The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Author: Pushkin Industries Language: English Episodes: 261
We often chase after things we believe will bring us joy-the next promotion, a perfect vacation photo, a bigger house-only to find the feeling is fleeting. The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos digs into the surprising psychology behind why our instincts about happiness are so frequently wrong. Dr. Santos, a Yale professor, doesn't just offer vague self-help advice; she translates the rigorous research from her record-breaking university course into practical, actionable science. Each episode feels like a personal conversation, where she breaks down complex studies and shares stories from people who've applied these lessons, revealing how counterintuitive changes in our daily routines and mindset can have a profound impact. This Pushkin Industries podcast moves beyond the surface of wellness trends, offering a grounded look at what genuinely improves our well-being across our social lives, personal health, and cultural expectations. Tuning in, you'll hear not just theory, but the tangible steps you can take to rewire your habits, backed by evidence that often contradicts our modern chase for more. It’s a refreshing take that makes the science of a better life accessible and genuinely useful, episode by episode.
Episodes
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Lao Tzu [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:14
The challenges of life often cause us to work frantically to overcome our difficulties - but the Chinese thinker Lao Tzu recommended that instead we should emulate the slow, steady, yet powerful flow of a river.Solala To…
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Confucius [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:31
The Covid pandemic has robbed us of many rituals and ceremonies we took for granted - from simple handshakes to elaborate graduation ceremonies. Their loss is important - rituals contribute to our happiness in so many wa…
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Forgiveness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:29
Miroslav Volf teaches at Yale Divinity School - and is celebrated for his work on reconciliation and forgiveness. But book learning alone does not explain this focus.Miroslav’s brother was killed in a childhood accident,…
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Day of Rest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:02
Sarah Hurwitz worked 24/7 at Harvard, and barely took time off as she built a career in DC writing speeches for first Hillary Clinton and then Michelle Obama. Sarah would even take her cell phone into the shower.But as s…
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Torah [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:57
Sarah Hurwitz grew up thinking there was little the great texts of Judaism could teach her - she even hatched a plot to get out of Hebrew school. But in adulthood she discovered that The Torah contains instructions to ac…
Move More... But for the Right Reasons [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:05
Moving more is great for your happiness - but many of us decide to exercise because we're unhappy with our bodies and long to change them. What should be fun and life-enhancing often becomes saturated with self-loathing.…
Feed Yourself Like You'd Feed a Loved One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:40
Diets and "healthy" eating fads are a January fixture - but few of us stick to these harsh regimes. And when the dieting ends, we often go back to the "bad" foods we craved during our fasting.Psychotherapist Andrea Wacht…
Reconnect With The Moment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:58
Psychologist and meditation teacher Tara Brach felt too stressed and busy to spend time with her elderly mother - until she had a lightning moment of realisation. Why couldn't she enjoy living in the moment with her belo…
Dump Your Inner Drill Sergeant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:50
We often start a new year hoping to make big changes in how we look, feel or act. This can involve a lot of self-criticism and adopting things like tough diets and brutal exercise regimes. But being hard on ourselves doe…
Happier Holidays: How to Celebrate No Matter What [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:31
A lot of the festive events and traditions we look forward to each year will be very different in 2020. Gatherings might be smaller than we'd like... or cancelled altogether. Family tensions might be heightened too. But…