Will shopping or social media make you happy? No, but sleep will, Yale professor doing happiness podcast and free online course says
- Laurie Santos launched a happiness course at Yale University, designed to help learners lead happier, more satisfying lives. It was such a hit she made it free
- For busy people she started a podcast, The Happiness Lab, to share practical takeaways people can use. She offers advice to Hongkongers affected by protests
When psychologist Laurie Santos discovered that a quarter of all undergraduates at Yale University had enrolled in her “happiness” course in its first year, she decided to publish it online as a free class on online learning platform Coursera.
Global enrolment soared, reaching 460,000 by December 1, and the demand inspired Santos to create a podcast – The Happiness Lab.
Last year, “Psychology and the Good Life”, often called the happiness class on campus, became the most popular course ever taught in the prestigious US university’s 300-year history, indicating a widespread need by students for more contentment in their lives.
“I think it speaks to the fact that students are really feeling more unhappy than they’ve ever felt,” says Santos, 44, a psychology professor and head of one of Yale’s residential colleges. “I think they don’t like this culture of feeling depressed and anxious and overwhelmed, and they really want to take action on it.”
The feelings are universal – particularly in difficult times.