Are you happy? Very happy? According to a recent Harris Poll only 1 in 3 Americans (33%) report feeling very happy. That’s 2% lower than reported in 2008 and 2009. Happiness is an inside job. If you are not happy with yourself there is no amount of money, no relationship, and no job that can make you happy. As a psychology professor (and psychotherapist) I often get asked how to boost happiness. The truth is there is not just one answer. There is not one particular thing you can do or change and then you are suddenly happy. Instead it is a process. It is a combination of all the little things that you do on a daily basis. Happiness is a habit. This class was created in order to give you strategies to build your “happiness habit”.

Everyone is different and what works for some people may not work for others so I wanted to give you lots of options (21). Many of these strategies have helped me in my own life. I use some every day and others when I feel I need a little extra boost. My hope is that you can find at least a few strategies that work for you and that you can apply to your daily life on a permanent basis. Remember motivation and happiness wear off if you do not practice them every day. Make yourself and your happiness a priority by practicing it every day. Don’t push it down to the end of your to do list. Don’t stop practicing happiness because you feel happy. You must continue to practice so that you can maintain that state of happiness. If it helps think of happiness as a muscle you are working on. Just like going to the gym if you stop going all your hard work is soon lost. Or think of it like climbing a hill, if you stop climbing you slide down again. This class is meant to be a starting point where you can find tools that works for you. Then you can apply what you learned and continue to build your "happiness habit".

Try to remain open and give all the concepts and exercises an honest try! You may surprise yourself!