I have learned that a good deal more of `my happiness `is under `my own direct control` than I had previously thought. This course has provided me with research data on `What makes humans happy` and has taught me specific strategies to create new habits in my life which in turn increase my happiness levels . I am now using a growth mindset in place of my long held `fixed mindset` . I am delighted to be exploring the new theory that Happiness grows with focus and willingness to practice new habits . I love the experiential aspect of this course where I actually experienced the results of my own practice for 4 weeks and proved the theories for myself. Thank you for this wonderful course.

I love the casual and personal vibe Dr. Laurie Santos created around this learning experience. This is a really helpful course, especially when you're in quarantine and struggling to feel happy with your circumstances. This course set me on a path of gratitude and self-awareness. I thought I knew most of the concepts this course covered, but the way it's structured made it more compelling, and I did end up learning and practicing a lot of new things too. A bit of a slow burn if you're used to mindlessly scrolling through Social Media as a habit to numb your sadness, but if you put those collective social media hours into this course, you'll have completed it in no time and come out a lot happier!

I loved the flexibility of this online course. I ended up taking a break midway thru due to work obligations and I appreciated the email follow up on my status. That email prompted me to jump back in! Laurie's presentations were easy to listen to and I liked the occasional pop up questions. The resources provided enabled me to dig deeper into topics that I wanted to explore more on. The final rewirement was easy to commit to and easy to assess. I must admit I was afraid the requirement would be to write an essay or "term" paper! The prompts were great and I enjoyed doing the peer reviews as well. My overall happiness scores went up and I find I use some of the strategies in my personal and work

Dr. Santos is a wonderful instructor. She is intelligent, calm and honest. She expresses how some of these things are hard to incorporate into her life, too, even though she knows and teaches the science. Her manner is welcoming and nonjudgmental. She introduced many knowledgeable lecturers, who added dimension to the course. I enjoyed this course. There are many different items/theories to learn. She presented in a thoughtful and logical manner. She is engaging and empathetic

Sometimes, it was a bit difficult to navigate the technology of the course. It took a while to understand how to respond to the final project and other items. Clearer instructions and navigation would be helpful

Realmente este curso me ha ayudado a ver las cosas desde otra perspectiva. Al comienzo de este, me sentía un poco deprimida, perdida y aunque hay mucho camino por recorrer aun debo admitir que mi estado de ánimo y autoestima han mejorado significativamente. Cree un plan e implemente la mayoría de los temas discutidos en clase y debo admitir que hubo gran cambio. Exhorto a que todos tengan la oportunidad de inscribirse en este curso para que abran nuevos caminos de conocimientos que realmente van a poder aplicar en su vida cotidiana. Este curso fue de mucha ayuda, además, ya que en la situación mundial que enfrentamos del coronavirus me hizo olvidar todos esos problemas por un rato. Excelente.

This class was extremely hard not so much the learning aspect but the work you need to put in. To find out in oneself that you are ungrateful was a big reality check for me,yes it hurt but truth does. Finding kindness for me mended,fixed,and rewired my heart which made me a better person. I enjoyed all the classmates, their real input made it much easier to go through a struggle or obstacle you can't seem to get the answer for yourself. Professor Santos was amazing and brilliant, she always came from a different side of things making you use your creative mindset. I never had Teacher/Professor so unique. Great course, mindful thinking has greatly improved my well being. Thank You to everyone.

This is an excellent course that I found well worth my time. The professor, Laurie Santos, has designed a thoughtful program that (1) examines our preconceptions about happiness, (2) lays out the science behind what actually has an impact on our well-being (in an accessible way), and (3) sets you up with useful tools for actual behavioral modification. This way, you are not just absorbing information, but also making real-life changes in a way that is both effective and on your own terms. Dr. Santos is a charming, lively, and engaging speaker. The course is done with the participation of a dozen or so undergrad students, so you it almost feels like you're really in a classroom at Yale.

This course was quite an enjoyable journey, and will remain relevant for many years to come. As someone who has always been interested in taking courses on psychology and well-being, The Science of Well-Being not only met my expectations but thoroughly exceeded them. It challenged my way of thinking with reputable research findings and encouraged me to reevaluate my priorities, like choosing not to isolate myself when studying and instead spend that time more meaningfully with my peers. The plethora of supplemental readings provided by the course especially piqued my curiosities. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to be happier and develop a deeper appreciation for life.

