Happiness training for all school pupils?  I think it is a great idea, provided it is based on positive and constructive models of thinking.  Most of our coaching clients ask us “why weren’t we taught these skills earlier in life - we should have had them when we were at school”.  I quite agree.  I was a real late-starter - only learning about thinking strategies and stress management techniques when I was 42.  The majority of our clients are also about this age and immediately say that they are going to share the methods with their children.

It was for this reason that my colleague Diane Carrington and I wrote our book FUTURE DIRECTIONS, Practical Ways to Develop Emotional Intelligence and Confidence in Young People - see http://www.positiveworks.com/education/futuredirections.htm.  Whether you are a teacher, social worker or parent this book is full of practical advice, tips and exercises to help develop self-respect and positive thinking in young people.

Looking at the problems we have in our society today with young people I feel certain that if we could help young people feel confident then they would realize that they have other options in how they behave.  They don’t have to respond to challenging situations in a knee-jerk way but can stop and think about the consequences of their actions.  They can check themselves and question whether their anger could be eased by counting or walking away, whether their expectations of how others should behave towards them are rational and helpful.  Simple techniques can be provided to physically relax and identify behaviours and actions that will benefit them and others.   They don’t have to think about negative emotions other than to realize that they have a choice as to whether they transform those negative emotions to positive ones.

We have trialled the exercises with young people in a variety of schools, some of whom had major problems such as pending exclusion and self-harming, and we have seen a measured improvement in emotional intelligence in all those who have used our ideas and exercises.  Go to our tips pages for a few ideas - and support Ed Balls in his project to introduce Happiness training in schools! http://www.positiveworks.com/newsoffers/confidencetips.htm