure they are healthy and bring you joy!

4. MEANING

Meaning and purpose are of the utmost importance to positivity. Figure out how your individual strengths and abilities lend themselves to meet a great need of the world.

This is easier said than done, but as a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach, your work is extremely meaningful, as you can help your clients find their purpose.

Need a little help figuring out what your purpose is? No worries! We have you back!

Check out this article and fill out the 24 Questions To Find Your Purpose!

5. ACCOMPLISHMENTS

As you set step-wise, attainable, yet challenging goals, be sure to celebrate each accomplishment, no matter how small.

Having goals and ambitions propel you forward and prevent stagnation and decline. Be sure that your goals are realistic, time-bound, and task-bound (specific) so that you know exactly what you are asking of yourself.

This clarity lends itself to accomplishments. When you pair accomplishments with meaning, they are powerful. Don’t achieve simply for the sake of achieving – the rat race is ultimately empty.

Meaningful accomplishments lead not only to happiness but also to the fulfillment of human potential.

Set aside some time each week or month to write out what goals you have! Remember to make them realistic! Then celebrate and acknowledge how far you’ve come and all you’ve accomplished along the way.

IN CONCLUSION

Happiness is your birthright! You deserve to not only be moderately happy but to feel a true sense of joy all the time.

Use the above tools to improve your happiness. Remember that it’s a journey, you’ll experience emotions other than happiness and joy at times, but you have to decide how you want to react to it.

Using the simple tools above and remember the acronym PERMA, you’ll be able to move away from feelings of sadness and step into higher vibrational emotions, like happiness.

Have you used any of these steps to help boost your happiness? If so, tell us in the comments below!