The happiness equation = Project Happy

The happiness equation = Project Happy

By Laura Wyatt, Intern - Department of Student Affairs

April 3, 2017

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A visit to campus last year by best-selling author Neil Pasricha (Com’02) has inspired a recent student-led campaign to promote happiness and well-being.

Peer health educators in the Health Promotion Unit in  and the have partnered on .

Best-selling author Neil Pasricha (Com’02) has inspired the 'Project Happy' campaign, aimed at helping students with positive mental health strategies. (Supplied photo) 

It is based on Mr. Pasricha’s book, The , his self-described attempt to "hack human happiness" with the following formula: Want Nothing + Do Anything = Have Everything.

The campaign is centered on Mr. Pasricha’s aimed at helping students with positive mental health strategies. There will be social media contests with prizes for students who share how they are putting Mr. Pasricha's tips into action using the hashtag #queensprojecthappy.

The Health Promotion team attended a talk given by Mr. Pasricha when he was on campus last spring and came up with the idea for a new campaign.

“Staff and students at Health Promotion discussed ways to articulate an easily accessible way to apply Neil’s wisdom into students’ own lives. From there, the ‘Project Happy’ was born,” says Mijal Vonderwalde, the Call Family Intern in Health Promotion, who has developed the program, with the help of the QSAA.

“We became the link to Mr. Pashricha in this project to facilitate creative student-alumni interactions,” says QSAA President Jasmit De Saffel. “He has told me that he is thrilled his alma mater is positively spreading his perception of happiness across Queen’s and inspiring students to be happy 'right now.'”