The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos - podcast cover

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Pushkin Industries•www.pushkin.fm
Society & Culture
Health & Fitness

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

Don't Think of the White Bear

Explore the 'white bear effect' and ironic processes, showing how trying to suppress unwanted thoughts or emotions makes them worse. Discover how this cognitive phenomenon affects everything from golfing yips to processing severe trauma like the Holocaust, based on scientific research. Learn how expressing difficult feelings, rather than hiding them, leads to improved mental and physical health by allowing the brain to process and release cognitive pressure.

Oct 22, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Caring What You're Sharing

This episode explores the deep-seated human need to share experiences, tracing its history from early photography to modern social media. Through research on sharing and personal stories, including the founder of the Museum of Ice Cream, it reveals that while both sharing in the moment and documenting experiences can boost happiness, the act of documenting with the intent to share paradoxically detracts from our enjoyment and presence. Learn why fighting the urge to constantly capture for social media is key to finding greater happiness in shared moments.

Oct 15, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Mistakenly Seeking Solitude

Technology offers convenience, but avoiding human interaction comes at a cost to our well-being. This episode explores how inventions like the ATM reduce opportunities for social connection, a key driver of happiness. Research shows that even brief interactions with strangers can boost mood, challenging our assumptions about efficiency and solitude in an increasingly automated world.

Oct 08, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 4

A Silver Lining

Explore the surprising phenomenon of why Olympic silver medalists often appear less happy than bronze medalists. Dr. Laurie Santos and guest expert Tom Gilovich delve into the cognitive bias of using upward social comparisons as reference points, showing how this affects happiness in sports, finances, and daily life. Learn how reframing expectations and focusing on the journey, like figure skater Michelle Kwan, can help us find contentment and well-being.

Oct 01, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 3

The Unhappy Millionaire

This episode explores why winning the lottery doesn't guarantee happiness and contracting a serious illness isn't always devastating, revealing our poor prediction skills and remarkable ability to adapt to both good and bad life events. Featuring insights from a therapist for the wealthy and psychologist Dan Gilbert, it explains concepts like the money-happiness plateau, impact bias, hedonic adaptation, and the psychological immune system, showing our surprising capacity to adapt and find well-being even after tragedy.

Sep 24, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 2

You Can Change

Dr. Laurie Santos introduces her podcast on the science of happiness, inspired by student mental health struggles and personal experiences like Clement's letter. She defines happiness, explains how scientists measure it, and shares key findings from the Harvard Study of Adult Development, highlighting that relationships, not wealth or achievement, are crucial. The episode emphasizes that happiness requires consistent effort and introduces science-backed habits, proven effective by data from her popular online course.

Sep 13, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Coming Soon: The Happiness Lab Season One

Do you want to be happier? Yale's 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 Ivy League psychology course she teaches, Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about becoming happier. The Happiness Lab debuts September 17 from Pushkin Industries. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...

Aug 27, 2019•4 min
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