A recent survey found that 37% of teens say they have poor mental health. This 6-week course aims to curb this mental health crisis by bringing together the best insights from Dr. Laurie Santos’ popular Yale course Psychology and the Good Life. In this course, you will explore what the field of psychology teaches us about how to be happier, how to feel less stressed, and how to thrive in high school and beyond. The lessons along with short weekly ‘happiness homework’ assignments will ultimately prepare you to put these scientific findings into practice. The ultimate goal is for you to feel better and build healthier habits. Parents, teachers, and other professionals supporting teenagers may also find the course beneficial.
Note: This course does not confer Yale University grade, credit or student status.
THE SCIENCE OF WELL-BEING FOR TEENS WAS PRODUCED IN PART DUE TO THE GENEROUS FUNDING OF THE ARTHUR M. BLANK FAMILY FOUNDATION AND THE JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION.
In this module, you will learn what it means to be happy and why pursuing happiness is not a pointless endeavor. Dr. Santos addresses how our minds lie to us and how the science shows that our misconceptions about money, grades, and social media are holding us back from implementing the techniques studied in positive psychology.
What's included
13 videos4 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
13 videos•Total 68 minutes
Why Take Yale's Most Popular Course?•12 minutes
What Does It Even Mean to Be Happy?•8 minutes
Is Becoming Happier a Selfish Thing to Do?•6 minutes
Do Life Circumstances Determine Happiness?•3 minutes
Misconceptions #2: Grades & College Admissions•4 minutes
Misconceptions #3: Screen Time & Social Media•6 minutes
Negative Mass Media?•2 minutes
Dopamine Hits from Social Media?•2 minutes
Being Fake Online?•2 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
Happiness Homework•10 minutes
Welcome Letter from Laurie•10 minutes
Key Terms•10 minutes
Free Access to the Course•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Module 1 Quiz•30 minutes
Biases that get in the way of happiness
Module 2•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn about biases that get in the way of our own happiness. Dr. Laurie Santos explores why we get used to good and bad things in life and how we can deal with growing accustomed to things and making bad predictions about what we will want in the future. Dr. Santos discusses how we compare ourselves to others using reference points and what we can do to deal with our limited attention.
What's included
12 videos2 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
12 videos•Total 59 minutes
Our Minds Are Bad at Predicting Our Feelings•7 minutes
Happiness Problem #1: We Get Used to Stuff but Don't Know It•10 minutes
How Can We Deal with Hedonic Adaptation?•7 minutes
Happiness Problem #2: We Compare Ourselves a Lot•4 minutes
Happiness Problem #2: We Compare Ourselves to Other People•10 minutes
How Can We Deal with Social Comparisons?•3 minutes
Happiness Problem #3: Our Attention Is Limited•7 minutes
How Can We Deal with Limited Attention?•5 minutes
An Experience Gone Bad?•1 minute
Comparisons Other Make About Us?•1 minute
Reference Points & Self-Love?•1 minute
Are Comparisons Motivating?•1 minute
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
Happiness Homework•10 minutes
Key Terms•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 40 minutes
Happiness Homework Checkpoint•10 minutes
Module 2 Quiz•30 minutes
Behaviors that make us happy
Module 3•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn about behaviors that make us happy. Dr. Laurie Santos discusses behaviors such as engaging in social behaviors, finding time to do the things you love, and practicing healthy habits. Dr. Santos explains how a little bit of extra sleep each night or exercise can make a world of a difference.
What's included
10 videos2 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 53 minutes
What Make Us Happier: Behaviors•1 minute
Social Connection•8 minutes
Kindness•5 minutes
Flow & Fun•10 minutes
Signature Strengths •6 minutes
Healthy Habits•11 minutes
Time Affluence•9 minutes
Happy People & Charity?•1 minute
Helping Others?•1 minute
Changes in Sleep Patterns?•1 minute
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
Happiness Homework•10 minutes
Key Terms•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 40 minutes
Happiness Homework Checkpoint•10 minutes
Module 3 Quiz•30 minutes
Thoughts that make us happy
Module 4•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn about thought patterns that lead to better moods. Dr. Laurie Santos addresses the power of focusing our thoughts and developing the right mindset in order to experience gratitude, practice mindfulness, and get some perspective.
What's included
9 videos2 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 53 minutes
What Makes Us Happier: Thoughts•2 minutes
Experiencing gratitude•8 minutes
Practicing mindfulness•7 minutes
Fighting your inner critic•13 minutes
Getting some perspective•10 minutes
Developing the right mindset •8 minutes
Avoiding Apathy?•2 minutes
Gaslighting Yourself?•1 minute
Lying to Yourself?•2 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
Happiness Homework•10 minutes
Key Terms•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 40 minutes
Happiness Homework Checkpoint•10 minutes
Module 4 Quiz•30 minutes
Feelings that make us happy
Module 5•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn how harnessing our feelings can make us happier. Dr. Laurie Santos explores how we need both our positive and negative emotions in order to improve our well-being. Dr. Santos also explores how to regulate your fight-or-flight response using a tool that is most definitely underused, the breath.
What's included
5 videos2 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 24 minutes
What Makes Us Happier: Feelings•1 minute
Accepting negative emotions•10 minutes
Bridging our empathy gaps•6 minutes
Regulating our fight-or-flight•6 minutes
Avoiding Rumination During Meditation?•1 minute
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
Happiness Homework•10 minutes
Key Terms•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 40 minutes
Happiness Homework Checkpoint•10 minutes
Module 5 Quiz•30 minutes
Achieving happiness goals
Module 6•4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn techniques to achieve happiness goals learned throughout the course. Dr. Laurie Santos investigates how we can put happiness tips into practice, addressing the ways in which situations and people can affect us. Dr. Santos additionally discusses how to implement better habits and hack the habits that we do have.
What's included
11 videos6 readings3 assignments
Show info about module content
11 videos•Total 46 minutes
Putting These Happiness Tips into Practice•2 minutes
Realizing the Situation Around Us•8 minutes
Harnessing the Power of Other People•7 minutes
Understanding the Habit Loop•7 minutes
Hacking the Habit Loop•5 minutes
Leveraging Our Associations•7 minutes
Rethinking Our Psychological Timeline•5 minutes
Happiness is up to you!•1 minute
Messing Up Your Goal?•1 minute
Coping with Negative People?•1 minute
Dr. Santos' Strategies?•2 minutes
6 readings•Total 55 minutes
Happiness Homework•10 minutes
Final Assignment Preview•10 minutes
Key Terms•10 minutes
Measure Your Happiness Again!•10 minutes
Keep Learning•10 minutes
Are you a teacher?•5 minutes
3 assignments•Total 120 minutes
Module 6 Quiz•30 minutes
Final Writing Assignment•30 minutes
Express Your Creativity•60 minutes
Instructor
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For more than 300 years, Yale University has inspired the minds that inspire the world. Based in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale brings people and ideas together for positive impact around the globe. A research university that focuses on students and encourages learning as an essential way of life, Yale is a place for connection, creativity, and innovation among cultures and across disciplines.
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F
FL
5·
Reviewed on Aug 29, 2024
This course was extremely digestible and useful
I would recommend it to anyone:)))
I look forward to more courses aimed at teens and btw her podcast is amazing!!
K
KA
5·
Reviewed on Jun 18, 2024
Excellent content and clear, actionable concepts - something in it for everyone! Thank you for making this so accessible for learners and educators!
M
MF
5·
Reviewed on Apr 12, 2023
This was a great course not only for work that I do but just to get a better understanding of my own children and what they are living/going through in today's society! I highly recommend it
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Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.