The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
Episodes
How to Make America's Young People Happier Again
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The US is sliding down the world happiness rankings - but it's the unhappiness of young people that's really dragging down the average. What has happe...
Can Happiness Ward Off Dementia?
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Age is the main risk factor for cognitive decline. So with more people around the world living longer, cases of dementia are set to rise. There's curr...
What Can We Learn From the Happiest Country on Earth?
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are certain nations which always top the rankings in the World Happiness Report. What are they doing right, that other countries are getting wro...
Pushkin Hosts Celebrate World Happiness Day
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Happiness Lab’s Dr. Laurie Santos brings together other Pushkin hosts to mark the International Day of Happiness. Revisionist History’s Malcol...
The Happiness of Subtraction
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We often think adding more things to our lives will make us happier - more trips, more activities, more possessions. Sadly our minds find it hard to c...
Why the "Good Enough" Relationship Beats the "Perfect Partner"
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fairy tales and Hollywood rom coms have taught us to expect perfection from a soul mate, but sex and relationships therapist Todd Baratz says we need ...
A Supercommunicator's Guide to Love and Dating
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some people ask searching questions and then really listen to the replies. These so-called supercommunicators make great romantic partners, so can any...
Can Couples Learn to Argue Better?
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
No matter how much you love your partner, your relationship will never be totally free from disagreement. And nor should it be, say researchers Dr Joh...
Love Lessons from the "Masters of Relationships"
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some people are just good at building and maintaining healthy partnerships. In their 'Love Lab", the married researchers Dr John Gottman and Dr Julie ...
The Sweet Smell of Happiness
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Does happiness have a scent? Dr Laurie has been trying to remove the bad smells in her life and bring in more fragrances that enhance her wellbeing. B...
How Getting Active Can Make You Happier
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Busy scientist Adam Aron had too much on his plate to think deeply about climate change - until he read a scary report about what lay in store for the...
Being Green Doesn't Mean Sacrificing Fun... or Cutting Out Meat
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We often think of fighting climate change as a drain on our happiness - it'll mean sacrificing the things we love, like air travel or eating hamburger...
Why our Brains Don't Fear Climate Change Enough
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Humans are great at reacting to mortal danger... but only sometimes. Unfortunately, some risks to our safety and wellbeing don't set off alarm bells i...
When Stalin Killed the Weekend - A Happiness Lab/Cautionary Tales Crossover
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Time off work is vital for your happiness. So what would you do if you couldn't take the same rest day as your family and friends? Would you quit your...
Build The Life You Want from Oprah's Super Soul
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Enjoy this episode of another show you might like: the Build the Life You Want Super Soul Podcast. Oprah and Arthur Brooks offer listeners a better un...
Is There a Gen Z Happiness Crisis? Dr Laurie Meets the US Surgeon General
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have we created a culture where young people prioritize good grades, social media likes and constant hustling over the important wellbeing pillars of ...
How Eating Got Complicated
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For our ancient ancestors food was just another thing they needed to survive - like sleep, shelter or warmth. But in the modern world, food has become...
Awe and Psychedelics with Michael Pollan
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Laurie's former student and friend, Dr. Maya Shankar, has a Pushkin podcast we love called A Slight Change of Plans. If you like The Happiness Lab, th...
Giving Away Cash Makes You Happy... and Transforms Lives
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
YOU can boost your happiness and transform the lives of people in one African village with a cash gift by going to givedirectly.org/happiness Giving...
Make America Happy Again
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're distrustful, unequal and isolated. That's according to the figures showing a decline in happy community feeling since the 1960s. But can we do a...
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cheers was a sitcom hit in the 80s thanks to a theme tune promising that the fictional bar was a place "where everybody knows you name". Venues like p...
Don't Make Friends Where You Make Your Money?
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Work and friendship don't mix, thought Katherine Hu. A recent graduate, she found it harder to form bonds with colleagues than she'd expected. But the...
Ask for Help... and Spread Happiness
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jia Jiang dreamed of being the next Bill Gates... but an entrepreneur needs the courage and confidence to ask for help. Jia was terrified of rejection...
The Introvert's Guide to Extroversion
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica Pan hated social gatherings - she cried when her friends threw her a surprise birthday party, and was even too scared to give a speech at her ...
Text a Friend... Right Now!
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When did you last check in on a friend? Maybe the last time you did, their reply was terse or non-existent. Perhaps months or years have passed and yo...
