The Science of Happiness - PRX and Greater Good Science Center

Feeling Overworked? Take a Fika Break (The Science of Happiness Podcast) May 25, 2023

A short break does more than just fuel our bodies, it strengthens our minds. Our overworked guest tries the Swedish practice of 'Fika' – taking short coffee breaks throughout the work day.

Episode summary:

In the United States, we’re taught that it’s a good thing to work more, and work harder. But research shows that overworking isn’t just physically and mentally draining, it can also be deadly. One strategy to manage our work culture? Take more breaks. Our guest this week is Mike Heyliger, a music executive and self-described “workaholic.” He incorporated the Swedish tradition of fika – taking coffee and snack breaks throughout the day – into his own life, and found it not only helped him de-stress, it also shifted his mindset and enabled him to connect with others. Later, we look at the scientific benefits of taking microbreaks and hear from Anna Brones, co-author of Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break.

Practice:

Actively choose to take a break during your day. Typically, fika breaks happen twice. Once in the morning and once in the mid-afternoon.
Traditionally, fika breaks include a drink, like coffee, and a snack, but this is not required. Often, fika breaks are taken with others.

Today’s guests:

Mike Heyliger is a music executive and the creator of Detoxicity, a podcast on progressive masculinity.

Learn more about Mike’s Initiative, ‘Mindful Vinyl’: https://mindfulvinyl.org/about/

Listen to Mike’s Podcast, ‘Detoxicity’: https://tinyurl.com/vc72tjn2

Anna Brones is a Swedish-American writer and artist. She produces the newsletter and podcast, Creative Fuel. Anna is also the co-author of Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break.

Learn more about Anna and her work: https://www.annabrones.com/about

Listen to the Creative Fuel Podcast: https://www.creativefuelcollective.com/podcast

Read Anna’s book on Fika: https://tinyurl.com/yhdzaj2m

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Five Reasons to Take a Break from Screens: https://tinyurl.com/333tuvax

Why You Should Take More Time Off from Work: https://tinyurl.com/k5brkp46

Tuesday Tip: Take a Break: https://tinyurl.com/5986ste3

How to Avoid Burnout – or a Breakdown: https://tinyurl.com/bddw7cap

Why You Should Take a Relaxing Lunch Break: https://tinyurl.com/2p8axdba

More Resources on Fika:

NYT - In Sweden, the Fika Experience: https://tinyurl.com/54wpw8p5

Insider - A daily habit from Sweden could make you more productive at work: https://tinyurl.com/4exjydrr

TED - Forget the Pecking Order at Work: https://tinyurl.com/yk68dmzy

BBC - The Swedish tradition that can make you happier at work: https://tinyurl.com/yx28x2v8

Have you tried incorporating fika in your life? Tell us how it went. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Share this episode with a friend: https://tinyurl.com/4uyr2w35

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

How To Be in Harmony in Nature — Wherever You Are, With Yuria Celidwen May 18, 2023

Indigenous scholar Yuria Celidwen guides us in a meditation to strengthen our sense of belonging and connection to the earth.

This Happiness Break is part of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. In it, we explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. Listen to the rest of the series, which was released in our feed April 22–May 18, 2023.

How to Do This Practice:

Find a comfortable position wherever you are located.
Direct your attention to your feet and the surface below them. Try to cultivate a sense of belonging in that space under your feet.
Let your breath guide your attention back to your feet and upward to your heart and head.
Feel a sense of openness as you welcome the warmth of the sun into your heart.
Acknowledge the transformative power of the earth and your role within it.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Dr. Yuria Celidwen is an Indigenous scholar whose work focuses on Indigenous contemplative traditions and advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples and lands. She is a senior fellow at the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley and has worked with numerous organizations including the United Nations.

Learn more about Yuria: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/

Find out more about Yuria’s work at the Othering and Belonging Institute: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/yuria-celidwen

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative: https://tinyurl.com/d2vzpsaj

What Happens When We Reconnect With Nature: https://tinyurl.com/553xwm47

How to Protect Kids from Nature-Deficit Disorder: https://tinyurl.com/4usewuzj

How Nature Helps Us Heal: https://tinyurl.com/2p93682j

Why is Nature So Good for Your Mental Health? https://tinyurl.com/bdetmjt3

Five Ways to Develop “Ecoliteracy”: https://tinyurl.com/2zuj6smv

Green With Empathy: https://tinyurl.com/42rk4m2m

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience with this meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

The Science of Happiness would like to extend a special thanks to *Eva Frye for their support of this series.*

How To Do Good for the Environment (and yourself) May 11, 2023

Walking can increase our sense of connectedness with the earth and motivation to take climate action, which might be an important aspect of your well-being.

This is the third and final episode of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. We explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action.

Look for another climate-focused Happiness Break on May 18th.

Episode summary:

Musician and activist Diana Gameros tries leaving her car at home and walking instead of drive for three days. We hear what was challenging about her experience, and why in the end, she loved it. Incorporating small climate actions into our daily life can strengthen our relationship with the earth and inspire us to take better care of it. Later, climate scientist Patrick Gonzalez breaks down the actual climate impact of one person choosing not to drive for a day. (It’s more than you’d think.) Finally, we learn how to reimagine our relationship to the environment from Dr. Yuria Celidwen, an expert in Indigenous contemplative practices and sciences, and what we — and the planet — might gain from bridging Western and Indigenous worldviews.

Practice:

Avoid driving for one day out of the week. Instead, walk and take public transportation.
Try to avoid using your phone while getting around. Instead, observe the environment around you and how you engage with it. Notice as much as you can about your neighborhood. Pay attention to how you feel when you walk versus drive.
Think about how you can incorporate other small actions in your daily life to help the planet.

Today’s guests:

Diana Gameros is a musician and social activist. Her music is informed by themes like identity, language, culture and her experience as an immigrant.

Learn more about Diana: https://www.dianagameros.com/

Listen to Diana’s Music: https://open.spotify.com/album/0JdsjnFwzgkr0kPelaODF4

Follow Diana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianagameros/

Follow Diana on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianagamerosmusic/

Patrick Gonzalez is a climate scientist and forest ecologist at UC Berkeley. His work inspired numerous policy changes focused on forestry protections around the world.

Learn more about Patrick and his work: http://www.patrickgonzalez.net/

Follow Patrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pgonzaleztweet?lang=en

Dr. Yuria Celidwen is an Indigenous scholar whose work focuses on Indigenous contemplative traditions and advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples and lands.

Learn more about Yuria and her work: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/

More Resources on Climate Action:

Greater Good Mag - Can We Have More Productive Conversations About Climate Change? https://tinyurl.com/5n95sva3

WHO - Cycling and walking can help reduce physical inactivity and air pollution, save lives and mitigate climate change: https://tinyurl.com/3kzhytf5

TED - When Mother Earth Speaks, You Best Listen: https://tinyurl.com/yzmhch34

Time Magazine - In the Face of Climate Change, We Must Act So That We Can Feel Hopeful—Not the Other Way Around: https://tinyurl.com/98bbspap

What climate actions have you incorporated into your life? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: Contemplating our Interdependence with Nature, with Dekila Chungyalpa May 04, 2023

Take ten minutes to renew your connection to the earth through this guided meditation on our interdependence with the ecosystem.

How to Do This Practice:

Find a comfortable place to do this practice, relax into your body.
Wherever you are, start to acknowledge your surroundings, noticing the living and inanimate things around you.
Focus your attention on your breath, and how your breathing is interdependent on other life forms, and other life forms are dependent on your breath.
Contemplate the Earth’s compassion, and how it provides you with unconditional support.
Finish this practice by acknowledging your connection to the natural world.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Dekila Chungyalpa is the founder and head of the Loka Initiative, which brings together faith leaders and culture keepers of indigenous traditions on environmental and climate issues.

Learn More About Dekila Chungyalpa’s work: https://centerhealthyminds.org/about/people/dekila-chungyalpa

Learn about the Loka Initiative: https://centerhealthyminds.org/programs/loka-initiative

Follow Dekila on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dchungyalpa/?hl=en

Follow Dekila on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dchungyalpa?lang=en

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

What Happens When We Reconnect With Nature: https://tinyurl.com/553xwm47

How Nature Helps Us Heal: https://tinyurl.com/2p93682j

Why Is Nature So Good for Your Mental Health? https://tinyurl.com/ycx9ns4p

How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier and More Creative: https://tinyurl.com/d2vzpsaj

How Being in Nature Can Spur Personal Growth: https://tinyurl.com/2p822nyj

How Modern Life Became Disconnected from Nature: https://tinyurl.com/bdzzy6pc

Being Around Nature Helps You Love Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/34m7tfre

We love hearing from you! How do you connect with nature? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

This Happiness Break is part of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. In it, we explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action.

Look for the third and final episode May 11. Plus, we’ll share another climate-focused Happiness Break on May 18.

How to Feel More Hopeful Apr 27, 2023

How can we build a sense of hope when the future feels uncertain? Poet Tomás Morín tries a writing practice to make him feel more hopeful and motivated to work toward his goals.

This is the second episode of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. We explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action.

Look for the third and final episode May 11. Plus, we’ll share climate-focused Happiness Breaks next week and May 18.

Episode summary:

In the first episode of Climate, Hope & Science, we explored the power of hope with Rebecca Solnitt. Hope can help us cope with uncertainty and sustain action, even when we don’t know what will happen. But what can we do when hope feels far away? This week, we learn about a practice shown in a lab to increase hopefulness and happiness. Poet and professor Tomá Morín got his first taste of climate anxiety as a kid, when he learned about the hole in the ozone layer, and he still feels the panic over the state of the environment today. Will writing about a past hope that was fulfilled — like the global effort to heal the ozone layer — help him overcome despair and cultivate hope? We hear about Tomás’ experience. Then, the scientist behind the practice explains how she created it and why it works.

Editor’s Note: In this episode, Tomás mentions recycling as a way to care for the environment. But in the last few years, we’ve learned that most things we toss in the recycling bin are never made into something new. If you’d like to learn more, here are a few places to start:
https://tinyurl.com/3y9u2y5w

https://tinyurl.com/yckstwer

Today’s Practice:

Find a quiet space and grab paper and something to write with.
Write about something you're currently hopeful for when it comes to climate change. Describe it as if it’s happening now in as much detail as possible. Don’t worry about spelling and grammar.
Next, write about a past hope you’ve held in the past regarding the environment that's been fulfilled and that brings you a sense of gratitude to think about now. Describe what happened, the gratitude you felt, how you and others contributed to it, and what you learned from the experience. If you like, take these prompts one by one. Don’t worry about writing well, just write as much as you can.

Today’s guests:

Tomás Morin is a poet who won an American Poetry Review Honickman First Book Prize for his collection of poems A Larger Country. He’s currently a professor at Rice University.

Check out Tomás’ work: https://www.tomasqmorin.com/About

Read Tomás’ latest book: https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496226495/

Follow Tomas on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomasqmorin/

Charlotte Van Oyen-Witvliet is a clinical psychologist who teaches at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How Hope Can Keep You Happier and Healthier: https://tinyurl.com/2n9k59xn

How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times: https://tinyurl.com/3b66kh5n

How to Overcome “Apocalypse Fatigue” Around Climate Change: https://tinyurl.com/yc47ph38

What to do With Dread and Anxiety Around Climate Change: https://tinyurl.com/3766a6sj

Tell us about your experience finding hope for the environment. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

The Case for Climate Hope Apr 22, 2023

In the first episode in our series Climate, Hope and Science, we explore how embracing uncertainty enables us to move beyond climate anxiety and despair to hope and action, with author and activist Rebecca Solnit.

What does it take to be aware of what’s really happening, without falling into despair? How do we find hope? Do small, individual actions really matter? What happens to our minds and hearts when we connect with nature, and how can that actually protect the climate? We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action.

Look for new episodes April 27 and March 11. Plus, we’ll share climate-focused Happiness Breaks in the weeks following those episodes.

Episode summary:

When you think about climate change, do you feel hope? On this episode of our special series, Climate, Hope and Science, we examine what it means to feel hopeful for the future of our planet. Renowned writer and activist Rebecca Solnit joins Dacher to share why she loves uncertainty, what gives her hope, and how hope empowers her. Later, we hear from climate scientist Patrick Gonzalez about why he believes climate hope is scientifically sound, and how much power we truly have to create meaningful change.

Today’s guests:

Rebecca Solnit is an award-winning author and activist whose works have explored numerous themes including technology, feminism, the environment and social change. Her latest book, which she co-edited, is It's Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility. https://www.nottoolateclimate.com/

Learn more about Rebecca: http://rebeccasolnit.net/biography/

Read Rebecca’s article “Ten ways to confront the climate crisis without loosing hope”: https://tinyurl.com/2p92e2h6

Follow Rebecca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaSolnit

Follow Rebecca on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccasolnit/

Follow Rebecca on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.solnit

Patrick Gonzalez is a climate scientist and forest ecologist at UC Berkeley. His work inspired numerous policy changes focused on forestry protections around the world.

Learn more about Patrick and his work: http://www.patrickgonzalez.net/

Follow Patrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pgonzaleztweet?lang=en

Follow Patrick on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/mvn98ear

More Resources on Climate Hope:

Greater Good Mag - More Resources on Science Center https://tinyurl.com/ytna663b

University of Michigan - Climate crisis: 4 reasons for hope in 2023: https://tinyurl.com/5n7hhpu8

United Nations - 8 reasons not to give up hope - and take climate action: https://tinyurl.com/3wzrebyy

Australian Psychological Society - Coping with climate change distress: https://tinyurl.com/43jhkbjw

How do you feel when you think about climate change? Where do you derive hope? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: Sketching Serenity with Chris Murchison Apr 20, 2023

Happiness Break: Sketching Serenity with Chris Murchison

A guided drawing meditation to help you break out of stale thought patterns and maybe even enter a state of flow. No talent required.

How to Do This Practice:

Grab a piece of paper and something to draw with.
Find a comfortable place and start by taking some deep, mindful breaths
Take a few moments to take in your environment. What colors, shapes, and objects do you see?
Set a timer and for the next two minutes, draw something that caught your attention. Don’t worry about how it looks and try to stay in the moment.
Once time is up, spend a moment appreciating what you drew. Think about the impact of slowing down and doing something fun has had on your day.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Chris Murchison is a meditation teacher, artist and speaker. He currently works as an independent advisor for organizations interested in improving their work cultures.

Check out Chris’s GGSC profile: https://tinyurl.com/32htut6n

Learn more about Chris’s art and other work: https://chrismurchison.com/about

Follow Chris on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4auxk3ur

Follow Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/murchisonchris?lang=en

Add Chris on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/253x83ty

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Doing Something Creative Can Boost Your Well-Being: https://tinyurl.com/4pcwxhsf

What is Creative Mortification and How Can You Overcome It: https://tinyurl.com/583kswfw

Does Art Heal? https://tinyurl.com/3ttybzpm

Everyday Art: https://tinyurl.com/mstemcsf

7 Ways to Foster Creativity: https://tinyurl.com/ycn5majv

How to Combat America’s Creativity Crisis: https://tinyurl.com/yckzm8se

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of drawing this week. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

A New Relationship with Stress Apr 13, 2023

Is there such a thing as good stress? Our guest learns to welcome her stress by understanding how it can actually help her, plus tips and tricks to not feel too much of it.

Episode summary:

Like many of us, our guest Yana Leventon has dealt with a fair amount of stress in her life. But after living through the COVID-19 pandemic and grappling with the ongoing war in Ukraine (with relatives on both sides of the border) Yana’s stress levels reached a new high. This week’s episode is all about how we can reframe our relationship with stress. Yana spent one week trying a new practice each day. All 7 of the practices were aimed at managing different aspects of stress, from physically metabolizing her stress through exercise to visualization and breathing techniques. These exercises helped her regain a sense of clarity about what is truly not in her control, and agency over what is. She began to see stress as a normal and necessary part of life that can actually be beneficial in the right amount. Later, we hear from the psychologist who developed this stress management tool, Elissa Epel. She discusses the importance of developing a positive relationship with stress, and how we can use stress to feel a sense of empowerment.

Practice:

Day 1. Embrace Uncertainty: Releasing Embodied Stress

Day 2. Let Go of What You Can’t Control: Stress Inventory

Day 3. Find Excitement in Challenges: Stress Shield

Day 4. Metabolize Body Stress: Hormetic Stress

Day 5. Immerse Yourself in Nature: Sensory Absorption

Day 6. Experience Deep Rest: Breath for Restoration

Day 7. Create Bliss Bookends: Start and End Full of Joy

For more information on each of the daily practices, check out Elissa Epel’s book, The Stress Prescription.

Today’s guests:

Yana Leventon was a refugee in Austria and Italy before migrating to the United States from the former USSR when she was 10 years old.

Elissa Epel is a psychologist who specializes in stress, aging and well-being. She has developed self-care practices rooted in scientific research to improve how we cope with stress.

