Where can a college student find happiness? In a classroom, on the river at sunset, or at a dinner table in Annenberg, a Harvard student might reply. For the students who had to learn remotely this past year, countless opportunities for happiness await them with the return to in-person education this fall. Harvard professor and happiness expert Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar believes that students have a tremendous opportunity to become not only happier but also more appreciative this fall.
During the early months of the pandemic, research shows that signs of teens’ mental health actually started to improve, according to Ben-Shahar. But as the pandemic progressed, mental health among teens began to decline and has been ever since. “Today, we have unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression,” Ben-Shahar said. “We are social animals.”
Virtual interactions are in no way substitutes for face-to-face interactions. “The number one predictor of happiness is the time we spend with friends and colleagues,” Ben-Shahar said. He emphasized the importance of friendship, referencing a quote of Francis Bacon: “friendship doubles joy and cuts grief in half.”
Ben-Shahar understands the importance of friendship for Harvard students, having graduated from the college himself with a B.A. in philosophy and psychology. He recalls his fondest moments at Harvard were those spent talking with people in the dining halls. When he returned as a faculty member and resident tutor in Leverett House, he again cherished the time spent with fellow members of the Harvard community.
After receiving his B.A. in philosophy and psychology from Harvard College, Ben-Shahar returned to Harvard to obtain a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior, an interdisciplinary study largely focused on the way people behave in groups. He brought two classes to the College: Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership. These became two of the largest and most sought-after classes in Harvard’s history.
When Ben-Shahar was teaching at Harvard, he would ask his students if they knew what PTSD was. The majority of students replied yes—it means Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Then, he would ask his students if they knew what PTG was. Very few of them knew that it stood for Post Traumatic Growth, which is twice as likely to occur than PTSD in some cases. “Things don’t necessarily happen for the best, but some people are able to make the best out of things that happen,” Ben-Shahar said. “That’s our challenge now.”
A positive effect of the pandemic is that people today are more appreciative and grateful for basic necessities. According to studies, New Yorkers followed a similar pattern after 9/11: they became kinder, more empathetic, and more generous after the tragedy, said Ben-Shahar. But when psychologists re-tested these characteristics a year later, they found that New Yorkers had returned to the way they were before 9/11. Ben-Shahar’s hope is that people’s current state of appreciation actually lasts with the return of in-person activity: “The million-dollar question in the ultimate currency, the currency of happiness, is will we sustain this level of appreciation?”
With the return to campus this fall, Harvard students have a tremendous opportunity for PTG. Ben-Shahar offers advice based on what he considers the five most fundamental elements of happiness: spiritual, physical, intellectual, relational, and emotional.
For spiritual well-being, Ben-Shahar recommends taking a small amount of time each day to breathe, listen to a piece of music, or set time aside for an “island of sanity,” as he described it. To maintain physical health, Ben-Shahar urges students to exercise every day. “I cannot overemphasize how important exercise is for not only physical health but also mental health,” he said.
Students can advance their intellectual well-being by indulging in academic life at Harvard. “You are in the most amazing place in the world. Celebrate that. Explore.” Ben-Shahar also encourages students to invest in their relationships. “This is what you will remember about Harvard: it is the time you spend with other people. And when you spend this time with people, switch technology off,” he said.
Finally, for our emotional well-being, Ben-Shahar recommends students pay attention to how they feel. “Even if you are in one of the most wonderful places in the world, you will have difficulties and hardships,” he said. “And you will experience anxiety and sadness and frustration and fear. These are natural human emotions. The paradox is that when we accept and embrace these emotions, rather than reject them, that is when they do not overstay their welcome.”
Where does the role of an educator come into play in a happy return to campus? Ben-Shahar believes in servant leadership, a philosophy developed by Robert Greenleaf in the 1970s which articulates that service is crucial to being a good leader. “Extraordinary leadership is what we need now as we go through extraordinary times,” he said, citing the example of Nelson Mandela, who referred to himself as his people’s “servant” when he came out of prison in 1990.
Servant leaders are skilled at listening to others, said Ben-Shahar. “This is what I hope will be a part of the Harvard experience that you are returning to… Whether it’s professors and faculty or fellow students, I hope that we will really listen to each other.”
After over a year of hardship and uncertainty, students will finally resume access to the friendships, professors, academics, and facilities that define Harvard. But students will be able to do more than just pick up where they left off—they will have the opportunity to become happier.
Grace von Oiste ’24 (gvonoiste@college.harvard.edu) writes News for the Independent.