How to Make Friends and Compliment People
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Connecting with people is a sure-fire way to be happier - and you can quickly build relationships with friends and strangers alike just by giving them...
Grover’s Super Solution to Self-Talk
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's not always easy being a podcast host. Dr Laurie is stressed, making mistakes and blaming herself. When things go wrong, we're often our own harsh...
Big Bird Has Big Feelings
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You don't need to be 8 feet tall like Big Bird to have big, big feelings. We all experience emotions of excitement, frustration and sadness that feel ...
Dr Laurie and Sesame Street: Abby Cadabby and the Magic of Gratitude
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's never too early or too late to learn how to be happier. Whether you're aged 3, 23 or 103, we've teamed up with our furry friends from Sesame Stre...
Build the Life You Want... Advice from Arthur Brooks and Oprah
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Oprah Winfrey and Arthur Brooks want you to be happier - so the TV megastar and the Harvard academic teamed up to write a book setting out the steps y...
Laurie Has Fun... Part 2 ICYMI
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Am I a fun person? That was the question listener Natalie Robinson was asking herself. The answer was sobering. Natalie felt fun was being squeezed ou...
Laurie Has Fun... Part 1 ICYMI
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Natalie Robinson was worried she and her fellow running club members weren't having enough fun - life was just getting in the way. But what c...
'Do We Even Have Fun Anymore?' A Listener's Story of Funterventions
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Natalie Robinson used to have fun - taking her kids to the zoo or the waterpark - but recently life started getting in the way of her being playful an...
The Unhappy Millionaire ICYMI
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Recovering from a car crash that smashed her face, listener Rebecca Kaduru stumbled across an episode of The Happiness Lab in which we interviewed wou...
'I Woke up in an Ambulance Stuck in Traffic.' : A Listener's Story of Recovery
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rebecca Kaduru was driving home... then woke up in an ambulance. She'd been in involved in an accident and her face was smashed. Living in Uganda, she...
Ask Us Anything! Laurie and Gretchen Take Your Questions (Live from Toronto)
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when you enter "survival mode"? How can you become better at forging social connections? Can you be happy in a sad world? Happiness exp...
With Elmo's Help... It's Never Too Early to Learn About Happiness
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Not matter if you're aged three or 103, you can learn to be happier using pretty much the same strategies. Sesame Workshop and its furry friends have ...
Can Spiritual Experiences and Psychedelics Make us Happy? (LIVE from DC)
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More than a third of us admit to having had a spiritual experience. We might have been profoundly moved by a sunset or a painting; or felt that we've ...
Why We're Mean to Our Future Selves (LIVE from Boston)
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who do we volunteer to run a gruelling half-marathon? Who do we expect to give up sugar, or quit drinking? Who do we demand clears out the garage in t...
The Man Who Invented Happiness Science: Marty Seligman
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Marty Seligman started his long scientific career, psychologists concentrated on studying "misery and suffering" and what made people sad. But Ma...
Smell, Taste and Touch: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin was warned that her eyesight was in peril. It shocked her into realising she'd taken all of her five senses for grante...
Sight and Sound: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are you seeing what you look at? Or tuning in to the noises all around you? We take our senses for granted - particularly when it comes to the sights ...
Do We Need a New Word for 'Happiness'? Katie Couric talks to Dr Laurie Santos
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Laurie swaps seats in the studio to be interviewed by none other than Katie Couric. In this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Laurie's asked...
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Sikhism and Daily Habits
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Following 9/11, Simran Jeet Singh's Sikh family in Texas was subjected to extreme racist abuse. And yet, Simran's father chose to look on the bright s...
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Sikhism and How We're All Connected
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Educator and author Simran Jeet Singh is Sikh. Most of his fellow Americans have no idea what Sikhism is - causing some to treat Simran with suspicion...
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Yoga of the Mind
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We often think of yoga as a physical exercise - but a centuries-old Sanskrit text, The Yoga Sutras, share teachings intended to improve both the body ...
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Trauma of Troy
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Virgil's epic poem, The Aeneid, few Trojans survive the destruction of their city at the hands of their Greek enemies. A prince, Aeneas, leads a ba...
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Anger of Achilles
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Achilles has anger issues. The great Greek warrior sits out most of the Trojan War because he's angrily sulking. When he finally enters battle, he doe...
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Aristotle and Plato ICYMI
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Greek thinker Socrates was put to death for encouraging his students to question everything - from their own beliefs to the laws and customs of At...
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Socrates and Self-Knowledge
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Question everything... that's a key insight from the great Greek philosopher Socrates. We may think we know ourselves and what makes us happy... but t...
