184 episodes

You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life… more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You’re dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on the psychology course she teaches at Yale -- the most popular class in the university’s 300-year history -- Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness.

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos Pushkin

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.8 • 85 Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life… more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You’re dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on the psychology course she teaches at Yale -- the most popular class in the university’s 300-year history -- Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Happiness Through Generosity : Liz Dunn on The TED Interview

    Happiness Through Generosity : Liz Dunn on The TED Interview

    Liz Dunn is a regular guest on The Happiness Lab, but in this extended interview with TED's Chris Anderson she take us on a deep dive into her research. It shows that by increasing our generosity and by giving to others we can significantly boost our own happiness. 

    Listen to more episodes of The TED Interview wherever you get your podcasts.  
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 53 min
    Unlock Your Hidden Potential with Adam Grant and Maya Shankar

    Unlock Your Hidden Potential with Adam Grant and Maya Shankar

    A chance to hear a recent episode of A Slight Change of Plans in which Maya Shankar asks psychologist Adam Grant about his new book "Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things". They talk about how to filter out unhelpful feedback, the benefits of imperfectionism, and why we need to give soft skills more respect. 

    Listen to more episodes of A Slight Change of Plans  wherever you get your podcasts. 
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 42 min
    Five Tips to be Happier at Work (Dr Laurie at SXSW)

    Five Tips to be Happier at Work (Dr Laurie at SXSW)

    Work is a worry. Are we paid enough? Should we be getting promoted quicker? Is artificial intelligence about to replace us all? 

    Speaking at SXSW 2024, Dr Laurie Santos argues that because of all our career woes we often neglect our happiness. She walks through her top five tips for improving our workplace wellbeing - which will not only make us feel better, but might even cause our salaries to rise!  

    Suggested reading from this episode:

    Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN by Tara Brach

    Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport

    Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff

    The Truth About Burnout: How Organizations Cause Personal Stress and What to Do About It by Christina Maslach

    The Business of Friendship by Shasta Nelson
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 56 min
    Tame Those Devices: 10 Tips to Achieve Digital Balance

    Tame Those Devices: 10 Tips to Achieve Digital Balance

    Technology is amazing! We can make video calls, find facts in an instant and watch movies on our phones. We take all this for granted, but have we let our screens and devices take over too much of our lives? 

    To mark Digital Wellness Day on May 3, we hear from Amy Blankson (author and "chief evangelist" at the Digital Wellness Institute) about her ten tips to tame our devices at home and in the workplace. 
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 39 min
    How to Grow After Adversity

    How to Grow After Adversity

    Karen Guggenheim was devastated by the death of her husband, Ricardo. She was alive, but dead to the world around her. Slowly she put her life back together and found growing happiness. To share her insights with others in need, Karen started the World Happiness Summit. 

    Karen's campaign to spread global happiness is just one example of "post traumatic growth". Clinical psychologist Dr Edith Shiro (author of The Unexpected Gift of Trauma) has worked with many people who have recovered from trauma and grown as a result. She explains how we can give ourselves the best possible chance to experience post traumatic growth.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 40 min
    Simple Ways to Feel Great Every Day - with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

    Simple Ways to Feel Great Every Day - with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

    Medical doctors are waking up to the importance of happiness, partly prompted by the work of people like Rangan Chatterjee. Dr Chatterjee is Professor of Health Education and Communication, the host of the hit podcast 'Feel Better, Live More' and author of five best-selling books including Happy Mind, Happy Life: 10 Simple Ways to Feel Great Every Day.

    Rangan sat down with Dr Laurie Santos at the 2024 World Happiness Summit to discuss his life and work - and explain why physicians like him are joining the fight to make happiness a health priority.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 52 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
85 Ratings

85 Ratings

Andi_Trav ,

Laurie Santos is my spirit animal

I absolutely love this podcast! I was introduced to it via the Coursera MOOC ‘The Science of Well-Being’, a 5-star course that everyone should participate in. Thank you Laurie Santos for being a stellar human being!

Jura32 ,

Love it!

I love this podcast. I was looking for something interesting and relaxing to just hear at nights instead to go in front of the screen, and this podcast gave much more. In the last months, it became a ritual to hear this podcast a couple of times per week, at night, and learn about how my mind has been tricking me about what matters for happiness. I knew Dr Laurie Santos from her MOOC in coursera, which I attended but never finished, so it was a nice surprise to listen to her again.

Ggg Awesome Ggg ,

Opens your mind, broadens your smile

Happiness is a choice. Not that any of us can choose not to have bad things happen to us. But we have a choice how we deal with all that life brings us. And how we make sure we are preparing ourselves to bounce back, by being grateful, by enjoying things and by talking to other people - yes, even strangers. The Happiness Lab provides scientific proof for ways to improve our happiness, even when we think the opposite would. Just listen for yourself...

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