“Psychology and Good Life” is the name of the class with the most students, since 2018, at Yale University. It is not surprising, since the search for happiness is one of the most pursued goals by human beings. In addition, according to the science that studies it, it is not only achievable but can be learned. Only the year of its launch registered a number of almost 1,200 students enrolled and it is based on actions that we can all put into practice.
Laurie Santos, A 47-year-old cognitive scientist and psychology professor, she is in charge of teaching this subject that began to take shape in her experience as a tutor, when she noticed the large number of cases of depression and anxiety among her students. She then plunged into the study of papers scientists on the subject.
Thus, he discovered studies that had shown that the happiest students at age 18 had better jobs at 27. Also a comparison between control groups where it was found that optimistic people were infected less by the common cold virus. However, no matter how much science is put into it, happiness is still an abstract concept.
Which brings us to the next step and to the subject of Santos, who manages to submit happiness to the mold of the scientific process, which in Western societies is the canon for bringing knowledge to light and interpreting the meaning of discoveries. Yes indeed, it has nothing to do with smiling more and that many coaches and self-help books preach.
The focus, generalizing, is more about how having a cheerful attitude directly affects our future and our health. And, specifically, it can be summed up in this seven points:
Social relationships
Logic tells us that the happiest people spend time with family and friends. However, in a 2.0 world like ours, does this it must be exclusively physical or the virtual one also counts? Santos has it clear: a contact in real time, like a video call, yes. Social media, no. Chatting by text does not contribute to a good mood either.
take care of others
A scientific study conducted in 2008 by Canadian social psychologist Elizabeth Dunn at the University of British Columbia found that participants were happier spending $20 on a gift for someone else than for themselves. And it is that the scientific evidence developed by her own department also shows that the benefit in levels of joy when helping in a systematic way are much greater. Although, the best, of course, is to combine it with taking care of ourselves.
The importance of being appreciated
Being grateful is not only for well-born, but also for happy people. Studies support that, when we say thank you, we not only bring joy to our interlocutor, it is that we also it has been shown to be of benefit to the issuer of the thank you.
be present
Turns out being in the present moment and control wandering of thought, which normally occupies half of our time, is key. This was shown by a study, so learning strategies to control these distractions and pay attention to the present moment is essential. Although it may seem difficult at first, we can start working on it with something as simple as breathing.
accept negative feelings
The previous point also applies to feelings that society considers negative. For example, in a difficult moment, instead of running away from grief or sadness, we must go through it in order to overcome it, without repressing it.
Time brings more happiness than money
Money, according to Santos, is very important to cover basic needs but, beyond that, the asset that gives the greatest happiness is time. Above all, to be able to use it in what, or with whom, we want. The teacher proposes learning to use what she calls the “confetti of time”. That is, those minutes dead in a waiting room or while everyone sits in a meeting… Instead of rambling, either with the mobile or in our head, he recommends taking advantage of them for concrete and defined actions. For example: congratulate a friend, make a management…
Feet on the ground but without giving up
Although the happiness industry bombards us with messages more typical of magical thinking, which state that if you dream what you want, you will have already done 50% and the like, you have to be more realistic. Especially if we do not want to fall into frustration. In short, the first step of all is a matter of attitude.
However, if you have been wanting to know more but Connecticut catches you a bit far, Santos created the course The Science of Well-Being, on the virtual education platform, Coursera. It explores misconceptions about happiness, why having certain expectations isn’t good, how to overcome prejudice, and what really makes us happy. It’s free and you set the pace of learning. Only if you want the certificate, you will have to pay 49 dollars.
Photos | Happy Go Lucky and Unsplash