What made yesterday the best work day I’ve had in years
Here’s what didn’t happen yesterday: I didn’t close a six-figure deal. I didn’t get promoted. I didn’t even finish my to-do list.
Yet when my head hit the pillow at 10pm, I felt more fulfilled than I have in months.
As someone who coaches high-achieving professionals through burnout and overwhelm, I’m constantly teaching others about work-life integration. But yesterday reminded me why this work matters and gave me a framework you can steal for yourself.
Let me show you the exact science behind what made this day work, and how you can replicate it.
The morning that changed everything (And why it almost didn’t happen)
My alarm went off 30 minutes earlier than usual. My first instinct? Hit snooze and “maximise productivity” by jumping straight into emails.
I’m so glad I didn’t.
Instead, I laced up my trainers and took my dog for a walk. Five minutes in, we spotted a deer on the path, frozen, beautiful, perfectly still. My dog’s tail wagged furiously. We both stood there, suspended in a moment that had nothing to do with deadlines or deliverables.
That 20-minute walk set the tone for everything that followed.
Here’s what I didn’t realize at the time: I was activating multiple pillars of psychological wellbeing before most people check their phones. And according to positive psychology research, this matters more than you think.
The PERMAH framework: Why some days feel amazing (And most don’t)
Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, identified six essential elements of wellbeing. When these align, we don’t just survive our days….we thrive in them.
As I reflected on why yesterday felt so different, I mapped it against his PERMAH framework. What I discovered changed how I approach every day since.
Let me break down each element with brutal honesty about what worked and what most of us get wrong.
P is for Positive Emotions (and why “Good Vibes Only” misses the point)
What happened: Throughout the day, I noticed myself experiencing genuine joy, gratitude, and optimism. Not the forced kind we perform on LinkedIn. The real kind.
Why it mattered: I wasn’t chasing happiness. I was creating conditions where positive emotions could naturally emerge.
The deer sighting. The laughter with fellow coaches in my morning course. The visible relief on a junior doctor’s face when a conflict management technique finally clicked. The satisfied exhaustion after an evening swim.
The mistake most people make: We treat positive emotions as the goal. They’re actually the byproduct of doing things that matter to us.
Your action step: Stop scheduling “fun” activities out of obligation. Start noticing which parts of your existing day generate genuine positive feelings, then protect those ruthlessly.
E is for Engagement (The antidote to “Sunday scaries”)
What happened: I spent the day fully immersed in activities I love: teaching conflict management to junior doctors, developing my new course, walking in nature, coaching clients through breakthrough moments.
The difference: I wasn’t watching the clock. I wasn’t thinking about what comes next. I was here.
When you’re truly engaged, time behaves differently. That three-hour workshop felt like 45 minutes. The course development work that usually drags became absorbing.
This is what psychologists call “flow state”and it’s the secret weapon of productive, fulfilled professionals.
The trap to avoid: Confusing “busy” with “engaged.” You can be frantically busy and completely disconnected. Real engagement requires doing work that matches your strengths and values.
Your action step: Audit your calendar. Which activities make time disappear in a good way? Which make you check your phone every five minutes? Optimise accordingly.
R is for Relationships (The element we sacrifice first)
What happened: Connection threaded through my entire day from that silent moment with the deer, to professional camaraderie with fellow coaches, to my evening dog walk with a friend, to the deep work with clients.
Notice what’s missing from that list? Networking events. Obligatory coffee meetings. Transactional “Let’s catch up” drinks.
The research is clear: Quality of relationships matters infinitely more than quantity. A few genuine connections outweigh a thousand LinkedIn contacts.
My most meaningful interaction yesterday: A client who survived domestic abuse told me how coaching helped her reclaim her voice at work. That five-minute conversation carried more weight than most full-day conferences.
Your action step: This week, replace one networking obligation with one genuine connection. Text someone you care about. Have a real conversation. Notice the difference. Break and have lunch with a family member and be wholly there.
M is for Meaning (Why your job title doesn’t matter as much as this)
I find deep meaning in my work.
Not because I have a fancy title or impressive salary. Because I get to make doctors, teachers, and headteachers, people who give everything to others, better at what they do.
When a resident doctor leaves my conflict management workshop with tools to handle difficult conversations, that matters. When a teacher discovers through coaching that they can set boundaries without guilt, that matters. When a headteacher stops sacrificing their health for their school, that matters.
I’ve watched people make different choices that led to better lived experiences. And honestly? It never stops surprising me how meaningful this feels.
The hard truth: You can’t fake meaning. But you might be looking for it in the wrong places.
Meaning doesn’t come from job titles, corner offices, or salary bumps. It comes from contribution, purpose, and alignment with your values.
Your action step: Answer this honestly: If you removed your job title and salary, would your work still matter to you? If not, what needs to change?
A is for Accomplishments (but not the kind you post on social media)
What happened: I saw tangible results from my efforts—workshop participants having “aha” moments, course content taking shape, clients making real progress.
But here’s what I didn’t do: I didn’t finish my entire to-do list. I didn’t achieve some massive milestone. I didn’t “crush my goals.”
I simply moved important things forward in a meaningful way.
The accomplishment trap: We’ve been conditioned to think accomplishments must be big, public, and impressive. Most fulfilling accomplishments are small, private, and incremental.
The junior doctor who practiced a difficult conversation script. The course module I edited. The client breakthrough I witnessed. These won’t make my annual review, but they made my day.
Your action step: Tonight, write down three “invisible accomplishments” from today. The small wins nobody sees but that moved something meaningful forward.
H is for Health (The foundation everyone builds last)
The activities that bookended my day:
The result: My body felt energised, not depleted. My mind felt clear, not foggy.
The pattern I notice in burned-out clients: They treat health as the reward they’ll prioritise “once things calm down.”
Spoiler: Things never calm down.
The shift that changes everything: Treat physical activity and rest as non-negotiable infrastructure, not optional luxuries.
Yesterday worked because I balanced mental stimulation (teaching, coaching, creating) with physical activity (walking, swimming, moving). This isn’t revolutionary. It’s just rarely practiced.
Your action step: Add one 15-minute movement break to your workday this week. Not a workout. Just movement. Watch what happens.
The framework in action: Your PERMAH audit
Now it’s your turn. Grab a coffee and honestly assess your last work day against these questions:
Positive emotions
Engagement
Relationships
Meaning
Accomplishments
Health
The uncomfortable truth about “perfect” days
Yesterday wasn’t perfect because everything went right.
It was fulfilling because the elements of wellbeing aligned, not by accident, but by intentional design.
Most professionals spend more time planning their next vacation than engineering their daily wellbeing. Then they wonder why they’re constantly exhausted, disconnected, and unfulfilled.
The PERMAH framework isn’t about adding more to your plate. It’s about recognising what’s already working and protecting it fiercely. It’s about eliminating what drains you and amplifying what fulfills you.
Your next step: Design tomorrow differently
You can’t control everything about your workday. But you can influence more than you think.
Here’s your challenge for tomorrow:
Choose ONE element of PERMAH to intentionally prioritise. Just one.
Notice what changes. Then build from there.
Work with me: Creating more days like this
If you’re a doctor, teacher, headteacher or helping professional who gives everything to others but can’t remember your last fulfilling workday, I can help.
Through positive psychology coaching, we’ll:
Ready to stop surviving your days and start thriving in them?
[Book a discovery call to explore coaching]
Here’s to living a fuller life, not someday, but today.
What’s one element of PERMAH you’re prioritising this week?
Drop a comment below, your insight might inspire someone else’s breakthrough.
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