The Pursuit of Happiness is an essential human right. Both Confucius and Socrates insisted that well-being and personal growth were a major purpose of life, and a central goal of education.
During a past Daily Show episode, Jon Stewart responded to President Obama’s statement that “this is America: we don’t do what’s easy, we do what’s necessary” by holding up a jar of Baconnaise (bacon spread for sandwiches). Stewart sarcastically retorted that Americans love doing what’s easy – so much that products like Baconnaise exist for…
I LOVE Netflix. I LOVE HBO. House of Cards, Luke Cage, Game of Thrones and Insecure are all brilliant television. So brilliant that its addictive. I can and have finished entire seasons of Daredevil over the course of a weekend. In fact, when I’m asked what I do for fun, I have on more than…
We have to help our students learn how to develop healthy habits which will improve not only their academics but of course their mental health in general… If we’re going to teach our students then I believe as teachers we need to develop our own personal well-being habits. After retiring from teaching high school psychology…
Did you know the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association recommend exercise to treat depression? The American Psychological Association website reveals: “Exercise…is good for your head. A 1990 meta-analysis of 80 studies… reached the following conclusions: Exercise was a beneficial antidepressant both immediately and over the long term. Exercise was an equally effective antidepressant for both genders. Exercise…
FLOW is a state of total absorption in an activity where the individual is so focused that nothing else seems to matter. Time flies by and the activity becomes a joyful, even ecstatic, experience. Flow occurs most commonly when people are pursuing their passions, such as dance, music, arts and competition sports. However, students sometimes report…
As of recent, the psychological implications of gut health, and the role of the microbiome in emotional well being has received more media attention. As we learn more about the way a healthy gut environment influences mood, immunity, and inflammatory responses, we can expect advances in the way a host of ailments — including depression…
COULD our gut bacteria truly influence our state of happiness? It appears so. Researchers worldwide are now investigating the remarkably real relationship between the bacteria in our gut and how we think and feel. Gut bacterial make-up has been linked to depression, and probiotics, which change the population of gut bacteria, have been shown to alleviate depression…
Five years ago we posted “Jefferson’s Happiness”. Amid economic downturns around the world today, this is a great time to revisit the post and ask ourselves again: What is happiness? It seems that many Americans have been pursuing the Wall Street version of happiness with a vengeance, encouraged by the 2006 blockbuster “Pursuit of Happiness,” in which…
When I first started this project, I had more downers than believers. Most people don’t like to see something new, and happiness has never been chosen in the 45 years that this project has been run. My 8th grade class was assigned the task to find a problem in our community and take a step…
“The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” -Benjamin Franklin In order to understand happiness, one must understand what happiness actually is. The definition of happiness is, “feeling pleasure and enjoyment.” However, what is pleasure? What is enjoyment? Thomas Jefferson, an original Son of Liberty, once said,…
