✿Petal & Paper
Home · Buying guides · Positive psychology evidence guide
Buying guide

Positive psychology: the five evidence-based practices that improve wellbeing

Positive psychology is not relentless positivity. It is the scientific study of what makes life worth living — and what the research shows actually helps.

The PERMA model

Martin Seligman's PERMA model identifies five dimensions of wellbeing: Positive emotions (experiencing more positive than negative emotions overall), Engagement (flow — being fully absorbed in challenging, meaningful activities), Relationships (warm, trusting social connections), Meaning (belonging to or serving something larger than yourself), and Achievement (pursuing and accomplishing goals for their own sake). These five dimensions are independently measurable and each can be deliberately cultivated.

The three interventions with strongest evidence

The gratitude letter (visit): writing and reading aloud a letter of genuine thanks to someone you haven't properly thanked — Seligman's 2005 study found this produced the highest single-session wellbeing increase of any intervention tested, with effects lasting 4 weeks. Strengths identification and deployment: people who use their character strengths daily report significantly higher wellbeing than those who don't. Acts of kindness: performing 5 acts of kindness in a single day produces a measurable wellbeing increase (Lyubomirsky, 2005).

The importance of social connection

The Harvard Study of Adult Development — an 84-year longitudinal study — identified warm, close relationships as the single most important predictor of health and happiness in later life. Not wealth, not fame, not intelligence. The quality of relationships, not the quantity. Use our free daily journal to record moments of connection and the free mindset habit tracker to build daily connection practices.

Our picks compared

PickProductBest for
Top pick A4 heavyweight matte cardGratitude practice Check price →
Book Flourish Martin Seligman PERMA wellbeing positivePERMA guide Check price →
Book 2 The Happiness Advantage Shawn Achor positiveApplied guide Check price →
Journal Gratitude journal morning evening wellbeing promptsDaily practice Check price →

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices shown on Amazon at time of click.

Frequently asked questions

Is positive psychology just about being happy?
No — positive psychology explicitly distinguishes between hedonic wellbeing (pleasure, positive emotions) and eudaimonic wellbeing (meaning, purpose, growth). The discipline is more interested in the latter, which produces more durable satisfaction. Many of its most effective interventions — like identifying and working with personal challenges — are not pleasant but are deeply meaningful.
Can positive psychology techniques help with depression?
Positive psychology interventions are most effective as supplements to clinical treatment for depression, not replacements. The research shows they can reduce depressive symptoms and improve wellbeing alongside rather than instead of professional treatment. Anyone experiencing clinical depression should speak to a GP or mental health professional.