Originally published on Medium, May 2021.
Being a world-class procrastinator when it comes to my personal goals (such as writing this piece), I have waited until the last moment of Mental Health Awareness Month to articulate my thoughts in writing. Covid, and this whole month of May, has enlightened us all about the importance of paying attention to mental health. So, what next? How can a busy (or drained, or procrastinating) professional maintain their valuable mental health?
Through PERMA.
Positive Emotion
Positive emotions go far beyond bringing a smile to our faces. Feeling good helps us perform better at work; it boosts our physical health; it strengthens our relationships; and it inspires us to take chances, and look to the future with optimism and hope. What can make us feel good? It might be spending time with cats (fine, dogs too), reading books, meeting friends and family, engaging in hobbies, swimming, getting out in nature, or cooking great food. Whatever makes you smile, do that more.
My tip: Protect your sleep, and start your day with a gratitude journal.
Engagement
Idle mind is a devil’s workshop. We don’t thrive when we are doing nothing. We feel useless. When we engage with life and work, we become absorbed. We gain momentum and focus, and we can enter the state of “flow”. How to become engaged? Identify and cultivate personal strengths, virtues, and talents. When we identify our greatest strengths, we can consciously engage in activities that make us feel most confident, productive, and valuable. We can also learn skills such as mindfulness for cultivating joy and focusing on the present.
My tip: Learn meditation - any school that appeals to you.
Relationships
Happiness shared is happiness squared. When we share our joy with those we love, we feel even more joy. And when we love, we become more loveable. We depend on the people around us to help us maintain balance in our lives. When we are alone, we lose perspective on the world, and we forget that others may be bearing greater burdens than our own.
My tip: Try a team activity (rugby and Krav Maga helped me), or group hobby classes - learn dance, or French. Or try an unconditional relationship with a pet.
Meaning
We are at our best when we dedicate our time to something greater than ourselves. This could be religious faith, social work, a political cause, a charity, a professional or creative goal. It is also very important to feel that the work we do is consistent with our personal values and beliefs. If we believe our work is worthwhile, we feel a general sense of well-being and confidence that we are using our time and our abilities for good.
My tip: Identify your core values, and use them as your compass in personal and professional life. Read Susan David’s wonderful book - Emotional Agility.
Accomplishment
To achieve well-being and happiness, we must be able to look back on our lives with a sense of accomplishment. “I did it, and I did it well.” Setting and working towards goals helps us anticipate and build hope. Past successes make us feel more confident and optimistic about future attempts. When you feel good about yourself, you are more likely to share your skills and insights with others.
My tip: Focus on the process and incremental progress, not being perfect from the get-go.
Hope the above PERMA framework gives you a practical toolkit to personalise your own wellness journey, and take micro-steps that compound your wellness returns. For a deeper dive, read Dr. Martin Seligman’s work on Positive Psychology.
p.s. - did you know that procrastination is not a sign of laziness, but a sign of perfectionism?