It is possible to boost your happiness and wellbeing by building better habits. Here are 7 evidence-based ways to rewire your brain, as taught by Laurie Santos in her popular course at Yale.

Rewire Your Brain Key Take-Away Points

Yale University’s popular course, The Science of Well-Being, is taught by Laurie Santos and offered for free through Coursera.

  • I recently went through the course and you can too! Click here.
  • Santos teaches seven science-based techniques for enhancing wellbeing.

Seven ways to rewire your brain for wellbeing:

Below are seven ways you can boost your wellbeing, with a suggested assignment for practicing the technique for a week. Don’t try all of these at once! Simply choose one tool to try and practice that one technique for a week.

Savoring:

  • Pause to enjoy a pleasurable experience, giving it all of your attention, focus on the sensory information from all 5 senses
  • Habit Goal: Savor one experience daily for the next week.

For more on savoring, read this and this!

Gratitude:

  • List five things (big or small) for which you felt thankful or found enjoyable today OR
  • Write a letter to someone who helped you, thanking them and explaining what their act meant to you, and deliver it to them and read it in person
  • Habit Goal: Make a gratitude list nightly OR Schedule one gratitude visit this week.

For more on gratitude, read this, this, this, this, and this! Clearly I like this one 😊

Kindness:

  • Do something kind for someone (above and beyond what you usually do). This can be for someone you know, or it can be a small, kind gesture for a stranger.
  • Habit Goal: Perform a random act of kindness daily.

For more on (self) kindness, read this and this!

Social Connection:

  • Connect with others. This can involve forming a new relationship, reaching out to an existing friend or family member, or even connecting with a stranger.
  • Habit Goal: Connect with others for at least 5 minutes daily and 1 hour weekly.

For more on connection, read this and this!

Exercise:

  • Move your body in a way that is enjoyable.
  • Habit Goal: Move for 30 minutes per day.

For more on movement, read this!

Sleep:

  • Make an effort to get more restful sleep, paying particular attention to the amount of time you sleep, your device use before bed, and caffeine and alcohol consumption, both of which impact sleep quality.
  • Habit Goal: Go to bed at a time that allows you to wind down and get 7 hours of sleep, at least 4 nights per week. On these nights, turn electronic devices off one hour before bed and limit caffeine and alcohol.

For more on sleep, read this and this, this, and this!

Meditate:

  • Focus your attention on one thing (like your breath, bodily sensations, or a mantra) or do a guided meditation.
  • Habit Goal: Meditate for 10 minutes per day.

For more breathing meditation, read this!

Helpful Links

Take “The Science of Well-Being” through Coursera.

This article is the second post in a series on the course “The Science of Well-Being.” The first post can be read here!

Small Changes, Big Transformation

These practices represent small changes we can make to prioritize our health and build resilience. Wellness doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming. Give this practice a try this week and let me know how it goes!

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