The concept of well-being is crucial for life journey. It is a state of mind to be happy and stable in all vital aspects of life. This includes physical, mental, psychological, and social frames of reference. The fundamental axiom is “I am Ok”. The moment one thinks that he /she is ok, half of the gamut of problems is solved. if one feels OK, he / she might be prompted to think the other is also OK and that makes life a happy place to traverse.
Feeling of well-being is thus the most important fulcrum around which happiness or otherwise of a person’s life moves around.
Applications for Elderly:
Concept of feeling well-being is extremely crucial for an elderly person from aging perspective. As physical and mental faculties begin to dwindle with onset of age, a sense of helplessness sets in. Loneliness and depression take its toll on mental health with additional problem of decreasing quality of connect.
In this scenario of difficulties, the entire concept of well-being plays an important role as it tries to rejuvenate the inner spirits of an Individual. The moment a person thinks good of himself / herself, that’s the beginning of well-being and gives rise to outlook of optimism and happiness around.
Understanding what drives spirit of well-being for an individual thus becomes crucial.
Understanding PEREMA Model:
It is in the above context that one can look around some of the prevalent theories of well-being that may be of help to understand the concept and apply it in one’s daily life. PERMA model developed by Martin Seligman, the American Psychologist is one such framework that is most prevalent in the parlance of well-being.
Five (5) parameters of the said model for well-being include following:
1. Positive: It is to understand what drives positive emotions in you. Once you understand this, you may try to do things that promote such emotions. For example, talking to your children may give rise positive emotions amongst some; working with road urchins may do the same for others. One can then chose to undertake such activities that kindle positive emotions, and this may help you keep energized.
2. Engagements: Here it is to understand what type of engagements keep you happy. This may differ from person to person. Some may find happiness in companionship of nature; others may find the same while they interact with childhood friends. One may then enhance the engagement with groups they like most to promote sense of well-being.
3. Relationship: This is another crucial aspect. One needs to assess what type of relationship gives them maximum joy & satisfaction. On assessing they may choose to enjoy the relationship with the counterpart they think are the best for them. This will help in augmenting the sense of well-being.
4. Meaning: The exploration of larger cause of life that makes sense / meaning to life is important. This will help one to engage in activities that lead to this cause and thereby promote their sense of well-being. They will be happy and satisfied that they are contributing to life as they wished.
5. Achievement: And finally, every elderly needs to find out what is their definition of achievement and what they would like to leave as legacy behind. Some may wish to leave behind a happy unified family, some may have a definite goal in life before they go. This sense of achievement will drive them to lead a life of meaningful purpose and direction.
Overall Framework Interpretation:
The PERMA model talks about FIVE (5) different ways in which an elderly can find joy and meaning in life. Following this model and its five (5) contours, one can chose the directions and practice daily activities so that life becomes beautiful. This will also help an elderly in the process of healthy aging.
However, as stated earlier, everyone is different and therefore, the drivers of actions will be different for every individual. The model provides a framework as to what are the important drivers in choosing meaning of the concept of well-being that will bring happiness to an individual. Finally, we must appreciate that everything depends on an individual. A person is the creator of his / her own destiny and therefore, an individual needs to be proactive to identify and practice the acts of well-being by finding out where his / her choice lies.
