Podcasts · Science

The Science of Happiness

PRX and Greater Good Science Center

300 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.

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. What If Thinking About Death Could Make Us Feel More Alive?

    · 26 min

    Explore how thinking about death can teach us to live more fully, find meaning, and appreciate the people we love. Summary: We often avoid thinking about death, but research suggests that facing our mortality can help…

  2. Happiness Break: A Breathing Technique to Help You Relax

    · 8:38

    Dr. David Spiegel leads us in a practice of cyclic sighing, a simple breathing technique that uses slow, extended exhales to calm your nervous system, ease stress and anxiety, and help you feel more relaxed. How To Do…

  3. How to Breathe Away Anxiety

    · 24 min

    Explore how cyclic sighing, a simple controlled breathing technique, can help reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and bring greater calm to everyday stressful moments. Summary: In this episode of The Science of…

  4. Happiness Break: A Practice In Appreciating Your Friends

    · 9:28

    Take a moment to appreciate the friends who know you, support you, and make your life richer with their presence, with author Alex Elle. How To Do This Practice: • Take a few deep breaths: Inhale through your nose…

  5. How Smell Shapes Memory

    · 26 min

    Discover how our sense of smell can transport us back to meaningful memories, shape our emotions, and influence the brain systems involved in memory and mood. Summary: Smell is one of our most powerful and…

  6. Happiness Break: A Meditation on the Uniqueness of Your Voice

    · 8:07

    In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, embrace the beauty of your accent in this self-compassion meditation. Mindfulness and meditation teacher Criss Cuervo invites you to reflect on your history, heritage, and…

  7. How to Protect Your Brain as You Age

    · 26 min

    What if getting older doesn’t have to mean losing your memory? Learn how neuroplasticity, healthy habits, and simple memory exercises can help keep your brain strong at any age. Summary: We often assume that getting…

  8. Happiness Break: Tap into the Joy That Surrounds You

    · 4:55

    Buddhist meditation teacher, Anushka Fernandopulle, guides us through a practice of Mudita, or appreciative joy, to help us share in the happiness of others. How To Do This Practice: • Get comfortable and ground…

  9. Talk To A Stranger—It’s Good For You

    · 24 min

    We often underestimate how much small talk can impact our wellbeing. Research shows that even brief conversations with strangers can boost our happiness and sense of connection, but fear and anxiety often keep us from…

  10. Happiness Break: A Practice In Moving Through Stress

    · 8:51

    Join yoga and meditation teacher Jonathan Relucio for a trauma-informed practice combining mindful movement and breathing to reduce tension and build resilience to stress. How To Do This Practice: • Get comfortable:…

  11. Where To Look For Joy

    · 15 min

    How can we feel more moments of joy? Explore how joy is rooted in connection, gratitude, and paying attention to the people and moments that bring meaning to our lives. Summary: Did you know that joy isn’t just…

  12. Happiness Break: A Body Scan for Calm and Ease

    · 11 min

    Meditation teacher Spring Washam guides us in a practice of embodied awareness, helping us use the body as an anchor during stressful or overwhelming moments. How To Do This Practice: • Find a comfortable position:…

  13. Why You Can’t Do It Alone

    · 20 min

    Can anyone truly succeed alone? We explore how role models, mentors, and strong social support make upward mobility far more possible than grit alone. Summary: What role do the people around us play in shaping our…

  14. Happiness Break: Holding Truth With Compassion

    · 10 min

    Take a moment to connect with your body and make space for difficult emotions with compassion and care. This embodiment practice is guided by Lyla June Johnston, a Diné musician, scholar of Indigenous land management,…

  15. Why Revenge Feels So Good—and Why It Hurts Us

    · 23 min

    Neuroscience reveals revenge can become a powerful habit—and that forgiveness may be one of the most effective ways to break the cycle. Summary: After years of bullying led him to almost committing an act of violence,…

