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The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Pushkin

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.

  1. Why It Hurts to Hold a Grudge — and How to Let Go with Dr. Fred Luskin

    1D AGO

    Why It Hurts to Hold a Grudge — and How to Let Go with Dr. Fred Luskin

    Forgiveness might sound simple, but it's hard to let go of the anger that comes with being deeply hurt. Grudges, bitterness, and frustration with life’s unfairness can quietly build up over time and take a real toll on our mental and physical health. As The Happiness Lab kicks off a new season on spring cleaning your wellbeing, Dr. Laurie sits down with psychologist Dr. Fred Luskin, director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project, to explore what research says about forgiveness. Why is letting go of resentment so much harder than it sounds? And what does it really mean to forgive someone? Plus, we revisit a powerful story from the archives that shows what forgiveness can look like in the face of profound loss and why it might be the most radical act of self-care we can take. Experts Referenced: Dr. Fred Luskin, psychologist and director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects Miroslav Volf, Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School and founder of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture Katy Milkman, Professor at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Resources Mentioned:  "Put Your Imperfections Behind You: Temporal Landmarks Spur Goal Initiation When They Signal New Beginnings," by Hengchen Dai, Katherine L. Milkman, and Jason Riis (Psychological Science, 2015) Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness, by Fred Luskin (2002) “Effects of a Group Forgiveness Intervention on Forgiveness, Perceived Stress, and Trait-Anger” by Alex H. S. Harris, Frederic Luskin, Sonya B. Norman, Sam Standard, Jennifer Bruning, Stephanie Evans, and Carl E. Thoresen (Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2006) “Forgiveness and Conflict Resolution in Marriage” by Frank D. Fincham, Steven R. H. Beach, and Joanne Davila (Journal of Family Psychology, 2004) Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace, by Miroslav Volf (2006) Related Episodes: "Happiness Lessons of the Ancients: Forgiveness" (The Happiness Lab, 2021) "A New Hope" (The Happiness Lab, 2020) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min
  2. Why You're Still Using Social Media (Even If You Want to Stop) with Dr. Cass Sunstein

    MAR 23

    Why You're Still Using Social Media (Even If You Want to Stop) with Dr. Cass Sunstein

    Why is social media so hard to quit? We waste hours scrolling, feel worse when we log off, and still find ourselves going back for more. Dr. Laurie sits down with Dr. Cass Sunstein, co-author of (00:00:57) Nudge, to explore a new concept from the 2026 World Happiness Report: the “product trap.” Together, they unpack why we keep returning to platforms that make us unhappy — and what it might take to finally break free. Resources mentioned in this episode: Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness “World Happiness Report 2026” “The Problem of Social Cost” “Valuing Facebook” “The Welfare Effects of Social Media” “When Product Markets Become Collective Traps: The Case of Social Media” “Libertarian Paternalism Is Not an Oxymoron” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min
  3. What is Social Media Doing to Kids? with Dr. Jean Twenge

    MAR 20

    What is Social Media Doing to Kids? with Dr. Jean Twenge

    Over the past decade, rates of depression and loneliness have surged among young people. Many researchers point to one major change: the rise of smartphones and social media. But what does the data actually show? Psychologist Jean Twenge has spent years studying how technology shapes adolescent happiness. Dr. Laurie sits down with her to unpack new findings from the 2026 World Happiness Report on how social media use affects teen wellbeing around the world. What happens when kids spend hours a day on these platforms? Is any amount of social media actually beneficial? And what can we all do to build healthier relationships with our phones, regardless of age? Resources mentioned in this episode:  “What is the International Day of Happiness?” “World Happiness Report 2026” iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” “National Trends in the Prevalence and Treatment of Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults” “Pew Research Center Mobile Fact Sheet” “Increases in Depression, Self‐Harm, and Suicide Among U.S. Adolescents After 2012 and Links to Technology Use: Possible Mechanisms” “The Effects of Social Media Restriction: Meta-Analytic Evidence from Randomized controlled Trials” “Am I Happier Without You? Social Media Detox and Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials” PISA 2022 Database 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World: How Parents Can Stop Smartphones, Social Media, and Gaming from Taking Over Their Children's Lives “Over 20,000 Educators Share Insights on School Cell Phone Policies” “Managing Student Digital Distraction in the College Classroom: a Self-Determination Theory Perspective” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    35 min

  4. MAR 16

    How to Stop Work From Taking Over Your Life

    Work doesn’t end when the workday does. Even after we close our laptops, our minds keep replaying awkward meetings, looming deadlines, and unfinished to-do lists. Over time, that “always on” mentality can quietly hijack our relationships, our health, and our happiness. Dr. Laurie sits down with psychologist and bestselling author Guy Winch (Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life) to explore the science of work stress — and why so many of us get stuck in fight-or-flight mode long after we’ve left the office.  Plus, Ben Walter, host of “The Unshakeables” and CEO of Chase for Business, shares what he’s learned from working with small business owners who don’t have the option to simply “clock out.” If you’ve ever felt like work is bleeding into everything, this episode offers science-based tools to help you take your life back. Resources mentioned in this episode: Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life "Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement" "The Relationship Between Workplace Stressors and Mortality and Health Costs in the United States" "How Small Businesses Drive the American Economy" "Small Business Facts" “The Unshakeables” "Yerkes-Dodson Law Of Arousal And Performance" “The Use of Imagery to Manipulate Challenge and Threat Appraisal States in Athletes” “Rebuilding After a Blaze: Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min
  5. Inside the Love Lab with Drs. John & Julie Gottman (Part 2)

