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Career skills for the twenty-first century professional ~ from entry to exit

Welcome to the Art and Science of Happiness Class!

Protests, elections, and Covid 19 are causing tremendous anxiety and a great deal of stress for so many of us.

That is why I am thrilled to launch The Art And Science of Happiness Class starting October 12. For Concordia’s very own happiness project where we will delve into the science of happiness and take our minds off of all the fear and uncertainty.

Every week, for the next four weeks, we invite you to join our happiness lab, and together we will learn how to move along the happiness continuum.

You will be tasked with a series of challenges to increase your happiness and you will learn how to transform your life by developing positive habits.

Make sure to print out the participant handout or have it close by during the sessions so you can follow along.

If you have any questions drop me a line at gill@lifesillstolbox.ca & don't forget to join the life skills toolbox tribe.

Below you will find our weekly challenges and more great happiness resources categorized by week.

Week 1 happiness challenges

Week One Happiness Challenges

Assess your happiness!

This assessment measures your “happiness habits”. Once complete, you will receive a brief report and guidance as to which behaviours will increase your happiness.

Take me to the assessment!

Take the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and get a snapshot of your current level of happiness. You can retake the assessment at another point in time to determine any change. This is helpful if you are intentionally working to move along the happiness continuum.

Take me to the questionnaire!

Kid and sunflower.jpg

Shift the Spotlight

This week retrain your brain to spot positive patterns.

The Gratitude

Exercise

1. For the next week make a list of 3 things you're grateful for

2. Vary the things on your list

3. Share your list with the Concordia Community

Connect with your fellow Concordians

Reach out to your new Concordia friends! Inquire as to how they are and really LISTEN.

Stop watching the news!

Stay informed, but stop obsessing over the news. Watch one of the happiness videos below instead. You will thank yourself later!

Stop watching the news. This is much better stuff!

The happy secret to better work | Shawn Achor

12:21

The happy secret to better work | Shawn Achor

http://www.ted.com We believe that we should work to be happy, but could that be backwards? In this fast-moving and entertaining talk from TEDxBloomington, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that actually happiness inspires productivity. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate If you have questions or comments about this or other TED videos, please go to http://support.ted.com

Focusing on What Works

03:45

Focusing on What Works

The Tetris Effect- Train Your Brain!

05:33

The Tetris Effect- Train Your Brain!

Harvard professor Shawn Achor, talks about positive psychology and how the "tetris effect" can be applied to improve our state of mind.

Week Two Happiness Challenges

Week Two Happiness Challenge

Assess your Character

strengths here

Found your strengths, but you're unsure how to express them? Check out this PDF

Find your Flow! Those activities in which you use your skills to meet challenges

Week 3 Happiness Challenges

Week Three Happiness Challenges

Assess your social Portfolio & determine what quadrant needs your attention. Don't recall what a social portfolio is? We got you covered! Download the Happiness workbook!

Stop watching the news. This is much better stuff!

Why you’re probably choosing the wrong mode of communication

04:40

Why you’re probably choosing the wrong mode of communication

review.chicagobooth.edu | Since the advent of movable type, technology has been making written communication easier and easier over time—so much so that in many situations, typing may feel more natural, comfortable, and effective than having a spoken conversation. But research by Chicago Booth’s Nicholas Epley finds that while many people expect to have better interactions over written media, they make a better impression—and in some situations, enjoy the experience more—when they use their voice.

The lethality of loneliness: John Cacioppo at TEDxDesMoines

18:45

The lethality of loneliness: John Cacioppo at TEDxDesMoines

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Week Four Happiness Challenges

Week 4 Happiness Challenges

Not yet part of our tribe! What are you waitig for?!

Spend some time reflecting on a goal or a dream that you want to pursue. Create an action plan for how you will attain it. Those of us engaged in the pursuit of a goal, are by far happier than people who have no projects on the go.

Not yet part of our trbe? What are you waiting for?!

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