  16. Happiness Break: A Meditation to Move Through Anger

    · 7:25

    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…

  17. How Joy Helps Save the Planet

    · 22 min

    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…

  18. Happiness Break: Where Did You Come From? A Guided Reflection Practice

    · 9:27

    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.…

  19. How To Find the Wow In Life

    · 23 min

    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…

  20. Happiness Break: A Compassionate Letter to Yourself

    · 9:58

    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:…

  21. Finding Common Ground in Uncomfortable Times

    · 24 min

    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.…

  22. Happiness Break: A Walking Meditation With Dan Harris of 10% Happier

    · 7:00

    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…

  23. How To Step Away from Anxiety

    · 22 min

    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…

  24. Happiness Break: The Unexpected Joy of Slow Looking

    · 8:37

    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…

  25. The Art of Slowing Down

    · 27 min

    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…

  26. Happiness Break: A Meditation to Inspire a Sense of Purpose

    · 7:40

    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…

  27. An Awe Walk Through History and Possibility

    · 21 min

    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…

  28. Happiness Break: A Loving-Kindness Practice for Yourself

    · 9:09

    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:…

  29. How Cities Can Make Space for Awe

    · 24 min

    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…

  30. Happiness Break: Make Uncertainty Part of the Process

    · 3:57

    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…

  31. Happiness Break: How Poetry Helps Us Feel and Heal

    · 17 min

    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…

  32. Why Work Feels Better Together

    · 26 min

    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…

  33. Happiness Break: A Meditation For When You Have Too Much To Do

    · 5:23

    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…

  34. What Happens in the Brain When We Improvise

    · 22 min

    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…

  35. Happiness Break: A Meditation For Connecting In Polarized Times

    · 8:32

    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.…

  36. How to Make Work More Satisfying

    · 16 min

    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…

  37. Happiness Break: How to Feel More Connected to Others

    · 5:36

    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…

  38. The Science of Love (Episode 3)

    · 25 min

    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…

  39. The Science of Love (Episode 2)

    · 28 min

    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…

  40. The Science of Love (Episode 1)

    · 25 min

    In a culture that often reduces love to romance, Geena Davis helps us explore the science of love across the lifespan—revealing how our bonds with parents, friends, partners, and communities shape our health,…

  41. How to Keep Your Humanity

    · 22 min

    Discover what happens to our well-being when we respond to suffering with compassion, collective action, and why choosing to care can help us hold on to our shared humanity. Summary: In the face of widespread…

  42. Happiness Break: Finding Calm in Uncertainty

    · 6:58

    Psychologist and stress expert Elissa Epel leads us in a gentle, science-backed practice to calm our nervous systems and meet uncertainty with greater ease and acceptance. We want to hear from you! Take our quick…

  43. How Qigong Can Calm Your Mind and Body

    · 22 min

    Studies show qigong can strengthen your body and mind, and reduce cortisol levels. We explore this Chinese meditative movement practice that dates back over 4,000 years. Summary: After a period of intense stress,…

  44. Happiness Break: An Affirmation Practice for the New Year

    · 8:04

    This New Year, affirm the wonderful qualities you already possess with this meditative writing practice with Chris Murchison called "I Am." How To Do This Practice: • Settle your body and breath: Find a comfortable…

  45. How Stories Shape Belonging

    · 19 min

    Learn how the stories we tell and hear shape our relationships, values, and sense of belonging. Summary: Storytelling is more than entertainment. It shapes how we think, feel, and relate to others. In this episode of…

  46. Happiness Break: Una meditación para enraizar, con Diana Parra (español)

    · 9:01

    También tenemos esta meditación en Español. Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4rjmambm

  47. Happiness Break: A Meditation to Inspire a Sense of Purpose

    · 8:17

    Take a few minutes to reflect on someone who inspires you, and how you can embody the values you admire in them. You can also listen to this episode in Spanish here: https://tinyurl.com/4rjmambm How To Do This…

  48. The Power of a Collective Pause

    · 21 min

    Explore how students are using simple mindful breathing practices to navigate stress, stay grounded, and support their classmates. Summary: Classrooms often are confronted with difficult topics that can leave students…

  49. Happiness Break: How Connecting With Ancestors Deepens Belonging

    · 10 min

    Through a gentle ancestral meditation, discover how grounding in your roots can open the door to healing, meaning, and a deeper sense of belonging. How To Do This Practice: • Settle Into Your Body: Notice whether…

  50. How to Feel Better About Yourself

    · 19 min

    Self-compassion reduces our feelings of shame and self-doubt. We explore a practice to help quiet our inner critic with kindness. Summary: What does your inner critic sound like? Many of us carry echoes of past…

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