Shows / The Science of Happiness
The Science of Happiness
Learn research-tested strategies for a happier, more meaningful life, drawing on the science of compassion, gratitude, mindfulness, and awe. Hosted by award-winning psychologist Dacher Keltner. Co-produced by PRX and UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. Follow us on Instagram @HappinessPod.
Episodes
The Science of HappinessWhat Does It Take To Really Listen To Someone?
Are you actually listening when someone is talking to you, or just waiting for your turn to talk? Our guest, a veteran of the Iraq War, practices how to truly…
The Science of HappinessWhy Shared Goals Can Bridge Divides
How can people from different groups get on the same page? Our guest, an educator and football coach, tries a strategy for building stronger, more inclusive…
The Science of HappinessHow To Make Time for Happiness
Her New Year's resolution was to have more joyful and fulfilling experiences in her daily life. Our guest tried a practice to help make that happen. Link to…
The Science of HappinessHow To Get Your Senses Tingling
There are millions of YouTube channels with people crinkling bubble wrap or whispering about folding laundry. Our guests talks about why autonomous sensory…
The Science of HappinessHow To Be Less Hard on Yourself
Do you beat yourself up over every mistake? A high school senior tries to be kinder to himself during an especially stressful time. Link to Episode Transcript…
The Science of HappinessHappy Again: How to Notice What You're Thankful For (Encore)
Comedian Maz Jobrani tries to be more thankful for the good things in his life by writing them down — and encourages his kids to do the same. Link to Episode…
The Science of HappinessCan You Find Wonder in the Ordinary?
When was the last time you felt connected to something bigger than yourself? Award-winning cellist Yumi Kendall looks, and listens, for moments of awe. Link to…
The Science of HappinessHow To Get Your Priorities Straight
It's easy to lose sight of what matters most. Our guest finds a way to reconnect with her values during stressful times. Link to Episode Transcript…
The Science of HappinessDoes Your Doctor Listen to You?
Doctors are often trained to be emotionally detached. But our guest finds greater meaning in his work as a physician when he tries to connect more deeply with…
The Science of HappinessFinding Beauty in the Everyday
A tree next to a bus stop, a flower poking through the sidewalk. Our guest, a veteran of the Iraq War, discovers how awe and wonder can be found anywhere — if…
The Science of HappinessHow to Find Your Silver Linings
Do you fixate on what's going wrong in your life? Poet and "recovering pessimist" Maggie Smith practices looking on the bright side. Link to Episode…
The Science of HappinessCan Margaret Cho Get Any Better?
She's one of the most accomplished comedians of her generation. But Margaret Cho wants to find a different kind of happiness. Link to Episode Transcript…
The Science of HappinessCan You Humanize a Zombie?
Should we try to find common ground with the villains in our lives? Comedian Zahra Noorbahksh tries to understand a "zombie" from her past. Link to Episode…
The Science of HappinessMaking Kindness Contagious
We gave our Happiness Guinea Pig a mission: Do five random acts of kindness in one day. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/36zrcd2p
The Science of HappinessFacing Your Fears
Heights. Public speaking. Death. Our Happiness Guinea Pig explains how she overcomes her fears, one small step at a time. Link to Episode Transcript…
The Science of HappinessHow Michael Lewis Finds the Funny
How can you unearth humor in everyday life? Best-selling author Michael Lewis goes looking for laughs. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3kebr688
The Science of HappinessHow to Keep Love Alive
After more than a decade together, our Happiness Guinea Pig tries to bring the spark back into her marriage. Link to Episode Transcript…
The Science of HappinessWho Makes You Feel Connected?
