{"id":412,"date":"2022-05-26T04:55:39","date_gmt":"2022-05-26T04:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/editor.pimglobal.org\/?p=412"},"modified":"2023-08-29T13:22:46","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T13:22:46","slug":"happiness-challenge-case-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/editor.pimglobal.org\/happiness-challenge-case-study\/","title":{"rendered":"HAPPINESS CHALLENGE CASE STUDY"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

HAPPINESS CHALLENGE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A 21-day challenge promoting well-being, healthy habits, and resilient communities, grounded in positive psychology<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlight<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Happiness Challenge is a series of gamified activities based on concepts scientifically proven to boost happiness and well-being, designed to help communities better manage the socio-emotional effects caused by COVID-19 disruptions. Featuring daily seven-minute challenges, multimedia content by positive psychology experts including Dr. Laurie Santos of Yale University, and digital peer support groups, the Challenge impacted more than 1,500 participants around the world, with 88% of participants surveyed reporting positive shifts in their daily habits and 86% reporting positive changes in their mood as a result of their participation in the program. PIM launched the pilot program in April 2020, generously supported by crowdfunding donors and the Rockefeller Brother\u2019s Fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Situation and Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, the COVID-19 coronavirus spread around the world, forcing billions of people into quarantine. Data suggests an increasing global trend of mental vulnerability during this unprecedented time: the World Health Organization has cited surveys showing an increasing prevalence of distress among 35% of the population surveyed in China, 45% in the US, and 60% in Iran. In China, a recent study of 1,210 participants from 194 cities reported that 53.8% had experienced a moderate or severe psychological impact, with 31.3% experiencing depression, 36.4% experiencing anxiety and 32.4% reporting some level of stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to the many disruptions brought about by COVID-19, many organizations \u2013 including schools, companies, and social organizations \u2013 actively sought ways to promote positive well-being and support their communities during this challenging time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Rockefeller Brothers Fund<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund is a philanthropic foundation created and run by members of the Rockefeller family, which advances social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As the pandemic sparked an extended period of uncertainty and social distancing, PIM’s global happiness challenge helped social innovators find new ways to build community connections that will help sustain China’s philanthropic and non-profit sector for the long term.\u2013Nick Lo, Program Assistant, Rockefeller Brothers Fund<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Our Approach<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our goal was to find an education-based approach to alleviate mental health and anxiety during self-isolation, helping individuals to build supportive communities fostering well-being and resilience. We hoped to disseminate science-backed evidence about well-being practices, while at the same time understanding that to promote active engagement it would be critical to introduce this type of content in a fun and accessible way. We developed a 21-day challenge-based course on well-being called the Happiness Challenge, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Science-backed content on well-being and positive psychology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We approached a world-renowned positive psychologist, Dr. Laurie Santos from Yale University whose \u201cThe Science of Well-Being\u201d course on Coursera had reached over 1 million learners. Dr. Santos granted us permission to translate her course video materials into Chinese and localize the content for our China-based audience. We also supplemented her videos with other local content and resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gamification to incentivize engagement<\/strong>
Consistent practice is critical to creating lasting healthy habits. We designed the Happiness Challenge so that each day involved a short challenge that could be completed in 7 to 10 minutes \u2013 short enough to reduce the mental barrier for engagement, but long enough to gain some of the health and psychological benefits. These activities were grounded in happiness science, focused on six core concepts including savoring, meditation, gratitude, kindness, physical wellness, and social connection.

Participants completed the daily activities and shared their outputs directly on the social media platform, where they could gain certificates and badges rewarding their progress while celebrating and supporting others. PIM also hosted multiple live events, bringing the participants together for expert-led sessions on exercise, meditation, and more. Examples of challenge activities include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n