Past Featured PROGRAM

Happiness Challenge

“Happiness comes with our behaviors and our mindsets—it doesn’t come from our circumstances nearly as much as we think.”

—Dr. Laurie Santos, Yale Psychology Professor.

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Happiness Challenge: How it works?

The Happiness Challenge is a 21-day, peer-reinforced series of activities based on concepts scientifically-proven to boost happiness and well-being. The program features daily seven-minute challenges, multimedia content by experts including Dr. Laurie Santos of Yale University—whose popular “Science of Well-being” course serves as the basis of our Challenge—and digital peer support groups that reinforce positive habits and a sense of camaraderie during this difficult time.

WHO IS IT FOR?

People With 7 Minutes To Spare

Graduate or advanced undergraduate students with a drive to tackle social or environmental issues, seeking to build international networks, and gain hands-on experience. Build professional career prospectives in finance, impact investing, international development, social entrepreneurship, and more.

PROGRAM’S HIGHLIGHTS

Daily Science-Backed Challenges

Complete a simple, fun activity for 7 minutes every day that is scientifically proven to boost happiness. Build healthy and productive habits for long-term wellbeing and a more fulfilling life.

Deeper Science

Based on Yale’s most popular class “Science of Well-being”, understand the psychology behind science-backed happiness practices. Review videos and materials at your own pace, or complete the full course on Coursera to earn a certificate.

Peer Support Groups

Join a group led by our community facilitators, or form your own group using our facilitator guide. Peer support groups and facilitated discussions have been proven to enhance social connections, increase your happiness, and deepen learning.

Global Happiness Community

Be part of a global community while completing these challenges during self-quarantine. Connect with peers around the world, get access to mental health and positive psychology resources through our community partners.

TESTIMONIAL

“The Happiness Challenge really helps with tracking and maintaining good mental and physical health especially during this special period of stress and anxiety. I have become more aware of keeping the habits of appreciations (being grateful), kindness (doing some small kind things more), meditation (being more mindful while doing daily activities and enjoying different aspects of life). Very grateful for PIM and the Happiness Challenge! Look forward to more and more fun activities and programs!”

Happiness Challenge 2020 Participant

City: Jilin, China

“It’s a well organized and hearty program! We all need to lean back and communicate with ourselves eventually! COVID-19 allows all of us to pause and reflect and rewire what’s the most important in our journey to be happy and healthy! Thank you all for putting this together! All the best!”

Happiness Challenge 2020 Participant

City: Chicago, Illinois

“Being in quarantine has been a tough experience and the challenge brought them (the participants) to appreciate basic things again.”

Happiness Challenge 2020 Mentor

City: Beijing, China

“Thank you for this insightful challenge! I liked all the parts of it. Once again I realized, that Happiness is a choice, and we all can be happy if we really want to.”

Happiness Challenge 2020 Participant

City: Beijing, China

“As the pandemic sparked an extended period of uncertainty and social distancing, PIM’s global happiness challenge helped social innovators find new ways to build community connections that will help sustain China’s philanthropic and non-profit sector for the long term.”

Nick Lo

Program Assistant, Rockefeller Brothers Fund