Learn research-tested strategies for a happier, more meaningful life, drawing on the science of compassion, gratitude, mindfulness, and awe. Hosted by award-winning psychologist Dacher Keltner. Co-produced by PRX and UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center.
41 Subscribers
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© Greater Good Science Center
The Science of Happiness
41 Subscribers
Reviews
Dehmeila
5 out of 5 stars
Happiness Breaks are the best !
Forgiveness and self compassion with Alex Elle is my lifesaver.
ck956
5 out of 5 stars
Self care
Happiness Breaks are great! Take a short break to re-energize.
Love P Joy
5 out of 5 stars
Great Happiness practices
Love the Scientific evidence for so many of the practices, I really believe in. In addition I constantly learn so many more. It’s so wonderful to spread these positive ideas in a world wired for constant stress.
NoOvernightGuests
5 out of 5 stars
As someone who loves actionable, relatable science, this podcast is a must!
Such an interesting podcast. You learn a lot about human behavior and people. I’m often surprised and touched by the interviews, resources, test results etc. shared during each episode.
Bitty12345
5 out of 5 stars
Happiness breaks
Just a little obsessed with the happiness breaks😍 Such great, useful information in a short amount of time. If you haven’t listened yet, do it now!
glimadoll
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent practical and research-based tips for wellbeing
Great podcast! Thank you for all of the very helpful practices and information!
traditionalgirl
1 out of 5 stars
Episode 43
Disgusting to hear the dissing of America & it’s culture. If you don’t like this great country , then leave.
Election junky
2 out of 5 stars
Black man going down a slide
In NYC adults are only allowed in playgrounds if they’re with a child. So pls don’t try that slide test if you’re not.
#Emma/#E.dog
5 out of 5 stars
Yay
I was so sad before I wasDepressed and mad but now i feel like so much weight was lifted off my shoulders it made me happier.😊😇
LindaB23
2 out of 5 stars
Political bias evident
I have not found an episode that does not contain a political bias. It is tiresome.
J*Learner
5 out of 5 stars
Dacher is a superstar
I truly enjoy this podcast. It is one tool in my tool belt for my mindfulness journey. Several episodes have not necessarily been of interest at first but, sure enough, there’s a nugget within the episodes that I appreciate and learn from. I also really like the shorter length because they’re not a huge time commitment and that makes the episodes more approachable for me. Dacher’s personality comes across as very warm and caring, which is the cherry on top of the substantive content.
Cincodemayomama
5 out of 5 stars
Inspired by your stories...and science!
It’s wonderful to learn about yourself through other people’s experiences. It takes the pressure off and allows the listener to be inspired without being deterred by ones own insecurities. These stories are entertaining and thought-provoking. I like that the ‘Happiness Guniepigs’ are often accomplished and sometimes well-known people with credibility. It makes me feel better about myself to know that everyone wants to improve their happiness... it’s not just regular ol’ me. This in-and-of-itself would make a great podcast, but they take it further by bringing in all the science supporting the happiness of said example during the second half of the show. Thank you (I guess I’m sort of writing a Letter of Gratitude) for making a show that can really help people improve their lives and the lives of those around them.
Mad MACC
1 out of 5 stars
Happy talk
Lots of happy talk about feelings from unscientific young people who start every thought with the word “So”. If you want to know about the real source of happiness then listen to Dr. Jordan Peterson. This is just fluff.
whitneyv05
5 out of 5 stars
So good! Love the stories
I love how this podcast focuses on a personal story about a particular topic first and through most of the episodes, and then dives into the science behind it. It feels less sterile than other podcasts and is overall really uplifting and gives tangible goals and techniques.
Su Glez
5 out of 5 stars
Love it.
Thank you for this podcast. I am a psychotherapist and I even use your podcast to explain difficult ideas and concepts to clients in a simple, short and easy way to absorb. Thank you!!
!ann?
5 out of 5 stars
Thoughtful and inspires contentment:)
Thought provoking interviews and good scientific based evidence for mindfulness.
Raechelle5
5 out of 5 stars
Love!
I love listening to the Science of Happiness as I walk/jog in the morning. I’ve tried a few of the gratitude practices and found it to be very rewarding in my every day.
aj787878787878787878
5 out of 5 stars
Life this podcast!
Every episode is well done and a great listen! Thank you!
Mantis79
2 out of 5 stars
Boring, Biased
I was looking for an enriching podcast to listen to, this cough my eye. Unfortunately within the first few minutes there was Trump bashing, like huh? Was this necessary? Snowflakes talking about feelings, so boring.
M_______L
1 out of 5 stars
Rip off of The Happiness Lab??
This seems suspiciously similar an existing show, The Happiness Lab...
camilizer234
5 out of 5 stars
amazing
I love this podcast !!!
bombon334455
5 out of 5 stars
Love it
Very fruitful and interesting podcast. I have been listening to it for a while now. I enjoy all the interviews and examples directed to be applied in our daily lives.
GigglezSR1
5 out of 5 stars
This podcast is so joyful
I had a lot of anger before listened to this podcast, But now that I did, I always feel good and remember what they said. And if I have a question about how to, Just be kind. Five stars for me
FayeAnna
2 out of 5 stars
Is it ok
I haven’t listen to it but is it good or bad please answer my question
Taylor_AW
5 out of 5 stars
The Light We All Need
When I’m struggling, I turn to this podcast. It’s so rewarding listening to the experiences of those using the practices and how it impacted their lives or points of view. Thank you for providing the light we all need!
Keilani B.
5 out of 5 stars
Insightful. Positive. Influential.
This podcast is amazing. After each episode I feel inspired to be kind and I have clarity on how to do so.
listenup1969
5 out of 5 stars
Joyful
Wonderful food for the soulful, sorry for the rest.
pro231311
5 out of 5 stars
Very positive
Thank you for providing a podcast that spreads positive energy into the world. I’m learning how to be a better person because of it.
ashleymc10
5 out of 5 stars
Riveting podcast
This is a podcast full of scientific evidence to support a happier life! As a PhD student, it has helped me get through! I send these to previously skeptical family members. This podcast has changed their lives too.
RPMSpeed
1 out of 5 stars
Can’t hold my interest
Writing a book and hosting a podcast is not the same. You lack the ability to grab and hold you listeners’ attention. Keep your day job.
aallen324
1 out of 5 stars
Hateful.
Your political views do not matter. This is meant to be a podcast for happiness, not your far left hateful views. Change the name and purpose of the podcast.
Singer Kate
5 out of 5 stars
Absolutely wonderful
This is a practical, fun and super well done podcast. It's usefulness is profound, and they have wonderful guests doing the practices and reporting back. Very uplifitng to listen to- and even better to apply!
nick (nayhen
1 out of 5 stars
Come on
You need to work a lot to ketchup to the others because it is not good at all 🤬🤬🤔
_MaggieMae93
3 out of 5 stars
Something Different!
Really really love this podcast. It’s nice to have something more happy and more towards helping others! The only downfall is when some people are on the podcast all I can hear is the salvia in their mouth 😣 I’ve unfortunately had to skip a few episodes because of this
Lillie No Clever Nickname
5 out of 5 stars
Nice format
I love the try-and-see approach to each episode. The guests all seem to really benefit from their experiments.
Sokneeuhh
5 out of 5 stars
Favorites!
This has been one of my favorite podcasts to tune into at least once a week. One of my favorite episodes that stood out to me and urged me to leave a review was “How to Keep Love Alive” (season 5 episode 3). I always appreciate hearing what the psychologists and experts at the end of each episode have to say about the exercises. Keep up the good work Science of Happiness! 💗
Dr Cordell
5 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
I stumbled onto this podcast through my research on universal facial expression, work done in modern era by Dr. Paul Ekman. Interestingly, his work and work carried on by Dr. Eve Ekman led me to Berkeley’s Center for Greater Good. I have little doubt that we are all living in a mad, dangerous world - yet, our hope and our potential for better personal and collective human lives has always been within us. Thanks for this work GGIA.
PSUButler
1 out of 5 stars
Blinded by the left
Why do you feel the need to bash President Trump and claim that xenophobia and white supremacy are on the rise (no data- scare tactics) during an episode that is supposed to be about finding the good in life. He does not hate “all brown people”. Leave your hateful bias out of a podcast that references the utilization of Science. Are you so blinded by your left-wing media-induced hate that you cannot accept that others have a different opinion. I call this arrogance. Why alienate half of the country by bringing your politics into what, otherwise as an enjoyable podcast series.
