What was the most popular course offered at Harvard University in 2006? What class at the University of California at Berkeley was so in demand that it has now become available online for free where nearly 30,000 people have already signed up and there is an expectation that up to 100,000 will enroll? Not law. Not economics. But rather…drum roll please…“Happiness”.
One in 10 Americans take antidepressants (one in four women between the ages of 40-50) and, in a study done from 2005-2008-most likely the statists have increased-antidepressants were the 3rd most common prescription drug taken by Americans from the ages 18-44 years old. According to the Center for Disease Control, as of 2010, suicide was the 12th leading cause of death in the United States. Is it no wonder that we are searching for ways to learn what seems to be so illusive; happiness?
Through a wide range of studies, it was found that happiness can be learned through habitual and conscience actions. One can choose to be happy. If happiness is an important enough topic for Harvard to teach, perhaps it is prudent for us to help our children build skills towards finding happiness in their lives.
The University of Pennsylvania found that people who believe that they are relatively competent, have a sense of control over their lives, know that most of life’s challenges are temporary, have hope that things will get better, and have a strong social support group, tend to be happier. Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar’s Harvard course covers similar topics including: happiness, self-esteem, empathy, friendship, love, achievement, creativity, music, spirituality, and humor. He found that happiness occurs when there is a combination of both pleasure and meaning-that there is a greater purpose beyond your own self-interest- in the present as well as an expectation that these will continue into the future. In addition, he found that happy people follow rituals which actually free them up to be creative and spontaneous, leading to greater happiness.
Once we present to our students the importance of happiness in life, we can teach practical steps on how to achieve and maintain this. Here are some important highlights.
Please share your views on teaching happiness as well as any additional ideas you have for building a happy classroom atmosphere. And, most importantly, have a happy day:)!
This is my first and foremost effort in my teaching profession. My heart jumps with joy to see my children’s (students) happy face.
Then I am sure that your students get pleasure from being in your classroom!