WHAT REALLY MATTERS? A LIFE OF MEANING?

I am so excited to have joined the Action for Happiness movement, co- facilitating an 8 week action for happiness group in Wollaton, Nottingham from 15th May 2019, as part of my aim to improve community wellbeing.

WHY RUN AN ACTION FOR HAPPINESS COURSE?

People who know me well, know that I am always banging on about how society and technology have grown way beyond the capabilities of our frontal lobe. With the constant pressures of society, work and family we may often find ourselves in ‘threat mode’ where we are constantly batting off more work, stressful life events and not to mention little people who can never keep a frigging sock on??!!! Being in threat mode, shuts down our ability to problem solve, think clearly, plan rationally and remember what we need to send our children to school in (I wish they would stick to uniform). This ‘shut down’ state is completely understandable when your body is avoiding threat, it’s trying to survive, it doesn’t care about the ‘Easter bonnet parade’ hat you need to make for tomorrow.

As we have seen most recently, mental ill health is a significant public health issue and with workplaces providing more and more mental health training I thought it would be good to support this with community initiatives. one happiness, wellbeing and positivity can come from community wellbeing and local cohesion. So, myself and my wonderful friend thought we would volunteer to run a local Action for happiness group.

COURSE INFORMATION

The course will run on Wednesdays from 7-9pm on the following dates: 15th May, 22nd May, 5th June, 12th June, 19th June, 26th June, 3rd July and 10th July.

Exploring What Matters is a secular, science-based course for people who want to learn how to live happily and spread happiness to those around them.

It was created by the Action for Happiness charity to help people tune in to what really matters in life, connect with people around them and find small ways to start taking action.

On the course you will:

·      Meet with like-minded people to explore what really matters in life and find new ways of looking at things.

·      Enjoy expert videos, mindfulness exercises and a handbook full of resources to help you break big ideas into manageable chunks.

·      Take time each week to think of small actions you can take to create happiness for yourself and those around you.

People find it really valuable and often refer to what they learn on the course as life-changing.

WEEK-BY-WEEK

Each week is based around a big question:

Week 1: What really matters in life?
We’ll explore whether a greater focus on happiness and wellbeing might be better for all of us.

Week 2: What actually makes us happy?
We’ll explore the role of outer circumstances and inner attitudes in our wellbeing.

Week 3: Can we find peace of mind?
We’ll explore some of the skills and practices that can help us in difficult times.

Week 4: How should we treat others?
We’ll explore how to treat others and how we can become more compassionate.

Week 5: What makes for great relationships?
We’ll explore how our relationship to others impacts our own happiness.

Week 6: Can we be happier at work?
We’ll explore what makes us happy at work and what can we do about it.

Week 7: Can we build happier communities?
We’ll explore how to create communities that are more caring, connected and happy.

Week 8: How can we create a happier world?
We’ll explore how to live in a way that contributes to a happier world, not just for ourselves but for others too.

— Click here for a sample of Week 1 to give you an idea of what it’s like —

WHO THE COURSE IS FOR?

This course is for anyone interested in exploring how to create happiness for themselves or others.

Maybe you’re someone who could do with some new approaches to try out in your own life.

Or maybe you’re passionate about creating happier communities and a happier world.

Either way, by coming together with others locally on this course you can find the inspiration and support you need find the actions that work for you.

Please note: this course is not group therapy, if you are experiencing severe challenges at the moment we recommend seeking alternative professional support.

HOW IT WORKS?

It costs Action for Happiness about £90 per person to support each course so we ask all participants to give whatever they can to support themselves and others.

You can choose to either give the recommended donation of £90 or give more or less depending on your circumstances.

BOOK VIA OUR EVENTBRITE PAGE

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-action-for-happiness-course-nottingham-15-may-2019-tickets-59318838242