PRX and Greater Good Science Center

The Science of Happiness

Science EN ↓ 343 episodes

Learn research-tested strategies for a happier, more meaningful life, drawing on the science of compassion, gratitude, mindfulness, and awe. Hosted by award-winning psychologist Dacher Keltner. Co-produced by PRX and UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. Follow us on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Author

PRX and Greater Good Science Center

Category

Science

Podcast website

greatergood.berkeley.edu

Latest episode

Jul 9, 2026

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Episodes

Give Yourself a Break 07.05.2020

Want to calm your inner critic? Our guest tries a practice to find more self-compassion during uncertain times. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc63cckh

Helping Kids Think About the Good 23.04.2020

Sheltering-at-home with kids? These questions can help them, and us, focus on the good things in life. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yvbp9zf7

Remembering to Breathe 09.04.2020

How a doctor stays calm and centered during times of uncertainty, one breath at a time. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3fjn655n

Staying Close While Physical Distancing 26.03.2020

Our guest tries a practice to feel more connected to loved ones, and herself, while sheltering at home. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/53d7c5jx

Who Would You Be Without Them? 12.03.2020

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. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5y9x2rz

Step Away from Anxiety 27.02.2020

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. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/d42v3ywd

Who Is Your Rock? 13.02.2020

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. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mrfakhm3

What Does It Take To Really Listen To Someone? 30.01.2020

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. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/nhfvv54t

Why Shared Goals Can Bridge Divides 16.01.2020

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. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ef83kvf2

How To Make Time for Happiness 02.01.2020

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. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/nh9nn3m5

How To Get Your Senses Tingling 19.12.2019

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. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3t4nnp6m

How To Be Less Hard on Yourself 05.12.2019

Do you beat yourself up over every mistake? A high school senior tries to be kinder to himself during an especially stressful time. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yrbcmj37

Happy Again: How to Notice What You're Thankful For (Encore) 28.11.2019

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. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2p8k3m6h

Can You Find Wonder in the Ordinary? 21.11.2019

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. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/388cpjer

How To Get Your Priorities Straight 07.11.2019

It's easy to lose sight of what matters most. Our guest finds a way to reconnect with her values during stressful times. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/55hmf3mm

Does Your Doctor Listen to You? 24.10.2019

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. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5n8h4vxs

Finding Beauty in the Everyday 10.10.2019

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. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2w2ht55h

How to Find Your Silver Linings 26.09.2019

Do you fixate on what's going wrong in your life? Poet and "recovering pessimist" Maggie Smith practices looking on the bright side. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5n8cy7fk

Can Margaret Cho Get Any Better? 12.09.2019

She's one of the most accomplished comedians of her generation. But Margaret Cho wants to find a different kind of happiness. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2p9yjvks

Can You Humanize a Zombie? 29.08.2019

Should we try to find common ground with the villains in our lives? Comedian Zahra Noorbahksh tries to understand a "zombie" from her past. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3be2aszs

Making Kindness Contagious 15.08.2019

We gave our Happiness Guinea Pig a mission: Do five random acts of kindness in one day. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/36zrcd2p

Facing Your Fears 01.08.2019

Heights. Public speaking. Death. Our Happiness Guinea Pig explains how she overcomes her fears, one small step at a time. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mr2pyunc

How Michael Lewis Finds the Funny 18.07.2019

How can you unearth humor in everyday life? Best-selling author Michael Lewis goes looking for laughs. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3kebr688

How to Keep Love Alive 04.07.2019

After more than a decade together, our Happiness Guinea Pig tries to bring the spark back into her marriage. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/27vwc6bb

Who Makes You Feel Connected? 20.06.2019

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 Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4pjw3k5a

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