TOP-5 free online self-monitoring courses

💡 Almost all large platforms allow courses to be taken free of charge in audit mode (without a certificate). On edX it is directly called Audit this course, on Coursera - Enroll for free → Audit (without payment).

1) The Science of Well-Being — Yale (Coursera)

What it teaches: evidence-based methods of improving well-being and discipline (reconfiguration of habits, diary of practices, "rewirement"). An excellent base for self-control and rejection of "hot" solutions.

Format and access: online, self-pace, free audit.

How to apply to excitement: do a "flashing" of habits as a homework course: 10-15 minutes/day - breathing, diary "STOP-5," evening without screens.

2) The Science of Happiness — UC Berkeley (edX)

What it teaches: positive psychology exercises, attention/emotions/relationships; provides tools for stability and self-regulation.

Format and access: 8-11 weeks, can be audited for free; paid certificate is optional.

How to apply to a gamble: Enter a "positivity buffer" - daily short practices (gratitude/mindfulness) reduce the craving to "extinguish stress with a bet."

3) Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance — Monash (FutureLearn)

What it teaches: mindfulness as a skill of self-control: reduces impulsivity, improves sleep and concentration.

Format and access: 4 weeks, ~ 3 hours/week, free access for the course period (without a certificate).

How to apply to excitement: Emo-scale rule: if euphoria/anger/anxiety> 5/10 - pause and breathing 4-2-6 from course practices.

4) Learning How to Learn - Barbara Oakley (Coursera/free material access)

What it teaches: switching thinking modes, working with procrastination and "sticky" habits - the basic mechanics of self-regulation.

Format and access: can be audited on Coursera; the author also publishes free full access to materials on his website.

How to apply to excitement: technique "If X, then Y" (implementation intentions): If I pull "for a minute" in the evening → I start pomodoro 25/5 for reading/walking.

5) Resilience Skills in a Time of Uncertainty — University of Pennsylvania (Coursera)

What it teaches: Psychological resilience practices: cognitive strategies, dealing with anxiety, "thinking traps" and relationship skills.

Format and access: online, self-pace, free audit.

How to apply to excitement: gambler's fallacy (FOMO) + counter-replica plan before any session.

How to choose a course for yourself (fast)

Need "anti-impulse" and sleep? - Mindfulness Monash/Science of Happiness.

Want to reflash habits and motivation? - Yale Well-Being/Learning How to Learn.

Falling into "dogon" because of stress? - Resilience Skills (Penn).

4-week implementation plan

Week 1 - Start and Visibility

Turn on reality-check every 25-30 minutes in any "sticky" activity.

Start the diary "STOP-5 ": Trigger → Thought → Emotion (0-10) → Replacement → Total.

Week 2 - Daily Micro Practice (10-15 min/day)

Mindfulness/breathing 4-2-6; one "screen-free" evening.

From Yale/UC Berkeley - 1 gratitude/intention exercise.

Week 3 - Framework and Barriers

Double limits: in time (30-60 minutes) and in losses; pre-alerts 70/90%.

"Rule of the day": any increase in limits/new formats - only tomorrow.

White list of days/games; everything "new" is off.

Week 4 - Anchoring and Evaluation

Bottom line: what 2 practices really helped? Leave them for another month.

If hot days recur, add Resilience Skills and increase the share of mindfulness practices.

Check sheets

Before any session (1 minute):

Euphoria/anger/anxiety ≤ 5/10 (aka pause and breath)
Timer and pre-alerts enabled
Limits: time ___ min; stop losses ___; stop-win ___
No "new" formats today

Weekly (15 minutes):

Completed ≥1 course module
≥5 STOP-5 entries filled
There were ≥2 "no screen" evenings
0 limit violations/rule of the day

Frequent questions

Is it definitely free?

Yes, if you select Audit/Free (no certificate) on Coursera/edX/FutureLearn. On edX, this is a separate "Audit this course" option.

What one course to take if time is short?

Yale The Science of Well-Being - as a "skeleton" of new habits; supplement with a 10-minute practice from Monash for emotional "cooling."

Self-control is a trained skill. These five courses cover emotions (mindfulness/resilience), thoughts and habits (psychology/learning metamanics) and provide simple daily practices. Go to the audit, do 10-20 minutes a day and take stock every week - this is how changes become systemic and free.