Building a Life of Wellness: The Science of Fostering Happiness and Health Span
What Impacts Our Health and Happiness as We Progress through Life?
A decline in social relationships and an increase in stress levels have been identified as notable causes for rising mental health issues, which in turn are impacting one’s overall happiness and health. This global mental health pandemic underscores the critical need for research-based strategies and effective health and wellness solutions.
The Building a Life of Wellness: The Science of Fostering Happiness and Health Span program, grounded in the 85-year-old Harvard Study of Adult Development, is a six-week online program offered by Harvard Medical School Executive Education. This happiness and health span program blends the latest research on well-being with evidence-based techniques to cultivate and sustain long-term relationships, which supports health and wellness. You will acquire the skills to develop strategies to improve supportive relationships, build resilience to navigate life transitions and reduce stress, and analyze the profound impact that social connections have on our overall health, happiness, and longevity.
Note: This non-degree program offers a certificate of completion to participants who meet the program requirements. It does not grant academic credit or provide certification for specific professions.
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$28.57
Who Is This Program For?
Everyone deserves a chance to be happy, healthy, and live a meaningful life. That's why Harvard Medical School Executive Education has designed the Building a Life of Wellness program. This program is for:
Wellness enthusiasts seeking advanced skills and evidence-based structures for improved well-being and longevity
Wellness and health coaches seeking evidence-based frameworks and knowledge that set them apart from the competition
Mental health professionals and other health care specialists looking to assist their patients better with new techniques and advance their expertise in evidence-based wellness practices to improve their patients’ social wellness and their own mental and physical health
Learning Outcomes
Gain an understanding of how to enhance well-being and longevity with research-based frameworks and align goals with life actions and values.
The Building a Life of Wellness program will help you:
Analyze evidence-based research on wellness, happiness, and longevity to develop frameworks for overall well-being
Design and implement impactful action plans by incorporating evidence-based techniques proven to enhance personal and others' well-being
Cultivate supportive relationships and successfully navigate major life transitions
Build resilience and coping mechanisms to transform challenges into opportunities for personal growth
Establish well-being metrics and use them to critically evaluate progress and adapt approaches as needed
Examine life stages, personal values, and risk factors to align actions with fulfillment and goal achievement
Articulate the central role relationships play in well-being
Curriculum
The program’s cutting-edge curriculum integrates research-based strategies on well-being with proven techniques, helping you enhance your quality of life.
The key topics include:
Examine the disconnect between what you think will make you happy and what actually makes you happy
Discuss the stages of life and the potential challenges at each stage
Describe important changes currently happening in your life
Identify questions you have about the next stage in your life
Describe your personal views about life, what’s important, and how your views have changed over time
Identify how lessons learned from the past can influence your current or future behavior
Discuss the similarities and differences between values and purpose
Evaluate your current and desired use of practices related to values and purpose
Identify your core values
Examine how your values are expressed through your daily activities
Evaluate the congruence between your stated values and how you currently allocate your time
Evaluate the alignment between your current life trajectory and core values
Evaluate the quality of your current relationships to identify areas for improvement and enhance overall relationship satisfaction and well-being
Classify key people and relationships in your life
Classify the types of support received from key relationships
Evaluate the diversity and quality of your personal relationships, noting areas of strength and potential gaps in social support
Discuss the impact of loneliness and isolation
Describe the impact of altering your typical social behavior in a routine activity
Identify actions to take to develop new or strengthen existing relationships
Identify significant life transitions
Analyze the impact of significant life transitions
Identify strategies for managing life transitions
Describe anticipated challenges or concerns associated with future life transitions
Evaluate your current and ideal responses to life challenges
Identify specific aspects of a challenging situation, including associated emotions and personal response strategies
Analyze and manage a challenging situation using the WISER model and alternative tools or strategies
Evaluate the effectiveness of the WISER model in managing challenges
Formulate a strategy for addressing a future challenge using the WISER model
Make connections between responding to challenges and life stages perspective, values and purpose, relationships, and transitions
Create a personal mission statement to guide daily decision-making based on your core values
Evaluate and refine strategies for nurturing core relationships to enhance overall well-being
Identify essential activities that contribute to your well-being
Identify internal and external resources for facing challenges
Develop a personalized daily well-being plan that integrates core values, core relationships, challenge management and self-care activities, fostering a sustainable approach to enhancing overall well-being
Reflect on personal growth and set intentions for future well-being
Learning Experience
Engage in hands-on activities to transform your theoretical concepts into practical experiences and build a personalized tool kit.