Rice Mom
5 out of 5 stars
successfully blends science with specific individual stories
one of my top 5 podcasts! the tone is gentle but persuasive/encouraging. The guests are very authentic, disclosing, and likeable/relatable. They are also free people of color/non-WASP. The research is well summarized & fascinating. Commercials are brief and never obnoxious. These aren’t quick fixes but truly useful ways to improve ourselves and our families and communities. try a few episodes!
sfmorn
4 out of 5 stars
I love this Podcast!
People need to be more happy!
nat-lee uwu
5 out of 5 stars
🧐
uwu o_o •~• •_• :) 8) :/ woot woot, am I right?
Gfdsthfvbhgdfghu
5 out of 5 stars
Interesting
I like this podcast because of the different interviews he does. Just like the title it really is the science of happiness. It’s the study of it. Some of the interviews are better than others but ya, it inspires me. Keep up the good work guys!
RockOperatic
5 out of 5 stars
Great show!
Really enjoyed the episode about letting go of anger. Gonna put that one to use!
ChristineJack
2 out of 5 stars
I wish this made me happy
Unfortunately it’s really boring. There are a few good points and practices, however I find myself drifting off and not paying attention. Maybe it gets better???
Rebelcake
3 out of 5 stars
Barf
The audio equivalent of watching an old episode of Oprah. If crafting, journaling, forcing forgiveness, visualization, etc is enough to bring you happiness—more power to you. Pretty useless for others.
tiffbook instaffany
5 out of 5 stars
Awesome!
Wow! This is just so good, soul food!
Nikki Grey. rockinmeow
5 out of 5 stars
Do yourself a favor, listen to this podcast.
Truly grateful for this podcast, it helps me get over small aspects of my life that interferes with seeing the big pictures of life. 10/10 highly recommend!
MBUCHAMARBLE
5 out of 5 stars
Makes me happier!
Very fun podcast that is also very moving at times. I can say it has inspired positive change in my life!
MoDrAtg
1 out of 5 stars
Unhelpful
This podcast is terrible. There is little to no science being talked about or referenced. I’m not sure anyone on here has any idea what true unhappiness really is.
Keen Listener108
3 out of 5 stars
Greater Good
I'm a big fan of the Greater Good Science Center. I've paid my membership fee for years and enjoy access to all their material. Dacher Keltner is good. But the advertisements really detract from the listening. Sorry, but, what a drag! A commercial right at the beginning and then a longer one in the middle. Uck!
Wazzap123
3 out of 5 stars
ZXC
Recommended for those people willing to learn <3 good job
don5563
5 out of 5 stars
Great pacing and structure
This podcast is a stimulating and insightful 20 minutes. Marrying an explanation of the science with a personal narrative keeps things moving and focused on how one can apply concepts learned.
Prozizzle
5 out of 5 stars
Cool
I haven’t listened but was curious if I could leave a review with absolutely no idea about the show
kt080808
5 out of 5 stars
What you didn’t know you needed
This is podcast is amazing... it combines research with happiness (a field I find very underrepresented). They enhance awareness of happiness with research based practices, and brings the science into it. It’s not another cheesy self-help podcast, it dives into research and evidence. It has also helped me find more happiness in my life. So grateful for this podcast!!!
Aboyd9079
5 out of 5 stars
Lifeline
Seriously this podcast was a life line for me as I would commute an two hours everyday to my terrible first job. I would listen to these episodes do the practices throughout the day. I truly believe that it helped me to get through so much! Thank you so much for what you do. The key thing I still reflect on the most is Gratitude.
ryanwolfwins
5 out of 5 stars
happier now
SOH is a nice listen. I am a fan of this podcast. I am have gotten a lot out of my time listening. I am looking forward to more episodes.
Zepto17
5 out of 5 stars
An extremely valuable podcast!
As a scientist, I truly appreciate learning the science behind “happiness”. I encourage listeners to actually try the exercises and find one or two or more that are comfortable and applicable. The world desperately needs more happy people.
Betonga
5 out of 5 stars
Love your podcast!!
In looking for more meaningful knowledge.... I found your podcast!! It is so brilliant! I’m listening to all your old podcasts and I’m eager to hear the future new ones! I’m sharing all I learned and encouraging others to listen! Thank you for existing!😊
Jfor0
5 out of 5 stars
Great podcast
It’s very informative.
Mahdi)
5 out of 5 stars
Loved it
The thing you guys do is the only thing we need these days
kmcsjc
5 out of 5 stars
What if we had never met?
The concept of Mental Subtraction of Positive Events can be life-changing. I have been blogging about gratitude since December 2006 and I've published a book about gratitude (A Moment's Pause for Gratitude, Balboa Press, 2017). In conversations with people about gratitude, I have often urged them to consider the "What if?" Until hearing this podcast, however, I had never heard the phrase "Mental Subtraction of Positive Events." Thanks for sharing.
Bluetarastar
5 out of 5 stars
Highly Recommended
I am a school psychologist and I base my work on research. I love that these are research-based practices that are feasible for any person to apply to their own lives. Thanks!
SandolaXOX
5 out of 5 stars
Such a boost
I love this podcast. These practices are accessible and scientifically proven. Episodes are less than 20 minutes. And Dr. Keltner's voice is so comforting!
lizhumala
5 out of 5 stars
Adore this podcast but too short!
I love the presentation of your research and your the experiences your guests share! I use what you teach and find it so helpful. My only wish to improve your show is to make it longer and more frequent. I feel like you could do so much more! Please do!
wildirishviolet
5 out of 5 stars
Found this podcast when I most needed it
When my husband of 49 years became gravely ill, I found myself unable to watch the daily news cycle. I came upon “The Science of Happiness “ and have been listening ever since. It is helping me cope with his illness and recovery! Thank you , great show !!!
joish
5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic, succinct, and science-based!
Great idea and great show! Love the tight editing of the show. Do not prefer the idea of longer episodes. The GGSC website is a fantastic supplement to the podcast (or is it the other way around?)!
zucchiniboy
5 out of 5 stars
Happy and hopeful
I am a stay at home parent and find my patience tried often. This podcast is giving me concrete practices to be a healthier person. I love how it starts with a story. The stories are so well-told. Loving the voice. Great podcast!
Harty711
5 out of 5 stars
Wonderful stories, fascinating science
This podcast is a breath of fresh air. It features guests that come from all walks of life and tells their unique stories in ways that feel earnest and deeply human. I am thankful for every new episode that bubbles to the top of my playlist.
UWSListener
5 out of 5 stars
Closer to Happiness with Each Listen
The practice each episode explores is extremely intersting and insighful. But my favorite part of the podcast are the personal stories. I feel more connected to the "Happiness Guinea Pig" and more willing to try the practice.
barry5301
5 out of 5 stars
Awesome podcast
Really awesome podcast, I just wish the episodes were longer. 45min would be nice
Intrepid1998
5 out of 5 stars
Smart, Science!
This series presents practical practices and evidence. Love it!
tamalita
5 out of 5 stars
Forgiveness
I have enjoyed this entire podcast series tremendously. The episode on forgiving my father really resonated with me. I went through a similar experience of wanting an apology to restructuring the relationship and forgiving him. I was also able to develop some beautiful memories with my father before he passed. Interestingly, shortly before his death, i had a negative interaction with my sisters and I was deeply hurt. I remember my father telling me over and over that I had to forgive them. I remember the night he and I spent talking about it and I finally did forgive them. I am so thankful for the memories that I have with him and for his teachings.
koniegirl
5 out of 5 stars
Forgiveness
Today’s podcast on forgiving our fathers immediately called my attention. Initially I thought the example was trivial compared to other experiences but then I understood that letting go of the big disappointments and the small leads to healing and eventually happiness. Love your podcast so much!
sarasofsof
5 out of 5 stars
Great
Love this podcast! Always inspires me
DubNation94
5 out of 5 stars
Great Podcast!
Was reccommended this podcast from a friend. Love how short and simple the episodes are.
Susan Goewey
5 out of 5 stars
Could listen to this every day!
Love this and hope research is made accessible due to the stories the happiness guinea pigs tell. Easy to try at home. Just wish there were more episodes. Really uplifting
J. Barshop
5 out of 5 stars
Awesome show, highly recommend!
Dacher and his expert guests provide some incredibly actionable and compelling content, spotlighting thoroughly researched practices on how to experience life with a new emotional resilience. Highly recommend listening and subscribing to The Science of Happiness if you want the knowledge AND mindsets to improve your body, mind, and spirit (and live your best life as a result)!
kms5549
5 out of 5 stars
Love it!
Just started listening to this pod and the Walk Outside episode is wonderful! Inside Out, walks in nature, mental & physiological benefits, AND dogs in the same 20 minute podcast?! Sign me up. You guys are doing a great job.
