“[In our research, we found] that, in social networks, happiness can be
contagious up to three degrees of separation from its initial source (you!)”
— Drs. Nicholas Christakis & James Fowler —
For Your Family
Wellbeing Wednesdays
- Create a family PERMA+ Snapshot journal, notebook, or print this PERMA+ Snapshot poster. Keep your PERMA+ Snapshot tracking system somewhere central in your home, like your kitchen or entryway. Each Wednesday, make time to come together as a family to discuss your PERMA+ Snapshot scores. You may find it helpful to give each family member a post-it or face picture within each element that they can move around. Look for opportunities to savor the high points or boost your score when it is low. If Wednesdays don’t work for you, choose another day that is convenient for your family.
PERMA+ Spotlight Activities
- For each of the next six weeks, choose one PERMA+ element for your family to focus on. You can go in order, choose which one seems good that week, or make a game out of it by drawing them at random out of a jar or hat. Each week, have your family members share what they do to boost each element and decide on an activity to do together that focuses on your spotlighted element of the week. Use the PERMA+ Spotlight Activity Sheet to brainstorm some activities related to each element.
For Your School
PERMA+ Snapshot for Meetings
- Using the PERMA+ Snapshot is a great way to kick off a meeting and contribute to a team culture where wellbeing wins! Give everyone a chance to take the PERMA+ Snapshot and a few minutes to reflect and discuss. You can provide an opportunity for team members to (optionally) share any wins, highlights or insights.
PERMA+ Snapshot Newsletter
- The PERMA+ Snapshot makes a great addition to a school newsletter or parent update email. Designate a spot in your newsletter to describe the importance of measuring and promoting wellbeing for all — students, parents, and teachers alike. Link to the PERMA+ Snapshot Survey and encourage your school community to come back to the survey on a regular basis to check in on their wellbeing.
For Your Community
Community PERMA+ Board
- At a library, coffee shop, or some other public place, create a bulletin board for people to take the PERMA+ Snapshot and share what has boosted their wellbeing that day. Provide pens and post-its for people to add their examples and which PERMA+ element the action represented (it may help to leave a couple of examples for people to follow).
Book Club or Movie Night
- If you have a fiction or biography book club with friends, you can integrate PERMA+ into your discussions. Apply the PERMA+ framework to some of the characters. Are they strong in a particular area – relationships or accomplishment? Do they completely neglect other areas? In what ways do the PERMA+ elements contribute to the plot or character development? Hosting a movie night is another great option, especially for kids and teens. After the movie, have them give recommendations to each of the characters to improve their PERMA+ elements. Applying the PERMA+ framework to a fictional character or historical figure can be a good first step to discussing each of the elements.