what can high schools learn from yale happiness course

by Richard Kutch Sr. 8 min read

Yale University’s happiness course is now being taught in high schools Yale's course improved the students ability to weigh-up negative and positive emotions associated with life experiences. Image: REUTERS/Michelle McLoughlin This article is part of the The Jobs Reset Summit

Yale University's happiness course is now being taught in high schools. Yale's course improved the students ability to weigh-up negative and positive emotions associated with life experiences. Study at a Beijing high school showed that happiness lessons had positive outcomes among students.May 31, 2021

Full Answer

Is Yale’s Happiness course suitable for You?

Now, the Yale course on happiness is suitable for everyone, you don’t need to have any previous knowledge or experience.

What to take after Yale Happiness Class?

Another course that you might choose instead or after the Yale happiness class is the Positive Psychology course offered by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It includes research findings and practical applications that work when it comes to achieving happiness and finding the meaning of life .

What is the Harvard happiness course?

The Harvard happiness course aims to challenge your previous assumptions about happiness and the meaning of life by focusing on ancient Chinese ethics, philosophy, and political theory. The course will help you to find mindfulness and understand more about yourself. You don’t need to have any previous knowledge to enroll in this course.

Can a class on happiness make you happier?

An intervention study written by Santos and four other researchers analyzing the impact of her class concluded taking the class allows people to show a significant improvement on a standard happiness scale, exhibiting about a one-point increase on the 10-point scale.

What is the most popular course at Yale?

Her “happiness” course – which she began teaching live in 2018 – became Yale's most popular class in over 300 years, according to the university.

Why schools should teach happiness?

This is part of a bigger “positive education” model that strengthens resilience and helps children lead healthier psychological lives. “Children should learn these skills – how to be happy, how to foster positive attitude and self-esteem, kindness, gratitude, and appreciation of life,” Gilburd said.

What is the happiness course?

The Science of Happiness is our flagship online course that explores the roots of a happy and meaningful life. Students engage with some of the most provocative and practical lessons from this science, discovering how cutting-edge research can be applied to their own lives.

How do you find happiness in high school?

How to Be Happy on School Days1 Listen to upbeat music.2 Focus on the good things about school.3 Go outside for a few minutes.4 Get some exercise.5 Do something nice for someone.6 Smile more often.7 Use feedback to improve your grades.8 Talk to a friend if something's bothering you.More items...

Why is teaching happiness important?

By teaching happiness we can teach children to discover and build strengths and to boost their optimism. They will be given essential tools and practical techniques to deal with pressure, build strong realationships and to be calmer. Learning happiness is important, possible and beneficial!

How do you teach happiness in school?

Teaching happiness is a large undertaking, but many educators are developing classes, lessons, or practices to meet the challenge.Teach Psychology and Good Habits. ... Teach Positivity and Self-Reliance. ... Teach Social and Emotional Learning. ... Teach Problem-Solving.

Are students at Yale happy?

Almost 70 percent of the 1,299 undergraduate respondents — about a quarter of the total undergraduate population — indicated that they are either “happy” or “extremely happy” at Yale, with a roughly similar distribution among class years.

How can I be happy at Yale?

Santos taught at Yale, asks students to, among other things, track their sleep patterns, keep a gratitude journal, perform random acts of kindness, and take note of whether, over time, these behaviors correlate with a positive change in their general mood.

What is the surprising science of happiness about?

In Dan Gilbert's, “Surprise Science of Happiness” the speaker provides an analysis of human happiness through a psychological and neurological lense. He discovered in his research that, because of the prefrontal cortex, humans have the ability to test things out in their brain before performing actions.

How does school affect happiness?

Research suggests that the more education you have, the happier you tend to be. In a survey that utilized data from the U.S. General Social Surveys, 94% of people with a bachelor's degree or more reported feeling happy or very happy with their lives overall, while 89% of high school grads said the same.

How can I make a difference in high school?

25 Ways to Make a Difference This School YearDonate school supplies.Read…and read and read and read to a child!Take food to your food pantry.Wave at kids on school buses.Feed the birds.Draw a picture for your librarian.Bring a treat for your bus driver.Take bubbles to the playground.More items...•

What should a high school student know?

Top 10 Skills for High-School StudentsTime Management. You know the deal: There are just 24 hours in each day. ... Good Study Habits. If you've got them, great. ... The Ability to Set Attainable Goals. ... Concentration. ... Good Note-Taking. ... Completion of Assignments. ... Review of Daily Notes. ... Organizational Skills.More items...

How much of our happiness depends on external circumstances?

Only a measly ten percent of our happiness levels depend on external circumstances that we can't control (i.e. meeting the love of your life, winning the lottery, etc.). Which means that 40% of our happiness levels derive from things we can control (i.e. how we see the world, how we behave, etc.).

How much of happiness is genetic?

In her book, The How of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky looked at the happiness measures of sets of identical twins, and found that while life circumstances only affect 10 percent of our happiness levels, a whopping 50% of what determines how happy we are is genetic. The realization that your levels of happiness are determined by your genetics in such ...

Why is the brain hardwired to adapt?

The brain is hardwired to adapt as a survival tactic that helps us to get through the worst of times, but it's also a big impediment to our ability to stay consistently happy.

Do happiness levels taper off after poverty?

And studies have long shown that while there's a difference in happiness between people living on the poverty line and those who make comfortable salaries, after a certain amount, the happiness levels taper off entirely .

Does finding the one make you happy?

In spite of what Disney movies might have promised, finding "the one" won't make you permanently happy. Santos points to one study in which a large group of people were surveyed for many years.

Does loneliness increase the risk of heart disease?

It's a serious issue, given that loneliness increases the risk of heart disease and stroke , causes anxiety and depression, increases your risk of suicide, and doubles the risk of premature death in both men and women. Research has found that people who have strong family bonds live the longest and happiest lives.

Is it possible to be happier if you get all the things you think will make you happy?

Understand that you will not be happier if you get all of the things that you think will make you happy . That sounds depressing, but it isn't, because what it actually means is that what happens in your life doesn't matter, only the way you view it counts, which is extremely liberating.

What is the most popular course at Yale?

About 1,200 undergraduates registered for Yale’s course, titled Psychology and the Good Life , which taught students how to lead a happier and more satisfying life. Laurie Santos, a psychology professor, first designed the class when she realized ...

Why is Yale the hardest class?

It’s this combination of positive psychology and behavioral change that may make it the “hardest class at Yale” because students have to hold themselves accountable to rewire their behavior , says Santos. Not every habit sticks. But students who found an exercise they enjoy report results.

What does happiness mean?

Happiness is associated with positive and pleasant emotions. People keep repeating this term when it comes to achieving the ultimate life satisfaction, flourishing and well-being. However, happiness means different things to each of us, and it’s not so easy to achieve.

What is the best course for positive thinking?

Coursera Yale happiness class is one of the most popular courses on positive thinking that you can find online. However, once you complete this course, you’ll probably want to check out other great alternatives that could help to change your mindset and figure out what your life is missing.

Is Yale an Ivy League school?

Yale is one of the Ivy League universities that was founded back in 1701. It’s also a private university that is also one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States. There are 14 schools that are a part of Yale, including the original undergraduate college, the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and 12 professional schools.