Learn more about Elisa and her work: https://www.elissaepel.com/

Read Elissa’s book, The Stress Prescription: https://tinyurl.com/yt66t3b3

Follow Elissa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dr_Epel

Follow Elissa on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TelomereEffect

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How to Transform Stress into Courage and Connection: https://tinyurl.com/n49fzhf7

Seven Ways to Have a Healthier Relationship With Stress: https://tinyurl.com/mr3yy6b5

Is Stress Making You Withdraw from People? https://tinyurl.com/4kkesr7s

Could Stress Help You Find Your Purpose in Life? https://tinyurl.com/2ssz7mck

The Surprising Benefits of Stress: https://tinyurl.com/3uynfkf2

More Resources on Managing Stress:

National Institute for Mental Health - I’m So Stressed Out! Fact Sheet: https://tinyurl.com/4hr3eawc

TED - How to make stress your friend: https://tinyurl.com/y5bsj3ks

Harvard Business Review - Turning Stress into an Asset: https://tinyurl.com/3fdzfx3v

Johns Hopkins - Sleepless Nights? Try Stress Relief Techniques: https://tinyurl.com/mw6jxbvz

Do you struggle with managing your stress levels? What’s your go-to stress management tool? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: Visualizing Your Purpose, with Dacher Keltner Apr 06, 2023

How to Do This Practice:

Find a comfortable place to do this practice. Once you feel ready, relax your shoulders and close your eyes. Focus on your breathing, and take a few slow, deep breaths.
Think about the world around you. If you could change one thing in society, what would it be?
Imagine this ideal world. Visualize it manifesting before you. Notice what you see and how you feel in as much detail as possible.
Is there anything that you can do to make this a reality? It can be anything, no matter how small. Think of some manageable steps you can take to get a little closer to what you’ve imagined.
Return your focus to your breathing to close out this practice.
If you have the time, jot down your thoughts and goals.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Check out Dacher’s most recent book, *Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life: *<https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt](https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt)

Find the full practice at our Greater Good in Action website:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/magic_wand

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How to Find Purpose in Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/yc4dd5ff

Living with Purpose Changes Everything: https://tinyurl.com/m28uvsjn

The Purpose Challenge: https://tinyurl.com/53zykj8a

How Strong is Your Sense of Purpose in Life? https://tinyurl.com/2r3yr3hr

Purpose in Life Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/mrxys77h

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of finding purpose. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

Encore: 24 Hours of Kindness Mar 30, 2023

Why should you be nice? Our guest explores how small, daily acts of kindness can produce meaningful life changes.

Episode summary:

When you’re kind to someone, the positive impact doesn’t stop with them. In fact, the effect of your kind action can ricochet back to you by improving your physical health and outlook on life. This week’s episode is all about how kindness has the power to strengthen our sense of self within a larger community. Our guest Aaron Harvey is an activist and UC Berkeley alumni who performed five random acts of kindness in one day. He found that practicing kindness allowed him to develop deeper relationships with those around him and shifted the way he views his role in society. Later, we hear from Oliver Scott Curry, the Research Director at Kindlab, to learn about why humans are evolutionarily designed to be kind and how practicing kindness can positively affect our physical and mental state of being.

How to Do This Practice:

Choose a day of the week to perform 5 random acts of kindness throughout that day.
These acts don’t have to be big or small or even for the same person. Just aim to perform a variety of acts of kindness. This could include helping a friend with a chore or providing a meal to a person in need.
After each act, write down what you did in at least one or two sentences and reflect on how it made you feel.

Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/random_acts_of_kindness

Today’s guests:

Aaron Harvey is a UC Berkeley Underground Scholar alumnus and activist. After facing the possibility of life in prison, Aaron successfully proved his innocence due to a lack of evidence.

Learn more about Berkeley Underground Scholars: https://undergroundscholars.berkeley.edu/

Oliver Scott Curry is the Research Director for Kindlab at kindness.org. He uses scientific research to better understand topics like kindness, human morality and cooperation.

Learn more about Oliver and his work: https://www.oliverscottcurry.com/

Learn more about Kindlab: https://kindness.org/kindlab

Follow Oliver on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Oliver_S_Curry

Follow Oliver on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/yc29nn62

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Random Acts of Kindness: https://tinyurl.com/jxafbdm4

How to Start a Kindness Revolution: https://tinyurl.com/3fr68t6v

Three Strategies for Bringing More Kindness into Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/22cx7w9f

How Kindness Fits Into a Happy Life: https://tinyurl.com/h8mspz37

How to Be a Kindness Role Model for Your Kids: https://tinyurl.com/3cjkp785

Where Does Kindness Come From? https://tinyurl.com/hkv94anp

Is There an Altruism Gene? https://tinyurl.com/5n8r7eh5

More Resources on Kindness

MasterClass - How to Be Kind to Yourself: 5 Ways to Practice Kindness: https://tinyurl.com/ycx7uysu

The New York Times - The Unexpected Power of Random Acts of Kindness: https://tinyurl.com/ycxxd7af

TED Talk - Mark Kelly: How one act of kindness a day can change your life: https://tinyurl.com/u2n3t3s

Have you ever tried practicing random acts of kindness? Ever been the recipient of one? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: Embodying Resilience, with Prentis Hemphill Mar 23, 2023

What if you could tap into your inherent resilience at any time? Prentis Hemphill guides a meditation to turn good memories into a state of resilience.

How to Do This Resilience Practice:

Find a position that is comfortable for you, whether that is sitting, laying down or even standing. Don’t feel pressured to remain still for this practice. If you feel like you need to move or make sounds to stay present, feel free to.

Think of something that brings you a sense of resilience.
While in this memory, what are you doing with your body? What does your body feel like?
Try to intensify those feelings. Notice how that feels in your body and in the experience of that memory.
Take yourself back to how the memory was at the beginning of this practice, at a lower intensity. Notice how you’re able to make that change.
Thinking about the day ahead or the day that you’ve had, ask yourself how much space do you want the day to take up in this moment?
Once you’re ready, move from that comfortable position. See if you can take this experience with you throughout your day.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Prentis Hemphill is the founder of the Embodiment Institute, and a writer and therapist who prioritizes the body in their approach to healing.

Learn More About the Embodiment Institute: https://www.theembodimentinstitute.org/about

Check out Prentis’ website: https://prentishemphill.com

Follow Prentis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/prentishemphill

Follow Prentis on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4d99f4xs

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How to Hardwire Resilience into Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/26mff6hf

Four Ways Social Support Makes You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/34ntce8u

Evidence Mounts that Mindfulness Breeds Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/2u6k6mkh

Mindfulness and Resilience to Stress at Work: https://tinyurl.com/yrujmwxs

Three Ways to Boost Your Resiliency as a Parent: https://tinyurl.com/w6f3w3ak

How Tuning into Your Body can Make You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/yv5yzper

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of this resilience meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

One Way to Make Work More Meaningful Mar 16, 2023

We all overestimate how much we know. Our guest tries a practice in slowing down to ask more questions, and finds it leads to higher quality connections.

Episode summary:

What happens when we pause and open up to ideas that we didn’t think of ourselves? This episode is about intellectual humility, the ability to surrender to the idea that we might not have all the information or may not be right. Our guest is Kelly Corrigan, a best-selling author and host of PBS talk show Tell Me More and podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Her teams look to her for direction, but she wanted to see what would happen if she paused more to ask them questions, and found it totally changed her approach to both her work and family life. We also explore science around the subtle ways we react differently to people we disagree with, and how intellectual humility can change that.

Try this practice: Cultivate Intellectual Humility

If you can, write out your answers.

When you encounter information or an opinion that contradicts your opinion or worldview, ask yourself questions like these:
Why do you disagree?
Are you making any assumptions? Might those assumptions be wrong?
How did you come to your opinion?
Think about the scenario from the perspective of a person who disagrees with you. Try to imagine how they came to believe what they believe:
What information might they be basing their opinion off of?
What values do you think they’re weighing in how they think about this topic?
Can you imagine how they came to hold those values?

3. Tap into your intellectual humility:

Identify places where, before, you didn’t acknowledge the limitations of what you know
Now that you’ve worked to see this issue from another person’s point of view, do you see more value in their perspective?

Today’s guests:

Kelly Corrigan is the author of five books. She’s also the host for PBS’s longform interview show, Tell Me More and Kelly Corrigan Wonders*.*

Check out Kelly’s website: https://www.kellycorrigan.com

Follow Kelly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/corrigankelly

Follow Kelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellycorrigan/

Mark Leary is a psychologist and emeritus professor at Duke University.

Learn more about Mark and his work: https://sites.duke.edu/leary/

Check out Mark’s research on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/p8ayz8dn

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

What Does Intellectual Humility Look Like? https://tinyurl.com/5n949h69

Five Reasons Intellectual Humility is Good for You: https://tinyurl.com/2ce3jrmc

Intellectual Humility Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/574k99fs

Three Reasons for Leaders to Cultivate Intellectual Humility: https://tinyurl.com/2s4ecda6

How to Know if You’re Actually Humble: https://tinyurl.com/y8js44v

More Resources on Intellectual Humility

Vox - Intellectual humility: The importance of knowing you might be wrong: https://tinyurl.com/2cryd336

Financial Times - Why Intellectual Humility Matters: https://tinyurl.com/5n84hsh7

Psych Central - How Humility Strengthens Your Relationship: https://tinyurl.com/2fj9a4wh

University of Notre Dame - To Make Better Decisions, Get More Comfortable Saying “I Don’t Know” https://tinyurl.com/3npysxh8

Tell us about your thoughts on intellectual humility. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

This episode was supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, as part of our project on "Expanding Awareness of the Science of Intellectual Humility." For more on the project, go to www.ggsc.berkeley.edu/IH.

Happiness Break: Pause to Look at the Sky, with Dacher Keltner Mar 09, 2023

Take a moment to appreciate the beauty and vastness of the sky. Dacher Keltner guides us through a practice of pausing to turn your gaze to the sky as a pathway to awe, creativity and wonder.

Practice:

Go someplace where you feel safe and also have a nice view of the sky.
First, focus on your breathing. Take a few slow inhales and even slower exhales. As you breathe in and out, relax your shoulders, your hands, and your face.
On the next breath in, look up at the sky. Notice how vast it is.
Breathing naturally, notice everything you can about the sky. What colors are present? Are there any clouds? Do you see any gradation of light?
Expand your gaze to get the fullest view and sense of the sky that you can. Spend a few moments taking it in.
On the final deep breaths in and out, reflect on how doing this practice has made you feel.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Check out Dacher’s most recent book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Why we Should Look up at the Sky (Podcast): https://tinyurl.com/fn3bttw6

Six Ways to Incorporate Awe into Your Daily Life: https://tinyurl.com/3j5hdtj7

How to Choose a Type of Mindfulness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/py6b729h

How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative: https://tinyurl.com/2fmpdpkj

Why is Nature so Good For Your Mental Health? https://tinyurl.com/23zavth3

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of looking up. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

Why We Need Friends with Shared Interests Mar 02, 2023

Episode summary:

Having strong relationships is vital to our well-being. We tend to be happier and healthier when we’re involved with community. Today’s guest is the world-famous scientist Temple Grandin. She was born with autism, which led her to be socially isolated from her peers. Join us on this episode of The Science of Happiness to hear about how Grandin credits her support networks for her success and making her into the person she is today. We’ll also look at the science behind the health repercussions of not having strong social networks.

Today’s guests:

Temple Grandin is a leading animal behaviorist, prominent author and speaker on autism and animal behaviors. Today, she teaches courses at Colorado State University. Her latest book is Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions.

Temple’s Website: https://www.templegrandin.com

Follow Temple on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drtemplegrandin?lang=en

Check out Temple’s Latest Book: https://tinyurl.com/3tftxpck

Tegan Cruwyis is a clinical psychologist at The National Australian University who studies social connection and how loneliness and chronic isolation are literally toxic.

Learn more about Cruwyis and her work: https://tinyurl.com/3etuvket

Follow Cruwyis on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/yc5ujhaj

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Four Ways Social Support Makes You More Resilient https://tinyurl.com/34ntce8u

What is Social Connection? https://tinyurl.com/nk8crbbz

Is Social Connection the Best Path to Happiness? https://tinyurl.com/4wxc66tn

Why are We so Wired to Connect? https://tinyurl.com/uttppd3p

More Resources for Improving Social Connections

Emotional Wellness Checklist https://tinyurl.com/4wxc66tn

How to Strengthen Social Relationships https://tinyurl.com/5fdv8ra9

The Science of Social Connection https://tinyurl.com/3tftxpck

Tell us about your experiences with building social connections. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: Being Present from Head to Toe, with Spring Washam Feb 23, 2023

Try this body-scan meditation to ground your mind in the present moment and in your body, guided by Spring Washam.

How to do this practice:

Find a comfortable seat where you can relax your body.
Beginning with the top of your head, relax any sense of tension, one body part at a time.
Slowly scan down to your face, neck, upper arms, hands, feeling their presence.
You might want to place your hands on your belly to feel your breath and let go.
End by placing your hand on your heart and offer your body some kindness.

Today’s Happiness Break Host:

Spring Washam has been a devoted Buddhist practitioner in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism for more than 25 years. She is a founding teacher of The East Bay Meditation Center and has spent more than a decade studying Shamanic indigenous healing practices. She is also the author of the forthcoming book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground.

Learn more about Spring and her book: https://www.springwasham.com/

Follow Spring on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/springwasham/

Check out Spring’s YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/22njyd29

More Resources from the Greater Good Science Center:

Six Minutes to Connect with Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/2337f85e

How a Body Scan Can Help with Strong Emotions: https://tinyurl.com/58wfsvnd

Krista Tippett on Being Grounded in Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/59pkp324

Turning Into Your Body Can Make You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/5av68v62

Your Anxiety Might Be Coming From Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/dwb9vvue

What Self-Compassion Feels Like in Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/2p9rdepk

Seven Ways to Have a Healthier Relationship with Stress: https://tinyurl.com/m6mbv2np

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of embodiment meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We’re living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That’s where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

Why We Need Reminders of Connectedness Feb 16, 2023

How can we feel more connected to our loved ones, even when they're not around? Our guest tries a practice shown to make us feel less lonely and more socially connected.

Episode summary:

Mónica Guzmán describes herself as a raging extrovert, but she still feels less connected to others than she’d like to. Working from home, she often finds herself alone, or worse — feeling alone because she’s still in work mode when her family is around. She tried a Reminders of Connectedness practice by making subtle changes to the interior of her home – like decorating with more family photos and rearranging the living room – and found that these seemingly small changes made a big difference in how she felt throughout her day. We also hear from clinical psychologist Tegan Cruwys about the powerful influence our sense of connectedness can have on our mental health.

Practice: Reminders of Connectedness

Look around your home, office, or classroom and notice what things around you remind you of being connected to others – words, photographs, memorabilia.
As you move through your day, keep an eye out for things that evoke a feeling of connection. See where you can use them to add more reminders of connection to your space by adding them in or replacing existing objects.
Finally, consider how the furniture is arranged. Are chairs facing toward or away from each other? Find any changes you can make to common spaces so that they’re more conducive to spontaneous interactions.

Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/reminders_of_connectedness

Today’s guests:

Mónica Guzmán is Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels, a nonprofit working to depolarize America, founder and CEO of Reclaim Curiosity, an organization working to build a more curious world. She’s also the author of I Never Thought Of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times.

You can check out the book here: https://boook.link/I-Never-Thought-of-It-That-Way

Visit Mónica’s website:https://www.moniguzman.com/

Follow Mónica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniguzman/?hl=en

Follow Mónica on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/3k4pn4c4

Follow Mónica on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moniguzman

Tegan Cruwys is a professor and clinical psychologist at Australian National University.

Learn more about Tegan and her work: https://tinyurl.com/ykepk5r4

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

11 Things to Do When You Feel Lonely: https://tinyurl.com/b8m86fhy

What the Longest Happiness Study Reveals About Finding Fulfillment: https://tinyurl.com/2s3b59fn

What Psychedelics Can Teach Us About Human Connection: https://tinyurl.com/5buyydw7

Skills You Need for Happier Relationships with Family: https://tinyurl.com/weeusepn

More Resources

The Atlantic - What Makes Us Happy: https://tinyurl.com/2nxpbhsd

NYT - I Love You But I Don’t Want To Sleep With You: https://tinyurl.com/tjnxbdtt

Scientific American - Why We Are Wired To Connect: https://tinyurl.com/59u4ffua

Tell us about your experiences of connectedness. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: A Meditation for When Others are Suffering, with Anushka Fernandopulle Feb 09, 2023

Seeing others suffering is painful. Learn to practice both compassion and self-soothing in this guided meditation led by Anushka Fernandopulle.