Our Happiness Guinea Pig, the creator of Cartoon Network's We Bare Bears, finds a way to feel close to a loved one he recently lost. Try this week’s happiness…
The Science of HappinessA Better Way to Talk to Yourself
Her husband has been in prison for 23 years. Our Happiness Guinea Pig tries a new approach to stay strong while working to get him released. Link to Episode…
The Science of HappinessWhat to Do When You Feel Like a Failure
The loss of a job, the pain of a breakup -- it's easy to get down on ourselves when things aren't going well. Find out how our Happiness Guinea Pig tuned down…
The Science of HappinessDelight in the Unexpected
A high-five from a stranger, a hummingbird on a busy city street. Poet Ross Gay shares his own happiness practice: savoring the everyday delights in life. ~…
The Science of HappinessHow To Let Go of Anger
Are you still mad at someone who hurt you in the past? That can eat away at your health and well-being. Our Happiness Guinea Pig tries a new approach to giving…
The Science of HappinessWhat Are Your Strongest Reminders of Connection?
What kinds of objects, images, and words surround your home or office? Our Happiness Guinea Pig surveys her apartment for items that spark connection and…
The Science of HappinessDo You Know How to Eat a Raisin?
Do you have trouble slowing down enough to actually enjoy your life? Our Happiness Guinea Pig, comedian and radio host Luke Burbank, finds a way to break free…
The Science of HappinessFinding Awe in Every Step
How can we feel connected to the world around us? Singer Diana Gameros tries to cultivate a sense of awe in the most unlikely of places. Try this episode’s…
The Science of HappinessFinding Your Strengths
Do you fixate on your flaws and shortcomings? Our happiness guinea pig tries the opposite: focusing on her personal strengths. ~ Try this episode’s happiness…
The Science of HappinessTrying Compassion on Capitol Hill
Can you extend compassion toward a difficult person in your life? Congressman Tim Ryan tries a practice to help him reach across the aisle. Link to Episode…
The Science of HappinessA Lesson in Thanks and Vulnerability
A junior high school teacher spent his life defying stereotypes about how men should express their emotions. Here he takes on a new challenge: getting his…
The Science of HappinessNotice the Good in Your Life
Comedian Maz Jobrani tries to pay more attention to the good things in his life by writing them down -- and encourages his kids to do the same. Try this…
The Science of HappinessThe Power of Expressing Your Deepest Emotions
He started Afghanistan's first post-Taliban rock band when he was 18 years old. A decade later, our Happiness Guinea Pig takes on another challenge: writing…
The Science of HappinessWho's Got Your Back?
How do you build feelings of trust and security? Our Happiness Guinea Pig learns some truths about what it takes to feel supported. Link to Episode Transcript…
The Science of HappinessBeing Kinder to Yourself
When you’re helping others cope with stress and anxiety, how do you deal with your own? Psychiatrist Elizabeth Guinto tries a practice to be kinder to herself…
The Science of HappinessW. Kamau Bell’s Thoughts on Awkward Relationships and Bridging Divides
Comedian W. Kamau Bell discusses the challenges of finding common ground, even with people in your own family. Link to Episode Transcript…
The Science of HappinessFind That Inner Calm
International megastar Daniel Wu tries a practice that brings him calm amidst the chaos. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdfcws4a
The Science of HappinessThese Words Cause Happiness
Did you know that you have the power to spark happiness in someone else's brain with just a few simple words? College student Eva Dickerson shares how she…
The Science of HappinessA Simple Recipe for Happiness
Our Happiness Guinea Pig, children's author Joanne Rocklin, shares her happiness practice: bringing people together to share a meal. It took on a deeper…
The Science of HappinessCan’t Relax? This Will Help
Why does a bath or swim feel so relaxing? Our guest shares her own happiness practice--spending time in water--which science is finding can make us happier and…
The Science of HappinessHow to Make a Real Apology
"I'm sorry you feel that way." Some apologies can actually make things worse. Our Happiness Guinea Pigs, Jolenta Greenburg and Kristin Meinzer of the By the…
The Science of HappinessHow to Deal with Uncertainty
How do you respond when you feel threatened or defensive? Our Happiness Guinea Pig, writer Wajahat Ali, discovers a way to keep himself centered amidst the…
The Science of HappinessBONUS: The Science of Happiness at Work
What would make you happier at work? Featuring some of our happiness guinea pigs, we share the latest insights and research on well-being and happiness in the…
The Science of HappinessWhat if You Had Never Met?