Momariama
5 out of 5 stars
Marvel At The Ordinary, MATO as a motto
All who enjoy this podcast would also love the Facebook group called MATO, Marvel at the Ordinary. People choosing to see the good in others and the world around us can and will make life better for everyone!! Thank you so much for your podcast, The Science of Happiness!!
mcmiken
4 out of 5 stars
Pretty sick
This is super interesting can’t wait to hear more
Betsy Podcast Fanatic
5 out of 5 stars
Great for teachers and families!
I teach mindfulness in public school classrooms for teachers and their students, and these practices are super-practical and applicable in that context. Thank you so much for pulling together both adults to try out the happiness practices, and interviews with leading researchers who've looked at their implications. I'll recommend this to my colleagues.
Jboardes12
5 out of 5 stars
Awesome
I really feel like I’m learning a lot listening to these guys
midwestcoast775
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Podcast
This is a great podcast! Good stuff :)
KY Latina
5 out of 5 stars
The Science of Happiness
I love it. I look forward to listening.
Ela de Cali
5 out of 5 stars
So far I am loving it
In fact, I have assigned listening to at least one episode as “class reading” for my college students .
pubrad
5 out of 5 stars
Great moments, great stories.
Enjoyed this podcast. Special moments, even a lump in my throat on occasion. Made me smile. Learned something and hope to try some of these techniques to be more fulfilled and feel gratitude for my life. Thank you Dacher, Greater Good Science Center and PRI.
Seamdig
5 out of 5 stars
Loved the first two. Keep them coming!!
Great examples of how we can all work on our happiness.
rosieposie629
5 out of 5 stars
Loving it
Really great for self reflecting and tips on what to do on those days you feel helpless and hopeless.
BobDelo
5 out of 5 stars
Really Happy Now!
I have been waiting for a podcast just like this one for a very long time! I very much enjoy the format of these podcasts; the two I’ve listened to thus far. I first heard of the GGSC years ago when I watched the short videos by Christine Carter and Kelly Corrigan. I have been unable to afford the other classes you have offered. Finding this podcasts feels a bit like I striking gold! I am already looking to the next ones. Also, they are short and sweet. Perfect!
RealtorAndyDenver
5 out of 5 stars
Glad I found this place
I signed up for the course on edX. I’m not being as regular at student inn as I would like, but everything I’m doing makes a difference. I’m enjoying the podcast too. All good stuff. Thank you for being here. I really really appreciate it.
Seeking refund from Apple
5 out of 5 stars
Dacher and the GGSC are legit
These folks are studying highly underrated and understudied aspects of our human experience. This isn't a polyannish just think happy thoughts mumbo jumbo but high quality science. I'm so excited that this podcast exists and that I'll be able to share this excellent research with my clients. As a psychologist and teacher of mindfulness thank you for your work and dedication!
Podcast information
- Amount of episodes
- 176
- Subscribers
- 41
- Verified
- No
- Website
- Explicit content
- No
- Episode type
- episodic
- Podcast link
- https://podvine.com/link/..
- Last upload date
- June 1, 2023
- Last fetch date
- June 4, 2023 6:17 PM
- Upload range
- WEEKLY
- Author
- PRX and Greater Good Science Center
- Copyright
- © Greater Good Science Center
susbcribers
- Happiness Break: Who Takes Care of You? With Dacher KeltnerWhen we feel cared for, our cortisol levels drop, we feel safe, and we handle stress better. Dacher leads a meditation to help us focus on the people who make us feel supported. How to Do This Practice: Find a comfortable position to start the practice. Focus on taking deep breaths. Shift your attention to your body, relaxing your jaw, shoulders and face. Begin to think about a friend who has supported you, or a friend who you feel grateful for. Reflect on how they have supported you and how that makes you feel. Notice how those feelings manifest within your body. Try shifting your attention to family members and/or mentors who have supported you in various ways. Complete the practice by acknowledging the ways these individuals have contributed to your life. Today’s Happiness Break host: Dacher Keltner is the host of the award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the UC, Berkeley. Check out Dacher’s most recent book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Just One Thing: Feel the Support: https://tinyurl.com/yrfnmwfv Four Ways Social Support Makes You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/2p9zkjpj Why Your Friends Are More Important Than You Think: https://tinyurl.com/mw2mr5p7 How Friends Help You Regulate Your Emotions: https://tinyurl.com/bdetmjt3 We love hearing from you! How do you feel supported by the people in your life? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2p8kj22u Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p8kj22u We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.0 comments0
- Feeling Overworked? Take a Fika Break (The Science of Happiness Podcast)A short break does more than just fuel our bodies, it strengthens our minds. Our overworked guest tries the Swedish practice of 'Fika' – taking short coffee breaks throughout the work day. Episode summary : In the United States, we’re taught that it’s a good thing to work more, and work harder. But research shows that overworking isn’t just physically and mentally draining, it can also be deadly. One strategy to manage our work culture? Take more breaks. Our guest this week is Mike Heyliger, a music executive and self-described “workaholic.” He incorporated the Swedish tradition of fika – taking coffee and snack breaks throughout the day – into his own life, and found it not only helped him de-stress, it also shifted his mindset and enabled him to connect with others. Later, we look at the scientific benefits of taking microbreaks and hear from Anna Brones, co-author of Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break. Practice: Actively choose to take a break during your day. Typically, fika breaks happen twice. Once in the morning and once in the mid-afternoon. Traditionally, fika breaks include a drink, like coffee, and a snack, but this is not required. Often, fika breaks are taken with others. Today’s guests: Mike Heyliger is a music executive and the creator of Detoxicity, a podcast on progressive masculinity. Learn more about Mike’s Initiative, ‘Mindful Vinyl’: https://mindfulvinyl.org/about/ Listen to Mike’s Podcast, ‘Detoxicity’: https://tinyurl.com/vc72tjn2 Anna Brones is a Swedish-American writer and artist. She produces the newsletter and podcast, Creative Fuel. Anna is also the co-author of Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break. Learn more about Anna and her work: https://www.annabrones.com/about Listen to the Creative Fuel Podcast: https://www.creativefuelcollective.com/podcast Read Anna’s book on Fika: https://tinyurl.com/yhdzaj2m Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Five Reasons to Take a Break from Screens: https://tinyurl.com/333tuvax Why You Should Take More Time Off from Work: https://tinyurl.com/k5brkp46 Tuesday Tip: Take a Break: https://tinyurl.com/5986ste3 How to Avoid Burnout – or a Breakdown: https://tinyurl.com/bddw7cap Why You Should Take a Relaxing Lunch Break: https://tinyurl.com/2p8axdba More Resources on Fika: NYT - In Sweden, the Fika Experience: https://tinyurl.com/54wpw8p5 Insider - A daily habit from Sweden could make you more productive at work: https://tinyurl.com/4exjydrr TED - Forget the Pecking Order at Work: https://tinyurl.com/yk68dmzy BBC - The Swedish tradition that can make you happier at work: https://tinyurl.com/yx28x2v8 Have you tried incorporating fika in your life? Tell us how it went. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Share this episode with a friend: https://tinyurl.com/4uyr2w35 Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
- The Science of Happiness May 18 · 9m Belonging to the Earth, With Yuria CelidwenIndigenous scholar Yuria Celidwen guides us in a meditation to strengthen our sense of belonging and connection to the earth. This Happiness Break is part of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. In it, we explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. Listen to the rest of the series, which was released in our feed April 22–May 18, 2023. How to Do This Practice: Find a comfortable position wherever you are located. Direct your attention to your feet and the surface below them. Try to cultivate a sense of belonging in that space under your feet. Let your breath guide your attention back to your feet and upward to your heart and head. Feel a sense of openness as you welcome the warmth of the sun into your heart. Acknowledge the transformative power of the earth and your role within it. Today’s Happiness Break host: Dr. Yuria Celidwen is an Indigenous scholar whose work focuses on Indigenous contemplative traditions and advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples and lands. She is a senior fellow at the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley and has worked with numerous organizations including the United Nations. Learn more about Yuria: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/ Find out more about Yuria’s work at the Othering and Belonging Institute: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/yuria-celidwen More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative: https://tinyurl.com/d2vzpsaj What Happens When We Reconnect With Nature: https://tinyurl.com/553xwm47 How to Protect Kids from Nature-Deficit Disorder: https://tinyurl.com/4usewuzj How Nature Helps Us Heal: https://tinyurl.com/2p93682j Why is Nature So Good for Your Mental Health? https://tinyurl.com/bdetmjt3 Five Ways to Develop “Ecoliteracy”: https://tinyurl.com/2zuj6smv Green With Empathy: https://tinyurl.com/42rk4m2m We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience with this meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day. The Science of Happiness would like to extend a special thanks to *Eva Frye for their support of this series. *0 comments0