How to Do This Practice:

Find somewhere peaceful, sit down and get comfortable. Once you’re ready, gently close your eyes.
Start taking deep breaths and relax your body. Part by part, release tension in different areas of your body.
Think of someone or a group of people you know or have heard of who may be having a hard time. Bring to mind an image of them.
Connect with whatever it is they are struggling with. Mentally, make some wishes of compassion for them. For example, “May you be free from pain.” Or, “I am here with you.”
You can also use this practice to focus on your own pain. To do this, call to mind your struggles and give yourself the same compassion you gave others.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Anushka Fernandopulle is a meditation teacher who trained in Buddhist meditation for over 30 years. After studying Buddhism at Harvard, she spent four years in full-time meditation training in the U.S., India, and Sri Lanka

Check out Anushka’s upcoming meditation retreats https://www.anushkaf.org

Follow Anushka on Instagram https://tinyurl.com/ytn3vvhz

Follow Anushka on Twitter https://tinyurl.com/485vj8xn

Check out Anushka’s Dharma Talks https://tinyurl.com/ydacvamn

Find another version of the Compassion Meditation practice at our Greater Good in Action website:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/compassion_meditation

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

What is compassion? https://tinyurl.com/2s3ztcpt

Take Our Self-Compassion Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/yysrf663

Try Dr. Neff’s Fierce Self-Compassion Break: https://tinyurl.com/yk9yzh9u

How to Bring Self-Compassion to Work with You: https://tinyurl.com/45zkrkam

The Five Myths of Self-Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/2p88vass

Read Dr. Neff’s interview about Self-Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/286njtje

How Self-Compassion Can Help You Through a Breakup: https://tinyurl.com/222scejz

Can Self-Compassion Overcome Procrastination? https://tinyurl.com/mrfmvyj

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of compassion meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

How Music Evokes Awe Feb 02, 2023

Why do some songs send chills down your spine or give you goosebumps? We explore the science of how music induces awe — and how that affects our well-being.

Episode summary:

In the last episode of our awe series, Dacher explores the mysteries of how music inspires awe and can transport us to another space and time with sound alchemist Laura Inserra. Later, we hear from the scientist who showed how awe-inspiring songs change the way we think and feel.

This is the last episode in our special series The Science of Awe. Check out the last four releases in our feed for Happiness Breaks that will help guide you to experience more awe in your life, and episodes of The Science of Happiness about the other profound ways that awe affects — and more places to find it.

Our host, Dacher Keltner, has a new book out about awe. It’s called Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/3uzk8m5r

Today’s guests:

Laura Inserra is an instrumentalist, composer, producer, and a teacher who works with music to help people tap into a sense of awe.

Follow Laura on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura_inserra/

Follow Laura on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/laurainserra

Check out Laura’s website: https://www.laurainserra.com

Qihao Ji is an assistant professor of Communication at Marist College

Learn more about Ji and his work: https://www.marist.edu/communication-arts/faculty/qihao-ji

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How Music Bonds us Together: https://tinyurl.com/5x5xxnmz

Where Music and Empathy Converge in the Brain https://tinyurl.com/84sep62v

How Many Emotions Can Music Make You Feel: https://tinyurl.com/8pxud5bt

More Resources About Awe and Music

Bluefield Daily Telegraph - Music: A sense of Awe and Admiration: https://tinyurl.com/5eyc4ehw

NYT - How a Bit of Awe Can Improve Your Health: https://tinyurl.com/4zdzcusk

Yamaha Music - The Science of Awe (And Why It Matters): https://tinyurl.com/4njv9mpb

Tell us about your experiences with music awe. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: Feeling the Awe of Nature from Anywhere, with Dacher Keltner Jan 26, 2023

Host Dacher Keltner leads us through an exercise in feeling the serenity and wonder that nature brings us, no matter where we are.

How to Do This Practice:

Find a spot where you can sit and rest comfortably. Once you’re ready, close your eyes.
Begin breathing slowly and deeply. Focus on your breath and unclench your muscles from head to toe.
Think of a place in nature that is sacred or significant to you. What do you hear? What do you see? Try to create as clear of an image as you can in your mind.
Notice what feelings arise as you think of this place; what feelings do you associate with it?
Contemplate how this place has become a part of who you are; how it lives in your mind and how you can conjure up the feeling of it within yourself.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

His new book is Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Secrets of the Vagus Nerve: https://tinyurl.com/yzuxtuzp

Why We Should Look Up at the Sky (Podcast): https://tinyurl.com/fn3bttw6

What’s the Most Common Sense of Awe? https://tinyurl.com/2p842t8r

Happiness Break: How to Ground Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/289ph9cz

Happiness Break: Experience Nature Wherever You Are: https://tinyurl.com/yv46xrr4

Why You Should Snap Pictures of Nature: https://tinyurl.com/5fp7bhk6

Could Your Life Be More Awesome? Take our Awe Quiz https://tinyurl.com/2p8mz57f

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of awe in nature. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

Why We Should Look Up at the Sky Jan 19, 2023

When did you last take a moment to really look up at the sky? Shifting our gaze upward is linked to more creativity, capacity to focus—and it's a gateway to awe.

Episode summary:

Natalie didn’t spend much time finding shapes in the clouds as a small kid. And when she got older, looking up was even worse for her. Natalie spent time in jail, where she spent most of her days indoors under harsh lights. Today, she’s a student at a prestigious university. She tried a practice in looking up for our show. When we look up, our brain gets better at being playful, creative, and thinking critically. We also tend to see vast and beautiful things above our heads, like a canopy of leaves, branches and singing birds, or a starry night sky. Often, looking up is all we need to do to find moments of awe in our day-to-day lives. And that’s a wonderful thing, because feeling awe changes how our brains work in a way that’s really good for us.

This is the second episode of The Science of Happiness in a three-part series called The Science of Awe. If you’d like to learn more about awe, our host, Dacher Keltner, has a new book out about it. It’s called Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. Learn more here: <https://tinyurl.com/3uzk8m5r \](https://tinyurl.com/3uzk8m5r)

Practice: Look Up

Over the course of a week or so, make it a point to look up in several different locations and at different times of the day and night. Be sure everywhere you choose is a safe place to do so, and of course, never look into the sun.
Each time before you look up, take a moment first to notice how you feel, and then take a few deep, intentional breaths to help you get grounded into the present moment.
Look up and let your eyes wander, noticing what inspires awe. If nothing does, that’s ok! This practice might help you cultivate awe more often, but it’s best to go into it each time with no expectations. Spend at least a few minutes looking up if it’s comfortable to do so, or as long as you like.
When you’re done, take another moment to notice how you feel now.

Today’s guests:

Natalie is a student at UC Berkeley and also works with the UC Berkeley's Underground Scholars Program, which creates pathways for formerly incarcerated people to study at universities. We're not sharing Natalie's last name to protect her privacy.

Michiel van Elk is a professor at Leiden University in The Netherlands.

Learn more about van Elk and his work: https://tinyurl.com/4kc5tycc

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative: https://tinyurl.com/yepuxd27

Six Ways to Incorporate Awe Into Your Daily Life: https://tinyurl.com/3emucdez

How the Science of Awe Shaped Pixar’s “Soul:” https://tinyurl.com/37z43vrz

How a Sense of Awe Can Inspire Us to Confront Threats to Humanity: https://tinyurl.com/3k6xprau

More Resources About Awe

KQED - Dacher Keltner on Finding Awe: https://tinyurl.com/575v6rvf

The Atlantic - The Quiet Profundity of Everyday Awe: https://tinyurl.com/yz623mff

NYT - How a Bit of Awe Can Improve Your Health: https://tinyurl.com/4zdzcusk

Sierra Club - The Science of Awe: https://tinyurl.com/3pfn23t7

Tell us about your experiences of awe. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: Awe for Others, with Dacher Keltner Jan 12, 2023

The communities we create are one of the most awe-inspiring parts of our lives. Host Dacher Keltner guides us in a meditation on awe and togetherness in this week’s Happiness Break.

How to Do This Practice:

Find a comfortable, safe, place where you can close your eyes and relax. Notice your breathing and begin to take deep, intentional breaths.
Think about a community you are a part of – work, recreation, spiritual, any group you’re a part of. Cultivate a sense in your mind of being with that community.
Reflect for a few minutes on the faces of the people in this community; bring them into your mind’s eye and notice the details of their eyes, smiles, perhaps even their tones of voice or the sounds of their laughter.
Think about this remarkable quality of communities: That all of these separate individuals create one hole.
Think about how each person contributes to this community to create that whole.
Contemplate how everyone in this community is connected, and how they’re mutually influencing each other.
Think about what value unites all these people share, what they have in common.
Imagine yourself within this network of connected individuals. Cultivate a sense of what connects you with them, think of them as threads of mutual influence. It doesn’t all have to be good; tension is a part of being a community, too.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He's also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

His new book is Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Why Do We Feel Awe? https://tinyurl.com/3xms3dm2

How Awe Brings People Together: https://tinyurl.com/2p8m2tyk

Eight Reasons Why Awe Makes Your Life Better: https://tinyurl.com/2p8ccav2

Six Ways to Incorporate Awe Into Your Daily Life: https://tinyurl.com/3emucdez

How Music Bonds Us Together: https://tinyurl.com/329scmf6

Can a Sense of Awe Improve Our Arguments? https://tinyurl.com/pb2eh8c6

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience contemplating your communities. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

How Awe Brings Us Together Jan 05, 2023

Feeling awe changes your brain. In our first episode in a series about the science awe, we explore how awe can make you a better friend, partner, and community member.

Episode summary:

When Mirna Valerio tried out hiking for the first time as a young kid, she discovered something she didn’t expect: Being outdoors seemed to bring strangers closer to one another. It was like it somehow fastracked forming meaningful relationships. Today we know that the feeling of awe nature often inspires has something to do with this. Awe is the feeling you get when in the presence of something vast and incomprehensible. When we feel it, our sense of self shrinks – in a good way – and we get better at connecting with others. Today on The Science of Happiness, we explore what it’s like when awe helps us create communities, and the science behind how it works.

This episode is part of special series we’re doing on Awe. In the weeks ahead, we’ll share Happiness Breaks to help you contemplate what’s awe-inspiring in your life and explore more dimensions of awe in the stories and science we share on this podcast.

Our host, Dacher Keltner, has a new book out about awe. It’s called Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/3uzk8m5r

Practice: Awe Narrative

Think back to a time when you felt a sense of awe; when you were around something vast and incomprehensible. It could be something physically vast, like a mountain range or beautiful valley, or psychological, like a brilliant idea or inspiring person.
Describe the experience in writing in as much detail as possible. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar, just get down as much about the experience as you can.

Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/awe_narrative

Today’s guests:

Mirna Valerio is an ultra-marathon athlete and author known for her body-positive presence on social media.

Follow Mirna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themirnavator/?hl=en

Follow Mirna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMirnavator

Follow Mirna on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMirnavator/

Yang Bai is a professor at Peking University in China.

Learn more about Bai and her work: https://en.gsm.pku.edu.cn/faculty/ybai/

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Six Ways to Incorporate Awe Into Your Daily Life: https://tinyurl.com/3emucdez

How the Science of Awe Shaped Pixar’s “Soul:” https://tinyurl.com/37z43vrz

How a Sense of Awe Can Inspire Us to Confront Threats to Humanity: https://tinyurl.com/3k6xprau

More Resources About Awe

The Atlantic - The Quiet Profundity of Everyday Awe: https://tinyurl.com/yz623mff

NYT - How a Bit of Awe Can Improve Your Health: https://tinyurl.com/4zdzcusk

Sierra Club - The Science of Awe: https://tinyurl.com/3pfn23t7

Tell us about your experiences of awe. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: An Affirmation Practice for the New Year, with Chris Murchison Dec 29, 2022

This New Year, affirm the wonderful qualities you already possess with this meditative writing practice called "I Am."

How to Do This Practice:

Take a moment to sit still and take a few deep breaths, and notice how you’re feeling right now.
Open your eyes, and on a sheet of paper, write “I am ____,” and then fill in that blank.
Set a timer for 1 minute, and repeat step 2 until the time is up.
Take a moment to observe what you’ve written. Where did you begin? Where did you end? What can you glean about how you’re showing up today, from what you’ve written? Look for patterns.
Take a few more mindful breaths. Consider how what you’ve just written might influence what you’ve just written and the rest of your day.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Chris Murchison is an artist and meditation teacher.

Check out Chris’s website: https://chrismurchison.com/

Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrismarcellmurchison/

Follow Chris on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.m.murchison

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How to Be a Remarkable Boss During Lockdown (by Chris Murchison): https://tinyurl.com/yypps3aw

Can Self-Awareness Help You Be More Empathic? https://tinyurl.com/eefds36s

Do You Have a True Self? https://tinyurl.com/3xasurwp

Ten Habits of Highly Creative People https://tinyurl.com/yt83udz6

Make Self-Compassion One of Your New Year’s Resolutions https://tinyurl.com/ymn6m5pp

The Dark Side of Self-Help: https://tinyurl.com/4jajdfum

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experiences with self-insight or self-affirmations. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

How to Make Life More Meaningful Dec 22, 2022

Chris Sharma is one of the greatest rock climbers of all time, and he's taking on some of the biggest challenges in life: becoming a parent and starting his own business. Chris tries a practice shown to help us craft our own path and purpose in life.

Episode summary:

Chris Sharma spent his youth traveling the globe and becoming one of the greatest rock climbers of all time. His passion for climbing has filled his life with purpose, but now in middle age, he wants to also focus on other sources of meaning in life that are just as important to him. Chris joins us after trying a practice in life crafting — where you get clear on your values, imagine what your ideal life would look like, and make a plan to get closer to that vision. Later in the show, we hear from Michael Steger, a psychologist and director of the Center for Meaning and Purpose at Colorado State University, about the surprising places in our lives we can find meaning, and the different roads we can take towards living a more meaningful life.

Try the Life Crafting Practice:

Identify your deepest values and passions — what’s most important to you.
Reflect on your ideal future: Write a paragraph envisioning how you’d like your social life or your career path to turn out if you had no constraints.
Write down how you’ll attain those goals. Prioritize them, and write “if, then” plans for how you’ll overcome obstacles you’re likely to encounter.
Make a public commitment. Tell your community about your goals.

Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/life_crafting

Today’s guests:

Chris Sharma is an elite rock climber known for traveling the world to find the most beautiful and challenging places to rock climb.

His new show The Climb premieres on HBO on January 12. Check out the trailer here: https://tinyurl.com/suz35w8y

Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris_sharma/

Check out his website: http://www.chrissharma.com/

Michael Steger is a professor of psychology at Colorado State University, where he is the director of the Center for Meaning and Purpose.

Learn more about Steger’s work: http://www.michaelfsteger.com/

Follow Steger on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/yc79d6mb

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Michael Steger: Why We Search for Meaning: https://tinyurl.com/2s469242

Here’s How to Find Meaning in Your Midlife Crisis: https://tinyurl.com/4kpcnr9c

What Our Photos Say About Us (Podcast): https://tinyurl.com/y56wvj42

Purpose in Life Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/yz4ztenp

Living with a Purpose Changes Everything: https://tinyurl.com/d3ea7afa

More On Meaning and Purpose:

The Atlantic - The Meaning of Life Is Surprisingly Simple: https://tinyurl.com/2yfucadj

Pew - Where Americans Find Meaning in Life: https://tinyurl.com/nek5j6tk

Scientific American - To Feel Meaningful Is To Feel Immortal: https://tinyurl.com/yuhe99m9

NPR - What's Your Purpose? https://tinyurl.com/465aknec

Harvard Business Review: What Is the Purpose of Your Purpose? https://tinyurl.com/43pjrc6j

Tell us about how you find meaning in your life. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: Finding Presence Through Your Senses, with Dacher Keltner Dec 15, 2022

Sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste: all of our five senses provide unique pathways to presence and happiness. We spend a few minutes being mindful of each one.

How to Do This Practice:

Find a comfortable place where you feel safe. Close your eyes or soften your gaze. Take a few deep breths, noticing the sensation of the air as it moves through your nose, into your lungs, and back out again.

Sound: For a few breaths, pay attention to the sounds around you. Notice where they are in space.
Touch: Put one hand on top of the other. Notice the sensations you feel in your hand as your fingers’ knuckles touch the other, like temperature and texture.. Shift your attention to your cheeks, noticing temperature and the feel of the air.
Taste: Now, pay attention to the taste you are experiencing on your tongue. There may be no taste or the taste of saliva.
Smell: Move your focus to the smell around you as you take a breath. See how many odors you can identify.
**Sight: Finally, focus your gaze on a point eight inches in front of you for a few seconds and see what colors, forms, light, and shadow you notice there.
Take a few more deep breaths here and notice if any of your senses feel heightened.

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Listen to our Happiness Break on body scan meditation: https://tinyurl.com/bd6x8ba5
How to Focus Under Pressure (podcast) https://tinyurl.com/mxpd6mtd
Coming to Our Senses: https://tinyurl.com/3d4jkprr
Hands-On Research: The Science of Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y79vpbre
10 Steps to Savoring the Good Things in Life: https://tinyurl.com/2zwb5y8v

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience with the five senses meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

The Science of Synchronized Movement Dec 08, 2022

Moving in sync with someone else — even a total stranger — can change how you feel about them, and how you act, without you realizing it.

Episode summary:

When was the last time you moved in sync with someone else? Dancing, exercising, even just walking in step — for some, it comes easily, for others, it’s a challenge. But can moving to the same beat make all of us kinder to one another? This week, our guest Chris Duffy steps out of his comfort zone to try a practice in Body Music, rhythmically making sounds just by tapping your body, with body percussionist Keith Terry. Later, we learn how tapping in sync with someone else tricks you into thinking you have more in common with them, and can make you more inclined to help them.