Do you take your partner for granted? Our Happiness Guinea Pig, cartoonist Gene Luen Yang, imagines a life in which he never met his wife. Link to Episode…
The Science of HappinessGive Yourself Some Distance
Are you stuck ruminating about the past? Legendary skater Tommy Guerrero tries looking at negative events from a different perspective. Link to Episode…
The Science of HappinessListen Like It's Your First Date
Do you find yourself looking at your phone when you're supposed to be paying attention to a friend? Our Happiness Guinea Pig, The Takeaway's Tanzina Vega…
The Science of HappinessWhy You Shouldn't Hate Small Talk
Many of us avoid chatting with strangers – isn't small talk tedious and dull? Listen as our happiness guinea pig discovers its surprising benefits. Link to…
The Science of HappinessHow to Change Your Mind
Author Michael Pollan, shares his experiences on being a guinea pig for his new book, How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us…
The Science of HappinessHow to Find Your Purpose in Life
Did you know what you wanted when you were in high school? Our guest takes on the challenge of figuring out her purpose in life. Transcription…
The Science of HappinessWhat Are You Afraid Of?
Would you rather swim with sharks or give a speech before thousands of people? Discover how our happiness guinea pig tackled one of his many fears--and lived…
The Science of HappinessHow to Forgive Your Father
Holding on to a grudge? Hear how our happiness guinea pig tried to let go of deep-seated anger and resentment. Link to Episode Transcript…
The Science of HappinessFeeling Angry? Try This
For years, Dan Harris of ABC News was plagued by anxiety, depression, and streaks of anger. Here's how he learned to tame the voices in his head and get 10…
The Science of HappinessLet People Help You
In hard times, do you seek comfort from others or turn inwards? Find out how our Happiness Guinea Pig emerged from trauma by accepting others' support. Thank…
The Science of HappinessIs There Someone You Need to Thank?
Is there someone important you've never properly thanked? Award-winning children's book author, Yuyi Morales, discovers the power of writing a "gratitude…
The Science of HappinessCan You Predict What Will Make You Happy?
Do memories of your past affect your happiness today? Susannah Cahalan was young and healthy when she was stricken with a mysterious illness. Learn how writing…
The Science of HappinessFind Your Best Possible Self
Does imagining your future make you more happy--or more anxious? Our happiness guinea pig looks ahead for inspiration to improve her life now. Link to Episode…
The Science of HappinessHow Gratitude Benefits Your Brain
Can you train your brain to be more grateful? Todd Zwillich of The Takeaway takes on the challenge. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2s336x2a
The Science of HappinessKrista Tippett on Being Grounded in Your Body
Are you so stressed that it wears you down physically as well as mentally? Discover how award-winning radio host Krista Tippett brought relief to her mind and…
The Science of HappinessWhy a Walk Works Wonders
Do you dwell on the negative and let moments of joy just pass you by? Discover how the Academy Award-winning director of Inside Out got out of his head and…
The Science of Happiness3 Funny Things
What should you do when you thought you had it all -- but learn you've had it all wrong? Discover what our happiness guinea pig did to bring more joy and humor…
The Science of HappinessHow to Fall in Love with Anyone
Can 36 questions help you fall in love--and stay in love? Best-selling author Kelly Corrigan tries a research-proven technique to feel closer to her husband…
The Science of HappinessQuieting Your Inner Critic
Are you too hard on yourself? Our Happiness Guinea Pig spent most of his life behind bars. Discover the research-tested practice that helped him quiet his…
The Science of Happiness3 Good Things
Do you take the good things in life for granted? You’re not alone, and studies show it's very human. But here’s a way to find more joy in the everyday. Link to…