- How To Step into Harmony With NatureWalking can increase our sense of connectedness with the earth and motivation to take climate action, which might be an important aspect of your well-being. This is the third and final episode of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. We explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action. Look for another climate-focused Happiness Break on May 18th. Episode summary : Musician and activist Diana Gameros tries leaving her car at home and walking instead of drive for three days. We hear what was challenging about her experience, and why in the end, she loved it. Incorporating small climate actions into our daily life can strengthen our relationship with the earth and inspire us to take better care of it. Later, climate scientist Patrick Gonzalez breaks down the actual climate impact of one person choosing not to drive for a day. (It’s more than you’d think.) Finally, we learn how to reimagine our relationship to the environment from Dr. Yuria Celidwen, an expert in Indigenous contemplative practices and sciences, and what we — and the planet — might gain from bridging Western and Indigenous worldviews. Practice: Avoid driving for one day out of the week. Instead, walk and take public transportation. Try to avoid using your phone while getting around. Instead, observe the environment around you and how you engage with it. Notice as much as you can about your neighborhood. Pay attention to how you feel when you walk versus drive. Think about how you can incorporate other small actions in your daily life to help the planet. Today’s guests: Diana Gameros is a musician and social activist. Her music is informed by themes like identity, language, culture and her experience as an immigrant. Learn more about Diana: https://www.dianagameros.com/ Listen to Diana’s Music: https://open.spotify.com/album/0JdsjnFwzgkr0kPelaODF4 Follow Diana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianagameros/ Follow Diana on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianagamerosmusic/ Patrick Gonzalez is a climate scientist and forest ecologist at UC Berkeley. His work inspired numerous policy changes focused on forestry protections around the world. Learn more about Patrick and his work: http://www.patrickgonzalez.net/ Follow Patrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pgonzaleztweet?lang=en Dr. Yuria Celidwen is an Indigenous scholar whose work focuses on Indigenous contemplative traditions and advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples and lands. Learn more about Yuria and her work: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/ More Resources on Climate Action: Greater Good Mag - Can We Have More Productive Conversations About Climate Change? https://tinyurl.com/5n95sva3 WHO - Cycling and walking can help reduce physical inactivity and air pollution, save lives and mitigate climate change: https://tinyurl.com/3kzhytf5 TED - When Mother Earth Speaks, You Best Listen: https://tinyurl.com/yzmhch34 Time Magazine - In the Face of Climate Change, We Must Act So That We Can Feel Hopeful—Not the Other Way Around: https://tinyurl.com/98bbspap What climate actions have you incorporated into your life? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
- Happiness Break: Contemplating our Interdependence with Nature, with Dekila ChungyalpaTake ten minutes to renew your connection to the earth through this guided meditation on our interdependence with the ecosystem. How to Do This Practice: Find a comfortable place to do this practice, relax into your body. Wherever you are, start to acknowledge your surroundings, noticing the living and inanimate things around you. Focus your attention on your breath, and how your breathing is interdependent on other life forms, and other life forms are dependent on your breath. Contemplate the Earth’s compassion, and how it provides you with unconditional support. Finish this practice by acknowledging your connection to the natural world. Today’s Happiness Break host: Dekila Chungyalpa is the founder and head of the Loka Initiative, which brings together faith leaders and culture keepers of indigenous traditions on environmental and climate issues. Learn More About Dekila Chungyalpa’s work: https://centerhealthyminds.org/about/people/dekila-chungyalpa Learn about the Loka Initiative: https://centerhealthyminds.org/programs/loka-initiative Follow Dekila on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dchungyalpa/?hl=en Follow Dekila on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dchungyalpa?lang=en More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: What Happens When We Reconnect With Nature: https://tinyurl.com/553xwm47 How Nature Helps Us Heal: https://tinyurl.com/2p93682j Why Is Nature So Good for Your Mental Health? https://tinyurl.com/ycx9ns4p How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier and More Creative: https://tinyurl.com/d2vzpsaj How Being in Nature Can Spur Personal Growth: https://tinyurl.com/2p822nyj How Modern Life Became Disconnected from Nature: https://tinyurl.com/bdzzy6pc Being Around Nature Helps You Love Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/34m7tfre We love hearing from you! How do you connect with nature? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day. This Happiness Break is part of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. In it, we explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action. Look for the third and final episode May 11. Plus, we’ll share another climate-focused Happiness Break on May 18.0 comments0
- How to Feel More HopefulHow can we build a sense of hope when the future feels uncertain? Poet Tomás Morín tries a writing practice to make him feel more hopeful and motivated to work toward his goals. This is the second episode of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. We explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action. Look for the third and final episode May 11. Plus, we’ll share climate-focused Happiness Breaks next week and May 18. Episode summary : In the first episode of Climate, Hope & Science, we explored the power of hope with Rebecca Solnitt. Hope can help us cope with uncertainty and sustain action, even when we don’t know what will happen. But what can we do when hope feels far away? This week, we learn about a practice shown in a lab to increase hopefulness and happiness. Poet and professor Tomá Morín got his first taste of climate anxiety as a kid, when he learned about the hole in the ozone layer, and he still feels the panic over the state of the environment today. Will writing about a past hope that was fulfilled — like the global effort to heal the ozone layer — help him overcome despair and cultivate hope? We hear about Tomás’ experience. Then, the scientist behind the practice explains how she created it and why it works. Editor’s Note: In this episode, Tomás mentions recycling as a way to care for the environment. But in the last few years, we’ve learned that most things we toss in the recycling bin are never made into something new. If you’d like to learn more, here are a few places to start: https://tinyurl.com/3y9u2y5w https://tinyurl.com/yckstwer Today’s Practice: Find a quiet space and grab paper and something to write with. Write about something you're currently hopeful for when it comes to climate change. Describe it as if it’s happening now in as much detail as possible. Don’t worry about spelling and grammar. Next, write about a past hope you’ve held in the past regarding the environment that's been fulfilled and that brings you a sense of gratitude to think about now. Describe what happened, the gratitude you felt, how you and others contributed to it, and what you learned from the experience. If you like, take these prompts one by one. Don’t worry about writing well, just write as much as you can. Today’s guests: Tomás Morin is a poet who won an American Poetry Review Honickman First Book Prize for his collection of poems A Larger Country. He’s currently a professor at Rice University. Check out Tomás’ work: https://www.tomasqmorin.com/About Read Tomás’ latest book: https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496226495/ Follow Tomas on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomasqmorin/ Charlotte Van Oyen-Witvliet is a clinical psychologist who teaches at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: How Hope Can Keep You Happier and Healthier: https://tinyurl.com/2n9k59xn How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times: https://tinyurl.com/3b66kh5n How to Overcome “Apocalypse Fatigue” Around Climate Change: https://tinyurl.com/yc47ph38 What to do With Dread and Anxiety Around Climate Change: https://tinyurl.com/3766a6sj Tell us about your experience finding hope for the environment. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
- The Case for HopeIn the first episode in our series Climate, Hope and Science, we explore how embracing uncertainty enables us to move beyond climate anxiety and despair to hope and action, with author and activist Rebecca Solnit. This is the first episode of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. We explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. What does it take to be aware of what’s really happening, without falling into despair? How do we find hope? Do small, individual actions really matter? What happens to our minds and hearts when we connect with nature, and how can that actually protect the climate? We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action. Look for new episodes April 27 and March 11. Plus, we’ll share climate-focused Happiness Breaks in the weeks following those episodes. Episode summary : When you think about climate change, do you feel hope? On this episode of our special series, Climate, Hope and Science, we examine what it means to feel hopeful for the future of our planet. Renowned writer and activist Rebecca Solnit joins Dacher to share why she loves uncertainty, what gives her hope, and how hope empowers her. Later, we hear from climate scientist Patrick Gonzalez about why he believes climate hope is scientifically sound, and how much power we truly have to create meaningful change. Today’s guests: Rebecca Solnit is an award-winning author and activist whose works have explored numerous themes including technology, feminism, the environment and social change. Her latest book, which she co-edited, is It's Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility. https://www.nottoolateclimate.com/ Learn more about Rebecca: http://rebeccasolnit.net/biography/ Read Rebecca’s article “Ten ways to confront the climate crisis without loosing hope”: https://tinyurl.com/2p92e2h6 Follow Rebecca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaSolnit Follow Rebecca on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccasolnit/ Follow Rebecca on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.solnit Patrick Gonzalez is a climate scientist and forest ecologist at UC Berkeley. His work inspired numerous policy changes focused on forestry protections around the world. Learn more about Patrick and his work: http://www.patrickgonzalez.net/ Follow Patrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pgonzaleztweet?lang=en Follow Patrick on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/mvn98ear More Resources on Climate Hope: Greater Good Mag - More Resources on Science Center https://tinyurl.com/ytna663b University of Michigan - Climate crisis: 4 reasons for hope in 2023: https://tinyurl.com/5n7hhpu8 United Nations - 8 reasons not to give up hope - and take climate action: https://tinyurl.com/3wzrebyy Australian Psychological Society - Coping with climate change distress: https://tinyurl.com/43jhkbjw How do you feel when you think about climate change? Where do you derive hope? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