Practice:

To start, stand up. Clap your hands together in front of your chest, then tap your left palm to your right chest, then right hand to your left chest. Repeat at a steady cadence.
Next, cap your hands together in front of your chest, then tap your left hand to your right chest, then right hand to your left chest, the right hand to top of your right thigh, then left hand to left thigh. Repeat at a steady cadence.
You can add on by tapping your right hand to your right buttocks and left hand to left buttocks after you finish tapping both thighs in step 2. Repeat (including all of step 2) at a steady cadence.
To add even more complexity, stomp each foot one at a time after completing all of step 3. Repeat at a steady cadence.

Check out a video of body percussionist Keith Terry performing this practice (and try it with a friend!):

https://tinyurl.com/mwffv447

Today’s guests:

Chris Duffy is a comedian, writer, and host of the TED podcast How to Be A Better Human.

Listen to Chris’s podcast, How to Be a Better Human: https://tinyurl.com/bdey9pm5

Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisiduffy/

Follow Chris on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christopheriduffy

Check out Chris’s comedy: https://chrisduffycomedy.com/videos

Keith Terry is a body percussionist and creator of the Body Music practice Chris tried today.

Learn more about Keith’s work: https://crosspulse.com/keith-terry/

Check out one of Keith’s original compositions: https://tinyurl.com/ybhweyux

Piercarlo Valdesolo is a psychologist and Chair of Psychological Science at Claremont McKenna College in California.

Learn more about Piercarolo’s work: http://www.valdesolo.com/

Check out the Moral Emotions and Trust Lab: http://www.valdesolo.com/meat-lab

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How Music Bonds Us Together https://tinyurl.com/329scmf6

To Resolve Conflicts, Get Up and Move https://tinyurl.com/bdf6zswn

Five Ways Music Can Make You a Better Person https://tinyurl.com/mwa22r8m

How to Train the Compassionate Brain https://tinyurl.com/32nbuh94

More Resources on Synchronized Movement

PRX - Body Music with Keith Terry https://tinyurl.com/2p8tz5j3

Scientific American - Moving in Sync Creates Surprising Social Bonds among People https://tinyurl.com/3y3ahfa3

Oxford University - Let’s dance: synchronised movement helps us tolerate pain and foster friendship https://tinyurl.com/c8tvrmdx

Science Daily - Social Synchronicity https://tinyurl.com/4mzvahe

Tell us about your experiences and struggles with body music or moving in sync. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: Tune Into Your Body, with Radha Agrawal Dec 01, 2022

Happiness isn't only in your head — your body is important, too. This week, Radha Agrawal leads us in a short Japanese calisthenics practice called Radio Taiso.

Check out Radha Agrawal’s video guide to this practice: https://dose.daybreaker.com/videos/microdose-oxytocin-healthy-spine

Today’s Happiness Break guide:

Radha Agrawal is Japanese-Indian author and a founder of Daybreaker, a company that throws sober dance parties at sunrise all around the world.
Learn more about Daybreaker: https://www.daybreaker.com/

The Science of Happiness listeners get 100% off their first month of Daybreaker’s Dose, using code GGSC at check out: http://dose.daybreaker.com?code=ggsc

Follow Radha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/love.radha/

Follow Radha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/radhatwin

Learn more about Radha and her book, Belong: https://belongbook.com/

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Moving Your Body Is Like a Tune-Up for Your Mind: https://tinyurl.com/2f64na8b
Five Surprising Ways Exercise Changes Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/4pbx3rua
How Tuning In to Your Body Can Make You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/328scfjj
Four Ways Dancing Makes You Happier: https://tinyurl.com/yxp6mxdw

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of trying radio calisthenics. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

How to Practice Gratitude When You're Not Feeling Thankful Nov 24, 2022

One way to feel more thankful for things is to imagine life without them. Our guest tries a practice for seeing the bright side, even when you feel down.

Episode summary:

We know that gratitude is good for us. But what can we do when we’re struggling to actually feel thankful? Our guest this week is author and podcast producer Stephanie Foo. Foo built a network of close friends around her in California, where she grew up. As a survivor of child abuse and Complex PTSD, her friends in California became her chosen family. And since she’s moved to New York City, she finds herself often pining for the Golden State and the people she loves there. This week, Foo tries a practice in mental subtraction, which gratitude researcher Ernst Bohlmeijer describes as an antidote to taking things for granted. Imagining her life if she didn’t live in New York helps Foo tap into gratitude even in the depths of winter – when she misses California the most. She even discovers her particular skill in getting the benefits of this practice by leaning into one of her PTSD symptoms. Later in the show, Ernst Bohlmeijer breaks down how keeping a gratitude practice can alter the emotions you’re likely to experience in a given day, and maybe even change you as a person.

Practice:

Take a moment to think about a positive event in your life. It could be a career or educational achievement or a special trip you took.
Imagine yourself back in the time of this event. Think about the circumstances that made it possible. Ponder on the ways in which this event may never have happened and write them down. For example, if you hadn’t learned about a certain job opening at the right moment.
Imagine what your life would be like now if you had not experienced this positive event and all the fruits that came from it.
Remind yourself that this positive event did happen and reflect upon the benefits it has brought you. Allow yourself to feel grateful that things happened as they did.

Find the full Mental Subtraction of Positive Events practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/mental_subtraction_positive_events

Today’s guests:

Stephanie Foo is a radio producer and author of the book What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma.

Learn more about Stephanie and her book: https://www.stephaniefoo.me/

Follow Stephanie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/imontheradio

Follow Stephanie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foofoofoo/

Follow Stephanie on Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/yx6pwdnf

Ernst Bohlmeijer is a psychology professor who studies gratitude at the University of Twente in The Netherlands.

Learn more about Ernst and his work: https://tinyurl.com/2p92p6vn

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Four Great Gratitude Strategies: https://tinyurl.com/2p9buvkd
Tips for Keeping a Gratitude Journal: https://tinyurl.com/3jdbe52u
How to Increase the Love in Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/3k4ayj4n
Why Cynicism Can Hold You Back: https://tinyurl.com/bd4ussjt

More Resources for Mental Subtraction of Positive Events:

New York Times - Five Ways to Exercise Your Thankfulness Muscles: https://tinyurl.com/t29ukucc
NPR - A.J. Jacobs: How Can We Thank Those We Take for Granted?: https://tinyurl.com/56x48u99
TED - Your 5-day gratitude challenge: 5 exercises to increase your gratefulness: https://tinyurl.com/mt8j3x65

Tell us your thoughts about this episode. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: 5 Minutes of Gratitude, with Dacher Keltner Nov 17, 2022

Not sure how to start practicing gratitude? Psychologist Dacher Keltner guides you through a practice that can help you see the good things in your life that you might otherwise overlook.

How to Do This Practice:

Sit or lay down somewhere comfortable. You may close your eyes if you wish, and take a slow, deep breath in to ground into the present moment. Then, scan your body from head to toe, noticing how you’re feeling in this moment. Let worries and plans clear from your mind.
Start by thinking about all the things that make your life comfortable: Clean water on tap, light at the flip of a switch, a roof over your head to protect you from the weather, warmth, and comfort when it gets windy, rainy, or cold.
Let your mind wander to all the millions of people who have worked hard to make your life more comfortable: Those who plant and harvest the food you eat, who bring it to markets, people who ensure the water we drink is clean, delivery drivers, teachers, all the people who create art and music and books and films and all the things that can bring us so much meaning, and so on.
Think about the acquaintances who bring richness to your life, like a colleague, neighbor, or someone you often see at the gym or a coffee shop.
Take a moment to think about what you’re really grateful for today, right now.
Notice how you’re feeling now, compared to when you started, and then start to bring movement back to your body, wiggling fingers and toes, maybe slowly standing up.
If you have the time, spend a few minutes journaling about what you thought about.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Dacher Keltner is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and is a co-instructor of the Greater Good Science Center’s popular online course of the same name. He's also a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

This practice was created by Dr. Kathy Kemper, who's the director of the Center for Integrative Health and Wellness at the Ohio State University. Learn more about some of her work here: https://mind-bodyhealth.osu.edu/

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Try GGSC’s online Gratitude Journal, Thnx4: https://tinyurl.com/2s4e4bx6

Take our Gratitude Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/yhbz6cwv

Four Great Gratitude Strategies: https://tinyurl.com/2muyff64

Is Gratitude Good for You?: https://tinyurl.com/ycknm2ru

Three Surprising Ways Gratitude Works at Work: https://tinyurl.com/yc2c8y4n

How Gratitude Motivates Us to Become Better People: https://tinyurl.com/5n6ejpdy

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience with practicing gratitude. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

The Emerging Science of ASMR (Encore) Nov 10, 2022

There are millions of YouTube videos with people crinkling bubble wrap or whispering about folding laundry. Our guest talks about why autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) makes her, and many others, feel more calm and happy.

Episode summary:

Melinda still remembers the tingling feeling she felt when she first listened to the close-up sound of someone drawing on a TV show at the age of ten. She learned later that the subtle sounds that create soothing sensations for her are called autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR. Now, she creates ASMR experiences on her YouTube channel and through her live production company, Whisperlodge — from delicately handling a plastic package to gently stroking a microphone with a makeup brush. In today's show, Melinda demystifies the world of ASMR and how it brings both calm and delight to her and her participants. Later, we hear about the emerging science behind ASMR from Dr. Giulia Poerio, who studies it in her lab at the University of Essex. As it turns out, those tingles might actually benefit our mental health.

Today’s Science of Happiness Guests:

Melinda Lauw, is the co-creator of Whisperlodge, an immersive ASMR theater experience.

Check out some ASMR videos from Whisperlodge's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Whisperlodge

Learn more about Whisperlodge: https://whisperlodge.nyc/

Follow Melinda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melinda.lauw/

Follow Melinda on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melindalauw

Giulia Poerio is a psychology professor at the University of Essex who studies the effects of ASMR on the mind and body.

Learn more about her work: https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/poeri14804/giulia-poerio

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Listen to our Happiness Break on silence: https://tinyurl.com/2hny7pcd
Just One Thing: Pay Attention!: https://tinyurl.com/cm2xb86j
What Music Looks Like in the Brain: https://tinyurl.com/2k9t3sjz
Does Your Voice Reveal More Emotion Than Your Face?: https://tinyurl.com/ympr4brk

More Resources for ASMR:

TED - The brain science (and benefits) of ASMR: https://tinyurl.com/y8a89xv3
Vox - ASMR, explained: why millions of people are watching YouTube videos of someone whispering: https://tinyurl.com/4j4kn7dh
New York Times - How A.S.M.R. Became a Sensation: https://tinyurl.com/2jke45k5
NPR - Some People Get 'Brain Tingles' From These Slime Videos. What's Behind The Feeling?: https://tinyurl.com/2p8p4u7d
National Geographic - ASMR or not? Unpicking the science behind a sensory phenomenon: https://tinyurl.com/yvnvuzk5

Tell us your thoughts about ASMR. Do you get tingly sensations? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: Making Space for You, with Alex Elle Nov 03, 2022

Consider what you want to make space for in your life in this 6-minute contemplation guided by Alex Elle.

How to Do This Practice:

Take a few deep breaths. File up your belly on each inhale. Drop your shoulder and soften your body on each exhale.
Say these eight phrases to yourself, or your own variation of it. Consider which resonates with you the most:

a. “In the presence of fear, I will make space for courage.”

b. “In the presence of self-doubt, I will make space for self-belief.”

c. “In the presence of hurriedness, I will make space for slowing down.”

d. “In the presence of overwhelm, I will make space for rest.”

e. “In the presence of overthinking, I will make space for letting go.”

f. “In the presence of chaos, I will make space for inner peace.”

g. “In the presence of confusion, I will make space for clarity.”

h. “In the presence of pain, I will make space for self-compassion.”

Bring your attention to the line from this meditation that resonates with you the most. Think about all the ways you wish to make space so you can bloom into the best version of yourself.
Write it down, perhaps on a sticky note, and keep it somewhere you can see it.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Alex Elle is a breathwork coach, author and restorative writing teacher. Her new book, How We Heal, will be published this November. Keep an eye on our Instagram page, @greatergoodmag for a chance to win a copy.

Learn more about Alex and her new book: https://www.alexelle.com/about

Follow Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex/

Follow Alex on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@easewithalexl

Follow Alex on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex__elle

Follow Alex on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexElleFB

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Listen to another Happiness Break podcast hosted by Alex: A Note to Self on Forgiveness
Being Kinder to Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/yxu64duk
Can Self-Awareness Help You Be More Empathic?: https://tinyurl.com/bjue72bn
How to Bring Self-Compassion to Work with You: https://tinyurl.com/2xn4f3pk
Can Self-Compassion Overcome Procrastination?: https://tinyurl.com/ytvxmp5d
Does Self-Compassion Make You Selfish?: https://tinyurl.com/528h6h6x

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of making space for yourself. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day

Happiness Break: Restore Through Silence, with Tricia Hersey Oct 20, 2022

When was the last time you spent a moment savoring silence? Tricia Hersey, aka The Nap Bishop, guides us through an appreciation of silence and its restorative powers.

Scientists have found that spending just two minutes in silence can lower your blood pressure and heart rate, even when compared to listening to slow, relaxing music.

How to Do This Practice:

Find a quiet place to rest. Set a two-minute timer and put it aside.
Close your eyes and soften your face. Allow yourself to listen to the silence and rest your body.
At the end of the two minutes, slowly open your eyes and notice how you feel in your body. Or, continue resting in silence for as long as you need.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Tricia Hersey is an activist, organizer, and founder of The Nap Ministry. She is also the author of a new book, Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto. Order it here: https://tinyurl.com/5bkk6txk

Learn more about Tricia and her work: https://thenapministry.com/

Follow Tricia on Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/\](http:// https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/)

Follow Tricia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thenapministry/

Follow Tricia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thenapministry

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How to Avoid Burnout—or a Breakdown: https://tinyurl.com/5h4nrahy
What Is Black Fatigue, and How Can We Protect Employees from It?: https://tinyurl.com/yzcujre7
Quiet Justice: https://tinyurl.com/yc78fknk

More resources on the science of silence:

TIME - How Listening to Silence Changes Our Brains: https://tinyurl.com/4brpst8b
Healthline - 8 Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Silence, Plus How to Get More of It: https://tinyurl.com/5d84mxen
New Scientist - The power of quiet: The mental and physical health benefits of silence: https://tinyurl.com/2wn82wkr
PsychCentral - The Hidden Benefits of Silence: https://tinyurl.com/2p9fkc36

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of holding silence. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

How to Focus Under Pressure Oct 13, 2022

Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider tries a body scan meditation to sharpen her focus and calm her nerves as she prepares for the Tournament of Champions.

Episode summary:

Amy Schneider is the most successful woman to ever compete on Jeopardy!. Part of her winning strategy was to shut down all her mental chatter and completely focus on the competition. But when the cameras are off, she struggles to find the same calm. For today’s show, Amy tries a body scan practice to connect with her body and quiet her busy mind. Later we hear from Jonathan Greenberg, a Harvard psychology professor. He explains how mindfulness can make us better problem solvers, and how that can benefit our emotional health, too.

How to Do This Practice:

Find a quiet place where you feel safe and comfortable. You can be standing, sitting, or lying down.
Close your eyes, and take a few deep, long breaths.
Move your attention through your body slowly, part by part, starting with your feet. Focus on your feet, then your calves, knees, and so on, until you get to the top of your head. Without judgment, notice what sensations you can identify in each part of the body.
When your mind wanders, gently and with self-kindness, guide your attention back to the part of the body you’re focusing on in the present moment.

Find the full Body Scan Meditation practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/body_scan_meditation

Today’s guests:

Amy Schneider is the most successful woman to compete on the quiz show Jeopardy! and won 40 consecutive games.

Follow Amy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jeopardamy

Follow Amy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeopardamy/

Follow Amy on Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/5b4dyezy

Jonathan Greenberg is a psychology professor in Harvard University’s Clinical and Translational Science Center. His research focuses on the role of mindfulness and relaxation.

Learn more about Jonathan’s research: https://tinyurl.com/yn7j73au

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Try a body scan meditation guided by host Dacher Keltner, on Happiness Break: https://tinyurl.com/bd6x8ba5
Where to Find Wisdom in the Body: https://tinyurl.com/yctxtkzt
Compassionate Mind, Healthy Body: https://tinyurl.com/5n79ary9
Moving Your Body Is Like a Tune-Up for Your Mind: https://tinyurl.com/2f64na8b
Your Anxiety Might Be Coming From Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/4j9ynwr9

More resources on body scan meditation:

NPR - A Crash Course in Body Scan Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/mu24fx7p
Harvard Health - You can practice mindfulness in as little as 15 minutes a day: https://tinyurl.com/4aex7738
10% Happier - Change Your Posture, Change Your Mood: https://tinyurl.com/4crydjs6
Time - This Quick Meditation Helps You Let Go of Stress and Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/4mzpu2zr

Tell us about how you feel after trying the body-scan meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Happiness Break: How to Awaken Joy, with Spring Washam Oct 06, 2022

Cultivate more joy in your life with this practice led by meditation teacher and author Spring Washam.

