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The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

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. For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show and to sign up to our newsletter visit: happinesslab.fm

Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Torah

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

  • 4.4K views
  • almost 4 years ago
  • 29:59

Sarah Hurwitz grew up thinking there was little the great texts of Judaism could teach her - she even hatched a plot to get out of Hebrew school. But in adulthood she discovered that The Torah contains instructions to act with gratitude, kindness and solidarity that all chime with the latest happiness research.   Sarah is author of Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Reconnect With The Moment

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

  • 4.2K views
  • about 4 years ago
  • 33:58

Psychologist and meditation teacher Tara Brach felt too stressed and busy to spend time with her elderly mother - until she had a lightning moment of realisation. Why couldn't she enjoy living in the moment with her beloved parent? What fears and insecurities were preventing her from devoting time to her mom? Tara tells Dr Laurie Santos how she created RAIN - a mindfulness practise that allows us to Recognise, Allow, Investigate and Nurture our emotions. Once we consciously engage with those emotions, Tara argues, we can decide what's really important to us and our happiness. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Dump Your Inner Drill Sergeant

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

  • 4.6K views
  • about 4 years ago
  • 36:49

We often start a new year hoping to make big changes in how we look, feel or act. This can involve a lot of self-criticism and adopting things like tough diets and brutal exercise regimes. But being hard on ourselves doesn't deliver results. Dr Laurie Santos examines why being a nasty drill sergeant to ourselves is less effective than being a kind coach; and hears from researcher and author Kristin Neff about why developing self-compassion is vital to helping us achieve our new year goals. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Buddha

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

  • 4.3K views
  • over 4 years ago
  • 28:56

The Buddha was born to a royal family... and it shocked him when he found out that no amount of money or power could keep suffering and loss at bay forever. The quest to accept that life brings us pain was key to the development of Buddhism as a major religion. Dr Laurie Santos is joined by Liz Angowski and Robert Wright (author of 'Why Buddhism is True') to explore The Buddha's teachings about unhappiness and how mindfulness meditation can help us come to terms with the negative feelings we all experience from time to time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Epictetus

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

  • 3.4K views
  • over 4 years ago
  • 29:40

Epictetus was born into slavery and beaten until he was lame... but he became one of Ancient Rome's greatest thinkers by accepting every setback as an opportunity to learn and grow. Philosophy professor Bill Irvine joins Dr Laurie Santos to delve into Stoicism - an ancient school of thought which urges us to reframe how we view the problems we all face and defuse the negative emotions of anger and envy that can be so harmful to our happiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Aristotle

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

  • 4.1K views
  • over 4 years ago
  • 29:03

He gave us biology, physics and drama... but Greek philosopher Aristotle also thought deeply about how humans can flourish and live happy lives of virtue. Yale professor Tamar Gendler tells Dr Laurie Santos about Aristotle's wellbeing insights and how he recommended taking daily "baby steps" towards becoming the sort of happy, moderate person we aspire to be. A kind of ancient "fake it, 'til you make it" ethos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to Be a Better Ally

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

  • 3.6K views
  • over 4 years ago
  • 42:20

You might detest bigotry and injustice, but have you done anything to address these problems? There are many reasons we stay silent and inactive when we know we should intervene to defend the rights of others. We look at the psychology underpinning our reluctance to act and the ways in which we can match our moral beliefs with concrete actions. Featuring James Barr and Dan Hudson, co-hosts of the podcast 'A Gay and a Non-Gay'. WARNING: This episode talks frankly about discrimination, hate crimes and sex. For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The War For Kindness

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

  • 4.1K views
  • almost 5 years ago
  • 38:21

Feeling you belong to a group can be great - but it also has a darker side, leading us down an unhappy path of hatred and violence towards people with different identities and backgrounds. Dr Laurie Santos talks to Mina Cikara - whose homeland descended into a bloody civil war - and Jamil Zaki about how we can fight hatred with empathy, kindness and difficult conversations. (Deep canvassing clips courtesy of The Leadership Lab https://leadership-lab.org/ at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.) For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Demonic Possessions

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

  • 3.2K views
  • almost 5 years ago
  • 26:29

Cait Flanders went deep into debt so she could buy all the clothes, books and gadgets she thought would make her happier. It was only when she junked it all that she found that 'doing' rather than 'having' is a better way to spend your salary. Dr Laurie Santos examines why investing in experiences like concerts, vacations and dining out can give us a long-term happiness boost that buying things just can't match. For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices