The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos Archiv
277 Episoden
37 Minuten
It's the International Day of Happiness! It's a chance to talk about happiness and what we can all do to be happier. March 20th also sees the release of the World Happiness Report. A big finding of 2025's report is that more of us are dining alone - and that's bad news.
The report's editor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve talks us through the stark figures showing that shared meals are in decline - while Dr Anne Fishel of The Family Dinner Project gives us her tips on how to dine better with friends, families and colleagues.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The report's editor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve talks us through the stark figures showing that shared meals are in decline - while Dr Anne Fishel of The Family Dinner Project gives us her tips on how to dine better with friends, families and colleagues.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
35 Minuten
Earth Day is coming on April 22, but the whole month is seen as an opportunity to think about environmental issues and what we as individuals can do to help out.
It seemed like a good time to rerun an episode we made with Harvard professor Dan Gilbert about why we humans are great at tackling immediate threats, but find it harder to motivate ourselves to address problems that seem a longer way off. It's why we often don't save for our retirements, and why we're finding it difficult to take action on climate change.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It seemed like a good time to rerun an episode we made with Harvard professor Dan Gilbert about why we humans are great at tackling immediate threats, but find it harder to motivate ourselves to address problems that seem a longer way off. It's why we often don't save for our retirements, and why we're finding it difficult to take action on climate change.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
49 Minuten
Hell is other people. They can upset us, depress us and infuriate us. Their bad moods can bring us down. And their achievements can make us feel like failures. But it doesn't have to be this way.
Psychologist Ethan Kross says there are simple things we can do to make our daily interactions a source of fulfilment and joy.
Ethan's the author of Shift: Managing Your Emotions So They Don't Manage You and founder of the Emotion and Self Control Lab at the University of Michigan
Recorded before a live audience of teen students at Choate Rosemary Hall.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Psychologist Ethan Kross says there are simple things we can do to make our daily interactions a source of fulfilment and joy.
Ethan's the author of Shift: Managing Your Emotions So They Don't Manage You and founder of the Emotion and Self Control Lab at the University of Michigan
Recorded before a live audience of teen students at Choate Rosemary Hall.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
43 Minuten
What's your purpose? Jordan Grumet thought that becoming a doctor would give his life meaning and direction... but he was wrong. He spent his days doing things he didn't really enjoy and dreaded waking up in the morning.
Finding a purpose that is authentic to you can be transformative - and it doesn't have to be some grand goal like curing a disease or founding a company. Jordan, author of The Purpose Code, explains how we can all find seemingly small and everyday activities which will fill our lives with joy and fulfillment.
Jordan also hosts the Earn & Invest podcast.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Finding a purpose that is authentic to you can be transformative - and it doesn't have to be some grand goal like curing a disease or founding a company. Jordan, author of The Purpose Code, explains how we can all find seemingly small and everyday activities which will fill our lives with joy and fulfillment.
Jordan also hosts the Earn & Invest podcast.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
51 Minuten
Leadership isn't just for CEOs, presidents, or generals. If someone is looking to you for guidance—whether it's at home, school, or the workplace—that makes you a leader too. So how can you show up better for the people who rely on you? Columbia Business School's Adam Galinsky, author of Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others, believes that just a few simple lessons can make us better and more encouraging colleagues, parents and friends.
Experts Mentioned:
- Pamela Smith, Professor of Economics and Management, UC San Diego
Resources Mentioned:
- "The Value of 'Values Affirmation'" (Insights by Stanford Business, 2012)
Related episodes of "The Happiness Lab":
- "Sleep When You're Dead Tired (Live with Arianna Huffington)"
- "Coach Yourself Through a Crisis"
- "How to Be a Better Ally"
- "Dump Your Inner Drill Sergeant"
- "How to Adopt a Growth Mindset"
- "How to Thrive at Work"
- "How to Grow After Adversity"
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Experts Mentioned:
- Pamela Smith, Professor of Economics and Management, UC San Diego
Resources Mentioned:
- "The Value of 'Values Affirmation'" (Insights by Stanford Business, 2012)
Related episodes of "The Happiness Lab":
- "Sleep When You're Dead Tired (Live with Arianna Huffington)"
- "Coach Yourself Through a Crisis"
- "How to Be a Better Ally"
- "Dump Your Inner Drill Sergeant"
- "How to Adopt a Growth Mindset"
- "How to Thrive at Work"
- "How to Grow After Adversity"
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
38 Minuten
To improve your life you might decide to prioritize your own personal happiness, or find meaning in helping the people around you. Few of us consider pushing ourselves well beyond our comfort zones. It might take a lot of effort and risks pain or disappointment.
University of Chicago professor Shige Oishi thinks to live fully we all need to push ourselves to find "psychological richness". He tells Dr Laurie that we should look for daily opportunities to explore, get lost, mess around and have random encounters that challenge our routines and expectations.
Read more about Shige's work in Life in Three Dimensions: How Curiosity, Exploration and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
University of Chicago professor Shige Oishi thinks to live fully we all need to push ourselves to find "psychological richness". He tells Dr Laurie that we should look for daily opportunities to explore, get lost, mess around and have random encounters that challenge our routines and expectations.
Read more about Shige's work in Life in Three Dimensions: How Curiosity, Exploration and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1 Stunde
Love Factually is a new podcast looking at what "rom com" movies get right and wrong about relationships. Dr Laurie Santos joined the hosts Eli Finkel of Northwestern University and Paul Eastwick from UC Davis to talk about her favorite 80s teen movie, Say Anything.
In this episode, they discuss what Cameron Crowe's 1989 film tells us about what constitutes stalking; and the transition when romantic partners supplant our parents as our closest relationships.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, they discuss what Cameron Crowe's 1989 film tells us about what constitutes stalking; and the transition when romantic partners supplant our parents as our closest relationships.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
45 Minuten
In the absence of better advice, we learn a lot about love and dating from rom com movies - but is the depiction of relationships in these films leading us in the wrong direction? Let's find out.
Eli Finkel of Northwestern University and Paul Eastwick from UC Davis are both accomplished relationship experts - but for fun they’ve launched a podcast called Love Factually exploring what the makers of rom coms get right and wrong about how humans really find love.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Eli Finkel of Northwestern University and Paul Eastwick from UC Davis are both accomplished relationship experts - but for fun they’ve launched a podcast called Love Factually exploring what the makers of rom coms get right and wrong about how humans really find love.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
47 Minuten
Do you go on endless dates hoping to find the perfect partner only to be endlessly disappointed? Or have you stopped meeting people because you've decided that you're undateable? Maybe you need to start dating like a scientist.
Behavioural scientist Logan Ury has studied the common mistakes we make when looking for love - and thinks science can shows us a better way.
Logan is the director of relationship science at the dating app Hinge. She’s also the dating coach for the new Netflix showThe Later Daters and author of How to Not Die Alone.
Check out Logan's website at loganury.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Behavioural scientist Logan Ury has studied the common mistakes we make when looking for love - and thinks science can shows us a better way.
Logan is the director of relationship science at the dating app Hinge. She’s also the dating coach for the new Netflix showThe Later Daters and author of How to Not Die Alone.
Check out Logan's website at loganury.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
44 Minuten
Stress can suck, but it's part of life - it’s normal and even useful. Many of us drown in our stress - worrying about past events and fearing upcoming challenges. We even stress about feeling stressed. So how can we reset our relationship with stress - benefitting from its positives and avoiding those negatives?
Dr Jenny Taitz has some effective tips to help you greet stress more healthily. A clinical psychologist and the author of Stress Resets: How to Soothe Your Body and Mind in Minutes, Dr Jenny explains that if we think differently about challenges and tough situations and take action, then stress can become a friend rather than a foe.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr Jenny Taitz has some effective tips to help you greet stress more healthily. A clinical psychologist and the author of Stress Resets: How to Soothe Your Body and Mind in Minutes, Dr Jenny explains that if we think differently about challenges and tough situations and take action, then stress can become a friend rather than a foe.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
47 Minuten
Negative emotions like fear or anger are part of being human. These feelings tell us something - perhaps prompting us to take action or bring about change. However, they're powerful and disruptive - and if they hang around too long or are too intense, they can take a huge toll on our happiness and wellbeing. We need to shift them... but how?
Psychologist Ethan Kross knows.
He's the author of Shift: Managing Your Emotions So They Don't Manage You and founder of the Emotion and Self Control Lab at the University of Michigan - and shares his top science-backed tips to rein in feelings like sorrow, disappointment or rage.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Psychologist Ethan Kross knows.
He's the author of Shift: Managing Your Emotions So They Don't Manage You and founder of the Emotion and Self Control Lab at the University of Michigan - and shares his top science-backed tips to rein in feelings like sorrow, disappointment or rage.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
43 Minuten
As children we think we're at the center of the world - but as adults we need to learn to see the perspectives and problems of other people. It helps us connect with those people, but also makes us realise that our own problems aren't unique or especially awful. In short, to be happy you need to know ... How to Get Over Yourself.
Dr Laurie hears how to stop being egocentric and start being allocentric from Bruce Hood - a professor at the University of Bristol and the author of The Science of Happiness: Seven Lessons for Living Well.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr Laurie hears how to stop being egocentric and start being allocentric from Bruce Hood - a professor at the University of Bristol and the author of The Science of Happiness: Seven Lessons for Living Well.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
45 Minuten
Perfectionism isn't just wanting to be perfect... it's the feelings of failure and shame when we simply can't perform at a superhuman level all day, every day. To be happy, we have to accept the reality that perfection is impossible. So this episode is... How to Feel Like You're Enough.
Dr Laurie is joined by fellow recovering perfectionist Dr Ellen Hendriksen - who is a clinical psychologist at Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders and author of “How to be Enough: Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists”.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr Laurie is joined by fellow recovering perfectionist Dr Ellen Hendriksen - who is a clinical psychologist at Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders and author of “How to be Enough: Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists”.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
44 Minuten
In our first "How To..." guide of 2025, Dr Laurie is asking how can we stop striving for perfection and make peace with the idea that it's ok to lead messy and "half-assed" lives.
Oliver Burkeman (author of Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time For What Counts) explains how we can embrace imperfection and find liberation and joy in just doing our best.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oliver Burkeman (author of Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time For What Counts) explains how we can embrace imperfection and find liberation and joy in just doing our best.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
39 Minuten
The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy. But all too often, the darker, colder days of winter, and even the stress of preparing for the holidays themselves, can lead people to feel something else: rushed, stressed, lonely, or even hopeless. How can you make sure this year is bright?
Dr Laurie joins Dave DeSteno on his show How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality to unpack the psychological secrets of celebrations from Christmas, to Hanukkah, to Yule, and more. They’ll also discuss how we can put that wisdom into practice, whatever our beliefs, to make this season a happier and healthier one for all.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr Laurie joins Dave DeSteno on his show How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality to unpack the psychological secrets of celebrations from Christmas, to Hanukkah, to Yule, and more. They’ll also discuss how we can put that wisdom into practice, whatever our beliefs, to make this season a happier and healthier one for all.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