The course was superbly designed. It was not overwhelming. Every week I looked forward to the days I had committed. I wanted to practice wellness but did not know a structured way to do it. In this course we started from small goals of savoring, meditating, practicing gratitude to bigger goals.

The instructor Ms. Santos was very good. She did not teach from a superior place. She practiced with us and showed us that we don't need to be distressed because we faltered some times because she made it clear that she herself had designed the course because she too wanted to practice.

I have started 3 healthy practices -Gratitude, savoring the moment and meditation after doing this course.

La ciencia del bienestar ha sido un curso de mucha ayuda para mí, lo comencé en un momento donde me sentía muy mal, a veces sin sentido y descubrí que todo esto ocurría porque estaba basando mi felicidad en los lugares equivocados, pensaba que iba a ser feliz cuando obtuviera alguna cosa en concreto y aquí aprendí que la felicidad es una desición que tenemos cada uno; claro que no basta con saberlo eso también lo aprendí. Me es de mucha ayuda el poder entender los rasgos molestos de mi mente y como científicamente tenemos respuestas para nuestros comportamientos, pero me da mucha esperanza saber que hay herramientas que tenemos disponibles siempre que pueden hacernos más felices.

A truly fantastic and life-changing course. I found the pacing to be perfect, as well as the way material was staggered week by week. I looked forward to the lectures every week and loved implementing each piece into my daily life. I was actually kind of bummed out when we had a couple of weeks off to practicethat didn't have lectures (it might be because my key strength of Curiosity was one of my major practice points in this program and I loved hearing the great teacher present more). I've taken lots of notes and am really going to enjoy implementing more and more of these learnings into my personal and professional life, as I've already been doing. Whole-heartedly recommended!

This course was AMAZING!! So accessible, so full of resources that you could pick and choose from. In addition to the informative lectures, there were interviews, TED talks, articles and scientific studies provided for students to peruse at their own pace. I loved the design of the course, setting up the ways in which our minds hijack us and then slowly digging into how we can rewire.

The course does a great job of combining helpful tips and tricks to change practice--I'm looking at you, WOOP method--as well as the science behind the impact and benefit from those practices.

This course--and of definitely, Dr. Santos--were the perfect balm in the time of corona confinement.

I truly enjoyed this course I would take it again if I could. Professor Santos was a great professor. Several of terms that I have learned from class have stayed with me. The rewirements have especially stayed with me and I plan to work on implementing daily exercise for the next four weeks because of the health benefits and I want to see if I can use what learned from this class to help me stick with this rewirement. I know there will be challenges but I also know that there will be a great success as well and I believe that I can do it not for the surface reasons that I have learned from this class that are not truly important but for myself and for my growth as a person.

It was such a fun and insightful journey! Wise and charming lecturer (I’ve actually become a huge fan of The Happiness Lab podcast by Dr. Lauries Santos after this course). Well-presented and science-based information backed by reliable research and studies. Abundant interesting and helpful resources. The classroom setting (lessons were recorded in Dr. Santos’s living room) makes me feel very engaged and relaxed.

What hooked me to this course was the title “the most popular course in Yale” on social media, but what kept me staying was its very content. So far, this course is truly the most engaging and practical one that I’ve ever taken in my life, both in school and online.

Dr. Laurie Santos is very engaging, informative, and down-to-earth in her videos. This class teaches you excellent skills to help you improve your life and continue to enjoy each moment while explaining why each tool is important and what we all seek in life that may not be helping us attain our best life. This is a longer course allowing you to fully integrate the principles into your life for future use. I didn't want this course to end. I had heard excellent things about this course a few years ago when it was started at Yale. This course was as excellent as advertised and I will continue to implement what I learned while sharing the information with others. Thank you!!

The course is well established and very engaging thanks to Prof. Laurie's friendliness and good sense of humour. The scientific contents are just of the right levels, without being too technical; informative, and very interesting as some research findings are completely opposite to what we normally perceive. The rewirements accompanying the lectures are a plus as they can be put into practice directly. In other words, positive effects on well-being can be seen as you are learning. I would highly recommend this course to anyone regardless of how one thinks about their state of well-being. This course could, in any way, bring about improvements to your health and happiness.

