FIVE KEY WAYS TO WELLNESS

It needn’t cost a fortune to unlock the secrets to a healthier, happier mindset with these simple core principles

-  RHONA MERCER

The wellness industry is worth a whopping £3.5 trillion these days and one look at Instagram is enough to convince us that all we need to do to be happy is indulge in daily meditation, practise clean eating and spend all our spare time at Pilates classes.

But according to psychology experts, pricey scented candles, monthly massages and freshly squeezed organic juices on tap may not actually be the secret to a stress-free life and eternal happiness.

In fact, research shows that rather than spending a weekend in a fluffy robe at a fancy spa, it’s actually the pursuit of pleasure and meaning in your life that is much more likely to have a positive impact on your mind in the long term.

According to psychologist Martin Seligman, this can be achieved by following a model called PERMA, which is an acronym for what he considers to be the five pillars of well-being – positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement.

Martin’s view is that focusing on these achievable elements in our life is much more likely to lead to contentment, fulfilment and happiness than anything we can purchase from the “self-care” aisle in the supermarket.

A study, which took place in 2016 and involved 1,624 participants, proved this point, with those who took part saying the PERMA model helped to reduce depression symptoms and increase levels of happiness.

So, with busy jobs, endless family demands and, let’s face it, limited budgets, how do we go about nailing these five crucial elements in order to help ourselves experience more joy in life?

Here, psychotherapist and founder of Mental Health Works Noel McDermott gives us some top tips on how to do it and (spoiler alert!) it’s a lot easier than you might think…