- Happiness Break: Sketching Serenity with Chris MurchisonHappiness Break: Sketching Serenity with Chris Murchison A guided drawing meditation to help you break out of stale thought patterns and maybe even enter a state of flow. No talent required. How to Do This Practice: Grab a piece of paper and something to draw with. Find a comfortable place and start by taking some deep, mindful breaths Take a few moments to take in your environment. What colors, shapes, and objects do you see? Set a timer and for the next two minutes, draw something that caught your attention. Don’t worry about how it looks and try to stay in the moment. Once time is up, spend a moment appreciating what you drew. Think about the impact of slowing down and doing something fun has had on your day. Today’s Happiness Break host: Chris Murchison is a meditation teacher, artist and speaker. He currently works as an independent advisor for organizations interested in improving their work cultures. Check out Chris’s GGSC profile: https://tinyurl.com/32htut6n Learn more about Chris’s art and other work: https://chrismurchison.com/about Follow Chris on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4auxk3ur Follow Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/murchisonchris?lang=en Add Chris on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/253x83ty More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Doing Something Creative Can Boost Your Well-Being: https://tinyurl.com/4pcwxhsf What is Creative Mortification and How Can You Overcome It: https://tinyurl.com/583kswfw Does Art Heal? https://tinyurl.com/3ttybzpm Everyday Art: https://tinyurl.com/mstemcsf 7 Ways to Foster Creativity: https://tinyurl.com/ycn5majv How to Combat America’s Creativity Crisis: https://tinyurl.com/yckzm8se We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of drawing this week. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.0 comments0
- The Science of Happiness Apr 13 · 19m A 7-Day Stress PrescriptionIs there such a thing as good stress? Our guest learns to welcome her stress by understanding how it can actually help her, plus tips and tricks to not feel too much of it. Episode summary : Like many of us, our guest Yana Leventon has dealt with a fair amount of stress in her life. But after living through the COVID-19 pandemic and grappling with the ongoing war in Ukraine (with relatives on both sides of the border) Yana’s stress levels reached a new high. This week’s episode is all about how we can reframe our relationship with stress. Yana spent one week trying a new practice each day. All 7 of the practices were aimed at managing different aspects of stress, from physically metabolizing her stress through exercise to visualization and breathing techniques. These exercises helped her regain a sense of clarity about what is truly not in her control, and agency over what is. She began to see stress as a normal and necessary part of life that can actually be beneficial in the right amount. Later, we hear from the psychologist who developed this stress management tool, Elissa Epel. She discusses the importance of developing a positive relationship with stress, and how we can use stress to feel a sense of empowerment. Practice: Day 1. Embrace Uncertainty: Releasing Embodied Stress Day 2. Let Go of What You Can’t Control: Stress Inventory Day 3. Find Excitement in Challenges: Stress Shield Day 4. Metabolize Body Stress: Hormetic Stress Day 5. Immerse Yourself in Nature: Sensory Absorption Day 6. Experience Deep Rest: Breath for Restoration Day 7. Create Bliss Bookends: Start and End Full of Joy For more information on each of the daily practices, check out Elissa Epel’s book, The Stress Prescription. Today’s guests: Yana Leventon was a refugee in Austria and Italy before migrating to the United States from the former USSR when she was 10 years old. Elissa Epel is a psychologist who specializes in stress, aging and well-being. She has developed self-care practices rooted in scientific research to improve how we cope with stress. Learn more about Elisa and her work: https://www.elissaepel.com/ Read Elissa’s book, The Stress Prescription : https://tinyurl.com/yt66t3b3 Follow Elissa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dr_Epel Follow Elissa on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TelomereEffect Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: How to Transform Stress into Courage and Connection: https://tinyurl.com/n49fzhf7 Seven Ways to Have a Healthier Relationship With Stress: https://tinyurl.com/mr3yy6b5 Is Stress Making You Withdraw from People? https://tinyurl.com/4kkesr7s Could Stress Help You Find Your Purpose in Life? https://tinyurl.com/2ssz7mck The Surprising Benefits of Stress: https://tinyurl.com/3uynfkf2 More Resources on Managing Stress: National Institute for Mental Health - I’m So Stressed Out! Fact Sheet: https://tinyurl.com/4hr3eawc TED - How to make stress your friend: https://tinyurl.com/y5bsj3ks Harvard Business Review - Turning Stress into an Asset: https://tinyurl.com/3fdzfx3v Johns Hopkins - Sleepless Nights? Try Stress Relief Techniques: https://tinyurl.com/mw6jxbvz Do you struggle with managing your stress levels? What’s your go-to stress management tool? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
- Happiness Break: Visualizing Your Purpose, with Dacher KeltnerHow to Do This Practice: Find a comfortable place to do this practice. Once you feel ready, relax your shoulders and close your eyes. Focus on your breathing, and take a few slow, deep breaths. Think about the world around you. If you could change one thing in society, what would it be? Imagine this ideal world. Visualize it manifesting before you. Notice what you see and how you feel in as much detail as possible. Is there anything that you can do to make this a reality? It can be anything, no matter how small. Think of some manageable steps you can take to get a little closer to what you’ve imagined. Return your focus to your breathing to close out this practice. If you have the time, jot down your thoughts and goals. Today’s Happiness Break host: Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Check out Dacher’s most recent book, *Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life: * https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt](https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt) Find the full practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/magic_wand More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: How to Find Purpose in Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/yc4dd5ff Living with Purpose Changes Everything: https://tinyurl.com/m28uvsjn The Purpose Challenge: https://tinyurl.com/53zykj8a How Strong is Your Sense of Purpose in Life? https://tinyurl.com/2r3yr3hr Purpose in Life Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/mrxys77h We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of finding purpose. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.0 comments0
- Encore: 24 Hours of KindnessWhy should you be nice? Our guest explores how small, daily acts of kindness can produce meaningful life changes. Episode summary : When you’re kind to someone, the positive impact doesn’t stop with them. In fact, the effect of your kind action can ricochet back to you by improving your physical health and outlook on life. This week’s episode is all about how kindness has the power to strengthen our sense of self within a larger community. Our guest Aaron Harvey is an activist and UC Berkeley alumni who performed five random acts of kindness in one day. He found that practicing kindness allowed him to develop deeper relationships with those around him and shifted the way he views his role in society. Later, we hear from Oliver Scott Curry, the Research Director at Kindlab, to learn about why humans are evolutionarily designed to be kind and how practicing kindness can positively affect our physical and mental state of being. How to Do This Practice : Choose a day of the week to perform 5 random acts of kindness throughout that day. These acts don’t have to be big or small or even for the same person. Just aim to perform a variety of acts of kindness. This could include helping a friend with a chore or providing a meal to a person in need. After each act, write down what you did in at least one or two sentences and reflect on how it made you feel. Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/random_acts_of_kindness Today’s guests: Aaron Harvey is a UC Berkeley Underground Scholar alumnus and activist. After facing the possibility of life in prison, Aaron successfully proved his innocence due to a lack of evidence. Learn more about Berkeley Underground Scholars: https://undergroundscholars.berkeley.edu/ Oliver Scott Curry is the Research Director for Kindlab at kindness.org. He uses scientific research to better understand topics like kindness, human morality and cooperation. Learn more about Oliver and his work: https://www.oliverscottcurry.com/ Learn more about Kindlab: https://kindness.org/kindlab Follow Oliver on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Oliver_S_Curry Follow Oliver on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/yc29nn62 Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Random Acts of Kindness: https://tinyurl.com/jxafbdm4 How to Start a Kindness Revolution: https://tinyurl.com/3fr68t6v Three Strategies for Bringing More Kindness into Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/22cx7w9f How Kindness Fits Into a Happy Life: https://tinyurl.com/h8mspz37 How to Be a Kindness Role Model for Your Kids: https://tinyurl.com/3cjkp785 Where Does Kindness Come From? https://tinyurl.com/hkv94anp Is There an Altruism Gene? https://tinyurl.com/5n8r7eh5 More Resources on Kindness MasterClass - How to Be Kind to Yourself: 5 Ways to Practice Kindness: https://tinyurl.com/ycx7uysu The New York Times - The Unexpected Power of Random Acts of Kindness: https://tinyurl.com/ycxxd7af TED Talk - Mark Kelly: How one act of kindness a day can change your life: https://tinyurl.com/u2n3t3s Have you ever tried practicing random acts of kindness? Ever been the recipient of one? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
