How to Bounce Back from Life’s Curveballs (with Dr. Maya Shankar)

How to Bounce Back from Life’s Curveballs (with Dr. Maya Shankar)

Author: Pushkin Industries January 12, 2026 Duration: 39:32

Life has a way of upending even our best-laid plans. Breakups, job losses, scary health diagnoses — these unexpected changes can leave us feeling stuck and uncertain about what comes next.

Dr. Laurie speaks with her dear friend and former student, Dr. Maya Shankar, author of The Other Side of Change and host of A Slight Change of Plans, about how to navigate these major shifts, including practical tips for leaning into change instead of resisting it and reimagining the possible selves we can become in the new year.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


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.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
Podcast Episodes
Forget Small Talk: Go Deep Instead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:37
Most of us default to small talk. It's polite, familiar, and feels like the safest way to start a conversation. But it may also be one of the biggest barriers to genuine connection. Dr. Laurie speaks with author and meta…
What We Still Get Wrong About Happiness (Live at Dartmouth) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:11
In this special live episode, Dr. Laurie takes the stage at Dartmouth College for a conversation with happiness historian Darrin McMahon. Together, they break down some of the biggest misconceptions about happiness in mo…
Why the “Pursuit of Happiness” Is a Bad Idea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:36
The “pursuit of happiness” is one of America’s founding ideals. But what if chasing happiness is actually making us feel worse? In honor of the 250th anniversary of American independence, Dr. Laurie travels to Independen…
Why “No Regrets” Is Bad Advice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:57
We’ve all had moments we wish we could do over: the relationship we stayed in too long, the opportunity we didn’t take, the thing we said that we can’t unsay. Regret can feel awful. So it’s no surprise that “no regrets”…
Are Kids Today Really Worse Off? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:08
We hear a lot about rising rates of anxiety, depression, and fragility among kids today. But when Harvard researcher Alexis Redding uncovered a forgotten trove of interviews with college students from the 1970s, she foun…
The Surprising Case for Oversharing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:01
We’re kicking off a new season of The Happiness Lab with some happiness hot takes — bold claims that challenge conventional wisdom about what it really takes to feel happier. Today's hot take is all about oversharing. We…
How to Feel Happier in Your Body with Jessamyn Stanley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:46
As summer begins, many of us are bombarded with messages about how our bodies aren't good enough. But what if we embraced movement not out of self-criticism or shame, but self-compassion? To close out our series on how t…
What Your Negative Emotions Are Trying to Tell You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:43
Negative emotions like sadness, anger, guilt, and anxiety can feel overwhelming. But what if those uncomfortable feelings aren’t problems to fix, but signals worth listening to? As part of our series on how to spring cle…
The Hidden Beliefs That Shape Your Happiness with Shawn Achor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:05
Our beliefs shape more than we realize. They influence what we notice, how we respond to setbacks, how connected we feel to others, and whether we take action to improve our lives. As part of our series on how to spring…
The Art of Doing Nothing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:17
Struggling to find free time? Feeling constantly busy or burned out? This episode is for you. Dr. Laurie explores the science behind “time famine,” the nagging sense that there’s never enough time in the day. Writer Tom…