There is a lot of talk, and rightly so, about changing education programs at all levels. My intervention may seem utopian, but it may also be useful if we are trying to modernize.
In the alginate conditions we are experiencing due to climate change and the bizarre viruses that plague us, I think we should also be concerned about the mental health of citizens.
The Positive Psychology, a newer branch of Psychology, was started in America in 1998 as an innovative stream by the American psychologist and educator Martin Seligman, and aims to improve a person's mental health so that he becomes more productive on a personal and professional level and enjoys his life. . Seligman suggested three paths to happiness: The pleasant life, in which man can enjoy pleasant positive emotions, the good life or the life of engagement, in which man is able to use his strengths in a constructive way, and life with meaning / purpose, in which man feels part of a greater purpose.
The Hellenic Company has been operating in our country since 2011 Positive Psychology by a group of scientists at Panteion University, who are actively involved in this field of Psychology.
Today, Yale University teaches the happiness science course "The Science of Wellness" by Professor of Psychology Laurie Santos, and is offered for free online. It is one of the most popular in the history of the Foundation, and when it started, in 2018, it gathered 1.200 students, forcing the University to provide the largest room it had in its buildings. After the imposition of the "lockdown" due to the pandemic, more than three million internet users had registered to participate in the digital delivery of the Psychology course. I recently read an interview with Professor Laurie Santos, where she states that this course was created in response to the worrying research on students' mental health, which revealed that during their studies at the University, they face a heavy burden with the risk of reducing their abilities and their performance, and that they do not know how to prioritize their true happiness. This course teaches strategies that will encourage them to establish better habits and change their lives for the better.
It is a fact that Positive Psychology is applied and utilized in many fields, especially in the field of Health, instilling in patients basic concepts such as positive emotions, optimism, the ability to enjoy, which contribute to the improvement of health in multiple diseases. In the field of Labor to improve the well-being of employees, to strengthen teamwork, for more positive leadership and better performance at all levels. In Education, there are more and more schools around the world that include Positive Psychology interventions in their programs for students, teachers of all levels and the school community. Especially for teachers, the knowledge of this branch of science and its application in the educational activity, contribute to the success of the diploma "trainee with learning outcome, successful teacher".
In the alginate period we are experiencing, due to the pandemic and the global social and economic changes, the souls of students of all levels of education have been injured, and it would be a good thing, I believe, to be able to offer this course, with which they gain positive knowledge and skills not only for school success but also for a successful, happy life. It could serve as a "maximum lesson"
But adults, at the same unprecedented period, feel alone, alienated from loved ones. This imposed loneliness brings them face to face and gives a unique opportunity for self-criticism and self-knowledge. But there are also cases of adults who can not manage their loneliness, and online happiness lessons would be life-saving.
Mental health is the key to well-being throughout our lives, and, as Alexander the Great believed, we owe our well-being to our parents and well-being to our teachers.
Ohm. Professor Stella Priovolou, President of the Corps of Emeritus Professors of EKPA, Dean of the Municipal People's University of Agios Paraskevi.
photo https://pixabay.com/el/
