What is Happiness? Why do we chase it? How do we get more of it?

 

This workshop will attempt to answer these questions, and provide practical strategies we can engage in to increase and sustain our feelings of happiness. We will begin with a brief overview of the history of happiness, to highlight the impact societal constructs of happiness have had throughout history.

 

Next, we will investigate a few key psychological concepts, to better understand how our brains process this emotion and actually hinder our experience of it. In the last half hour, we will open up a conversation about the biology of happiness to the group, as we brainstorm together various ways to increase a few key neurochemicals involved in its experience.

 
Providing education about increasing the quality and duration of our experience of positive emotions will have a beneficial impact on the overall personal resiliency of participants. Educating participants about the potential negative impact societal constructs around happiness can have will help increase awareness regarding how happiness can impact social resiliency as well.

This workshop will help increase participants' skill set around enhancing their own experiences of happiness and positive emotion. This, in turn, has the potential to decrease stress, improve social connection, and positively impact overall health.

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Workshop Host:

Shayna Lavallee