Training & Events

Following the 10th September online launch of Professor Willem Kuyken’s new book, “Mindfulness for Life”, we’re delighted to offer a chapter by chapter taster exploring the book.

Over 12, monthly Tuesday evening sessions, 19:00 – 20:00 (UK Time) or 12:00 - 13:00 (SG Time) we will follow each chapter and explore how the ideas and practices can help us live well in today’s complex world. There will be opportunities for questions and answers.

You only need to make one application to attend the whole series or any of the talks. You may also register part-way through to join the remainder of the series. Each session will be recorded and catch up podcasts and YouTube videos will be available a few days after the talk.  We’ll announce on social media when they’re released.

The dates and themes are:

Timings note:

• On 31st October, UK time changes and goes back an hour as we move from BST to GMT (19:00pm becomes 18:00pm)
• On 30th March 2025, UK time changes from GMT to BST and our clocks go forward one hour.
• The guest talks will continue to be delivered at 19:00 – 20:00 UK time or 12:00 - 13:00 SG time (GMT+8)

The talks are free to access and are open to everyone with a general interest in this topic.

Applications will close two hours before each talk.

This 6-week course has been developed by Action for Happiness, drawing on the wisdom of experts across many fields, to cover the habits of living a happy life and spreading happiness to others.

Week 1: Gratitude, Friday, September 13, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Week 2: Self-Care, Friday, September 20, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Week 3: Relationships, Friday, September 27, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Week 4: Resilience, Friday, October 4, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Week 5: Kindness, Friday, October 11, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Week 6: Meaning, Friday, October 18, 2024 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Please note: all timings are local time where the course is based.

The course is run by local volunteers and based on donations - so please feel free to give whatever you can afford :)

ABOUT THE COURSE

Happiness Habits 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 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 practices and group exercises to help you apply the lessons to your life.
• Take time each week to think of small actions you can take to create happiness for yourself and those around you.

Each week features some of the world’s most trusted experts:

Week 1: Gratitude

• What can we learn about happiness? Vanessa King - Head of Psychology, Action for Happiness

• How can we become happier? Shawn Achor - Bestselling Positive Psychology Author

Week 2: Self-Care

• How can we be kinder to ourselves? Kristen Neff - Professor of Psychology, University of Texas

• How can we get the basics right? Rupy Aujla - General Practice Doctor and Healthy Eating Expert & Darryl Edwards - Movement Coach and Author

Week 3: Relationships

• Why are relationships important for our happiness? Robert Waldinger - Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

• How can we look after our Relationships? Roxy Manning - Psychotherapist and Nonviolent Communication Expert

Week 4: Resilience

• How can we be more resilient? Tal Ben-Shahar - Positive Psychologist, Harvard University

• How can we be happy in dark times? Maria Sirois - Positive Psychologist and Author

Week 5: Kindness

• How can we become kinder? Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist Monk and Author

• Why does kindness matter? Chude Jideonwo - Journalist and Entrepreneur & Nipun Mehta - Founder of ServiceSpace

Week 6: Meaning

• What makes life meaningful? Gretchen Rubin, Bestselling Author

• What should be the purpose of our lives? Jon Kabat-Zinn - Professor of Medicine, University of Massachusetts & Richard Layard - Economist, London School of Economics

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

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.

Everyone on the course agrees to abide by the Five Golden Rules:

• We really listen to each other
• We are open about our feelings
• We focus on what is working well
• We practice safe boundaries
• We maintain a spirit of kindness

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

What are the highlights of the course?

“Sharing and learning from each other allowed us space to grow and taking away action plans each week focused our minds on pro active action.” ~ Jacqueline, London

“More or less everything is a highlight as it is mightily well researched and factual.” ~ Annick, Lindfield

“Being able to believe that I could be brave enough to change my circumstances/life, in order to be happier/make others happier around me.” ~ Michelle, Farnborough

What You Can Get Out of the Conference
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Stay abreast of the latest educational technologies and psychological theories applicable to education, to remain competitive and effective in your teaching practices.

• Enhance Classroom Practice
• Incorporate Positive Psychology
• Innovative Classroom Practices
• Personalized Learning Experiences

The AI in Education Conference provides a series of keynotes and panel discussions alongside interactive workshops to explore AI's potential in education. Participants will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate the AI landscape and integrate AI tools into their teaching practice.

At the same time, sessions on the integration of positive psychology into curriculum design, as well as the practice of appreciative inquiry, enable teachers to hear from practitioners on how to create an environment that focuses on humanising the learning experience and developing the whole child. The outcomes will be schools that are able to develop empathetic, creative and collaborative students who are and able to face the future with confidence and resolve.

The workshop unfolds along a sequence of expert-guided mindfulness practices that enable participants to develop crucial well-being skills. These include the ability to find calm in our busy lives, become more self-aware, regulate attention and emotions more skilfully, and to have healthy relationships.

Throughout the day, practical tools are shared to integrate mindfulness into everyday life, empowering attendees to manage stress, make better decisions, and enhance wellbeing. Participants are invited to share their experiences and insights and there will be ample opportunities for questions. ​​​​​​

The workshop is also open for graduates of our mindfulness-based courses who would like to refresh and deepen their practice, or simply to enjoy a one-day retreat from your busy life!

At VIA we know that January is a great time to consider how to finish the year strong. This webinar will help you flip the script with your students from what's wrong to what's strong.

You'll learn:

• Tools to re-activate your love of teaching.
• Ways to help students increase their self-confidence.
• Practical--and proven--strategies for creating a thriving classroom.

Sign-up below for this webinar right away and know you're taking the right steps toward a strong 2024!