The five coping skills come courtesy of Dr. Laurie Santos, a cognitive scientist, and Professor of Psychology at Yale University. In January 2018, her course titled Psychology and the Good Life became the most popular course in Yale’s history, with approximately one-fourth of Yale’s undergraduates enrolled.
The course was made available online via Coursera in March 2018, and titled The Science of Well-Being. Total enrollment for the class from March 20 of 2018 to March 19, 2019 stood at 539,000, making it the most popular online course in Yale history. By the end of the day on March 24, 2020 enrollment stood at 1,153,744, with 631,980 people enrolling in March alone.
World Mental Health Day is part of the World Health Organization’s campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and marshal support for mental health more broadly.
Santos notes that this year’s World Mental Health Day comes at a particularly challenging time for many of us. 2020 has been rough for lots of reasons, but especially because we’re battling a worldwide pandemic that has caused a lot of fear, uncertainty, and disruption to our normal routines. Most of us want to do things to make ourselves feel better. The problem is that we choose to do the wrong stuff. When times get tough, we think we should just eat something unhealthy, or go inward and avoid people, or just plop down and watch television. But— as you know— there are better, more evidence-based ways to cope!
Here is Dr. Santos’s video describing the five coping skills, but if you just want to see the list, scroll past the video.
Five Coping Skills:
- Exercise
- Gratitude
- Sleep
- Get Social
- Be With Your Emotions
I can’t wait to take her Science of Well Being course through Coursera; my plan is to begin the course the Monday right after Thanksgiving. If you are interested, here is the link to the course.
The course has a score of 4.9 (out of 5.0), based on over 22,000 ratings. Wow…
*image from National Today
I’m surprised you’d be interested in Psychology and the Good Life, when you have no room for Psychology Today in your house.
LikeLiked by 2 people
it’s easier to watch a video than to read about it… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I took the course and found it interesting, useful, and in some cases eye opening. Tony and I took it together actually which was the best part because it helped us understand certain things about each other that we didn’t clue into before. I hope you will like it too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad to hear you and Tony liked it so much. Perhaps my wife and I will take it together – thanks for letting me know!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gratitude is definitely something I’ve been trying to work on lately. Rather than harping on the negative and things I don’t have or can’t do, I want to look at what I have right in front of me and appreciate them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
it seems like many people recommend that we all take some time to express our gratitude. With so many people suggesting it, there must be something there…
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’ve been trying to say things I’m grateful for while I wash my hands like your one post suggested 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve got a good memory! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The course looks great and the price is right – free. I’m not sure I would devote the time it deserves. Now that you deleted the WP app and have a lot of free time without constantly checking stats😄, I’m sure you will ace it. For me, taking a college course again seems like a lot of pressure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you can consume the course in tiny bites. I’ve taken a Coursera course before, and it was quite well done. And it seems like this was is outstanding. You can use all the free time you have because you are not traveling… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another blog says that journaling is a good coping mechanism. It can assist being in touch with emotions and gratitude. So bloggers may have an advantage in finding well being.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s good to know – blogging is good for something!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t done a Coursera course in ages. Thanks for sharing this one, and I hope you enjoy it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
thanks, Tandy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m unfamiliar with the course, but it’s something I would consider. As I’ve probably mentioned to you previously, besides the obvious health concerns, the pandemic has gotten in the way of being as social as I like to be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess that’s part of the reason why the course has exploded in popularity – people have the time to take such courses because they are not out and about like they normally would be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
1,2 and five are easy. 4, impossible at the moment. 3… I’m working on it 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
I could use some work on number 4, even without the pandemic. And 5 I’ve never really focused on…
LikeLiked by 1 person
haha 😀 oh well, 5 isn’t something people normally focused on as we just naturally do it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not sure I’m a natural with my emotions… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, sorry about that. 😞
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just tend to keep things to myself… 🙂
LikeLike
I see… but I think go have it under control. (At least I hope so) 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
What a great post to share at such an impactful time in our lives. There are some silver linings to the pandemic. It is my hope that by facing our own battles with our altered mental states, we will become more compassionate and invested in helping others find the resources and help they need and deserve. What a gifted educator! I am sure you will derive a great deal of useful information from her course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think many people will come out of the pandemic with some new skills. And I am looking forward to taking the course…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enjoy the course, Jim.
LikeLiked by 1 person
thanks, Norah!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very useful jim, cheers. The kid on the trampoline at start of the video cheered me right up!
LikeLiked by 1 person
she certainly seemed to be enjoying herself – hopefully the dog was as well!
LikeLiked by 1 person
thanks for the heads up, I might take this one, it sounds wonderful
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am looking forward to it…
LikeLiked by 1 person
All great suggestions. My husband and son do much better with the exercise than I do! That would be why my legs ached after being at Bushkill Falls and my husband’s didn’t. LOL!
Good luck with the course, look forward to hearing you share stuff from it in your blog posts. 🙂
Goo
LikeLiked by 1 person
OH gosh! Don’t ask me how “Goo” got on there! ☺ I did not change my name, feel free to ignore it! But I probably just wasted my breath saying that, didn’t I!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was wondering about that..
goo
LikeLike
😶🤚
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess I’m lucky. I started working out when I was around 10 years old, and have been doing it most days of the week for over 50 years now…
And I am looking forward to the course as well – and to getting a blog or two out of it 🙂
goo right back at you… 🙂
LikeLike
Hmmm, a good list, Jim. I am doing 3 out of 5 so on the balance of probabilities, I should be fine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m OK with the first three; I could work on being more social and on being with my emotions…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also should work on being social. I quite like sticking to my blogs and family.
LikeLiked by 1 person
same here…
LikeLiked by 1 person
So glad you’re planning to take her class. It is GREAT! Lifechanging anyway… particularly how she teaches the concept of “miswanting” wanting things we think will make us happy but do not. She is right: social relationships are the key to happiness. THAT is what we should be working on. Her podcast is great too if you don’t have time for the course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember you telling me about how wonderful this course is a while ago, and I had hoped to take it this past summer, but my schedule wouldn’t permit it. Since I will be finished my teaching for the semester by Thanksgiving, I thought it would be the perfect time to take it.
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing these, they really do help! 🌟😊🌟
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m pretty good about focusing on the first three, not so much on the last two…
LikeLike