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The search for happiness is a life-long pursuit for many. After all, who doesn’t want to live a positive and meaningful life?
Even if you are not a naturally optimistic person, you can choose to be positive and increase your happiness and wellbeing. But you don’t have to go it alone and you do not have to audit a class at a local college, reported CNBC. That’s because several prestigious universities across the US offer online courses that can teach you how to cultivate happiness. These free courses run throughout the year in short intervals.
All you need is an internet connection, a computer, and the desire to boost your happiness level. Here are five courses that are a great place to begin.
The Science of Well-Being - Yale University
Yale’s most popular class is available to audit free online through the learning platform Coursera. The 10-week class covers misconceptions about happiness and what you can do to cultivate it. Taught by psychology professor Laurie Santos, the course is designed to help you incorporate wellness activities into your life. Since 2023, there is also a version of the happiness course for teens.
The Science of Happiness - Berkeley University of California
Since 2014, UC Berkeley has offered a free online course that explores The Science of Happiness. Since its inception, more than 550,000 students have completed the eight-week course that explores the roots of a happy and meaningful life. The course from the university’s Greater Good Science Center is taught by Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D., the GGSC’s science director, and GGSC founder Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., who is a psychology professor at UC Berkeley and author of the best-selling book Born to Be Good.
Finding Purpose and Meaning in Life: Living for What Matters Most - University of Michigan
This popular class from the University of Michigan, breaks down how science, philosophy and practice play roles in finding your purpose and living a meaningful life according to CNBC. Students of this four-week online course hear from historical and contemporary figures about their own journeys to happiness and will go through exercises to determine what mean the most to them. Students will also have free limited access to the Purposeful App.
Managing Happiness - Harvard University
If you are looking for the root of happiness, this course from Harvard University is for you. Managing Happiness – a six-week long course that can be audited for free or you can take it as a certified course for a fee – is taught by social scientist Arthur C. Brooks. The online course delves into how to live a purposeful life and stresses that you can control your happiness.
Positive Psychology - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
UNC Chapel Hill offers a six-module online course that is available on Coursera. Positive Psychology is taught by Barbara L. Fredrickson, director of the university’s Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory, reported CNBC and aims to provide practical applications that students can use to have a happier and more meaningful life.
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