I Did Yale’s Happiness Challenge for 28 Days To Improve My Mental Health — Here’s What Happened
A comprehensive overview of my experience with this Yale-inspired challenge, including the 8 happiness habits
The signs were there.
Unexplained fatigue. 3 AM insomnia. Irritability. Concentration and motivation issues. Dissatisfaction.
The early signs of burnout.
Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately), as I’d burned out in the past, I’d learned to pay attention to these signs and act before it was too late.
That’s why a month ago, I decided to do a happiness-boosting challenge based on Yale’s famous course, The Science of Wellbeing. I had done this in the past — in the throes of an ugly burnout — and it’d helped immensely.
And this time, it didn’t disappoint.
According to two happiness surveys Yale recommends you do at the start and the end of the happiness challenge, I had a 10% boost in my overall well-being. More importantly, I truly experienced an emotional lift that’s helped me feel more purposeful, joyful, and connected.
Best of all, I had a lot of fun doing it, even though it required introspection and some tracking.
