Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that zooms in on the strengths and behaviors of individuals that allow us to build a life of meaning and happiness! Essentially, this class explores the science behind what behaviors and habits lead to a truly happy and fulfilled life. 

Each week we will learn about a new dimension of happiness, see detailed brain scans and pictures, as well as watch videos that explain how the brain works and how we can make it work for us! I want students to leave class with a unique and in-depth understanding of their own brains and how psychology is used to benefit us.  

Psychology is a lot to take in but I've structured class to boil the complicated science down into bite-sized pieces of information that students can comprehend and apply to their own lives! Class runs reviews often and students may join, leave, and return during any week without losing material. 



Breakdown of weekly classes: 

Week of Oct 1: How the food you eat affects your brain. Which foods produce happy feelings and why?  (Getting to see a VR video inside the brain! Watch neurons firing!) 

Week of Oct 7: Intro to the brain parts and functions. (Human brain dissection video! Very cool! Not graphic (no blood.) parents may request to see the video before class if they would like to screen it.)

Week of Oct 14: Positive psychology basics: Character Strengths and Virtues: Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, and Transcendence (the ability to look beyond yourself in ways such as gratitude, hope, and humor.)

Week of Oct 21: Psychologist Study - Who were the positive psychology founders?: Martin Seligman, Christopher Peterson, Abraham Maslow, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

Week of Nov 1: Building blocks of well-being called the PERMA model: Positive emotions, engagement (with a project, for instance), positive relationships, meaning, and accomplishment/achievement. (There are other models, but this is the one we cover in this class.)

Week of Nov 7: Positive psychology practices you can try at home to promote well-being. Gratitude exercises and journal. 

Week of Nov 14: The four main "happy" chemicals: Dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, can contribute to feelings of happiness. Tips and tricks on how to achieve each one!

Week of Nov 21: (No classes on the 18th) What is “Flow” in positive psychology terms? It's one of the foundational pieces of happiness! We'll also sketch out a "stress bucket" to identify what things are filling it up and what things empty it out. 

Week of Dec 1: Understanding chemicals in the brain: Neurotransmitters (Get to watch a kinesin protein walk a ball of endorphins around the brain!) Science is so cool!

Week of Dec 7: Rewiring the brain! Setting goals and breaking bad habits. (Get to see the brain rewire itself in a video posted from the University of California, San Francisco.)

...More to come...


*This class is not intended to treat or diagnose. This class is not intended to be therapeutic in any way and is strictly for educational purposes.