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August 2015
New research suggests that when we feel stressed out, we have a very hard time seeing the world from someone else's point of view. In other words, as we report this week, anxiety seems to be an enemy of empathy.
But some of our readers were confused: "Doesn't anxiety boost our ability to feel for our fellow humans?" they wondered.
In a follow-up article, Jeremy Adam Smithlooks at some of the nuances to anxiety and empathy, revealing how certain stressful situations may decrease empathy, while anxious personality types may actually be more sensitive to others' feelings.
With the start of the academic year almost here, setting a positive tone for staff and students is extremely important.
To get educators started, here are four activities to start the year off right.
How Awe Makes Us Generous
What do the Grand Canyon, Sistine Chapel, and gazing at distant stars all have in common?
A new study suggests that in addition to inspiring a profound sense of awe, they can make us more generous to other people.
Greater Good in Action: Finding Silver Linings
Ruminating on what's gone wrong in your life can lead to depressive thinking. Use the Finding Silver Linings practice on our new Greater Good in Action platform to minimize negative thinking and exercise your optimism!
This special conference will examine in depth the state-of-the-art for well-being and mindfulness at work, exploring what's working and why.
The two-day program will include a keynote by neuroscientist Richie Davidson, perhaps the foremost authority on the neuroscience of mindfulness.
Among the other speakers will be workplace leaders who have pioneered programs at Aetna, BlackRock, SAP, Pacific Blue Cross, and Pixar, as well representatives from some of the world's top mindfulness training programs, including the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, Wisdom Labs, and the Potential Project.
GGSC members receive a 20% discount! Group rates and sponsorships available. For more information, email eliseproulx@berkeley.edu.
A special day-long event with Shauna Shapiro, Ph.D., and Dan Siegel, M.D.
When: October 2, 2015
Where: UC Berkeley Campus or via live webcast
This special day-long event will be co-taught by Shauna Shapiro and Dan Siegel, two renowned experts on the science and practice of mindfulness.
Together they will explore how mindfulness not only hones skills of attention but also cultivates compassion, kindness, and connections with others. Combining lecture with experiential exercises, the day will be emotionally rich and deeply practical.
6 CE credits for health professionals. Discounts for members!
The GGSC's groundbreaking, free course relaunches September 8, 2015. If you missed The Science of Happiness when it was first offered in 2014, now's your chance to join the more than 200,000 students who've been inspired and invigorated by the course thus far.
The GGSC is pleased to announce our new cohort of fellows for the 2015-2016 academic year. In each newsletter for the next few months, we'll introduce you to a new fellow.
This week, meet Dyan Connelly. Connelly is a third year clinical science doctoral student at UC Berkeley. Her fellowship project will study the relationship between connectedness and well-being in spousal caregivers of dementia patients.
