HAPPINESS HABITS

This 6-week course has been developed by Action for Happiness, drawing on the wisdom of experts across many fields, to cover the habits of living a happy life and spreading happiness to others.

Week 1: Gratitude, Thursday, May 23, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Week 2: Self-Care, Thursday, May 30, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Week 3: Relationships, Thursday, June 6, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Week 4: Resilience, Thursday, June 13, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Week 5: Kindness, Thursday, June 20, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Week 6: Meaning, Thursday, June 27, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Please note: all timings are local time where the course is based.

The course is run by local volunteers and based on donations - so please feel free to give whatever you can afford :)

ABOUT THE COURSE

Happiness Habits is a secular, science-based course for people who want to learn how to live happily and spread happiness to those around them. It was created to help people tune in to what really matters in life, connect with people around them and find small ways to start taking action.

On the course you will:  

• Meet with like-minded people to explore what really matters in life and find new ways of looking at things.
• Enjoy expert videos, mindfulness practices and group exercises to help you apply the lessons to your life.
• Take time each week to think of small actions you can take to create happiness for yourself and those around you.

Each week features some of the world’s most trusted experts:

Week 1: Gratitude 

• What can we learn about happiness? Vanessa King - Head of Psychology, Action for Happiness

• How can we become happier? Shawn Achor - Bestselling Positive Psychology Author

Week 2: Self-Care 

• How can we be kinder to ourselves? Kristen Neff - Professor of Psychology, University of Texas

• How can we get the basics right? Rupy Aujla - General Practice Doctor and Healthy Eating Expert & Darryl Edwards - Movement Coach and Author

Week 3: Relationships 

• Why are relationships important for our happiness? Robert Waldinger - Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

• How can we look after our Relationships? Roxy Manning - Psychotherapist and Nonviolent Communication Expert

Week 4: Resilience 

• How can we be more resilient? Tal Ben-Shahar - Positive Psychologist, Harvard University

• How can we be happy in dark times? Maria Sirois - Positive Psychologist and Author

Week 5: Kindness 

• How can we become kinder? Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist Monk and Author

• Why does kindness matter? Chude Jideonwo - Journalist and Entrepreneur & Nipun Mehta - Founder of ServiceSpace

Week 6: Meaning 

• What makes life meaningful? Gretchen Rubin, Bestselling Author

• What should be the purpose of our lives? Jon Kabat-Zinn - Professor of Medicine, University of Massachusetts & Richard Layard - Economist, London School of Economics

People find it really valuable and often refer to what they learn on the course as life-changing.

WHO THE COURSE IS FOR

This course is for anyone interested in exploring how to create happiness for themselves or others. Maybe you’re someone who could do with some new approaches to try out in your own life. Or maybe you’re passionate about creating happier communities and a happier world.

Either way, by coming together with others locally on this course you can find the inspiration and support you need find the actions that work for you.

Everyone on the course agrees to abide by the Five Golden Rules:

• We really listen to each other
• We are open about our feelings
• We focus on what is working well
• We practice safe boundaries
• We maintain a spirit of kindness

Please note: this course is not group therapy, if you are experiencing severe challenges at the moment we recommend seeking alternative professional support.

HOW IT WORKS

The course is run by approved volunteers who are stepping forward to help spread happiness in the local area.

Everyone who joins the course makes a donation of their choice to be there - most people chose to give around Fr.80.

You can choose to either give the recommended donation of Fr.80 or give more or less depending on your circumstances. 

If you can't make a donation online or need a place on the course without making a donation then please email us here for a free place: [email protected]

We welcome everyone on the course equally whatever they are able to give :)    

What are the highlights of the course?

“Sharing and learning from each other allowed us space to grow and taking away action plans each week focused our minds on pro active action.” ~ Jacqueline, London

“More or less everything is a highlight as it is mightily well researched and factual.” ~ Annick, Lindfield

“Being able to believe that I could be brave enough to change my circumstances/life, in order to be happier/make others happier around me.” ~ Michelle, Farnborough  

GET IN TOUCH

For general questions about Action for Happiness and the course please contact: [email protected]

We hope you enjoy the course. Thanks for helping to create a happier world.

The Action for Happiness team

Please note: although the content and materials for this course have been developed and tested by Action for Happiness, this specific course is being run independently by volunteers who support the aims of Action for Happiness, rather than being put on directly by the organisation itself.

Action for Happiness was co-founded by Prof Richard Layard, Sir Anthony Seldon and Geoff Mulgan. Key members of the team include Vanessa King and Dr Mark Williamson. It is backed by the Dalai Lama - the patron of Action for Happiness. Action for Happiness is a UK Registered Charity (1175160).