    MAR 9

    Inside the Love Lab with Drs. John & Julie Gottman (Part 2)

    In Part 2 of Dr. Laurie’s conversation with researchers Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman, we learn how couples can raise complaints without damaging their relationship — and how to respond constructively when a partner voices a concern. Their research shows that fighting doesn’t have to pull couples apart. When handled well, conflict can actually make relationships stronger. Further reading: Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict into Connection by Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min
  6. Inside the Love Lab with Drs. John & Julie Gottman (Part 1)

    MAR 2

    Inside the Love Lab with Drs. John & Julie Gottman (Part 1)

    In this classic episode, Dr. Laurie speaks with two of the world’s most influential relationship scientists, Drs. John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman. In their renowned “Love Lab,” the married researchers have studied thousands of couples, identifying the subtle interaction patterns that predict whether partners will drift apart or stay happily together for decades. They join Dr. Laurie to share what we can learn from these “Masters of Relationships” — and how to build partnerships resilient enough to withstand life’s inevitable stresses and strains. Further reading: Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict into Connection by Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    47 min
  7. Why Algorithms Can’t Predict Your Love Life with Dr. Paul Eastwick

    FEB 23

    Why Algorithms Can’t Predict Your Love Life with Dr. Paul Eastwick

    Modern dating can feel like a marketplace. We’re told we all have a “mate value,” that some people are 9s and 10s, and that the laws of evolution determine who gets chosen — and who gets rejected. But what if we’ve misunderstood what evolutionary science actually says about love? Dr. Laurie sits down with social psychologist Dr. Paul Eastwick, author of Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection, to challenge some of the most pervasive myths about attraction and compatibility. Do dating app algorithms actually know who's right for you? Are we really all placed in different "leagues"? If you’ve ever wondered whether love is destiny, biology, or something you can actually create, Dr. Eastwick offers a surprising new perspective. Resources mentioned in this episode: Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection “The Pairing Game: A Classroom Demonstration of the Matching Phenomenon” “Matching for Attractiveness in Romantic Partners and Same-Sex Friends: A Meta-Analysis and Theoretical Critique” “The Social Relations Model” “Once More: Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder? Relative contributions of private and shared taste to judgments of facial attractiveness” “Sex Differences in Mate Preferences Revisited: Do People Know What They Initially Desire in a Romantic Partner?” “Northwestern Speed-dating Study I” “Northwestern Speed-dating Study II” “The (Mental) Ties That Bind: Cognitive Structures That Predict Relationship Resilience” “We’re Not That Choosy: Emerging Evidence of a Progression Bias in Romantic Relationships” “Romantic Relationship Status Biases Memory of Faces of Attractive Opposite-Sex Others: Evidence from a Reverse-Correlation Paradigm” “Relationship Regulation in the Face of Eye Candy: a Motivated Cognition Framework for Understanding Responses to Attractive Alternatives” “Perceived, not actual, similarity predicts initial attraction in a live romantic context: Evidence from the speed-dating paradigm” “Is Romantic Desire Predictable? Machine Learning Applied to Initial Romantic Attraction” “Love Factually” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    41 min
  8. How to Find "The One": The Science of Dating with Tim Molnar

    FEB 16

    How to Find "The One": The Science of Dating with Tim Molnar

    Modern dating can feel exhausting. On one hand, there’s the seemingly endless swiping that leads to dating app burnout; on the other, there’s what can feel like the insurmountable challenge of meeting someone in real life. But what if finding love is less about fate — and more about strategy? Dr. Laurie sits down with behavioral scientist and dating coach Tim Molnar, author of Date Smarter: A Strategic Guide to Navigating Modern Romance, to explore what the research really says about how to meet the right person, build genuine connection, and avoid common dating mistakes. Resources mentioned in this episode: Date Smarter: A Strategic Guide to Navigating Modern Romance “Receptivity to Sexual Invitations from Strangers of the Opposite Gender” How to Bounce Back from Life’s Curveballs (with Dr. Maya Shankar) “Computations of Uncertainty Mediate Acute Stress Responses in Humans” “Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of Effects and Processes”  “Forbes Health Survey: 78% Of All Users Report Dating App Burnout” “Foot-in-the-Door Technique Using a Courtship Request” “Getting Beyond Small Talk: Study Finds People Enjoy Deep Conversations with Strangers” “Grammar Is Super Important to Online Dating Sites, So Try to Speak English Good” “ Swipe-based dating applications use and its association with mental health outcomes: a cross-sectional study” (00:02:17) Date Smarter: A Strategic Guide to Navigating Modern Romance See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    45 min
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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.

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