The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Pushkin Industries•www.pushkin.fm

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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Episodes

Can You Become a "Practical" Optimist?

There are many benefits to being an optimist - particularly when things go wrong in our lives. But we aren't all naturally optimistic, so can we learn to adopt the best and most positive behaviours of born optimists? Through treating New Yorkers caught up in the 9/11 attacks, psychiatrist Dr Sue Varma developed a concept she calls "practical optimism". She shares her tips on how we can all be more optimistic in the face of life's challenges.  Read more in Sue's book Practical Optimism: The ...

Apr 21, 2025•45 min•Season 10Ep. 19

How to Confront the Things that Suck (Live with John Green)

Author and vlogger John Green looks around the world and sees a lot of things that suck. But rather than giving in to despair, he's trying to develop a sense of hope. He says the most "punk rock" thing to do is tackle our problems head-on.  John embraces the motto: "Human beings can be good news!" In a live discussion with Dr Laurie, he explains that if we work together we can decrease the suck in the world and increase the awesome.  This live event marked the publication of John's new...

Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 12 min

How to be Awesome - With Almost no Effort (with John Green)

Best-selling author John Green wants to see less suck in the world and more awesome - and you can help achieve that right now! John's turned his attention to tuberculosis (TB) - a disease that is fixable and yet still kills millions of people. But you can stop that.  TB is a disease of poverty - so if you can spare a buck, then you can save lives by donating to  GiveDirectly.org/tb Giving to help others is proven to make us feel happier and more hopeful in tough times, so Dr Laurie wil...

Apr 14, 2025•31 min•Season 10Ep. 18

How to Stay Hopeful (Live from SXSW with Michelle Obama)

"What can we do to find hope when times are tough?" That was the question posed to Dr Laurie for a live recording of IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson at the 2025 SXSW festival.  Dr Laurie explained what science says about retaining hope and how we can act in ways that make us feel better even in bleak times - and the former First Lady shared her tips for staying hopeful.  IMO is a new show hosted by Michelle and her brother Craig - with guests ranging from Jay Shetty to Seth ...

Apr 11, 2025•58 min

Why You Should Take a Few Months Off Work (Live from SXSW)

Sometimes a two-week vacation just isn't enough - we all might need to leave our jobs for three months, six months or even a year. Taking an extended break can be great for our wellbeing - allowing us to recharge our batteries and reassess our priorities.  But for most of us taking a sabbatical feels impossible - so live at SXSW Dr Laurie asked the advice of sabbaticals expert DJ DiDonna. DJ teaches at Harvard Business School and founded The Sabbatical Project - but in a past life he establ...

Apr 07, 2025•48 min•Season 10Ep. 17