Take part in discussions with global peers from diverse backgrounds and gain diverse perspectives.
Personalize your learning journey through reflection exercises, carefully crafted to align with module objectives.
Leverage supplemental resources, including workbooks and scientific papers, to apply program learning to practical, personalized needs.
Develop a personalized action plan that integrates your values, social connections, and self-care activities to foster health, happiness, and longevity.
Leverage guest speaker Margaret Moore’s expertise to gain insights into the latest industry trends and discover new ways to implement wellness strategies.
Interact with the course facilitator during weekly office hours to align your goals with the learning journey and synthesize key program learnings.
Receive a certificate of completion from Harvard Medical School Executive Education upon successful completion of the program.
Daily Well-Being Compass Journal
Develop a personalized daily well-being practice throughout the program to enhance your overall health. In this plan, you will integrate core values, social connections, challenge management, and self-care activities to create a sustainable approach. Upon program completion, you will have a road map to foster health and happiness for your well-being.
The WISER Model
The program curriculum includes the WISER model — Watch, Interpret, Select, Engage, Reflect — which is based on the 85-year-old Harvard Study of Adult Development. This model is a powerful framework for navigating complex situations and helps you understand how to react when you are facing an emotionally challenging situation.
Note: This image serves only as an example of the WISER model.
Past participants profile
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Testimonials
Faculty
Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Robert Waldinger is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and Zen priest. He is the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies of adult li...
Guest Speaker
Co-Founder and Chairperson, Institute of Coaching
Margaret Moore has a 17-year-long career in the biotechnology industry in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and France. In 2000, she founded Wellcoaches Corporation, ...
Certificate
Upon completion of this program, you will receive a verified certificate from Harvard Medical School.
Note: The certificate details (name and dates) are placeholders. The final certificate will reflect the actual participant name, cohort dates, and date of issue.
Your digitally verified certificates will be issued in your legal name and emailed to you, at no additional cost, upon completion of the program, per the stipulated requirements. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of Harvard Medical School.
Note: This program does not grant academic or professional certifications from Harvard Medical School.
FAQs
How do I know if this program is right for me?
After reviewing the information on the Building a Life of Wellness: The Science of Fostering Happiness and Health Span program landing page, we recommend you submit the short form above to gain access to the program brochure, which includes more in-depth information. If you still have questions about whether this program is a good fit for you, please email learner.success@emeritus.org, and a dedicated program advisor will follow up with you promptly.
Are there any prerequisites for this program?
Some programs do have prerequisites, particularly the more technical ones. This information will be noted on the program landing page as well as in the program brochure. If you are uncertain about program prerequisites and your capabilities, please email us at the ID mentioned above.
Note that, unless otherwise stated on the program web page, all programs are taught in English, and proficiency in English is required.
What is the typical class profile?
More than 50 percent of our participants are from outside the United States. Class profiles vary from one cohort to the next, but, generally, our online certificates draw a highly diverse audience from various professional experiences, industries, and geographies, leading to a rich peer learning and networking experience.
What other dates will this program be offered in the future?
Check back with this program web page or email us to inquire whether future program dates or the timeline for future offerings have been confirmed yet.
How much time do I need to dedicate each week?
Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page.
How will my time be spent during the learning journey?
We have designed this online course to fit into your current working life as efficiently as possible. Time will be spent on a variety of activities, including:
Engaging with recorded video lectures from faculty
Attending webinars and office hours, as per the specific program schedule
Reading or engaging with examples of core topics
Completing knowledge checks/quizzes and required activities
Engaging in moderated discussion groups with your peers
Completing your final project if required
The program is designed to be highly interactive while also allowing time for self-reflection and gaining an understanding of the key topics through various active learning exercises. Please email us if you need further clarification on program activities.
What is it like to learn online with the learning collaborator, Emeritus?
More than 300,000 learners across 80 countries have chosen to advance their skills with Emeritus and its educational learning partners. In fact, 90 percent of the respondents of a recent survey across all our programs said that their learning outcomes were met or exceeded.
