Couple teaches: Don’t worry, be happy

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A Milwaukee-area couple’s business could be a sign of the times, as it offers classes that teach people how to be happy.

Bob Pothier is the CEO of Hapacus, which he’s running with his wife Virginia. They write a blog about happiness at hapacus.com, and their new company will provide exclusive materials for classes on how to be happy.

The material is based on research on people’s well-being and mental health. Pothier says human brains are built to help them survive, and the human survival mechanism includes a bias in which the brain favors negative information over the positive.

Pothier says the challenge is recognize when the brain is unreasonably focused on the negative, so it can learn to return to patterns he says are healthier.

Hapacus has started teaching happiness classes around the United States, and it’s looking for teachers. Among other things, Pothier used to be an executive at Waukesha’s GE Healthcare.

Tags: wisconsin, health, business