What is the secret to happiness?
Hundreds of Yale students crowded into Professor of Psychology Laurie Santos’ class “Psychology and the Good Life” over the spring semester to learn the secret. At over 1,200 students, it was Yale’s largest class ever.
Santos told The College Fix that she thinks the class was so popular because college students are more stressed out and depressed than ever.
“I think the interest in the class shows that these strategies are really needed, that we really do need to change the culture of stress on campus,” she said.
She explained that the excitement about the class on campus made her realize that it could be useful to people outside of Yale and for any age. A shorter version of the class is now available for free on Coursera, or for a fee the entire class can be accessed.
According to Santos, the purpose of the class is not only to show students how their habits and the way they think affects their happiness, but give them a chance to change for the better.
The syllabus reminds students the “path to becoming happier and more successful requires more than just learning the material — it involves actually putting in work to set up the right habits and mindset.” Santos defines the good life as “maximizing our subjective well-being.”
Some of these healthier behaviors are incorporated into the class in what Santos calls course “rewirements” that aim to make students happier, healthier, and more resilient by “rewiring” their habits and mindsets.
To help students complete the rewirements, Santos developed an app, ReWi, where students can work on establishing healthy happiness habits by keeping a gratitude journal, meditating, and savoring a beautiful day, among other assignments. Her class is the first in Yale’s history to have its own app, according to the syllabus.
“Research shows that happiness is possible but (like all good things) it takes hard work,” Santos told The Fix. “That hard work comes through taking time to do more healthier practices, like meditation, taking time for social connection, and healthier behaviors like sleep and exercise.”
She said she believes her class is useful for everyone: “Anyone who wants to learn more about what the science of psychology says about living a happier life.”
Santos added that she was both humbled and surprised that so many students enrolled in her class. This year was the first time she taught the class, which will be offered again during the 2019-20 school year.
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