PERMA Wellbeing Calculator
Measure your wellbeing across Seligman's five PERMA pillars: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Free, results in 2 minutes.
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Disclaimer: Results are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal guidance.
What Is the PERMA Model?
PERMA is Martin Seligman's evidence-based framework for wellbeing, introduced in his 2011 book Flourish. It identifies five core elements that contribute to a flourishing life: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Unlike single-dimension measures of happiness, PERMA recognises that wellbeing has multiple independent pillars — each of which can be measured and strengthened separately.
The Five PERMA Pillars
Positive Emotions (P): Experiencing joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, and love — not just in the absence of negative emotions, but as positives in their own right. Engagement (E): The state of flow — full absorption in activities that use your strengths. Relationships (R): Positive connections with others; social bonds are among the most robust predictors of wellbeing across cultures. Meaning (M): Belonging to or serving something you believe is bigger than yourself. Accomplishment (A): Pursuing and achieving goals for their own sake — the experience of mastery and progress.
Score Interpretation
| Pillar Score | Level | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| 8–10 | Thriving | Strong in this pillar — maintain and support others |
| 6–7 | Good | Solid foundation with room to strengthen |
| 4–5 | Moderate | This pillar needs deliberate attention |
| 0–3 | Low | Significant gap — prioritise this pillar first |
How to Strengthen Each Pillar
For low Positive Emotions: a daily gratitude practice (three specific things) produces measurable mood improvement within two weeks. For low Engagement: identify your signature strengths and find ways to use at least one each day. For low Relationships: schedule one meaningful social interaction per week as a non-negotiable commitment. For low Meaning: volunteering, mentoring, or creative work that contributes to others consistently raises meaning scores. For low Accomplishment: break goals into small, completable milestones — the sense of progress, not final achievement, drives the wellbeing benefit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PERMA model?
Seligman's five-pillar wellbeing framework: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Developed in positive psychology as a multi-dimensional model of flourishing.
What is a good PERMA score?
Above 7 per pillar indicates thriving in that domain. The most useful insight is your lowest-scoring pillar — that's where focused effort has most leverage.
Who created PERMA?
Martin Seligman, in his 2011 book Flourish. The validated measurement tool (PERMA-Profiler) was developed by Butler & Kern (2016).
Is this the official PERMA-Profiler?
No. This is a practical self-assessment aligned to PERMA dimensions. The validated 23-item PERMA-Profiler by Butler & Kern is available through academic channels.