A Yale University professor's course on the pursuit of happiness has seen a surge in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic after being made available for free online.
Psychology professor Laurie Santos started the course in 2018. In April 2019, before the pandemic, the course had 22,500 monthly users. By April 2020, months into the COVID-19 health crisis, those numbers spiked to 860,494 monthly.
The numbers subsided after that to 62,706 monthly users in April 2021 (the latest figures available), but the level of interest shows people are seeking a lift. Studies show people have become increasingly depressed amid a seemingly endless pandemic in which yet another surge in cases takes hold with the onset of the omicron variant.
“I do think people wanted to do more to protect their happiness during the pandemic,” Santos told The Hill. “I think people were getting great evidence-based advice about how to protect their physical health — mask up, socially distance, get a vaccine — but people were struggling with what to do to protect their mental health. The class provided that evidence-based advice for improving well-being.”
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The course includes “happiness-boosting challenges" and tips on how to counteract what makes people unhappy, according to the report. Santos said it also teaches students strategies to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, including taking a shower, drinking coffee, or reading a book.
“In class, people learn about a lot of strategies that are helpful for navigating the mental health hit that comes from life during omicron. For example, you'll hear about ways to boost your social connection, even if you can't get together in person,” Santos said. “You'll also learn that self-care, doing things to boost our own well-being, often comes from focusing on others."
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The course, titled "The Science of Well-Being," is available on Coursera and always has open enrollment, allowing people interested in the course to take it based on their personal schedules.
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