What exactly is happiness? Is it a destination or something quietly waiting beneath the noise of our everyday life? We asked Jessie Finch, chair of the Department of Sociology, who has been teaching about happiness for 10 years, to share some of her “greatest hits” on how you can find your own. Read what she had to say.
Happiness. It sounds so simple, but like most social experiences, it is incredibly complicated. Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said, “In science, when human behavior enters the equation, things go nonlinear. That’s why physics is easy and sociology is hard.”
SOC 332: Sociology of Happiness is being offered next spring to help NAU’s students learn about the many nuanced ways that our mental health, our social networks and our broader social structures impact our daily lives and emotions.
Despite the plethora of variables at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels of influence, there are things individuals can do to build their own resilience and improve well-being, particularly in times of social unrest. Here are some of the Sociology of Happiness’s “greatest hits” to help boost your mood as we barrel through to the end of the term.
Research has heavily linked a personal sense of meaning and a life purpose to one’s happiness. The more you spend time doing things you find meaningful, the happier you will be. Where you derive your purpose from, however, might not be the same as your colleagues or friends or what you see on TV or social media. A keen sense of discernment is needed to track what really brings you joy. Maybe your meaning comes from marching for social issues that you care about, or maybe it comes from going on outdoor adventures. Track how you spend your time and how you feel about it for one whole week to help prioritize your time around more meaningful activities going forward.
Relationships are consistently shown to be the strongest contributor to our happiness (humans are social beings!), but, ironically, they are also regularly ranked as our largest stressor. It’s complicated. Having consistent and profound contact with friends and family can help build resilience—try reconnecting with a friend over coffee or creating a new tradition with a loved one. Beware the drama, though, and be sure to set healthy boundaries. Curating who you spend your valuable free time with can create net positives in your well-being.
As a sociology faculty member who has been teaching about happiness for more than 10 years, I still regularly remind myself to put into practice the data-driven ways science has taught us to feel better. Gratitude exercises, mindful meditation, supporting others, and moving your body in ways that bring you joy are all great places to start.
Classes in positive psychology as well as courses in parks and recreation management cover many of these topics as well! More interdisciplinary resources on happiness are available here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu
DYK there is a Happiness Club at NAU you can join?
Thursday Morning Happiness Club
Led by Heather Nash, director of Employee Assistance and Wellness at NAU, the club discusses strategies and concepts related to increasing happiness.
Oct. 9-Dec. 11
8:30-9 a.m.