How to Do This Practice:

Think about an area of your life that brings you joy, it could be anything.
Imagine yourself experiencing that moment of happiness. Feel the smiles, the peace and laughter.
As you reflect on the moment, say to yourself, “may my joy and my happiness increase.”
Next, practice “sympathetic joy.” To do this, think about someone you know having a great experience.
As you think of them in their joy, say to them in your mind, “May your joy and happiness increase.” Or you can also say, “I'm happy for your happiness. May your happiness continue.”
Remember that happiness is infinite. Being joyful for others is a way to increase your joy.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Spring Washam, is a meditation teacher based in Oakland, California. She is also the author of the forthcoming book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground.

Learn more about Spring and her new book: https://www.springwasham.com/

Follow Spring on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/springwasham/

Follow Spring on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teacher.springwasham/

Follow Spring on Twitter: https://twitter.com/springwasham

Check out Spring’s YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/22njyd29

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How to Overcome Stress by Seeing Other People’s Joy: https://tinyurl.com/3cn22wcb
How Your Life Is Shaped by the Emotions You Want to Feel: https://tinyurl.com/54ff3b4k
Moments of Love and Connection May Help You Live Longer: https://tinyurl.com/328scfjj
Can You Be Too Happy?: https://tinyurl.com/4jswnf94
Why Other People’s Good News Could Be Good for You: https://tinyurl.com/4d8dxsw5

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of cultivating joy. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

Why Listen to the Other Side? Sep 29, 2022

These days, it's hard to imagine befriending people with different politics than your own. But these two men did it using a tried and true practice.

Episode summary:

When a graphic work of art depicting two men having sex was hung up in a busy hallway on a community college campus, it stirred up a huge controversy. Some students wanted it taken down, while others opposed the idea of censoring art. Instead of retreating to their respective echo chambers, two students who disagreed had a public debate. It was so successful, they actually went on to create a discourse club on campus. We learn the tactics that helped them navigate a divisive topic with their civility and differing values intact. Later, we hear from psychologist Cynthia Wang on how taking someone else’s perspective can bring people of different backgrounds together and disrupt stereotyping.

Practice:

Think of someone whom you might be at odds with — perhaps they have different political beliefs, or they’re not part of your ethnic or religious group, or they have arguments with you.
Take a moment to imagine yourself as this person, seeing the world through their eyes. Recall a moment you shared with this person and think how you, as this person, experience that shared situation. What does the world look like from their point of view?
Try to imagine how it feels to be them as vividly as possible. Ask yourself questions such as, what emotions are they experiencing? How might that feel in their body? How might their feelings in the situation differ from yours?
If you’re in a debate with this person, try taking their side and formulate an argument on their behalf. You might understand more nuances about their views.
If you have the time, you can even try to imagine a day in your life as this person.

Find the bridging differences playbook in our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/what_we_do/major_initiatives/bridging_differences

Today’s guests:

Mark Urista is a professor of communication at Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon.

Anthony Lusardi and Steven Olson are former students at Linn-Benton Community College.

Learn more about LBCC Civil Discourse Club: https://tinyurl.com/5becxpba

Follow the LBCC Civil Discourse Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LBCCCivilDiscourse/

Dr. Cynthia Wang is the clinical psychology professor at Northwestern University. She’s also the executive director of the Dispute Resolution Research Center at the Kellogg School of Management.

Learn more about Cynthia and her work: https://tinyurl.com/56kebcvw

Follow Cynthia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cynthiascwang

Resources for bridging differences from The Greater Good Science Center:

Learn more about the Bridging Differences Initiative: https://tinyurl.com/5n6j5e3t

Eight Keys to Bridging Our Differences: https://tinyurl.com/ywaay6ux

What Will It Take to Bridge Our Differences? https://tinyurl.com/yjvvt622

How to Get Some Emotional Distance in an Argument: https://tinyurl.com/342r4sjz

More resources on bridging differences:

TED - Bridging Cultural Differences(playlist): https://tinyurl.com/racj5edf

NPR - Why We Fight: The Psychology Of Political Differences: https://tinyurl.com/52rxnxwj

Tell us about your experiences of bridging differences by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

This episode is supported by Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, as part of the Greater Good Science Center’s Bridging Differences initiative. To learn more about the Bridging Differences initiative, please visit: https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/what_we_do/major_initiatives/bridging_differences

Happiness Break: Six Minutes to Connect with Your Body, with Dacher Keltner Sep 22, 2022

Dedicating a little time to tune into your body fortifies you to better handle the stresses of daily life.

How to Do This Practice:

Find a quiet place where you feel safe and comfortable.You can be standing, sitting, or lying down. Make sure that you feel relaxed.
Close your eyes, and take a few deep, long breaths.
Move your attention through your body slowly, part by part. Focus on your feet, then your calves, knees, and so on, until you get to the top of your head. Without judgment, notice what sensations you can identify in each part of the body.
When your mind wanders, gently and with self-kindness, guide your attention back to the part of the body you’re focusing on in the present moment.

Find the full Body Scan Meditation practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/body_scan_meditation

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Listen to a Science of Happiness episode on the body scan meditation with Daniel Wu: https://tinyurl.com/hn6vhx4b
How a Body Scan Can Help With Strong Emotions: https://tinyurl.com/57sdek76
How Tuning In to Your Body Can Make You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/328scfjj
What Self-Compassion Feels Like in Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/426hfnjj
Compassionate Mind, Healthy Body: https://tinyurl.com/5n79ary9
Your Anxiety Might Be Coming From Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/4j9ynwr9
Why Yoga Is Good for Your Body and Brain, According to Science: https://tinyurl.com/ynja9f22

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience with the body scan meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

Nine Steps to Forgiveness Sep 15, 2022

How do you forgive someone while still holding them accountable? What if that person is yourself? This week, our guest tries a practice in forgiving herself and someone else.

Episode summary:

Anoosha Syed appreciates her name now, but as a kid, she struggled with feeling different from everyone else. She had friends call her “Annie” and even dyed her hair blonde in an effort to look less Pakistani. Anoosha joins us after trying a practice in forgiveness. Anoosha explores the complexities of forgiving someone who’s in a position of power and privilege and should know better, like the teacher who always mispronounced her name. Then, Anoosha took the practice a step further and directed it inward. She shares what it was like to forgive her younger self for not being as proud of her culture as she is today. Later, we hear from psychologist Dr. Lydia Woodyatt about the power of self-compassion and affirming our important values to release us from destructive self-blame while still holding ourselves accountable when we need to.

Practice:

Make sure you know how you feel about what is going on and be able to articulate it. Then, tell someone you can trust about your experience.
Tell yourself you will feel better because of this forgiveness. Forgiveness is for you, not for others.
Remember, forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciling with the person who upsets you or condoning the behavior.
Recognize that your primary pain comes from hurt feelings, thoughts, and physical discomfort you are experiencing now, not from the thing that offended or hurt in the past.
Practice stress management to soothe yourself when you're feeling overwhelmed. Try things like mindful breathing or going for a walk.
Remind yourself that you cannot expect others to act in the way you think they should, but it’s ok to hope that they do.
Find another way to achieve the positive outcome you had hoped for in the first place.
Instead of focusing on your hurt feelings, look for the bright side of things. Focus on what’s going well for you.
Change the way you look at your past so you remind yourself of your heroic choice to forgive..

Find the Nine Steps to Forgiveness Practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/nine_steps_to_forgiveness

Today’s guests:

Anoosha Syed is a Pakistani-Canadian freelance illustrator and author of the children's book, That is Not My Name.

Learn more about Anoosha and her works: http://www.anooshasyed.com/

Follow Anoosha on

Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxville_art

Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3pahbn7x

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/anooshasyed

Dr. Lydia Woodyatt is an associate professor in Psychology at Flinders University in Australia. She studies wellbeing, justice, emotions, and motivation.

Learn more about Lydia and her works: https://tinyurl.com/mrs974by

Follow Lydia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LydiaWoodyatt

Resources for forgiveness from The Greater Good Science Center:

Listen to an episode of Happiness Break on Self-forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/3d7sevfs

Eight Keys to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/5n82yjkf

Is a Grudge Keeping You Up at Night?: https://tinyurl.com/yc7pkdyk

More resources on forgiveness:

TED - How (and why) to forgive: https://tinyurl.com/mu2zep4f

Harvard Health - The Power of Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/2p9fden3

10% Happier - Writing a Forgiveness letter: https://tinyurl.com/mr5y624x

Tell us about your experiences letting go of a grudge by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: pod.link/1340505607

Happiness Break: A Note to Self on Forgiveness, with Alex Elle Sep 08, 2022

Letting go of our regrets can motivate us to improve and help us grow. Alex Elle, a certified breathwork and writing coach, guides us through a meditation to forgive and accept ourselves.

How to Do This Practice:

Take a deep breath. As you exhale, remember all you have done in the past that led you to come to be where you are today.
Remember that you are allowed to forgive yourself and let it go. Give yourself permission to release any shame that you’re carrying. Forgive yourself.
Think of the good things about yourself. Trust your worth and acknowledge that you are evolving. Remember, you are worthy of good things even when you think you are now.
When you're ready, you can bring your attention back to the present moment. Take a few deep breaths in through the nose, and out through the nose. Drop your shoulder and unclench your jaw.
If you'd like to take this practice a step further, you can write your own letter of self forgiveness, it can start with “Dear self, I forgive you for …”

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Alex Elle is a certified breathwork coach, author and restorative writing teacher. Her new book, How We Heal, will come out soon.

Learn more about Alex and her new book: https://www.alexelle.com/about

Follow Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex/

Follow Alex on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@easewithalexl

Follow Alex on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex__elle

Follow Alex on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexElleFB

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Listen to a Science of Happiness episode on self-compassion: https://tinyurl.com/2hundtmc
How to Grow from Your Regrets: https://tinyurl.com/ys8239k2
Just One Thing: Forgive Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/5ybny4xx
Forgive Yourself, Save Your Relationship: https://tinyurl.com/49by7ma6
The Healthy Way to Forgive Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/4p3e9eha
How to Let Go of an Old Regret: https://tinyurl.com/4mryyyfy

We love hearing from you! Tell us how letting go of your regret makes you feel. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/28hcdfsd

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: pod.link/1340505607

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

When Rumination Is a Good Thing Sep 01, 2022

When's the last time you made a good memory — intentionally? Our guest tries a practice in cultivating positive experiences and taking time to savor them.

Episode summary:

Life doesn't always hand us good times, but we can benefit as much or more when we create our own happy memories and take time to appreciate them. This week on The Science of Happiness, our guest tries a practice to intentionally create good experiences and reflect on them. Deandrea Farlow is a member of the Bay Area Freedom Collective, a re-entry home where formerly incarcerated people can find community and connections. Deandrea brings us into his experience with this practice, and shares what it’s like to find strength through the hardest times as well as positive events, like the ones he created for our show. Psychologist Meg Speer explains how ruminating on good times can actually change the way we respond to stress. .

Practice: Creating and Recalling Positive Events

1. Do an activity that you enjoy doing alone.

2. With a friend, do something that you enjoy doing with others.

3. Do something that you consider personally important and meaningful.

4. Then take a step back and really think about these three events. Write about how they make you feel. Talk about it with a friend, or just really think about it.

Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/creating_and_recalling_positive_events

Today’s guests:

Deandrea Farlow is a member of the Bay Area Freedom Collective, a home by and for formerly incarcerated people, which provides resources and support for their re-entry.

To learn more about Bay Area Freedom House: https://www.collectivefreedom.org/

or: https://www.facebook.com/bayareafreedom/

To financially support the Bay Area Freedom Collective: https://givedirect.org/freedomcollective/

Meg Speer is a postdoctoral researcher in the SCAN lab at Columbia University. She studies how autobiographical memories and positive thoughts affect our brain function.

Learn more about Meg and her work: https://tinyurl.com/yf39acwk

Follow Meg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mspeer3

Follow Meg on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/9cn3tmbh

Resources for Recalling Positive Event:

TED —There’s an art to happy memories — you can make more by experiencing more “first”s: https://tinyurl.com/2p8sdsy7

Hidden Brain (NPR) — Nostalgia Isn't Just A Fixation On The Past - It Can Be About The Future, Too: https://tinyurl.com/5d8dej3a

Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Five Ways Nostalgia Can Improve Your Well-Being: https://tinyurl.com/veeraw6u

Listen to our episode, “How to Make Time for Happiness” https://tinyurl.com/yhf39awt

Listen to our last episode featuring the Bay Area Freedom Collective, “How to Feel Less Lonely and More Connected” https://tinyurl.com/4d6dm9zp

We’d love for you to try out this practice and share how it went for you. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: pod.link/1340505607

Happiness Break: A Meditation to Connect to Your Roots, with Yuria Celidwen Aug 25, 2022

When was the last time you thought about your ancestors? This guided meditation by indigenous scholar Yuria Celidwen will help you connect to your heritage and reap the potent benefits of remembering your roots.

How to Do This Practice:

Bring your attention to the center of your chest, allow the chest to open, and relax.
Notice an open space in your chest when you breathe in. Pause before exhaling, resting your awareness in the space between breaths, then breathe out. Contemplate the pause that connects the constant flow between openings and returning.
In that pause, contemplate your lineage. Think about the origin stories of your elders, their own elders, and their own elders, moving back in time.
Think about those elders and the lands that touched their feet. Imagine bringing that land into the center of your chest, into the pause between breaths.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Dr. Yuria Celidwen is an Indigenous scholar of Nahua and Maya descent. She also works at the United Nations to advance the rights of Indigenous peoples and environmental sustainability.

Learn more about Dr. Celidwen: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Listen to Dr. Yuria Celidwen on The Science of Happiness episode about listening to your elders: https://tinyurl.com/ykn8euhc
Try the grounding practice led by Dr. Yuria Celidwen from Happiness Break: https://tinyurl.com/24kdurc4
Why Telling Our Own Story Is So Powerful for Black Americans: https://tinyurl.com/2nvcxpam

We love hearing from you! Tell us how connecting to your ancestors made you feel. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/28hcdfsd

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: pod.link/1340505607

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

Riding The Waves of Anxiety Aug 18, 2022

Comedian Aparna Nancherla has always struggled with anxiety — can a new technique help her cope?

Episode summary:

Comedian Aparna Nancherla has always struggled with anxiety. Starting a new task at work, writing her book, talking to a baby — you name it, she worries about it. And while she’s built a career in stand-up comedy making light of her struggles, she still suffers. Aparna joins us to share what it’s like to try a new technique to cope with her anxiety. She tries to see her anxiety through a new lens, and actually lean into it. We also hear from psychologist and anxiety expert Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary about this radical new approach to understanding anxiety and coping with it by understanding it not just as a crucial part of being human, but as a strength unto itself.

Practice:

Ask yourself: what am I feeling anxious about? What do I want to happen? Take a few minutes to write out your answer.
Next, ask yourself: Is there something I can do right now to get closer to the outcome I described in question 1? If the answer is yes, go to part A. If the answer is no, go to part B.

A. Remind yourself: My body is preparing me to do what I need to do. I will be better at what I need to do because of these feelings. Then, do whatever it is you identified in question 2. If you still feel anxious and there’s nothing more you can do right now, go to part B.

B. Sometimes there are circumstances in our life that make us feel nervous or scared, and there’s nothing we can do in the moment to change our situation. When that’s the case for you, try a mindfulness practice to ground yourself in the present moment. Here are a few you can try:

Today’s guests:

Aparna Nancherla is a comedian, writer, and actress in New York City whose stand-up often focuses on her experience living with depression and anxiety.

Check out more videos from Aparna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR_pr8Pdh84

Follow Aparna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aparnapkin

Follow Aparna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aparnapkin/

Tracy Dennis-Tiwary is an anxiety researcher and psychology professor at Hunter College. She just published a new book, Future Tense: Why Anxiety is Good For You.

Learn more about Tracy and her book: https://www.drtracyphd.com/future-tense

Follow Tracy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tracyadennis

Follow Tracy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.tracyphd/

Resources for Surfing Anxiety

TED - How to Cope with Anxiety: https://tinyurl.com/copeanxiety

Harvard Health - Anxiety: What it is, What to do: https://tinyurl.com/anxietyhowto

10% Happier - How a Buddhist Monk Deals with Anxiety: https://tinyurl.com/2wpa9pz2

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How to Turn Bad Anxiety into Good Anxiety: https://tinyurl.com/goodanxiety

Can We Help Young Brains Fight Off Anxiety: https://tinyurl.com/HelpBrains

How to Be Yourself When You Have Social Anxiety: https://tinyurl.com/Socialanxious

Tell us about your experiences with anxiety by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

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Happiness Break: Walk Your Way to Calm, with Dacher Keltner Aug 11, 2022

A few slow, mindful paces can lower your cortisol and make you more at ease. Psychologist Dacher Keltner guides you through this Walking Meditation.