The Happiness of Silence
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're surrounded by noise. That "noise" can be actual sounds - but also other annoyances and distractions that make it hard for us to concentrate or t...
Stop Looking for the Perfect Job - a "Good Enough Job" is Just Fine
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We can put huge amounts of physical and emotional energy into our jobs - even basing our self-worth on our achievements at work and letting ourselves ...
A Daily Workout to Tackle Nagging Self-Criticism
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lots of us hit the gym in January to get fit - but should we also be exercising our minds in preparation for tough times? A daily "self-talk workout" ...
How to Eat Intuitively
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone has a view about what you should eat and how much. We're so bombarded with fad diets, fasting plans and nutritional advice that we can bounce...
Stop Endlessly Chasing the "Next Big Thing"
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're often looking into the future... hunting for the "next big thing". That could be an exciting new job or a new relationship. We can get so fixate...
Coming Jan 2: Let Your Inner Voice be Heard in 2023
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At the start of a new year there are plenty of voices telling us to get fit; go on a diet; or supercharge our careers. This advice might be well-inten...
Giving Tuesday: Why Giving Money to Others Makes us Happier
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Money can buy you happiness - but not in the way we think. Giving money away - especially to help others - has been shown make us happier than spendin...
Happier Parents, Happier Kids Pt 2: Letting Children Try and Fail
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's tempting to tie a child's shoe lace, tidy their rooms or help with their science projects - to see that these tasks are done right - but parents ...
Happier Parents, Happier Kids Pt 1: Your Child Isn't a VIP or a Fragile Vase
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rosy had a packed schedule of lunches, meet-ups and activities - and she was only three. Mom Michaeleen Doucleff felt she couldn't waste a second of...
Hulking Out! Why You Change When You're Angry
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When mild-mannered David Banner gets mad he transforms into the raging Incredible Hulk. Dr Laurie Santos loves this comic book tale - because it refle...
You Only Live Once... So Commit
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
YOLO seems like the perfect rock 'n' roll philosophy. You only live once... so do whatever seems right in the moment. Be spontaneous. Quit your job; f...
The Fun of Eating a Pepper Hotter Than the Sun
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is nothing hotter than Puckerbutt Farm’s Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce... and author Leigh Cowart gargles it for FUN!!! Why do we sometimes get a ...
From Revisionist History: The Starvation Experiment
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re sharing a bonus episode from another Pushkin podcast, Revisionist History. Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast about things mi...
Why Living Without Regret is a Bad Idea
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Regret sucks. Thinking back on things we should have done, or should never have done, can make us feel bad. But #noregrets isn't a philosophy for a ha...
The Handbook for Sonic Happiness - A Twenty Thousand Hertz/Happiness Lab Mash-up
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some sounds bring happy memories flooding back. Other sounds put us on edge; drive us to distraction; or cause us considerable distress. Sound matters...
Move to Your Happy Place
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
People who live in some places are happier than others. But if you move to a happy country, happy city or happy district, will it make you feel better...
Nerd Out! The Happiness of Being a Fan
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Really love a TV show; a boyband; a sci fi movie; or a celebrity? We're often too embarrassed to admit adoring some things for fear that we'll be seen...
The Secret to Making Friends as an Adult
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Loneliness is a far more common and far more serious problem than we think. It affects one in five Americans, and takes a toll on our bodies and minds...
The Joy of Star Trek, The Grateful Dead and Hot Sauce: The Happiness Lab Returns September 6
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Happiness can be found in unusual places. Dr Laurie Santos returns with a new season that takes us to the fun frontiers of fandom with Star Trek's Wes...
Q: "What Did the Pandemic Teach Us About Happiness?"
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Covid brought disruption and despair... but it also caused many of us to think about our lives and what is most important to us. Listener Dr Amy Coman...
Q: "How Do I Stop Negative Self-talk?"
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It can speak to us in the middle of a work project, the middle of a date, or the middle of the night. The critical voice in our head telling us we're ...
Q: "Can You Be Happy Alone?"
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since Covid hit, many of us have seen fewer people and experienced more loneliness. Listener Ivana Cole wants to know what we can do to reconnect and ...
Q: "Are We Born to Work? Or Born to Live?"
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Niki Walker has a question... in our busy, career-driven, money-oriented live, are we forgetting to make time for more important things? In...
Malala on Burnout, Guilt and How to Disagree Better
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nobel Peace Prize winners feel burnout too. Malala Yousafzai - who survived an assassination attempted by the Taliban - works tirelessly so that more ...
