Some of you may know, others may not but two years ago I started studying scientific approach to happiness. It began with me trying to make myself feel better when I was questioning what else there is to life besides a husband, kids, job and a typical suburban life. There was little excitement in my life at the time and every day felt kind of… flat. Don’t take me wrong, I wasn’t unhappy, but if someone asked me how I was I would say: “Fine… I guess.”
I didn’t want this to be my answer for the next 40-50 years. I wanted the spark and excitement back. I wanted to respond that I’m GREAT! (at least most of the time… because no one is truly great ALL THE TIME)
Since I always loved math, statistics and science, instead of cheering myself up with massages and trips I dove into research behind happiness. I learnt mind blowing things. But it’s when I started to religiously implement what I learnt is when I noticed a big shift in how I felt. Nothing major changed in my life besides my own perspective on it and few small, but powerful habits. I not only felt excited and happy again (roughly 35% happier than before) but as a “side effect” of my happiness work many other areas of my life improved drastically: my physical shape and strength, my relationship with Ryan and the kids, my self-esteem.
At the same time, I started noticing that more and more people are struggling (mentally) and are hugely dissatisfied with their lives. It’s a true epidemic of a modern world! (Now I know exactly why the modern way of life is contributing to unhappiness but this is a topic for another article.)
Long story less long, based on all that I learned about happiness, creation of habits and a value of human relationships I compiled a list of about 21 factors that, according to science, contribute to people’s happiness (this list is ongoing as I keep learning and reading 4-6 books a month on this topic).
This list itself wouldn’t be helpful for anyone, unless we make an effort to practice what’s in it. And how often do we ACTUALLY practice what we learn rather than just sharing it on social media for others to read but quickly forgetting about it ourselves? I know how often I read something eye opening, mean to try it but never actually do.
So that’s why the idea of a LIVE workshop was born. I wanted to not only tell people what they should do to become happier (we are told that all the time!) but also to help them practice it so the new way of thinking and acting would become as habitual as possible. So it can actually work as designed and make people feel happier. During the workshop you will be practicing new habits, interacting with other participants, taking self assessment tests, answering thought provoking questions, discussing your answers with others, giving and receiving support if there is struggle etc. This is an interactive workshop as opposed to a boring course or a lecture.
My workshop will work best for people who:
- Are open minded and ready to change something in their life for the better
- Can stay committed for 8 weeks (90 minutes of zoom each week for 8 weeks plus 10-15 minutes of daily work on establishing good habits, practicing tiny mind shift etc.)
- Are supportive and friendly (this is a small group workshop and it’s important to connect with and support other participants)
This workshop will not be useful to anyone who:
- Has no desire/ energy/ time for improvement
- Is severely depressed (again, only because there may be an issue with staying committed, showing up and following through) If you are severely depressed, please seek help of a mental health professional! Don’t put it off! You should be the most important person in your life to take care of! <3
- Is perfectly happy and doesn’t see any room for improvement. I don’t know anyone like this (I oscillate between 80-93% happy on most days and always see the areas I could work on!) but if you do, send them to me for an interview! 😀
Logistics:
Duration: 8 sessions, 75- 90 minutes each, one session a week
Place: Video Zoom
FAQ
How many people in the group? We’re shooting for 3-8 people.
What do I need to prepare? Nothing other than an open mind, quiet place, pen and paper.
What happens after the workshop? Do we get any support?
Everyone who completes this workshop will be invited to a private Facebook group (or Discord group, I haven’t decided on the platform yet) where we can keep connecting, supporting each other and hold one another accountably in the best, non-judgmental way.
