 Hey, Psych2Goers. You know the feeling. You've seen the meme. The dog with coffee in the flaming room. This is fine. Even still, the shot of the arm emerging from quicksand giving a thumbs up? You may think, oh, that is so me right now. Truth is, society has set expectations that make achieving that state of happiness far more arduous than it should be. So we do what most do. Put on our fake it till you make it, hats. So often we forget it's on. It's time to unveil the truth and stop the masquerade. We're going to look at some signs to help make it happen. Number one, talking about emotions makes you squirm. Do you subconsciously believe emotions make you weak? Though this myth is something we're finally starting to decry, it's still long time ingrained and a tough one to beat. Sadness and anger are normal emotions that are felt yet many of us actively try to stop it. Never feeling comfortable revealing this perceived loss of control. If this is you, then this might be a sign that you're faking your happiness. Some good news about feeling anger and sadness though? It's not weak. It's human. Genuine serenity and balance are achieved in large part through the ability to let go, expressing our true feelings. Number two, constantly showing the good times instead of living them. Do you know someone whose entire involvement in any event or hangout is posting constant updates and selfies yet never doing the activity? The post even reads, that party life or is captioned, hiking fills my soul. Despite you knowing they left the party after taking the pic or they didn't even hike more than 10 steps. You probably already surmised this but that contentment may be put on. Fake happy alert. A recent study looked across 11 social media networks which include the big names like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and found that heavy users are far more likely to be lonely and unhappy than light users. Is your happiness heavily dependent on making others envious? Well, constantly promoting or creating a sense of superiority online or offline leaves no room for genuine joy. Real happiness comes from the self, not by leaching envy from others. Number three, you're not yourself anymore. You look in the mirror one day and realize you have no idea who you are, but you used to. Many unhappy people tend to lose themselves in the process of faking their happiness. They hurdle head on into the myth that happiness comes from outside validation in a relatively short period of time. They strip and change everything from clothes to hobbies because they don't fit the new and improved image. Subsequently, they also distance themselves from old friends that remind them of the dissatisfactory original. What's really happened is that instead of working with the identity and self that was given, it was discarded. All that's left is an artificial new you persona created in order to fit in with the perceived better crowd. Have you ever wanted to increase your own level of happiness? Or maybe you'd like to do something in particular to help raise your joy and well-being? Or maybe you've always wanted to experience an Ivy League education without the commitment? Yale University is offering an online course called The Science of Well-Being, where Dr. Santos reveals certain misconceptions about happiness and recommends tips for increasing happiness, such as savoring our everyday experiences and appreciating them while they happen, as well as encouraging random acts of kindness. These are just small snippets of what the course has to offer. If you'd like this video and want to learn more about how to go from fake happy to increasing your own well-being and productivity, then you should check out The Science of Well-Being. Did we also mention that over three million people have enrolled and it's the online equivalent to their most popular on-campus course? The course is completely online, self-paced, and the best part yet, you can earn a certificate from Yale upon completion. So make sure you click the description box below to check the course out. Number four, you want everyone off your lawn, always. There's nothing wrong with wanting a alone time. Some get energy from parties, some recharge in solitude, and that's all good. Long-term social isolation, though, is too far. Perhaps you believe I'm better off on my own, or I don't need anyone, I'm happy with just me. Really, though, this is likely more a sign of faking your happiness and avoiding being called out on it. Making an effort to meet new people or reconnect with old friends may help you start feeling genuinely content by challenging yourself to stay more connected to those around you. Humans are social creatures. Remember, even if it's just being social with your two closest friends and a once-a-month two-minute chat with dog owners at the off-leash park, that's still social. Putting yourself out there can take effort, but it's well worth it. Number five, you're exhausted all the time. You're fatigued, had a rough day, and you're stressed. Got it. It happens, however. If this is your every day, all day, norm, it might be a sign of psychological or medical issues like sleep apnea. Mental health-wise, fatigue is a typical symptom for individuals who are battling anxiety or depression. So if you find yourself repeatedly claiming that you're fine and cheerful when you're near to exhaustion, take a closer look at what else could be there. And number six, you're developing new addictions and vices. Is retail therapy putting you in crippling debt, has drowning your sorrows with whiskey and wine become a constant life requirement? If so, you might be self-medicating to fake the happiness. The life of the party may not actually be loving life, and the consistent nightlife wild child could be doing it to cope with depression. In these situations, excessive drinking or drug use may be an attempt to escape from reality and avoid feeling the truth of the matter. Any habit that goes into excessive life-interrupting territory could well be a form of escapism, where you're avoiding instead of dealing. You've likely heard the saying that nothing good ever came easy, and part of that is admitting that you're troubled by something more significant than you're letting on. Resolution is good and acknowledgement is the first step towards it. Faking happiness doesn't always mean mental illness. The most significant clue is to analyze and discover why you're pretending. Who are you deceiving? Is there anything deeper behind it? How many of these points in this video can you relate to? Be compassionate and honest with yourself. Discovering answers to these kinds of questions is crucial to the get happy process, and no one said you have to go it alone either. Reach out to anyone from a trusted friend or family member to a professional therapist, who may be the right person to assist you. A big shout out to Coursera for sponsoring this video and offering a Yale University course to our viewers. Do you relate to any of the signs above? Do you have more signs to share? Leave your comments below, and as always, thanks so much for watching. See you next time!