CMU Odyssey 2013
Happiness, Work, and CMU
David Kosbie, 11-Jan-2013

·         Happiness:  Sense of well-being

o   Sense:  Engagement + Mindfulness.  Well-Being:  Pleasure + Meaning

o   What is important?  Grades?  Learning?  Achievement?  Social ties?

·         The Limits of This Talk

o   Beyond the scope:  Depression?  Other disorders?  Get help --> CAPS!

·         Why does happiness matter?

o   Improves mental, physical, emotional states, academic outcomes, life expectancy.

·         Happiness and CMU

o   We have a broad happiness bell curve here

·         What about Money?

o   Very low correlation between wealth and happiness.

o   Money-driven people exhibit…

§  Lower self-actualization, vitality, happiness

§  Increased anxiety, physical symptomology, unhappiness.

·         Practical Happiness

o   Eat well

o   Sleep well (hint:  Ear plugs!  White noise! ), or…

§  Memory impairment, anxiety, increasing risk of depression

o   Take naps

§  People who nap consistently may live longer, show a 30% lower incidence of heart disease

§  Ideal: 15 to 30 minutes, mid-afternoon

o   Exercise regularly

§  Best time: after the most stressful part of the day.  Worst time: before bedtime

o   Socialize regularly

§  People matter most.  For fun.  For Emotional and academic support.

o   Recreate regularly

o   Escape + Indulge (once in a while)

o   Balance work-play-rest

o   Engagement + Mindfulness (Focus + Flow)

§  Pay attention.  In class.  Doing homework.  Playing.  Always BE there.

§  Study.  Read.  Follow directions.

§  Unitask (Do Not Multitask, since there is no such thing)

§  Meditate (5 minutes)

o   Happiness Media

§  Happiness List (Simple, readily available things that make you happy)

§  Happiness Playlist (Songs, pictures, videos that reliably make you happy)

§  Happiness Show (Make your own happiness movie/slideshow)

§  And, of course… Don’t just create these, USE them

o   Simplify

§  Clean your closet (and room, and inbox, and schedule, …)

§  Don’t oversubscribe.  (Don’t take too many courses.  Spread out the hardest ones.)

o   Manage your time.

§  Time Maps:  Estimated map, Actual map, Ideal map.  Then, reconcile these.

§  No heroics (split tasks up, take breaks;  start early, don’t procrastinate, don’t sprint it’s a marathon).

§  Intellectual Momentum:  MV (M = intellectual mass (IQ), V = intellectual velocity (smart effort))

§  Intellectual Vector Sums:  (Progress == directed effort, so don’t try harder, try smarter!)

§  Intellectual Satisficing (“bounded rationality”):   Do your best given your limitations.

§  Use rituals and structure.   Plan.  Schedule.  Respect your schedule.

§  Mornings are Magic

o   Don’t be foolish

§  Don’t overindulge in mood-altering substances

§  Don’t over-control (perfectionism)

·         90% of CMU students are not in the top 10%

·         You will get a CMU degree and a nice, satisfying, relatively high-paying job regardless

§  Don’t cheat!!!

§  Don’t put excessive emphasis on happiness

o   Social Investment

§  Hugely important.  Nothing matters more than the people.

§  Always find time for your friends.  And use that time well.

§  Find Mentors and Exemplars

§  Use Your CMU Resources Wisely

§  Consume ALL of CMU.

§  Get out of CMU.  See Oakland. Pittsburgh.  Beyond.

§  Volunteer.  A lot.

o   Happiness Mindset

§  Accept personal responsibility.  Own yourself.   Be intentional.  Be in control.

·         Lower activation energy for habits you wish to adopt.  Raise it for habits you wish to avoid.

§  Be outwardly happy.  Ac-cen-tu-ate the positive!  Smile.  Laugh.  A lot.

§  Be grateful.  Be reflective.  Be accountable.

o   Carpe diem.

§  “Be the change you want to see in the world.”  Ghandi

§  An extraordinary life is still composed of about 30,000 mostly ordinary days.

§  Each day make some small, meaningful, positive change.  Start today.  Here.  Now.

o   Scholar-Citizen Reflections: Blending service + learning (Advice to CMU students,  to professors, to yourself)

Happy (the movie), http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Happy/70243161?trkid=2361637 (Netflix)
Shawn Achor’s Ted Talk, http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html
Dave Crenshaw, The Myth of Multitasking video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHQv1KdpI-8
National Geographic, Humans Cannot Multitask, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi-UsdjFYfk
Tal Ben-Shahar’s Daily Show Interview, http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-august-9-2007/tal-ben-shahar
Penn’s Authentic Happiness site’s Test Center (registration required),  http://tinyurl.com/gxjef
Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_psychology
Shawn Achor’s book, The Happiness Advantage, http://amzn.com/B003F3PMYI (Kindle edition)
Tal Ben-Shahar’s book, Happier, http://amzn.com/B003XNTU5M (Kindle edition)
Pierce J. Howard’s book, The Owner’s Manual for the Brain (3rd Edition), http://tinyurl.com/howard-brain-book
David Brooks NYT Editorial, “It’s Not About You”, http://tinyurl.com/ac5acq8
Bridget Booher, Duke Magazine, “Pressure Beneath the Surface”, http://tinyurl.com/bzbefc2