- Happiness Break: Embodying Resilience, with Prentis HemphillWhat if you could tap into your inherent resilience at any time? Prentis Hemphill guides a meditation to turn good memories into a state of resilience. How to Do This Resilience Practice: Find a position that is comfortable for you, whether that is sitting, laying down or even standing. Don’t feel pressured to remain still for this practice. If you feel like you need to move or make sounds to stay present, feel free to. Think of something that brings you a sense of resilience. While in this memory, what are you doing with your body? What does your body feel like? Try to intensify those feelings. Notice how that feels in your body and in the experience of that memory. Take yourself back to how the memory was at the beginning of this practice, at a lower intensity. Notice how you’re able to make that change. Thinking about the day ahead or the day that you’ve had, ask yourself how much space do you want the day to take up in this moment? Once you’re ready, move from that comfortable position. See if you can take this experience with you throughout your day. Today’s Happiness Break host: Prentis Hemphill is the founder of the Embodiment Institute, and a writer and therapist who prioritizes the body in their approach to healing. Learn More About the Embodiment Institute: https://www.theembodimentinstitute.org/about Check out Prentis’ website: https://prentishemphill.com Follow Prentis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/prentishemphill Follow Prentis on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4d99f4xs More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: How to Hardwire Resilience into Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/26mff6hf Four Ways Social Support Makes You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/34ntce8u Evidence Mounts that Mindfulness Breeds Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/2u6k6mkh Mindfulness and Resilience to Stress at Work: https://tinyurl.com/yrujmwxs Three Ways to Boost Your Resiliency as a Parent: https://tinyurl.com/w6f3w3ak How Tuning into Your Body can Make You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/yv5yzper We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of this resilience meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.0 comments0
- One Way to Make Work More MeaningfulWe all overestimate how much we know. Our guest tries a practice in slowing down to ask more questions, and finds it leads to higher quality connections. Episode summary : What happens when we pause and open up to ideas that we didn’t think of ourselves? This episode is about intellectual humility, the ability to surrender to the idea that we might not have all the information or may not be right. Our guest is Kelly Corrigan, a best-selling author and host of PBS talk show Tell Me More and podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Her teams look to her for direction, but she wanted to see what would happen if she paused more to ask them questions, and found it totally changed her approach to both her work and family life. We also explore science around the subtle ways we react differently to people we disagree with, and how intellectual humility can change that. Try this practice: Cultivate Intellectual Humility If you can, write out your answers. When you encounter information or an opinion that contradicts your opinion or worldview, ask yourself questions like these: Why do you disagree? Are you making any assumptions? Might those assumptions be wrong? How did you come to your opinion? Think about the scenario from the perspective of a person who disagrees with you. Try to imagine how they came to believe what they believe: What information might they be basing their opinion off of? What values do you think they’re weighing in how they think about this topic? Can you imagine how they came to hold those values? 3. Tap into your intellectual humility: Identify places where, before, you didn’t acknowledge the limitations of what you know Now that you’ve worked to see this issue from another person’s point of view, do you see more value in their perspective? Today’s guests: Kelly Corrigan is the author of five books. She’s also the host for PBS’s longform interview show, Tell Me More and Kelly Corrigan Wonders*.* Check out Kelly’s website: https://www.kellycorrigan.com Follow Kelly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/corrigankelly Follow Kelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellycorrigan/ Mark Leary is a psychologist and emeritus professor at Duke University. Learn more about Mark and his work: https://sites.duke.edu/leary/ Check out Mark’s research on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/p8ayz8dn Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: What Does Intellectual Humility Look Like? https://tinyurl.com/5n949h69 Five Reasons Intellectual Humility is Good for You: https://tinyurl.com/2ce3jrmc Intellectual Humility Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/574k99fs Three Reasons for Leaders to Cultivate Intellectual Humility: https://tinyurl.com/2s4ecda6 How to Know if You’re Actually Humble: https://tinyurl.com/y8js44v More Resources on Intellectual Humility Vox - Intellectual humility: The importance of knowing you might be wrong: https://tinyurl.com/2cryd336 Financial Times - Why Intellectual Humility Matters: https://tinyurl.com/5n84hsh7 Psych Central - How Humility Strengthens Your Relationship: https://tinyurl.com/2fj9a4wh University of Notre Dame - To Make Better Decisions, Get More Comfortable Saying “I Don’t Know” https://tinyurl.com/3npysxh8 Tell us about your thoughts on intellectual humility. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap This episode was supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, as part of our project on "Expanding Awareness of the Science of Intellectual Humility." For more on the project, go to www.ggsc.berkeley.edu/IH.0 comments0
- Happiness Break: Pause to Look at the SkyTake a moment to appreciate the beauty and vastness of the sky. Dacher Keltner guides us through a practice of pausing to turn your gaze to the sky as a pathway to awe, creativity and wonder. Practice: Go someplace where you feel safe and also have a nice view of the sky. First, focus on your breathing. Take a few slow inhales and even slower exhales. As you breathe in and out, relax your shoulders, your hands, and your face. On the next breath in, look up at the sky. Notice how vast it is. Breathing naturally, notice everything you can about the sky. What colors are present? Are there any clouds? Do you see any gradation of light? Expand your gaze to get the fullest view and sense of the sky that you can. Spend a few moments taking it in. On the final deep breaths in and out, reflect on how doing this practice has made you feel. Today’s Happiness Break host: Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Check out Dacher’s most recent book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Why we Should Look up at the Sky (Podcast): https://tinyurl.com/fn3bttw6 Six Ways to Incorporate Awe into Your Daily Life: https://tinyurl.com/3j5hdtj7 How to Choose a Type of Mindfulness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/py6b729h How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative: https://tinyurl.com/2fmpdpkj Why is Nature so Good For Your Mental Health? https://tinyurl.com/23zavth3 We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of looking up. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.0 comments0
- The Science of Happiness Mar 2 · 16m Why We Need Friends with Shared InterestsEpisode summary : Having strong relationships is vital to our well-being. We tend to be happier and healthier when we’re involved with community. Today’s guest is the world-famous scientist Temple Grandin. She was born with autism, which led her to be socially isolated from her peers. Join us on this episode of The Science of Happiness to hear about how Grandin credits her support networks for her success and making her into the person she is today. We’ll also look at the science behind the health repercussions of not having strong social networks. Today’s guests: Temple Grandin is a leading animal behaviorist, prominent author and speaker on autism and animal behaviors. Today, she teaches courses at Colorado State University. Her latest book is Visual Thinker. Temple’s Website: https://www.templegrandin.com Follow Temple on Twitter: https://twitter.com/drtemplegrandin?lang=en Check out Temple’s Latest Book: https://tinyurl.com/3tftxpck Tegan Cruwyis is a clinical psychologist at The National Australian University who studies social connection and how loneliness and chronic isolation are literally toxic. Learn more about Cruwyis and her work: https://tinyurl.com/3etuvket Follow Cruwyis on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/yc5ujhaj Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Four Ways Social Support Makes You More Resilient https://tinyurl.com/34ntce8u What is Social Connection? https://tinyurl.com/nk8crbbz Is Social Connection the Best Path to Happiness? https://tinyurl.com/4wxc66tn Why are We so Wired to Connect? https://tinyurl.com/uttppd3p More Resources for Improving Social Connections Emotional Wellness Checklist https://tinyurl.com/4wxc66tn How to Strengthen Social Relationships https://tinyurl.com/5fdv8ra9 The Science of Social Connection https://tinyurl.com/3tftxpck Tell us about your experiences with building social connections. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
- Happiness Break: Being Present from Head to ToeTry this body-scan meditation to ground your mind in the present moment and in your body, guided by Spring Washam. How to do this practice: Find a comfortable seat where you can relax your body. Beginning with the top of your head, relax any sense of tension, one body part at a time. Slowly scan down to your face, neck, upper arms, hands, feeling their presence. You might want to place your hands on your belly to feel your breath and let go. End by placing your hand on your heart and offer your body some kindness. Today’s Happiness Break Host: Spring Washam has been a devoted Buddhist practitioner in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism for more than 25 years. She is a founding teacher of The East Bay Meditation Center and has spent more than a decade studying Shamanic indigenous healing practices. She is also the author of the forthcoming book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. Learn more about Spring and her book: https://www.springwasham.com/ Follow Spring on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/springwasham/ Check out Spring’s YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/22njyd29 More Resources from the Greater Good Science Center: Six Minutes to Connect with Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/2337f85e How a Body Scan Can Help with Strong Emotions: https://tinyurl.com/58wfsvnd Krista Tippett on Being Grounded in Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/59pkp324 Turning Into Your Body Can Make You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/5av68v62 Your Anxiety Might Be Coming From Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/dwb9vvue What Self-Compassion Feels Like in Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/2p9rdepk Seven Ways to Have a Healthier Relationship with Stress: https://tinyurl.com/m6mbv2np We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of embodiment meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap We’re living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That’s where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.0 comments0
