Humour and Flourishing | Seminar

Humour and Flourishing is a reflective, evidence-informed seminar designed to support university students in understanding and intentionally applying the VIA character strength of humour as a resource for wellbeing, learning, and social connection. Framed within positive psychology, the seminar explores humour as the capacity to notice, appreciate, and express amusement in ways that build perspective, reduce stress, and strengthen relationships without diminishing seriousness, professionalism, or respect. Through guided reflection, discussion, practical examples, and applied exercises, participants examine the benefits of humour for resilience, emotional regulation, and interpersonal engagement in academic contexts. The seminar emphasises balanced use of humour by distinguishing between underuse, optimal use, and overuse, highlighting how humour can support coping and connection when used with awareness, timing, and inclusivity. Integrative elements such as self-reflective questions, applied scenarios, daily practice suggestions, and a WOOP (Wish–Outcome–Obstacle–Plan) framework support the translation of insight into action. This seminar forms part of a broader character strengths-based approach to flourishing in higher education and is suitable for use in student development programmes, wellbeing initiatives, and co-curricular learning contexts. Learning Outcomes By the end of this seminar, participants will be able to: Define the VIA character strength of humour and describe its role in supporting wellbeing, resilience, and social connection within a university context. Identify the psychological and interpersonal benefits of humour, including stress reduction, perspective-taking, and enhanced engagement in academic and social settings. Differentiate between underuse, optimal use, and overuse of humour, recognising how each pattern influences learning, relationships, and personal authenticity. Reflect on their own use of humour as a coping and relational strategy, including awareness of context, timing, and inclusivity. Apply humour intentionally and ethically to support wellbeing, collaboration, and communication without undermining seriousness, respect, or responsibility. Develop a personalised plan for strengthening balanced use of humour, using reflective prompts and a structured WOOP framework to translate insight into everyday practice.