How to Do This Practice:

Find a relatively peaceful space that allows you to walk back and forth for 10-15 paces, where you won’t be disturbed or observed.
Begin to walk forward slowly, lifting one foot first, then placing it gently on the floor or ground ahead of you, heel first. Notice your weight shift as you lift your back heel, then the whole foot, and then place it down heel first in front of your first foot. Walk 10-15 paces this way, then reverse directions.
As you walk, try to focus your attention on one or more sensations that you would normally take for granted, like your breath, the movement of your feet and legs, or how the pressure on the bottom of each foot shifts throughout each step.
If you notice your mind wandering, simply bring it back to noticing those sensations, without judgment.
Repeat this practice as often as you’d like, ideally for at least 10 minutes twice a week.

Find the full Walking Meditation practice at our Greater Good in Action website:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/walking_meditation

More resources from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center:

How to Cultivate Awe With a Walking Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/yckz7hu8
How to Choose a Type of Mindfulness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2u6rfzhb
Can Meditation Help You with Depression? https://tinyurl.com/3ny8jjhj
A Walk in the Park: https://tinyurl.com/58v6d9k2
Why You Should Take a Relaxing Lunch Break: https://tinyurl.com/8kckdhmx
How Resting More Can Boost Your Productivity: https://tinyurl.com/2p97yfff
Four Tips for Sticking to a Meditation Practice: https://tinyurl.com/5b22pynt

Tell us how this walking meditation made you feel by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/28hcdfsd

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: pod.link/1340505607

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each bi-weekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

36 Questions to Spark Intimacy Aug 04, 2022

What if you could fall in love, or forge deep connections in just 45 minutes? Our guests try out 36 questions with their partners to see if they can strengthen their connection.

Episode summary:

There are 36 questions that have been shown over and over again in lab studies to help people fall in love or form fast connections. In this week’s episode, we bring back Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg of By the Book podcast*.* They recruit their husbands to ask and answer these questions and then fill us in on the surprising ways they helped each of their relationships. Later, we hear from psychologists Arthur and Elaine Aron, the married duo who co-created the 36 questions this practice is based on. They explain the principles behind the questions, so you can come up with your own conversation starters to foster closeness with anyone — family, friends, or your partner.

Practice:

36 Questions for Increasing Closeness

Identify someone with whom you’d like to become closer. Find a time when you both have about 45 minutes to meet in person.
Take 15 minutes answering the questions in Set I below. Each person should answer every question, but alternate who answers first. If you don’t finish the set in 15 minutes, move on to Set II.
Repeat the steps above for sets II and III.

Find the 36 questions at Greater Good In Action:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/36_questions_for_increasing_closeness

Today’s guests:

Kristen Meinzer is a pop culture commentator, Royals expert, and co-host of By the Book podcast. She also co-hosts the new podcast Romance Road Test.

Jolenta Greenberg is a comedian, pop culture commentator, and aslo co-hosts of By the Book and Romance Road Test.

Listen to Romance Road Test: https://tinyurl.com/mr298rwr

Listen to By the Book: https://pod.link/1217948628

Arthur and Elaine Aron are two of the leading psychologists studying the psychology of love and close relationships, and they are a married couple. The Arons created the original 36 questions this practice is based on.

Resources For Increasing Closeness:

The New York Times, Smarter Living - How to Be a Better Friend: https://tinyurl.com/3bpn2bvr

NBC News - How to build emotional intimacy with your partner: https://tinyurl.com/bdz84apz

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel - Twice Married, To Each Other: https://tinyurl.com/mt4r7zw

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Take our Compassionate Love Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/bdfuucw3

36 Questions That Can Help Kids Make Friends: https://tinyurl.com/2bc42vvt

Moments of Love and Connection May Help You Live Longer: https://tinyurl.com/2s3h58yw

Tell us about your experience asking and answering these 36 questions by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: pod.link/1340505607

Happiness Break: How to Ground Yourself, with Yuria Celidwen Jul 28, 2022

Connect to yourself and the land you stand on in under 10 minutes with this grounding practice led by Indigenous scholar Dr. Yuria Celidwen.

How to Do This Practice:

If possible, go outside and find some natural ground, like grass or dirt. If you're wearing shoes or socks, take them off and place the soles of your feet directly on the ground.
Bring your attention to the earth beneath you. Allow it to hold you, paying attention to how it feels — soft, firm, reliable. Imagine you're starting to grow roots from the tip of your toes, digging deep into the earth.
Visualize energy and wellness flowing through your roots to your toes, into the soles of your feet, your thighs and knees, then base of the spine and upwards into your chest, expanding the whole center of your chest. Take a full, deep breath and contemplate the openness you feel in your chest.
Look up towards the sky and open your eyes, allowing all of your senses to awaken to the sounds, smells, colors, and life around you. Feel their presence.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Dr. Yuria Celidwen is an Indigenous studies, cultural psychology, and contemplative science scholar of Indigenous Nahua and Maya descent. She also works at the United Nations to advance the rights of Indigenous peoples and the Earth.

Learn more about Dr. Celidwen’s work: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/

More resources from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center:

Listen to Dr. Yuria Celidwen on The Science of Happiness episode about listening to your elders: https://tinyurl.com/yr2ydk43
Does Nature Make You More Mindful? https://tinyurl.com/4wcreu9z
Why You Need More Nature in Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/ye282e5d
Being Around Nature Helps You Love Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/57d5ntxm
How Modern Life Became Disconnected From Nature: https://tinyurl.com/yc6u73f9
Listen to The Science of Happiness episode featuring podcast host Krista Tippett, on Being Grounded in Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/8t7rr4yy

Tell us how connecting to the earth beneath you made you feel by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/28hcdfsd

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: pod.link/1340505607

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

How to Feel Less Lonely and More Connected Jul 21, 2022

When we feel more connected, we're kinder and care more for others. After 21 years of being incarcerated, our guest Simon Liu, of Bay Area Freedom House Collective, tries a practice that helps him remember the profound connections he's made both inside and out of prison // throughout his life.

Episode summary:

When’s the last time you felt a deep connection with someone, and then really reflected on your connections? This week on The Science of Happiness, our guest tries a writing practice to feel more connected to those close to him. Simon Liu is the co-founder of the Bay Area Freedom Collective, a home where other formerly incarcerated people can find community and connections. Simon talks about the importance of the social connections he made while in prison, and outside. Psychologist David Cwir explains how finding and building connections not only supports our emotional well-being, but can also change our bodies.

Practice:
Feeling Connected

Think of a time when you felt a strong bond with someone in your life. Choose a specific experience where you felt especially close and connected to them. Spend a few minutes writing about what happened during the experience. In particular, consider how the experience made you feel close and connected to the other person.

Today’s guests:
Simon Liu co-founded the Bay Area Freedom Collective, a home by and for formerly incarcerated people, which provides resources and support for their re-entry. Simon is also a software engineer.

To learn more about Bay Area Freedom House: https://www.collectivefreedom.org/

or: https://www.facebook.com/bayareafreedom/

To financially support the Bay Area Freedom Collective: https://tinyurl.com/2p93j8x8

David Cwir is an associate professor of psychology at Briercrest College and Seminary. His research has looked at how moments of social connection with strangers can positively affect our bodies and minds.

Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:
https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/feeling_connected

We’d love for you to try out this practice and share how it went for you. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: pod.link/1340505607

Resources for Feeling Connected:

Harvard Health — Easy daily ways to feel more connected: https://tinyurl.com/5jxykfhb

NPR — 4 tips to stay connected when your friends live far away: https://tinyurl.com/2p82en68

The New York Times — Need to Dust Off Your Social Skills? (featuring Dacher): https://tinyurl.com/yckwkmku

How to Start Over (The Atlantic) — The Misgivings of Friend-Making: https://tinyurl.com/2ysn7zd2

Invisibilia — Therapy, With Friends:https://tinyurl.com/yvmkkbrs

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Feeling Connected Makes Us Kind: https://tinyurl.com/f5xd27ue

Is Social Connection the Best Path to Happiness? https://tinyurl.com/2v9e9c9n

Why You Click With Certain People: https://tinyurl.com/2p8w38rw

Why Are We So Wired to Connect? https://tinyurl.com/bddukrxx

Listen to our episode, “Who Makes You Feel Connected?” https://tinyurl.com/4pmj775a

Listen to our episode, “What Are Your Strongest Reminders of Connection?” https://tinyurl.com/sbs6waha

Happiness Break: Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher Keltner Jul 14, 2022

Just a few moments of tuning into nature can make you feel more inspired, connected, and less lonely. Let us guide you through a five-minute noticing nature practice — you don't even have to leave the city.

How to Do This Practice:

Pause and take notice of the natural elements around you, like trees, clouds, leaves, moving water, animals, bugs and butterflies, etc. Take a moment to allow yourself to truly experience the nature around you, and notice what emotions this evokes.
When you encounter something that moves you in some way, take a mental photo of it. In a few words or sentences, jot down a brief description of what caught your attention and how it made you feel.
Try to repeat this every day for at least two weeks.
Remember: The key is your experience with what you are noticing—how nature makes you feel.

Find the full Noticing Nature practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/noticing_nature

More resources from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center:

Four Ways Nature Can Protect Your Well-Being During a Pandemic: https://tinyurl.com/98t8p7r5
What Happens When We Reconnect With Nature: https://tinyurl.com/4jef7r82
How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative: https://tinyurl.com/2s95n6ps
Six Ways Nature Helps Children Learn: https://tinyurl.com/5t2tnv3p
Why Is Nature So Good For Your Mental Health? https://tinyurl.com/nj7kpn28
How Nature Helps Us Heal: https://tinyurl.com/2kea52n9
Listen to The Science of Happiness episode featuring NYT restaurant critic Tejal Rao trying the Noticing Nature practice: https://tinyurl.com/yckkte9w

Tell us about your experiences noticing nature by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/28hcdfsd

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: pod.link/1340505607

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

How to Make Better Decisions (Encore) Jul 07, 2022

Can practicing mindfulness make us wiser? Judge Jeremy Fogel explores how being present in the moment helps him keep a clear mind and stay connected to his true values.

Episode summary:

What do you think it takes to become wiser, more compassionate, and more open-minded? This week on The Science of Happiness, we bring you one of our most popular episodes. Former district judge Jeremy Fogel shares his insights on how being present can help us make more mindful decisions. He recounts how, after experiencing stress as a judge, his wife suggested he try an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course. After taking the course, Jeremy felt more connected to himself and his surroundings, and decided to make mindfulness a part of his everyday life. The changes Jeremy made had profound impacts on his work as a judge. We also hear from Dr. Shauna Shapiro, a clinical psychologist and professor at Santa Clara University, about how mindfulness affects our moral reasoning.

Practice:

Mindful Breathing

Find a comfortable, seated position and invite your body to relax.
Tune in to the sensations it experiences — the touch, the connection with the floor or the chair. Do your best to relax any areas of tightness or tension.
Listen to the natural rhythm of your breath, in and out, without trying to control it. Notice where you feel your breath in your body. It might be in your abdomen, chest, throat, or nostrils. See if you can feel the sensations of breath, one breath at a time.
As you do this, you may start thinking about other things. Try to notice that your mind has wandered, and say “thinking” or “wandering” in your head softly. Then gently redirect your attention right back to the breathing. Stay here for 5-7 minutes.
Finally, notice your whole body seated here once more. Let yourself relax even more deeply, and thank yourself for doing this practice today.

Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/mindful_breathing

Today’s guests:

Jeremy Fogel is a former district judge in Northern California. Today he’s the executive director of the Judicial Institute at UC Berkeley and is at the forefront of a movement to bring mindfulness practices into the work of judges.

Learn more about Judge Fogel’s work: https://tinyurl.com/5yw2fwpp

Shauna Shapiro is a professor at Santa Clara University and the author of Good Morning, I Love You, a book on how to cultivate mindfulness and self-compassion.

Listen to Dr. Shapiro’s TED talk on the power of mindfulness: drshaunashapiro.com/videos/

Resources for Mindful Decision-Making

Harvard Health - Can Mindfulness Change Your Brain? https://tinyurl.com/yzj98cts

NPR’s Life Kit - Faced With A Tough Decision? The Key To Choosing May Be Your Mindset: https://tinyurl.com/2ywhzp6m

The Atlantic - Mindfulness Hurts. That’s Why It Works: https://tinyurl.com/2y2k2wdm

The New York Times - How to Be More Mindful at Work: https://tinyurl.com/mcfd7cze

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Take our Mindfulness Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/yc4747jx

Five Ways Mindfulness Meditation is Good for Your Health: https://tinyurl.com/2fhd3mhb

Three Ways Mindfulness Can Make You Less Biased: https://tinyurl.com/3wm69zvc

The Mindfulness Skill That is Crucial for Stress: https://tinyurl.com/38dxzhfc

Can Mindfulness Improve Decision Making? https://tinyurl.com/b67ae6ck

Tell us about your experiences bringing mindfulness to your decision-making by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: pod.link/1340505607

Happiness Break: 36 Questions to Feel Connected, with Dacher Keltner Jun 30, 2022

Having close bonds with others is one of the most important things to our happiness. Host Dacher Keltner walks you through a practice you can do with someone else to create new bonds or strengthen old ones. Plus, hear some of his answers to these questions alongside his wife, Molly.

How to Do the 36 Questions for Increasing Closeness Practice:

Take a few deep breaths, and notice how you feel.
Identify someone with whom you’d like to become closer. Find a time where you both have about 45 minutes
Take 15 minutes answering the questions in Set I below. Each person should answer each question, but alternate who answers first. If you don’t finish the set in 15 minutes, move on to Set II.
Repeat the steps above for sets II and III.

Here’s a sample of the questions:

Set I

1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.

Set II

14. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?

15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

16. What do you value most in a friendship?

17. What is your most treasured memory?

18. What is your most terrible memory?

19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?

20. What does friendship mean to you?

Set III

25. Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “We are both in this room feeling…”

26. Complete this sentence: “I wish I had someone with whom I could share…”

28. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.

29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.

30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?

32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

Find the full 36 Questions for Increasing Closeness practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/36_questions_for_increasing_closeness

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Can You Cultivate a More Secure Attachment Style? https://tinyurl.com/2p8ue7n6

Moments of Love and Connection May Help You Live Longer: https://tinyurl.com/3nyfbwwh

Listen to our Science of Happiness episode about this practice: https://pod.link/1340505607/episode/f2ca309e37d261b86223bb52eab3ab08

36 Questions to Help Kids Make Friends: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/36_questions_to_help_kids_make_friends

Today’s host:

Dacher Keltner is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and a co-instructor of GGSC’s course by the same name. He’s also the founding director of The Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley.

Tell us about your experience asking these 36 questions by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/28hcdfsd

Help us share Happiness Break!

Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: pod.link/1340505607

We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.

How to Say "Sorry" Like You Mean It Jun 23, 2022

Apologies are key to successful relationships. But are you doing them right?

Episode summary:

We all have moments when we say or do something we later regret. Then the time comes to make an apology. But a halfhearted “I’m sorry” rarely gets the job done. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, public defender Sam Dugan joins us for a second time to try science-backed tips for making an effective apology. First, she takes a moment to cultivate mindfulness through a mindful breathing practice. Next, Sam invites us in as she apologizes to her husband Nate. Sam reflects on how she took out her stress on Nate, what led her to lash out, and the importance of making a true, heartfelt apology — as opposed to the mindless ones many of us make on a near-daily basis. Then we hear from Sana Rizvi, a professor at the University of New Brunswick, about the science of how mindfulness can make us more apologetic.

Practice:

Mindful Breathing

Invite your body to relax into a comfortable position.
Tune into the rhythm of your breath, and pay attention as you breathe in through your nose, hold your breath, and exhale through your mouth.
Repeat as many times as you’d like.

Making an Effective Apology

Acknowledge the offense by showing that you recognize who was responsible, who was harmed, and the nature of the offense.
If helpful, provide an explanation, especially to convey that it was not intentional and that it will not happen again.
Express remorse.
Make amends. When considering how to best make amends, be sure to ask the offended person what would mean the most to them.

Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/mindful_breathing

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/making_an_effective_apology

Today’s guests:

Sam Dugan is a public defender in Salt Lake City, Utah. She and her husband Nate have three dogs, and they were on the show last year to try the Three Funny Things practice.

Listen to Sam and Nate on Why Love Needs Laughter: https://tinyurl.com/5s45ps2v

Sana Rizvi is a professor in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management at the University of New Brunswick, in Canada.