- Why We Need Reminders of ConnectednessHow can we feel more connected to our loved ones, even when they're not around? Our guest tries a practice shown to make us feel less lonely and more socially connected. Episode summary : Mónica Guzmán describes herself as a raging extrovert, but she still feels less connected to others than she’d like to. Working from home, she often finds herself alone, or worse — feeling alone because she’s still in work mode when her family is around. She tried a Reminders of Connectedness practice by making subtle changes to the interior of her home – like decorating with more family photos and rearranging the living room – and found that these seemingly small changes made a big difference in how she felt throughout her day. We also hear from clinical psychologist Tegan Cruwys about the powerful influence our sense of connectedness can have on our mental health. Practice: Reminders of Connectedness Look around your home, office, or classroom and notice what things around you remind you of being connected to others – words, photographs, memorabilia. As you move through your day, keep an eye out for things that evoke a feeling of connection. See where you can use them to add more reminders of connection to your space by adding them in or replacing existing objects. Finally, consider how the furniture is arranged. Are chairs facing toward or away from each other? Find any changes you can make to common spaces so that they’re more conducive to spontaneous interactions. Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/reminders_of_connectedness Today’s guests: Mónica Guzmán is Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels, a nonprofit working to depolarize America, founder and CEO of Reclaim Curiosity, an organization working to build a more curious world. She’s also the author of I Never Thought Of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. You can check out the book here: https://boook.link/I-Never-Thought-of-It-That-Way Visit Mónica’s website: https://www.moniguzman.com/ Follow Mónica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniguzman/?hl=en Follow Mónica on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/3k4pn4c4 Follow Mónica on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moniguzman Tegan Cruwys is a professor and clinical psychologist at Australian National University. Learn more about Tegan and her work: https://tinyurl.com/ykepk5r4 Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: 11 Things to Do When You Feel Lonely: https://tinyurl.com/b8m86fhy What the Longest Happiness Study Reveals About Finding Fulfillment: https://tinyurl.com/2s3b59fn What Psychedelics Can Teach Us About Human Connection: https://tinyurl.com/5buyydw7 Skills You Need for Happier Relationships with Family: https://tinyurl.com/weeusepn More Resources The Atlantic - What Makes Us Happy: https://tinyurl.com/2nxpbhsd NYT - I Love You But I Don’t Want To Sleep With You: https://tinyurl.com/tjnxbdtt Scientific American - Why We Are Wired To Connect: https://tinyurl.com/59u4ffua Tell us about your experiences of connectedness. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
- A Meditation for When Others are SufferingSeeing others suffering is painful. Learn to practice both compassion and self-soothing in this guided meditation led by Anushka Fernandopulle. How to Do This Practice: Find somewhere peaceful, sit down and get comfortable. Once you’re ready, gently close your eyes. Start taking deep breaths and relax your body. Part by part, release tension in different areas of your body. Think of someone or a group of people you know or have heard of who may be having a hard time. Bring to mind an image of them. Connect with whatever it is they are struggling with. Mentally, make some wishes of compassion for them. For example, “May you be free from pain.” Or, “I am here with you.” You can also use this practice to focus on your own pain. To do this, call to mind your struggles and give yourself the same compassion you gave others. Today’s Happiness Break host: Anushka Fernandopulle is a meditation teacher who trained in Buddhist meditation for over 30 years. After studying Buddhism at Harvard, she spent four years in full-time meditation training in the U.S., India, and Sri Lanka Check out Anushka’s upcoming meditation retreats https://www.anushkaf.org Follow Anushka on Instagram https://tinyurl.com/ytn3vvhz Follow Anushka on Twitter https://tinyurl.com/485vj8xn Check out Anushka’s Dharma Talks https://tinyurl.com/ydacvamn Find another version of the Compassion Meditation practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/compassion_meditation More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: What is compassion? https://tinyurl.com/2s3ztcpt Take Our Self-Compassion Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/yysrf663 Try Dr. Neff’s Fierce Self-Compassion Break: https://tinyurl.com/yk9yzh9u How to Bring Self-Compassion to Work with You: https://tinyurl.com/45zkrkam The Five Myths of Self-Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/2p88vass Read Dr. Neff’s interview about Self-Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/286njtje How Self-Compassion Can Help You Through a Breakup: https://tinyurl.com/222scejz Can Self-Compassion Overcome Procrastination? https://tinyurl.com/mrfmvyj We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of compassion meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.0 comments0
- How Music Evokes AweWhy do some songs send chills down your spine or give you goosebumps? We explore the science of how music induces awe — and how that affects our well-being. Episode summary : In the last episode of our awe series, Dacher explores the mysteries of how music inspires awe and can transport us to another space and time with sound alchemist Laura Inserra. Later, we hear from the scientist who showed how awe-inspiring songs change the way we think and feel. This is the last episode in our special series The Science of Awe. Check out the last four releases in our feed for Happiness Breaks that will help guide you to experience more awe in your life, and episodes of The Science of Happiness about the other profound ways that awe affects — and more places to find it. Our host, Dacher Keltner, has a new book out about awe. It’s called Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/3uzk8m5r Today’s guests: Laura Inserra is an instrumentalist, composer, producer, and a teacher who works with music to help people tap into a sense of awe. Follow Laura on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura_inserra/ Follow Laura on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/laurainserra Check out Laura’s website: https://www.laurainserra.com Qihao Ji is an assistant professor of Communication at Marist College Learn more about Ji and his work: https://www.marist.edu/communication-arts/faculty/qihao-ji Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: How Music Bonds us Together: https://tinyurl.com/5x5xxnmz Where Music and Empathy Converge in the Brain https://tinyurl.com/84sep62v How Many Emotions Can Music Make You Feel: https://tinyurl.com/8pxud5bt More Resources About Awe and Music Bluefield Daily Telegraph - Music: A sense of Awe and Admiration: https://tinyurl.com/5eyc4ehw NYT - How a Bit of Awe Can Improve Your Health: https://tinyurl.com/4zdzcusk Yamaha Music - The Science of Awe (And Why It Matters): https://tinyurl.com/4njv9mpb Tell us about your experiences with music awe. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
- Happiness Break: Feeling the Awe of Nature from AnywhereHost Dacher Keltner leads us through an exercise in feeling the serenity and wonder that nature brings us, no matter where we are. How to Do This Practice: Find a spot where you can sit and rest comfortably. Once you’re ready, close your eyes. Begin breathing slowly and deeply. Focus on your breath and unclench your muscles from head to toe. Think of a place in nature that is sacred or significant to you. What do you hear? What do you see? Try to create as clear of an image as you can in your mind. Notice what feelings arise as you think of this place; what feelings do you associate with it? Contemplate how this place has become a part of who you are; how it lives in your mind and how you can conjure up the feeling of it within yourself. Today’s Happiness Break host: Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. His new book is Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Secrets of the Vagus Nerve: https://tinyurl.com/yzuxtuzp Why We Should Look Up at the Sky (Podcast): https://tinyurl.com/fn3bttw6 What’s the Most Common Sense of Awe? https://tinyurl.com/2p842t8r Happiness Break: How to Ground Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/289ph9cz Happiness Break: Experience Nature Wherever You Are: https://tinyurl.com/yv46xrr4 Why You Should Snap Pictures of Nature: https://tinyurl.com/5fp7bhk6 Could Your Life Be More Awesome? Take our Awe Quiz https://tinyurl.com/2p8mz57f We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of awe in nature. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.0 comments0
