The Science of Happiness

Try a practice in accepting difficult feelings like anger or irritation to help keep your cool, feel better overall, and find calm with contemplative social scientist Eve Ekman.  How To Do This Practice: Settle with your breath: Take a few slow, deep breaths, lengthening your spine as you inhale and relaxing your face and body as you exhale. Notice your body: Scan your body with curiosity and obse...

Choosing joy over guilt and shame can make climate-friendly habits easier to sustain while improving your own well-being along the way. Summary: Fear may grab our attention, but research suggests joy is what helps us make meaningful, sustainable climate choices. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, discover how small shifts can have a big impact. Scientists Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao...

Indigenous artist Dr. Lyla June Johnston leads a 5-minute freewriting exercise about our personal journeys. Autobiographical writing has been shown to help do better in relationships and feel more satisfied in life. How to Do This Practice: Ground yourself: Sit in a comfortable position and take a few slow breaths. Notice the inhale and exhale without trying to change anything. Let your attention...

What can a singing bird, a neighborhood walk, and a pair of puppet adventurers teach us about awe? Sit down with Wowsabout! creators Dorien Davies and Halle Stanford to discuss helping kids—and grownups—find wonder wherever they are. Summary: Kids may be natural wonder-seekers, but how do we help them hold onto that sense of awe as they grow up? On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we talk...

Take less than 10 minutes to write yourself a letter of care, compassion, and encouragement with psychologist Kristin Neff in this research-backed practice. How To Do This Practice: Choose an area of self-judgment: Think of one aspect of yourself that makes you feel inadequate, stressed, or not quite good enough. Name what you're feeling: Write a few sentences about the situation and the emotions...

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. Intention to Treat: The Race Equation is a new series from the New England Journal of Medicine, investigates how race-specific diagnostic tools harm Black patients and contribute to growing health inequities. Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/36bne7hd

Across school campuses and communities, students and educators are discovering how listening, curiosity, and everyday conversations can open pathways across differences and help restore a sense of shared humanity. Summary: How do we learn to truly communicate with people who are deeply different than us? In this episode of The Science of Happiness , we follow students and educators practicing the...

Trouble sitting still? Learn to practice meditating by simply walking in this practice guided by 10% Happier host Dan Harris. How To Do This Practice: Start walking at a comfortable pace in a place where you can move without rushing. Notice your body moving by paying attention to your feet, legs, and arms as you walk. Tune into your senses by observing sounds, sights, temperature, and other detail...

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. Summary: In this episode of The Science of Happiness , bestselling graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier reflects on growing up with anxiety, panic attacks, and emetophobia—the fear of throwing up—and shares how transforming those experiences into stories helped her feel le...

What happens when you linger and look closely at a piece of art? Nathalie Ryan, an educator from the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., guides us through a slow looking practice shown to help deepen your sense of awe, presence, and connection. How To Do This Practice: Choose an image to focus on: Pick a piece of art, photograph, postcard, or even a recent photo from your phone that captur...

What happens when we slow down enough to really experience art? We visit a museum to discover how slow looking at art can cultivate awe, empathy, and a greater sense of connection in a distracted world. Summary: Art has the power to move us emotionally, physically, and socially—but only if we take the time to truly engage with it. As part of our Cities of Awe series, this episode of The Science of...

Take a few minutes to reflect on someone who inspires you, and how you can embody the values you admire in them. How To Do This Practice:  Arrive and Settle: Find a quiet place to sit or stand. Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze. Take a few slow, steady breaths, allowing your body to relax and the noise of the day to quiet. Call to Mind Someone Who Inspires You: Think of a person whose cha...

Noticing the history and beauty around us can shift how we see ourselves—and our communities. An awe walk through Harlem reveals how the stories embedded in public spaces can spark connection, perspective, and a sense of what’s possible. Summary: Cities are full of quiet moments of wonder—if we know how to notice them. In this episode of The Science of Happiness we explore the science of awe while...

