Last week I was fortunate to hear Laurie Santos, PhD, speak (Livestream) about Happiness and The Science of Well-Being for the Center for Women’s Health Research at The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She was inspiring.

Laurie Santos is a Professor of Psychology at Yale University and an expert on human cognition, decision-making, and the search for happiness. A couple of years ago, her course “Psychology and the Good Life”— which is now called “The Science of Well-Being“— became the most popular class in the 319-year history of Yale. It teaches students how the science of psychology can provide valuable hints about how to make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling.

Her 8 Tips from the Science of Well-Being follow:

1. Happiness is still important in challenging times.
2. Harness the power of post-traumatic growth
3. Make time for social connections.
4. Helping others makes us happier than we expect.
5. Make time for gratitude every day.
6. Healthy practices matter more than we expect.
7. Be in the present moment (even if it sucks).
8. Become wealthy in time not in money.

These are things we can all do and practice- we just need to know and embrace the thought that we can be happy even when times are tough.