This is a life shaping course, that can help you to adjust how you live your life. I was extremely inspired to learn about all the research based facts on what increases my well being, and what doesn't actually matter. I am 65 years old, have always considered myself a happy person, and yet had some strong a-ha experiences during this course. I am definately going to take this learning along with me on the road ahead. I loved seeing the Yale students interacting and discussing the various topics. Such refreshing youth, coming to grips with the same things that I was learning. I WARMLY recommend this course to anybody who is wanting to increase their quality of life!

This is by far the best and most helpful course I've ever completed online, probably even in person. Laurie Santos is an absolute pleasure to watch on camera, something where many other courses, despite being informative, really fall behind. The material is presented in a really interesting and informative way and it set me up with the necessary tools to fall out of a deep hole I wasn't able to get out of. I didn't know why I was unhappy but this course helped me to realise that I was chasing the wrong things, how to find out what I really wanted and reminded me of some tools I can use now and in the future to prevent this from happening. I haven't been happier since.

Not going to lie at first, I was terrified to take any courses, but when I was deciding to this course just stuck out to me and no matter what other ones, I was looking at I always found myself back at this one and I'm very thankful and happy that I did. this instructor is by far the most down to earth teacher, and she explains everything in a way that helps you understand the situation better. she also takes her time answering your questions and if she can't answer them, she will point you in the right direction. I am very pleased to say I passed this course and it's a 10-week course, but I completed it in just a couple weeks once I buckled down and focused on it...

Dr. Santos is phenomenal! Take the Yale course and commit to it if you truly want to work on your well-being as you are truly responsible for your happiness! This course does not take a lot of time out of your schedule. If you don't want to take the course by yourself, ask your friends, co-workers, classmates and family, you shouldn't miss the opportunity! If you really make an effort your scores will increase and your mindset will change. Who doesn't want a positive journey in all aspects of our lives! I would highly recommend sharing the opportunity to take the Science of Well-Being course, which also has a course available for teens and high school students.

My overall experience of the course is excellent. I have greatly improved my positive psychology knowledge. During this time many people talks about happiness, resilience and positive psychology. Since I learned this course, I’m so passionate to discuss with others & I really proud and happy with my level of knowledge I gained throughout the course. In addition, although we are in a very challenging period, thanks to the knowledge and my practice, my happiness score improved. I had a very important improvement in understanding my purpose and meaning in life. That gives me great strength to overcome this challenging time. Big thanks to all behind this amazing course!!

Incredible to do this class during COVID-19. It was a helpful tool in dealing with so much uncertainty during this time. This class helped me understand my own triggers for happiness, and they weren't necessarily the things I thought they were. After understanding the science of what makes us TRULY happy, I feel I'm in a surer place to choose what I absolutely know DOES contribute to my wellness and positive state of mind - even under incredibly challenging circumstances. The additional resources (books, readings and Tedtalks) were exceptionally helpful and fascinating. Lori is a great guide in sharing and presenting information. So grateful I discovered this class!!

Dr. Santos, I am a SEN teacher, speciality in autism. This course has been extraordinarily helpful because I have my health, my family and its very nature a time of life that can be difficult. I am fortunate to be an active yoga devotee. I was prompted to take this course by the difficult mental health stress that I have passed earlier.

I wanted to pass on to you that this course has helped me recenter and to feel that there are things that I can do to enjoy living without perseverating about the negatives. I have read Thanks and Mindfulness for Beginners. And I have become an advocate of the course, sharing details with friends I hope will take it.

Thank you,

Kyriaki

The course was structured very well, and I really loved the videos. Laurie presented very warmly and engaging. The resources are great, and I read/ listened to most of it. The course confirmed the elements of well-being which I always suspected to be true of well-being, so I was happy that this is an overal truth in life, even at Yale. I am confident now that I am on the right path, and feel much happier that my gut feelings can be trusted and that I can follow my heart. I can pursue the other things that don't produce well-being necessarily as well, but with a well-being perspective at least. It also made me aware of how to better treat my family and friends.