In this gentle practice, psychologist Kristin Neff helps us extend loving kindness inward, offering ourselves the same care and goodwill we naturally give to others. How To Do This Practice: Settle into your body: Sit comfortably, close your eyes if you’d like, and take a few natural breaths while noticing the weight of your body in the chair and your feet on the floor. Bring to mind someone you l...

A simple experiment turning a parking space into a parklet reveals how small changes to public spaces can spark connection, belonging, and awe.  Summary: What if even the smallest changes to our cities could transform how we feel and connect? In this episode of The Science of Happiness , we visit the site of San Francisco’s first parklet, and explore how reclaiming everyday spaces can invite peopl...

Through poetic reflection, Yrsa Daley-Ward helps us embrace the in-between moments, reminding us that the unknown can be the very terrain where real change begins. Settle into Stillness: Find a quiet space, get comfortable, and take a few slow breaths to arrive in the moment. Acknowledge the Unknown: Gently notice and name any uncertainty, confusion, or emotional fog you’re feeling without needing...

What happens in your brain when you read or write a poem? We listen to powerful poetry from you, our listeners, and uncover the neuroscience of why it helps us feel, process, and recover. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.  Today’s Happiness Break Guest: SUSAN MAGSAMEN is a Neurology professor at John Hopkins, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Y our Brain On Art: How the A...

From a worker-owned restaurant in Oakland to a nonprofit built on shared leadership, we explore how collective work models can help people feel heard, valued, and more invested in their work. Summary: In this episode of The Science of Happiness , we examine how people can build cultures of care, accountability, and belonging together. Through stories from a worker-owned restaurant and insights fro...

Does your to-do list feel endless? Try this short, guided practice to help you reflect, reconnect, and release the pressure to do it all perfectly. How To Do This Practice: Find a Comfortable Posture: Sit or stand tall with a sense of dignity, grounded, yet relaxed. Take Three Cleansing Breaths: Inhale twice through the nose, then exhale slowly through the mouth. Repeat this three times to settle...

Explore the neuroscience behind musical improvisation—and what it reveals about our natural capacity for creativity. Summary: Creativity may be more natural than we think. Research on musicians and children improvising at the piano suggests that improvisation can quiet the brain’s inner critic while engaging networks linked to exploration, play, and reward. In this episode of The Science of Happin...

Having a curious approach to life can improve our mood, creativity and relationships. Scott Shigeoka leads a visualization exercise to help you approach someone you might disagree with with an open and curious mind. How To Do This Practice: Ground Yourself: Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take three slow, deep breaths, noticing the sensation of each inhale and exhale. Let your body begin to...

Finding ways to bend tasks toward your strengths and passions can make you happier, more productive and find more meaning in your life—no matter your job. Summary: On this episode of The Science of Happiness , we explore a research-backed practice in Job Crafting, where you take stock of the tasks that fill your day, how much time and energy they require, what really lights you up, and what change...

Research shows that reflecting on our shared humanity can increase self-compassion and life satisfaction while reducing feelings of isolation. In this practice, Dacher Keltner guides us to look beneath our differences and connect with the qualities that make us human together. This guided exercise draws on a meditation by Sean Fargo, a mindfulness teacher and former Buddhist monk. How To Do This P...

Guest host Geena Davis guides us through the research on love that stretches beyond romance and friendship, showing up in our bonds with objects, nature, grief, and the collective moments that connect us to something larger than ourselves. Summary: In this final episode of our 3-part series on The Science of Love, researchers reveal how love expands our sense of self and strengthens our bond to hu...

Guest host Geena Davis helps us explore how the love we feel —for our partners, friends, family, even our four legged companions—shapes our brains, bodies, and lives. Summary: On this episode of The Science of Love with Geena Davis, we delve into the many forms of love, and experts share research on how small daily actions, physical touch, and emotional attentiveness strengthen relationships, whil...