Stress & Happiness
During these unprecedented times, many of us are struggling with stress, anxiety, and feelings of unhappiness. According to a recent survey by Gallup, the percentage of U.S. adults who consider themselves to be “thriving” has dropped to 46.4%, nearly 10% lower than the previous year’s survey results, and matching the low point measured in November 2008 during the Great Recession. In 2008 (the first full year of the Great Recession), the “thriving” percentage declined 5.6%. The current decline is nearly double, erasing 11 years of steady improvement of how Americans evaluate their lives.
“The Science of Well-Being”
Yale Professor Laurie Santos teaches “The Science of Well-Being” course with the goal of increasing students’ own happiness and building more productive habits. In it, she reviews the psychology that causes your mind to think the way it does and ways to improve your mental health. Previously only available to Yale students in a classroom setting as “Psychology and the Good Life”, the approximately 15 hour long course is now available online FREE OF CHARGE. As the most popular online course in Yale’s history, there are currently nearly 2.8 million students enrolled. A course description and enrollment instructions can be found HERE.
“The Happiness Lab”
Dr. Santos also has a podcast: “The Happiness Lab”. Each episode tends to be between 20 and 40 minutes where she shares inspiring stories and practical tips to improve your happiness. In addition to her regular episodes, there are “Coronavirus Bonus” episodes covering topics such as loneliness, maintaining healthy relationships, and good vs. bad screen time. Podcast episodes are available HERE or via your favorite podcast app.
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