Laurie Answers Your Happiness Questions - Coming July 11
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What would you ask a wellbeing expert? Dr Laurie Santos is back with a special season of The Happiness Lab fielding listener questions about work, rel...
Burnout and How to Avoid It
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you dread getting out of bed in the morning; if you are bad tempered with co-workers, clients or customers; if you leave work feeling an exhaustion...
Fighting that "Meh" Feeling of Languishing
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Psychologist and writer Adam Grant used every second of his day to the fullest... until he was struck by feelings of emptiness and stagnation. His sle...
When Guilt is Good... and When it's Not
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you've done something wrong, feelings of guilt can prompt us to apologise, make amends and change our ways. But many of us also feel guilty with li...
Embracing Sadness in the Pursuit of Happiness
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We react to sadness in a variety of unhelpful ways. We try to suppress it. We experience guilt over it and apologise to the people around us for feeli...
How to be Angry Better
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Anger is a powerful signal that you or someone you value is in danger. But in our normal lives the sensations of rage we experience are false alarms -...
Stepping Off the Path of Anxiety
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many of the most painful or troubling emotions we experience are reactions to events that have actually happened - but one powerful and sometimes para...
The Paradox of Grief
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us don't like to think about death - and when we experience a bereavement we're often not prepared for the pain or willing to confront all the...
The Eight Pillars of Grieving
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Grief is a simple enough word, but the emotional journey it describes is chaotic, messy and unique to each person. Psychotherapist and bereavement exp...
How to Identify Your Negative Emotions
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We need to pay attention to our negative feelings - since they are telling us important things which we should address if we are to be happier in 2022...
Emotions Are Data...So Listen to Them
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Uncomfortable emotions such as anger, guilt or loneliness are like the guiding beam of a lighthouse - they warn you of dangers ahead and help you navi...
Reset Your Relationship With Negative Emotions in 2022
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Happiness Lab returns on Jan 3 to help you take a fresh, new year look at the emotions that make us sad, angry or uncomfortable. We often either i...
How to Give More Effectively
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We all want to do good - and doing good can make us feel good - but we often don't make the most effective choices when we do things like donate money...
How to Adopt a Growth Mindset
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If we decide that we can't get better at things, or that our ideas and personality traits are fixed... then we hinder our ability to change and improv...
The Happiness Lab Presents: Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Presenting: An Excerpt from Miracle And Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon by Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam. Download the audiobook today at ...
How to be Happier at Work (with Dan Harris)
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Harris was working seven days a week - and knew something had to give. He reluctantly left his ABC News job to concentrate on the Ten Percent Happ...
How to Feel More Empathy (With the Host of Bad Women: The Ripper Retold)
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When bad things happen to people - illness, accident or crime - our brains fool us into believing the victims must have done something to deserve thei...
An 80s nostalgia-fest with Molly Ringwald and Rob Lowe
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our recent episode about happiness and nostalgia prompted a lot of listener feedback. Since people seemed to really enjoy our chat with 80s star Rob L...
Laurie Gets a Fun-tervention (Part Two: Beach Party)
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Laurie Santos doesn't have so much fun these days - which is really bad for her health and wellbeing. So Catherine Price (author of The Power of Fu...
Laurie Gets a Fun-tervention (Part One)
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Pan was her childhood hero, but Dr Laurie Santos woke up one day and realised she'd broken the cardinal rule of Neverland - she'd grown up and s...
How to Handle Change
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Change is the only certainty in life. We may desperately want to change ourselves and our surroundings, or we may fear the disruption and distress som...
The Kindness of Strangers
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When Kitty Genovese was murdered, her family and the wider world was told that bystanders watched, but did nothing to intervene. Psychologists tried t...
You Can’t Always Want What You Like
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We might love gruelling hikes, trips to see far-flung relatives or super hard crossword puzzles, but often we lack the motivation needed to embark on ...
Let Slip the Dogs of More Happiness
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Companion pets - especially dogs - are credited with making our lives richer and more fun, but does the science back up this belief? Dr Laurie Santos ...
Treating the Pain of a Broken Heart
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Being shunned by a lover, a school or an employer hurts - but we're only just beginning to understand how real this pain is and what steps we can take...
Why Nostalgia Ain't So Rosy
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Rob Lowe LOVES the 1980s. And who can blame him? He was one of the most famous men on the planet. But, as he tells Dr Laurie Santos, he's carefu...