All the contents of the program would be made available to students at the commencement of the program. However, to ensure the program delivers the desired learning outcomes, the students may appoint Emeritus to manage the delivery of the program in a cohort-based manner, the cost of which is already included in the overall program fee.
A dedicated program support team is available 24/5 (Monday to Friday) to answer questions about the learning platform, technical issues, or anything else that may affect your learning experience.
How do I interact with other program participants?
Peer learning adds substantially to the overall learning experience and is an important part of the program. You can connect and communicate with other participants through our learning platform.
What are the requirements to earn the certificate?
Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week, so you can gauge what will be required before you enroll. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page. All programs are designed to fit into your working life.
This program is scored as a pass or no pass; participants must complete the required activities to pass and obtain the certificate of completion. Some programs include a final project submission or other assignments to obtain passing status. This information will be noted in the program brochure. Please email us if you need further clarification on any specific program requirements.
What type of certificate will I receive?
Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a smart digital certificate. The smart digital certificate can be shared with friends, family, schools, or potential employers. You can use it on your cover letter or resume and/or display it on your LinkedIn profile.
The digital certificate will be sent approximately two weeks after the program, once grading is complete.
Will I earn a professional certificate, CEUs, PEUs, academic credits when I complete the program?
This program does not grant academic credits, CEUs, PEUs or professional certificate from Harvard Medical School. This non-degree program offers a certificate of completion to participants who meet the program requirements. It does not grant academic credit or provide certification for specific professions.
Can I get a hard copy of the certificate?
No, only verified digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion. This allows you to share your credentials on social platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.
Do I receive alumni status after completing this program?
No, there is no alumni status granted for this program. In some cases, there are credits that count toward a higher level of certificate. This information will be clearly noted in the program brochure.
How long will I have access to the learning materials?
You will have access to the online learning platform and all the videos and course materials for 24 months following the program start date. Access to the learning platform is restricted to registered participants per the terms of the agreement.
What equipment or technical requirements are there for this program?
Participants will need the latest version of their preferred browser to access the learning platform. In addition, Microsoft Office and a PDF viewer are required to access documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts.
Do I need to be online to access the program content?
Yes, the learning platform is accessed via the internet, and video content is not available for download. However, you can download files of video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. For maximum flexibility, you can access program content from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device.
Video lectures must be streamed via the internet, and any live stream webinars and office hours will require an internet connection. However, these sessions are always recorded, so you may view them later.
Can I still register if the registration deadline has passed?
Yes, you can register up until seven days past the published start date of the program without missing any of the core program material or learnings.
What is the program fee, and what forms of payment do you accept?
The program fee is noted at the top of this program web page and is usually referenced in the program brochure as well.
Flexible payment options are available (see details below as well as at the top of this program web page next to FEE).
Tuition assistance is available for participants who qualify. Please email us at learner.success@emeritus.org for more information.
What if I don’t have access to a credit card? Is there another method of payment accepted?
Yes, you can do the bank remittance in the program currency via wire transfer or debit card. Please contact your program advisor, or email us for details.
I was not able to use the discount code provided. Can you help resolve this issue?
Yes! Please email us with the details of the program you are interested in, and we will assist you.
How can I obtain an invoice for payment?
Please email us your invoicing requirements and the specific program you’re interested in enrolling in.
Is there an option to make flexible payments for this program?
Yes, the flexible payment option allows a participant to pay the program fee in installments. This option is made available on the payment page and should be selected before submitting the payment.
How can I obtain a W9 form?
Please connect with us via email for assistance.
Who will be collecting the payment for the program?
Emeritus collects all program payments, provides learner enrollment and program support, and manages learning platform services.
Are there any restrictions on the types of funding that can be used to pay for the program?
Program fees for Emeritus programs with Harvard Medical School may not be paid for with (a) funds from the GI Bill, the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Act of 2008, or similar types of military education funding benefits or (b) Title IV financial aid funds.
What is the program refund and deferral policy?
For the program refund and deferral policy, please click the link here.
Didn't find what you were looking for? Write to us at learner.success@emeritus.org or schedule a call with one of our Program Advisors or call us at +1 315 284 5718 (US) / +44 204 538 5575 (UK) / +65 3129 7741 (SG).
Flexible payment options are available.
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