Learn more about Dr. Rizvi’s work: https://tinyurl.com/4kzs4n4w

Resources for Making an Effective Apology

Hidden Brain - The Power of Apologies: https://tinyurl.com/bdze6yzz

The Verywell Mind Podcast - A Science-Backed Strategy for Making an Effective Apology: https://tinyurl.com/2j6ar3x8

The Atlantic - The Art and Science of Apologizing: https://tinyurl.com/38j2re9d

The New York Times - No, You Don’t Have to Stop Apologizing: https://tinyurl.com/3zwns9n3

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Can Mindfulness Make You Better at Apologizing? https://tinyurl.com/bdes29w5

The Three Parts of an Effective Apology: https://tinyurl.com/3p273tym

A Better Way to Apologize: https://tinyurl.com/34hp2re5

Should You Ask Your Children to Apologize? https://tinyurl.com/4vcrktju

Eight Keys to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/3x7v8rj7

Tell us about your experiences and struggles trying to make a mindful and effective apology by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: pod.link/1340505607

Happiness Break: How To Be Your Best Self, with Justin Michael Williams Jun 16, 2022

Visualize your best possible self and tap into your inherent enough-ness with this guided meditation by Justin Michael Williams.

How to Do This Practice:

Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and visualize your ideal future self, the person of your dreams you’ve always wanted to be. Try noticing as many details as you can: What color are you wearing, how do you feel, what are you doing, is anyone with you?
Answer this question in your mind with 1-3 words: As you look at this future version of you, what energy do you need to cultivate more of in your life now, today, to become closer to being that person you see in your vision?
Breathe in deeply, and as you do imagine yourself breathing in that energy. As you exhale, imagine that energy spreading throughout your body and energy field.
Open your eyes. Remember, you have what you need to become that which you want to become. We are enough to start stepping into the life of our dreams.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Justin Michael Williams works at the intersection of social justice, mindfulness, and personal growth — with a touch of music that brings it all to life.

Learn More About Justin’s work: https://www.justinmichaelwilliams.com/
Listen to Justin’s debut album: https://www.justinmichaelwilliams.com/music
Order Justin’s book, Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide For the Rest of Us: https://tinyurl.com/2p8xu6hx
Follow Justin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wejustwill
Follow Justin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wejustwill/

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Take our Purpose in Life Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/3uh8jjdv
Try Imagining Your Best Possible Life: https://tinyurl.com/bdekum2v
What to Do When You Never Feel Good Enough: https://tinyurl.com/kpy9b44t
How Strong is Your Sense of Purpose in Life? https://tinyurl.com/2p9h7rm5
How Thinking About the Future Makes Life More Meaningful: https://tinyurl.com/2p83y2n5
Listen to The Science of Happiness episode featuring comedian Margaret Cho visualizing her best possible self: https://tinyurl.com/s2s7rdpn

Tell us about your experience visualizing your best possible self by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/28hcdfsd

Find behind-the-scenes material behind this podcast on Pocket, Mozilla’s save-for-later and content discovery app: https://getpocket.com/collections/how-to-access-your-best-possible-self-start-with-your-imagination

Help us share Happiness Break!

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The Questions to Ask Yourself in an Argument Jun 09, 2022

Our guest explores how reminding yourself that you don't know everything can have a profound impact on your relationships, and our society.

Episode summary:

Jinho “Piper” Ferreira is a playwright, a rapper, and a former deputy sheriff. His band Flipsyde toured the world, but Jinho wanted to make real change to end police violence against his community – so he became a deputy sheriff himself. He was on the force for eight years before resigning in 2019. Jinho joins us today after trying a practice in cultivating intellectual humility. It asks us to consider how our memories and understanding of the world might be fallible, so we might not have all the answers. When Jinho tapped into the practice during a disagreement with a bandmate, he was able to navigate the conflict and come to a resolution.

Check out Jinho’s band, Flipsyde: https://flipsyde.com/

Try this practice: Cultivate Intellectual Humility

If you can, write out your answers.

When you encounter information or an opinion that contradicts your opinion or worldview, ask yourself these questions:

Why do you disagree?

Are you making any assumptions about the other person and the source of their opinion?

Might those assumptions be wrong?

What about your own opinion, how did you come to believe it?

Do you really have all of the information?

Now think about the scenario from the perspective of a person who disagrees with you. Try to imagine how they came to believe what they believe.
What information might they be basing their opinion off of?
What values do you think they’re weighing in how they think about this topic?
Can you imagine how they came to hold those values?
If you find yourself getting stuck, imagine yourself as a third person weighing in with an opinion that’s different from both of yours. Try to generate an entirely new perspective. Can you think of another way to understand this issue?

3. Tap into your intellectual humility:

Identify places where, before, you weren’t acknowledging the limitations of what you know about the issue. Can you find any?
Now that you’ve worked to see this issue from another person’s point of view, do you see more value in their perspective than you were able to see before?
What other ways do you engage with viewpoints that challenge your own? Do you notice any patterns?

Today’s guests:

Jinho “Piper” Ferreira is a rapper in the Band Flipsyde, a former deputy sheriff, and playwright.

Follow Jinho on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pipedreamzent?lang=en

Listen to the episode of Snap Judgment podcast about Jinho’s story: https://snapjudgment.org/episode/jinhos-journey/

Elizabeth Krumrei-Mancuso is a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University who studies intellectual humility.

Learn more about Dr. Krumrei-Mancuso and her work: https://tinyurl.com/2t6aaa5f

Check out Dr. Krumrei-Mancuso’s article on intellectual humility: https://tinyurl.com/526m8b93

More resources about Intellectual Humility:

Intellectual humility: the importance of knowing you might be wrong: https://tinyurl.com/m2ct29m7

Five Reasons Why Intellectual Humility Is Good for You: https://tinyurl.com/4dnx5vu4

The Benefits of Admitting When You Don’t Know: https://tinyurl.com/4frk84k8

Share your thoughts on this episode and intellectual humility by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: pod.link/1340505607

This episode was supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, as part of our project on "Expanding Awareness of the Science of Intellectual Humility." For more on the project, go to www.ggsc.berkeley.edu/IH.

Happiness Break: How to Be Your Own Best Friend, with Kristen Neff Jun 02, 2022

Take 10 minutes to be guided through a practice of meaningful self-kindness: A self-compassion break with Kristin Neff.

How to Do This Practice:

Think of a situation in your life that is difficult and is causing you stress. For this practice, especially if you are new to it, it's better to choose something that is moderately difficult in your life, rather than overwhelming.
Call the situation to mind and get in touch with what happened or what you think might happen.
Now say to yourself, “This is a moment of suffering.” This acknowledgment is a form of mindfulness—of noticing what is going on for you emotionally in the present moment, without judging that experience as good or bad. You can also say to yourself, “This hurts” or “This is stress.” Use whatever statement feels most natural to you.
Next, say to yourself, “Suffering is a part of life.” This is a recognition of your common humanity with others—that all people have trying experiences, and these experiences give you something in common with the rest of humanity rather than mark you as abnormal or deficient. Other options for this statement include “Other people feel this way,” “I’m not alone,” or “We all struggle in our lives.”
Now, put your hands over your heart, feel the warmth of your hands and the gentle touch on your chest, and say, “May I be kind to myself.” You can also consider whether there is another specific phrase that would speak to you in that particular situation. Some examples: “May I give myself the compassion that I need,” “May I accept myself as I am,” “May I learn to accept myself as I am,” “May I forgive myself,” “May I be strong,” and “May I be patient.”

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Kristin Neff is the creator of this practice and a professor of psychology at The University of Texas, Austin. She is a pioneer in the study of self-compassion and the author of the book, Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive.

Order Dr. Neff’s book: https://tinyurl.com/yaubmy7v
Learn More About Dr. Neff’s work: https://self-compassion.org/
Find classes taught by Dr. Neff; https://tinyurl.com/4kf52x8c
Follow Dr. Neff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/self_compassion\
Follow Dr. Neff on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neffselfcompassion/

Find the full Self-Compassion Break practice at our Greater Good in Action website:
https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/self_compassion_break

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Take Our Self-Compassion Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/yysrf663
Try Dr. Neff’s Fierce Self-Compassion Break: https://tinyurl.com/yk9yzh9u\
How to Bring Self-Compassion to Work with You: https://tinyurl.com/45zkrkam
The Five Myths of Self-Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/2p88vass\
Read Dr. Neff’s interview about Self-Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/286njtje
How Self-Compassion Can Help You Through a Breakup: https://tinyurl.com/222scejz
Can Self-Compassion Overcome Procrastination? https://tinyurl.com/mrfmvyj
Can Self-Compassion Help Trans Teens Thrive? https://tinyurl.com/4xs7nxre

Tell us about your experiences and struggles with self-compassion and this practice emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/28hcdfsd

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Catch Yourself in a Dream May 26, 2022

Have you ever known you're dreaming while you're asleep? Our guests try practices to help induce lucid dreams, and we hear what they can teach us about consciousness.

Episode summary:

How do you know you’re awake? Are you sure? Practicing lucid dreaming means taking a step back to question your very consciousness — throughout your day, and even when you’re asleep. It’s no wonder lucid dreaming is associated with mindfulness. In this episode, journalists Marylee Williams and Michaeleen Doucleff try a practice to induce lucid dreaming, and researcher Benjamin Baird explains what lucid dreaming is teaching scientists about consciousness, plus how it might benefit our well-being. Lucid dreaming appears to help foster creativity and can boost your mood when you wake up.

Try Lucid Dreaming

There are a few different ways to induce lucid dreams. All of them take time and practice. Find a brief summary below and more information at this link: https://tinyurl.com/2m86pw7p

(i) Reality Testing (RT), a technique that involves checking your environment several times a day to see whether or not you’re dreaming;

(iii) MILD, a technique that involves waking up after five hours of sleep and then developing the intention to remember that you are dreaming before returning to sleep, by repeating the phrase ‘The next time I’m dreaming, I will remember that I’m dreaming;’ you also imagine yourself in a lucid dream;

(iv) SSILD, a technique that involves waking up after five hours of sleep and then repeatedly focusing your attention on visual, auditory, and physical sensations for 20 seconds each before returning to sleep; this technique is similar to mindfulness meditation but involved repeatedly shifting your focus;

More Resources:

Lucid Dreaming FAQ by The Lucidity Institute: https://tinyurl.com/2m86pw7p

Lucid Dreaming at TEDx: https://tinyurl.com/ywkymhs2

Learn about the cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming from today’s expert Benjamin Baird: https://tinyurl.com/mr3anzer

More sleep resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Why Your Brain Needs to Dream: https://tinyurl.com/yc3makhp

The Influence of Dreams: https://tinyurl.com/p6cfh8n4

How Mindfulness Improves Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/39tk85m9

Your Sleep Tonight Changes How You React to Stress Tomorrow: https://tinyurl.com/2p8zvbjz

Dear Christine: Why Can’t I Sleep? https://tinyurl.com/yb88a5z6

Today’s guests:

Michaeleen Doucleff f is a science reporter for NPR and author of the book Hunt, Gather, Parent.

Check out her reporting: https://tinyurl.com/5de2kyt7

Read her book: https://michaeleendoucleff.com/

Follow Michaeleen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FoodieScience

Mary Lee Williams is an editor and producer on a morning news show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Check out her website: http://www.maryleewill.com/about

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/marylee_will

Benjamin Baird is a Research Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, where he focuses on consciousness, including lucid dreaming.

Check out Dr. Baird’s website: https://www.benjaminbaird.org/

Tell us about your experiences and struggles with lucid dreams by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

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Happiness Break: A 10-Minute Guided Practice, with Dacher Keltner May 19, 2022

We guide you through a reflection of three things you're grateful for today. This practice is shown to boost happiness, connection, and motivation while reducing stress. Happiness Break is a new series by The Science of Happiness.

How to Do this Three Good Things practice:

Take a few deep breaths, and notice how you feel.
Think back on your day. Start from when you woke up, and mentally trace your steps forward in time.
What was the most beautiful, amazing, or interesting thing you saw all day? How did it make you feel? Take a moment to feel grateful for it. Think what had to happen so you could see that thing today, and let yourself appreciate those things.
Keep reflecting on your day. What’s the best sound you heard all day? How did it make you feel? Take a moment to feel grateful for that, and think about how you came to hear that thing today.
Look back over your day again: What’s the best thing that happened all day? It could be anything. Sit with your gratitude for that thing. What caused that thing to happen? Take a moment to appreciate all the factors that led to this good thing happening today.
Notice how you feel now.

Find the full Three Goods Things practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/three-good-things

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Take our Gratitude Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/yc3dc53c

Why Gratitude is Good: https://tinyurl.com/fr4r2xyw

Tips for Keeping a Gratitude Journal: https://tinyurl.com/6khs9k28

Can Gratitude Help You Live More Sustainably? https://tinyurl.com/bdfws2e5

Four Great Gratitude Strategies: https://tinyurl.com/2s4h6z3f

How Gratitude Helps Your Friendships Grow: https://tinyurl.com/yc55bvw8

Cultivate more gratitude for the people you love with the Mental Subtraction of Relationships practice https://tinyurl.com/mthra2jd

How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times: https://tinyurl.com/m9jz5atd

Today’s host:

Dacher Keltner is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and a co-instructor of UC Berkeley’s course by the same name. He’s also the founding director of The Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley.

Tell us about your experiences trying this version of the Three Good Things practice by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

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Find us on Amazon Music!

The Science of a Good Night's Sleep May 12, 2022

Do you struggle with sleep? This week Drew Ackerman of Sleep with Me podcast tries tips for a good night's sleep, and we explore why it's so important to our well-being.

Episode summary:

A good night’s sleep can be hard to come by, and beating yourself up over not sleeping enough will only make it worse. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, the host of Sleep With Me podcast Drew Ackerman joins us to try science-backed tips for finding your natural sleep rhythm. Drew, also known as “Dearest Scooter,” talks about his history with insomnia and sleep anxiety, sleep hygiene, and his philosophy on bringing more self-compassion into his approach to trying to fall asleep. Then we hear from sleep scientist Eti Ben Simon about how sleep affects your social life.

Practice:

Here are four tips to help you sleep from Dr. Eti Ben Simon.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine after 2 p.m. to unmask your true biological sleep needs.
Keep lights dim in the evening and limit access to LED lights after 9 p.m.
Go to sleep as soon as you feel tired (even if you're in the middle of something). This will help you figure out the earliest window it is physiologically possible for you to fall asleep.
Do not use an alarm clock to wake up.

Try a version of this practice with the sleep tips in this article by expert Eti Ben Simon:

https://tinyurl.com/2nesff8t

Today’s guests:

Drew Ackerman You might know Drew as his alias, “Dearest Scooter*,”* the host of Sleep with Me podcast. Drew struggles with bedtime worries and has a history of insomnia himself, but he’s great at helping others sleep. Sleep with Me is one of the most listened-to sleep podcasts. On each episode, “Scooter” lulls listeners off to dreamland with meandering bedtime stories intended to lose your interest.

Listen to Sleep With Me Podcast: https://pod.link/sleep-with-me

Follow Drew on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/2p8nrhnp

Follow Drew on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearestscooter/

Follow Drew on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sleepwithmepodcast/

Eti Ben Simon is a sleep scientist and postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley, where she works at Matthew Walkers’ Center for Human Sleep Science.

Learn more about Eti and her work: https://www.sleepingeti.com/

Follow Eti on Twitter: https://twitter.com/etoosh

Follow Eti on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/328aa5yr

Resources for A Good Night’s Sleep

Psychology Today - What’s Your Sleep Type? Two forces that dictate our sleep, by Eti Ben Simon: https://tinyurl.com/2nesff8t

Matthew Walker’s 11 Tips for Improving Sleep Quality: https://tinyurl.com/2kadu7va

TED - Sleeping with Science: https://tinyurl.com/23mmbdy3

Harvard Health - 8 Tips to Get a Good Night’s Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/2p8um9z7

BBC - Why Do We Sleep? https://tinyurl.com/2p8z9v2d

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Four Surprising Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/2p832bh5

How Mindfulness Improves Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/2p8rhkhj

Your Sleep Tonight Changes How You React to Stress Tomorrow: https://tinyurl.com/2p8zvbjz

Tell us about your experiences and struggles with falling asleep by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

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Feel Better About Asking For Help Apr 28, 2022

Episode summary:

Emanuel Hahn has never been great at asking for help. He didn’t live with his parents after age 12, and consequently, he says he learned to only rely on himself. But now that he’s launching his first book and juggling a freelance career, he knows he can’t do it all on his own. He tried our Ask for Help at Work practice, which challenges you to make a direct request when you need a hand from someone.
Emanuel had to pack 800 pre-ordered books into boxes for shipping. It’s a laborious task, and he knew he couldn’t handle it all on his own. It was a Sunday, and people probably already had plans. He took a beat, and then he sent the texts out anyway. Before long, he had eight people packing books. **
**
Vanessa Bohns of Cornell University has studied exactly what Emanuel experienced: When it comes to asking for help, we underestimate how likely others are to say “yes” to our request. But when we put ourselves in the shoes of a person being asked for help, it’s hard to imagine saying “no.”

“People do get this warm glow from helping,” Bohns says. “People enjoy being helpful.”
This Happiness Practice might benefit you as much as the person you ask.

Try this week’s practice, Ask for Help at Work at GGIA.berkeley.edu

Today’s guests:

Emanuel Hahn is a freelance photographer and director in Los Angeles. He just released his first book, Koreatown Dreaming, which documents 40 small businesses in LA’s Koreatown as they weather the pandemic and encroaching gentrification. He joins us today after trying a practice where he makes a commitment to ask for help whenever he needs it.

