The team behind the University of Bristol’s ‘Science of Happiness’ course had already discovered that teaching students the latest scientific studies on happiness created a marked improvement in their wellbeing. But their latest study found that these wellbeing boosts are short-lived unless the evidence-informed habits learnt on the course – such as gratitude, exercise, meditation or journaling - are kept up over the long-term. Senior author Professor Bruce Hood said: “It’s like going to the gym – we can’t expect to do one class and be fit forever. Just as with physical health, we have to continuously work on our mental health, otherwise the improvements are temporary.” Launched in 2018, the University of Bristol’s Science of Happiness course was the first of its kind in the UK. It involves no exams or coursework, and teaches students what the latest peer-reviewed studies in psychology and neuroscience say really makes us happy. Students who took the course reported a 10 to 15% improvement in wellbeing. But only those who continued implementing the course learnings maintained that improved wellbeing when they were surveyed again two years on. Published in the journal Higher Education, it is the first to track wellbeing of students on a happiness course long after they have left the course. Professor Hood said: “This study shows that just doing a course – be that at the gym, a meditation retreat or on an evidence-based happiness course like ours – is just the start: you must commit to using what you learn on a regular basis. “Much of what we teach revolves around positive psychology interventions that divert your attention away from yourself, by helping others, being with friends, gratitude or meditating. “This is the opposite of the current ‘selfcare’ doctrine, but countless studies have shown that getting out of our own heads helps gets us away from negative ruminations which can be the basis of so many mental health problems.” Professor Hood has distilled the Science of Happiness course into a new book, out on March 10. ‘The Science of Happiness: Seven Lessons for Living Well’ reveals an evidence-informed roadmap to better wellbeing. The other paper authors are fellow University of Bristol academics Catherine Hobbs and Sarah Jelbert, and Laurie R Santos, a Yale academic whose course inspired Bristol’s Science of Happiness course. https://www. bristol. ac. uk/news/2024/march/science-of-happiness-new-findings. html #capecod #lemonadio #morningshow #hankandstephanie
Transcript
Made by machine from the recording, so a name or two may be off. About 229 words.
happiness can be learned I thought it was two kinds of ice cream happiness can be learned pizza with sausage but you have to work at it and I thought why are we not doing this Workshop since everybody's a coach Hank right that's true everybody's a coach I think that you and I should do a happiness Workshop of course wouldn't that be great that be cool who wants to take our happiness class okay raise your hands and what are we goingon to teach these people I don't know okay I'm gonna work on a curriculum but we're going to call ourselves coach right and you're G to pay money and you're going to listen to us I feel like we've got a lot to offer absolutely and Mari says she'll take our class oh good we have one person in our class thank you all for joining us thank you I truly believe it though it is a muscle and you do have to work it but it's harder to not be joyful and to just be consumed with the misery in the world and the things in your life if you allow that in I feel like it it definitely is a muscle just like working out just like eating right just like doing those things you have to push that away from you he