AMES, Iowa — A new class at Iowa State University is teaching students about the science and practice of happiness.

Dr. Amie Zarling is a clinical psychologist and associate professor at ISU who started the class in January. She said that this class is important because over 60% of college students are experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression.

“[Students] truly have so much content to learn, so much reading, so much knowledge to put into their heads every day,” she said, “Why not have part of it be how to live a happy life and how to live the life they want?”

While Zarling said there isn’t one key to happiness, there are ways to enhance one’s well-being, and these go against what most may have thought about happiness.

According to Zarling, most people believe that they’ll be happier when they get a certain job or look a certain way, but she said those are myths.

“Some of those things might provide you a very short, small burst in happiness, but they’re not going to improve your overall well-being. They’re not sustainable,” said Zarling.

She said this class serves two purposes- to dispel the myths of what might bring happiness and to build habits that may actually provide happiness.

There are five habits that she focuses on with her students.

The first is gratitude. She said that being grateful doesn’t mean ignoring the things that aren’t going well, but it’s about acknowledging and turning attention to the things that are going well and being grateful for it.

The second is social connections. If there was a key to happiness, it may be this one since a plethora of research finds that the greatest predictor of happiness throughout life is the quality of one’s relationships.

Next is mindfulness, or paying attention to our surroundings and being in the moment. Zarling said that a lot of students say they go through their day on auto-pilot, so learning how to be mindful allowed them to get out of their head and into their reality.

Another way to elevate happiness is through savoring. This is the idea of focusing on a positive emotion or experience and relishing in it. Zarling said that this is accomplished by thinking of a past memory, a current moment, and a future goal with positive circumstances and soaking in the moment.

Finally, the habit to build happiness is self-compassion and self-acceptance. Zarling said that being self-compassionate and self-acceptant helps people be better in their relationships.

Eighty-five students are currently enrolled in the class this semester, which Zarling said far exceeded her expectations since new classes typically get around 50 students.

“It really is a testament to how the students are willing to try something new, even if they’re a little bit skeptical about what this might entail,” said Zarling, “They’ve all been willing to give it a shot and I’m super proud of them for that.”

One student currently enrolled in the class wrote, “This class is definitely a highlight for me. It has challenged me in different ways to slow down and embrace the moment. The concept of savoring has felt most applicable to my situation this semester. Taking the extra time to truly embrace the moment, especially knowing how few moments I have left at ISU, has been a process. I initially struggled because I am constantly thinking about the next thing on my to-do list. However, I have been practicing slowing down and using my five senses to mentally capture the moment.”

Zarling said they plan to continue providing this class every semester.