Follow Emanuel on Twitter and Instagram.

Vanessa Bohns is an associate professor of social psychology at Cornell University and the author of the book You Have More Influence Than You Think. She did an experiment to see why it’s so hard for people to ask for help.

Follow Vanessa Bohns on Twitter.

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How Love and Connection Exist in Micro-Moments

Is Stress Making You Withdraw from People?

Try Our One-Month Pathway to Happiness Program

Tell us about your experiences and struggles with asking for help by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

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Are You Tired of Being Afraid? Apr 14, 2022

Fear is a normal part of our lives — but there are ways we can safely challenge and conquer it. Our guest tries a research-backed way to tackle a fear she's had since elementary school.

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How to Find Your Spark in Life Mar 31, 2022

Comedian Marilyn Pittman takes stock of what she really wants in life – and makes a plan to get it.

Are Your Expectations Too High? Mar 17, 2022

High expectations can lead to disappointment, but expecting the worst doesn't feel great, either. This week we explore how to find the balance.

How to Turn Grief into Strength Mar 03, 2022

Part of life is experiencing pain and loss. And sometimes, finding meaning in it. We explore a writing practice shown to help us come out stronger after difficult times.

Why You Should Snap Pictures of Nature Feb 17, 2022

A NYT restaurant critic puts down her pen and grabs her camera to capture the beauty of the outdoors.

When It's Time to Face Your Fears Feb 03, 2022

What happens when we feel compassion for the things that scare us? Shabazz Larkin shares what it's like to face some of his deepest fears.

The Case for Believing in Yourself Jan 06, 2022

What does your best possible self look like? Our guest tries a practice in optimism by imagining her brightest future.

How Gratitude Renews Us Dec 23, 2021

Feeling burned out? Our guest, a nurse, explores how cultivating gratitude helps people in high stress jobs.

What Our Photos Say About Us Dec 09, 2021

Can taking a few photos really make you happier? Afghan rocker Sulyman Qardash tries a practice to find meaning through snapping photos of daily life.

Why We Give Thanks Nov 25, 2021

Thank you. Gracias. Merci. Every language has a word for gratitude. But why do we feel it? How can we experience more of it? We revisit some of our favorite episodes about the science of gratitude.

Do You Feel Pressed for Time? Nov 11, 2021

What happens when we share our time? Our guest, chef and author Bryant Terry, pauses to be present with the ones who matter most.

Why You Should Make Small Goals Oct 28, 2021

Comedian Paula Poundstone tries to take on a messy and daunting task, one small step at a time.

Do You Want to Slow Down? Oct 14, 2021

Anna Sale, host of Death, Sex, and Money, practices awe as an antidote to her anxiety.

Can You Mend a Broken Bond? Sep 30, 2021

They were childhood best friends until one came out as queer. Now, two college students reconnect and try to see the world through one another's eyes.

100 Good Things Sep 16, 2021

For our 100th episode, host Dacher Keltner sits in the guest chair and tries one of the most popular happiness practices.

What Happens When We Play Sep 02, 2021

When was the last time you went down a slide? Our guest tries a practice to bring more play into his life and explores what that means as a Black man in the U.S.

How to Not Take People for Granted Aug 19, 2021

What would life be like without the people you care most about? Our guest tries a practice to help appreciate loved ones.

How to Tune Out the Noise Aug 05, 2021

Our guest uses her breath to find calm in some of Los Angeles' noisiest neighborhoods.

Don't be Afraid of Your Anger Jul 22, 2021

What happens when we suppress our anger? And what if we tried to work with it instead? Our guest tries a practice to harness her inner fierceness to care for herself.

How to Enjoy Life More with Michael Pollan Jul 08, 2021

Michael Pollan tries to get more out of life by temporarily giving up one of his pleasure.

How to Craft Your Life Jun 24, 2021

When the world around you changes, so can your goals. This week's guest tries a practice to tap into a new sense of purpose.

Noticing Nature in the City Jun 10, 2021

What Humans Can Learn From Trees May 27, 2021

Trees don't just compete with one another for resources, they also cooperate. Scientist and author Suzanne Simard explains the surprising science of trees.

Finding Strength through Gratitude May 13, 2021

A doctor who serves communities in dire need shares how gratitude helps him find light in the darkness.

Why Love Needs Laughter Apr 29, 2021

Focusing on funny things can reduce stress, anxiety, and make us feel more connected to others. Our guests, who were high school sweethearts, learn how humor can also strengthen relationships.

How Music Can Bridge Cultures Apr 15, 2021

Have you ever been moved by music sung in a language you don't understand? We speak with Gambian musician Sona Jobarteh about how music can connect us across cultures.

How Music Soothes Us Apr 01, 2021

What is it about certain melodies that can relax our nerves and rock us to sleep? We explore the science of calming music with pianist Rosey Chan.

David Byrne on How Music Connects Us Mar 18, 2021

Music helped former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne come out of his shell. Hear Byrne's story and learn how music creates social bonds in part one of our series, The Science of Music and Happiness.

Scheduling Time to Feel Awe(some) Mar 04, 2021

Feeling awe can boost your mood and make you feel more connected with others. Comedian Chris Duffy learns how to tap into that sense.

Why We're Drawn to Nature Feb 18, 2021

What happens when we spend time outdoors? We explore how getting out in nature can restore peace of mind—and make us more creative.

Are You Setting the Right Goals? Feb 04, 2021

Setting goals can sometimes feel like setting ourselves up for failure. But journalist Monica Campbell finds there's something magical that happens with certain kinds of goals.

Healing Through Gratitude Jan 21, 2021

A stranger helped her through the hardest day of her life. When she expresses her gratitude, our guest encounters the power of true connection.

How to Talk with Strangers Jan 07, 2021

The way we interact with people who come in and out of our lives has changed since COVID-19. Our guest tries a practice to connect with strangers while keeping a social distance.

Happy Again: How to Connect When You Must Stay Apart (Encore) Dec 24, 2020

Are you unable to be with your friends and family during the holiday season this year? These 36 questions can bring you closer to loved ones, even if you're separated.

Are You Listening to Your Elders? Dec 10, 2020

Connecting across generations is one of the oldest happiness practices there is. We explore why to honor your elders, along with other practices from indigenous cultures often overlooked by Western science.

How to Make Better Decisions Nov 26, 2020

Can practicing mindfulness make us wiser? Judge Jeremy Fogel explores how being present in the moment helps him keep a clear mind and stay connected to his true values.

How to Give Up a Grudge Nov 12, 2020

What does it really take to forgive someone? And why should we do it? Our guest, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, tries a practice to let go of anger.

Why Voting Connects Us Oct 29, 2020

Why do we vote? We explore the science behind what drives us to the polls, and the benefits we reap for ourselves and communities when we cast our ballots.

How to Ride With the Pain Oct 22, 2020

It's easy to be anxious and uncertain about the future—especially if you're eight months pregnant. Our guest tries practices to help her deal with whatever life throws her way.

If You Want to Be More Productive, Cut Yourself Some Slack Oct 08, 2020

Feeling hard on yourself? Pinterest co-founder Evan Sharp learns to quiet his inner critic and tap into his highest potential.

A Cure for Loneliness Sep 24, 2020

Feeling lonely? Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy learns why focusing on the quality of our relationships, not the quantity, can be an antidote.

24 Hours of Kindness Aug 27, 2020

Why should you be nice? Our guest explores how small, daily acts of kindness can produce meaningful life changes.

How to Switch Off Your Critics Aug 13, 2020

Do you obsess over negative feedback? Shereen Marisol Meraji, of NPR’s Code Switch, tries a better way to cope.

How to Reconnect with Your Partner Jul 30, 2020

A couple try a practice to bring more excitement and passion into their relationship, even while sheltering-in-place.

Do You Want to Be More Patient? Jul 16, 2020

We can be at our worst with the people we love best. Our guests try ways to be more calm and present with those closest to them.

How to Love People You Don't Like Jul 02, 2020

Our guest tries a practice to help her feel compassion toward others — even those she disagrees with.

What's Your "Why" in Life? Jun 18, 2020

Adrian Michael Green asks big questions designed to help teens — and adults — find more meaning and purpose in their lives.

From Othering to Belonging Jun 11, 2020

We speak with john a. powell, director of the Othering & Belonging Institute, about racial justice, well-being, and widening our circles of human connection and concern.

Taking Small Steps Toward Big Goals Jun 04, 2020

When our world is turned upside down, how do we keep moving forward? Our guest, award-winning author Christine Day, sets a new path for herself.

How to Connect When You Must Stay Apart May 21, 2020

Do you want to be famous? What's a favorite memory? These 36 questions can bring you closer to loved ones, even if you're separated.

Give Yourself a Break May 07, 2020

Want to calm your inner critic? Our guest tries a practice to find more self-compassion during uncertain times.

Helping Kids Think About the Good Apr 23, 2020

Sheltering-at-home with kids? These questions can help them, and us, focus on the good things in life.

Remembering to Breathe Apr 09, 2020

How a doctor stays calm and centered during times of uncertainty, one breath at a time.

Staying Close While Physical Distancing Mar 26, 2020

Our guest tries a practice to feel more connected to loved ones, and herself, while sheltering at home.

Who Would You Be Without Them? Mar 12, 2020

Think of an important person in your life. Now imagine you never met. Our guest practices counting his blessings by picturing his life without a special person from his past.

Step Away from Anxiety Feb 27, 2020

Do you have a hard time calming your nerves? Author Raina Telgemeier tries a practice to get out of her head, one step at a time.

Who Is Your Rock? Feb 13, 2020

He survived the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, two years ago and has been a student mental health advocate ever since. Now Kai Koerber finds a way to thank the person who helped him find his voice.

What Does It Take To Really Listen To Someone? Jan 30, 2020

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 listen to others.

Why Shared Goals Can Bridge Divides Jan 16, 2020

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 teams.

How To Make Time for Happiness Jan 02, 2020

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.

How To Get Your Senses Tingling Dec 19, 2019

There are millions of YouTube channels with people crinkling bubble wrap or whispering about folding laundry. Our guests talks about why autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) makes her, and many others, feel more calm and happy.

How To Be Less Hard on Yourself Dec 05, 2019

Do you beat yourself up over every mistake? A high school senior tries to be kinder to himself during an especially stressful time.

Happy Again: How to Notice What You're Thankful For (Encore) Nov 28, 2019

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.

Can You Find Wonder in the Ordinary? Nov 21, 2019

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.

How To Get Your Priorities Straight Nov 07, 2019

It's easy to lose sight of what matters most. Our guest finds a way to reconnect with her values during stressful times.

Does Your Doctor Listen to You? Oct 24, 2019

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 his patients, co-workers, and family.

Finding Beauty in the Everyday Oct 10, 2019

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 you just pay attention.

How to Find Your Silver Linings Sep 26, 2019

Do you fixate on what's going wrong in your life? Poet and "recovering pessimist" Maggie Smith practices looking on the bright side.

Can Margaret Cho Get Any Better? Sep 12, 2019

She's one of the most accomplished comedians of her generation. But Margaret Cho wants to find a different kind of happiness.

Can You Humanize a Zombie? Aug 29, 2019

Should we try to find common ground with the villains in our lives? Comedian Zahra Noorbahksh tries to understand a "zombie" from her past.

Making Kindness Contagious Aug 15, 2019

We gave our Happiness Guinea Pig a mission: Do five random acts of kindness in one day.

Facing Your Fears Aug 01, 2019

Heights. Public speaking. Death. Our Happiness Guinea Pig explains how she overcomes her fears, one small step at a time.

How Michael Lewis Finds the Funny Jul 18, 2019

How can you unearth humor in everyday life? Best-selling author Michael Lewis goes looking for laughs.

How to Keep Love Alive Jul 04, 2019

After more than a decade together, our Happiness Guinea Pig tries to bring the spark back into her marriage.

Who Makes You Feel Connected? Jun 20, 2019

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 practice: Feeling Connected

A Better Way to Talk to Yourself Jun 06, 2019

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.

What to Do When You Feel Like a Failure Apr 11, 2019

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 self-critic in her head.

Delight in the Unexpected Apr 04, 2019

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.

~ Try one of UC Berkeley's Greater Good in Action happiness practices.

How To Let Go of Anger Mar 28, 2019

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 up a grudge.

What Are Your Strongest Reminders of Connection? Mar 21, 2019

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 kindness.

Do You Know How to Eat a Raisin? Mar 14, 2019

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 from his over-scheduled lifestyle.

Try this week’s happiness practice: Raisin Meditation

Finding Awe in Every Step Mar 07, 2019

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 happiness practice: Awe Walk

Finding Your Strengths Feb 28, 2019

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 practice: Use Your Strengths

Trying Compassion on Capitol Hill Feb 21, 2019

Can you extend compassion toward a difficult person in your life? Congressman Tim Ryan tries a practice to help him reach across the aisle.

A Lesson in Thanks and Vulnerability Feb 14, 2019

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 students to express gratitude.

Notice the Good in Your Life Feb 07, 2019

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 episodes happiness practice: Three Good Things

The Power of Expressing Your Deepest Emotions Dec 20, 2018

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 about his emotions.

Who's Got Your Back? Dec 13, 2018

How do you build feelings of trust and security? Our Happiness Guinea Pig learns some truths about what it takes to feel supported.

Being Kinder to Yourself Dec 06, 2018

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.

W. Kamau Bell’s Thoughts on Awkward Relationships and Bridging Divides Nov 29, 2018

Comedian W. Kamau Bell discusses the challenges of finding common ground, even with people in your own family.

Find That Inner Calm Nov 22, 2018

International megastar Daniel Wu tries a practice that brings him calm amidst the chaos.

These Words Cause Happiness Nov 15, 2018

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 spread happiness across her campus, equipped with just her iPhone and some compliments.

A Simple Recipe for Happiness Nov 08, 2018

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 meaning for her after a recent tragedy.

Can’t Relax? This Will Help Nov 01, 2018

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 healthier.

How to Make a Real Apology Oct 25, 2018

"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 Book podcast, try a more effective way of saying sorry.

How to Deal with Uncertainty Oct 18, 2018

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 challenges and chaos of life.

BONUS: The Science of Happiness at Work Oct 11, 2018

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 workplace.

What if You Had Never Met? Aug 09, 2018

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.

Give Yourself Some Distance Aug 02, 2018

Are you stuck ruminating about the past? Legendary skater Tommy Guerrero tries looking at negative events from a different perspective.

Listen Like It's Your First Date Jul 26, 2018

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 trades in her technology for some old school listening.

Why You Shouldn't Hate Small Talk Jul 19, 2018

Many of us avoid chatting with strangers – isn't small talk tedious and dull? Listen as our happiness guinea pig discovers its surprising benefits.

How to Change Your Mind Jul 12, 2018

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 About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence.

How to Find Your Purpose in Life Jul 05, 2018

Did you know what you wanted when you were in high school? Our teen guinea pig takes on the challenge of figuring out her purpose in life.

What Are You Afraid Of? Jun 28, 2018

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 to talk about it.

How to Forgive Your Father Jun 21, 2018

Holding on to a grudge? Hear how our happiness guinea pig tried to let go of deep-seated anger and resentment.

Feeling Angry? Try This Jun 14, 2018

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 percent happier.

Let People Help You Jun 07, 2018

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 you for your emails, calls, and letters! We think your stories will inspire others and we’ll be sharing some of them on the show. So call us at (510) 519-4903 and let us know how doing the Feeling Supported practice went for you!

Support for this podcast comes from Sun Basket. We all know that every part of our life is enhanced when we eat nourishing, healthy meals but always eating right can be hard to do. Sun Basket makes it easy. Go to SunBasket.com/SOH today to learn more and get $35 off your first order!

Is There Someone You Need to Thank? Apr 02, 2018

Is there someone important you've never properly thanked? Award-winning children's book author, Yuyi Morales, discovers the power of writing a "gratitude letter" to the librarian who changed her life.

Can You Predict What Will Make You Happy? Mar 26, 2018

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 about her “month of madness” in the bestselling book Brain on Fire helped her reclaim her life.

Find Your Best Possible Self Mar 19, 2018

Does imagining your future make you more happy--or more anxious? Our happiness guinea pig looks ahead for inspiration to improve her life now.

How Gratitude Benefits Your Brain Mar 12, 2018

Can you train your brain to be more grateful? Todd Zwillich of The Takeaway takes on the challenge.

Krista Tippett on Being Grounded in Your Body Mar 05, 2018

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 body.

Why a Walk Works Wonders Feb 26, 2018

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 savored the good in his life.

3 Funny Things Feb 19, 2018

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 into his life.

How to Fall in Love with Anyone Feb 12, 2018

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. Plus, we learn how the same technique can actually reduce racism and prejudice.

Quieting Your Inner Critic Feb 05, 2018

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 inner critic.

3 Good Things Feb 05, 2018

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.

The Science of Happiness Trailer Jan 23, 2018

What does it take to live a happier life? Learn research-tested strategies that you can put into practice today. Hosted by award-winning psychologist Dacher Keltner. Co-produced by PRX and UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.

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