- The Science of Happiness Jan 19 · 20m Why We Should Look Up at the SkyWhen did you last take a moment to really look up at the sky? Shifting your gaze upward can help us be more creative, it improves our capacity to focus - and it's a gateway to awe. Episode summary: Natalie didn’t spend much time finding shapes in the clouds as a small kid. And when she got older, looking up was even worse for her. Natalie spent time in jail, where she spent most of her days indoors under harsh lights. Today, she’s a student at a prestigious university. She tried a practice in looking up for our show. When we look up, our brain gets better at being playful, creative, and thinking critically. We also tend to see vast and beautiful things above our heads, like a canopy of leaves, branches and singing birds, or a starry night sky. Often, looking up is all we need to do to find moments of awe in our day-to-day lives. And that’s a wonderful thing, because feeling awe changes how our brains work in a way that’s really good for us. This is the second episode of The Science of Happiness in a three-part series called The Science of Awe. If you’d like to learn more about awe, our host, Dacher Keltner, has a new book out about it. It’s called Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/3uzk8m5r \](https://tinyurl.com/3uzk8m5r) Practice: Look Up Over the course of a week or so, make it a point to look up in several different locations and at different times of the day and night. Be sure everywhere you choose is a safe place to do so, and of course, never look into the sun. Each time before you look up, take a moment first to notice how you feel, and then take a few deep, intentional breaths to help you get grounded into the present moment. Look up and let your eyes wander, noticing what inspires awe. If nothing does, that’s ok! This practice might help you cultivate awe more often, but it’s best to go into it each time with no expectations. Spend at least a few minutes looking up if it’s comfortable to do so, or as long as you like. When you’re done, take another moment to notice how you feel now. Today’s guests: Natalie is a student at UC Berkeley and also works with the UC Berkeley's Underground Scholars Program, which creates pathways for formerly incarcerated people to study at universities. We're not sharing Natalie's last name to protect her privacy. Michiel van Elk is a professor at Leiden University in The Netherlands. Learn more about van Elk and his work: https://tinyurl.com/4kc5tycc Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative: https://tinyurl.com/yepuxd27 Six Ways to Incorporate Awe Into Your Daily Life: https://tinyurl.com/3emucdez How the Science of Awe Shaped Pixar’s “Soul:” https://tinyurl.com/37z43vrz How a Sense of Awe Can Inspire Us to Confront Threats to Humanity: https://tinyurl.com/3k6xprau More Resources About Awe KQED - Dacher Keltner on Finding Awe: https://tinyurl.com/575v6rvf The Atlantic - The Quiet Profundity of Everyday Awe: https://tinyurl.com/yz623mff NYT - How a Bit of Awe Can Improve Your Health: https://tinyurl.com/4zdzcusk Sierra Club - The Science of Awe: https://tinyurl.com/3pfn23t7 Tell us about your experiences of awe. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
- Happiness Break: Awe for OthersThe communities we create are one of the most awe-inspiring parts of our lives. Host Dacher Keltner guides us in a meditation on awe and togetherness in this week’s Happiness Break. How to Do This Practice: Find a comfortable, safe, place where you can close your eyes and relax. Notice your breathing and begin to take deep, intentional breaths. Think about a community you are a part of – work, recreation, spiritual, any group you’re a part of. Cultivate a sense in your mind of being with that community. Reflect for a few minutes on the faces of the people in this community; bring them into your mind’s eye and notice the details of their eyes, smiles, perhaps even their tones of voice or the sounds of their laughter. Think about this remarkable quality of communities: That all of these separate individuals create one hole. Think about how each person contributes to this community to create that whole. Contemplate how everyone in this community is connected, and how they’re mutually influencing each other. Think about what value unites all these people share, what they have in common. Imagine yourself within this network of connected individuals. Cultivate a sense of what connects you with them, think of them as threads of mutual influence. It doesn’t all have to be good; tension is a part of being a community, too. Today’s Happiness Break host: Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He's also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. His new book is Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Why Do We Feel Awe? https://tinyurl.com/3xms3dm2 How Awe Brings People Together: https://tinyurl.com/2p8m2tyk Eight Reasons Why Awe Makes Your Life Better: https://tinyurl.com/2p8ccav2 Six Ways to Incorporate Awe Into Your Daily Life: https://tinyurl.com/3emucdez How Music Bonds Us Together: https://tinyurl.com/329scmf6 Can a Sense of Awe Improve Our Arguments? https://tinyurl.com/pb2eh8c6 We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience contemplating your communities. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.0 comments0
- How Awe Brings Us TogetherFeeling awe changes your brain. In our first episode in a series about the science awe, we explore how awe can make you a better friend, partner, and community member. Episode summary : When Mirna Valerio tried out hiking for the first time as a young kid, she discovered something she didn’t expect: Being outdoors seemed to bring strangers closer to one another. It was like it somehow fastracked forming meaningful relationships. Today we know that the feeling of awe nature often inspires has something to do with this. Awe is the feeling you get when in the presence of something vast and incomprehensible. When we feel it, our sense of self shrinks – in a good way – and we get better at connecting with others. Today on The Science of Happiness, we explore what it’s like when awe helps us create communities, and the science behind how it works. This episode is part of special series we’re doing on Awe. In the weeks ahead, we’ll share Happiness Breaks to help you contemplate what’s awe-inspiring in your life and explore more dimensions of awe in the stories and science we share on this podcast. Our host, Dacher Keltner, has a new book out about awe. It’s called Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/3uzk8m5r Practice: Awe Narrative Think back to a time when you felt a sense of awe; when you were around something vast and incomprehensible. It could be something physically vast, like a mountain range or beautiful valley, or psychological, like a brilliant idea or inspiring person. Describe the experience in writing in as much detail as possible. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar, just get down as much about the experience as you can. Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/awe_narrative Today’s guests: Mirna Valerio is an ultra-marathon athlete and author known for her body-positive presence on social media. Follow Mirna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themirnavator/?hl=en Follow Mirna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMirnavator Follow Mirna on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMirnavator/ Yang Bai is a professor at Peking University in China. Learn more about Bai and her work: https://en.gsm.pku.edu.cn/faculty/ybai/ Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Six Ways to Incorporate Awe Into Your Daily Life: https://tinyurl.com/3emucdez How the Science of Awe Shaped Pixar’s “Soul:” https://tinyurl.com/37z43vrz How a Sense of Awe Can Inspire Us to Confront Threats to Humanity: https://tinyurl.com/3k6xprau More Resources About Awe The Atlantic - The Quiet Profundity of Everyday Awe: https://tinyurl.com/yz623mff NYT - How a Bit of Awe Can Improve Your Health: https://tinyurl.com/4zdzcusk Sierra Club - The Science of Awe: https://tinyurl.com/3pfn23t7 Tell us about your experiences of awe. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
- Happiness Break: An Affirmation Practice for the New YearThis New Year, affirm the wonderful qualities you already possess with this meditative writing practice called "I Am." How to Do This Practice: Take a moment to sit still and take a few deep breaths, and notice how you’re feeling right now. Open your eyes, and on a sheet of paper, write “I am ____,” and then fill in that blank. Set a timer for 1 minute, and repeat step 2 until the time is up. Take a moment to observe what you’ve written. Where did you begin? Where did you end? What can you glean about how you’re showing up today, from what you’ve written? Look for patterns. Take a few more mindful breaths. Consider how what you’ve just written might influence what you’ve just written and the rest of your day. Today’s Happiness Break host: Chris Murchison is an artist and meditation teacher. Check out Chris’s website: https://chrismurchison.com/ Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrismarcellmurchison/ Follow Chris on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.m.murchison More resources from The Greater Good Science Center: How to Be a Remarkable Boss During Lockdown (by Chris Murchison): https://tinyurl.com/yypps3aw Can Self-Awareness Help You Be More Empathic? https://tinyurl.com/eefds36s Do You Have a True Self? https://tinyurl.com/3xasurwp Ten Habits of Highly Creative People https://tinyurl.com/yt83udz6 Make Self-Compassion One of Your New Year’s Resolutions https://tinyurl.com/ymn6m5pp The Dark Side of Self-Help: https://tinyurl.com/4jajdfum We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experiences with self-insight or self-affirmations. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.0 comments0
- How to Make Life More MeaningfulChris Sharma is one of the greatest rock climbers of all time, and he's taking on some of the biggest challenges in life: becoming a parent and starting his own business. Chris tries a practice shown to help us craft our own path and purpose in life. Episode summary : Chris Sharma spent his youth traveling the globe and becoming one of the greatest rock climbers of all time. His passion for climbing has filled his life with purpose, but now in middle age, he wants to also focus on other sources of meaning in life that are just as important to him. Chris joins us after trying a practice in life crafting — where you get clear on your values, imagine what your ideal life would look like, and make a plan to get closer to that vision. Later in the show, we hear from Michael Steger, a psychologist and director of the Center for Meaning and Purpose at Colorado State University, about the surprising places in our lives we can find meaning, and the different roads we can take towards living a more meaningful life. Try the Life Crafting Practice: Identify your deepest values and passions — what’s most important to you. Reflect on your ideal future: Write a paragraph envisioning how you’d like your social life or your career path to turn out if you had no constraints. Write down how you’ll attain those goals. Prioritize them, and write “if, then” plans for how you’ll overcome obstacles you’re likely to encounter. Make a public commitment. Tell your community about your goals. Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/life_crafting Today’s guests: Chris Sharma is an elite rock climber known for traveling the world to find the most beautiful and challenging places to rock climb. His new show The Climb premieres on HBO on January 12. Check out the trailer here: https://tinyurl.com/suz35w8y Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris_sharma/ Check out his website: http://www.chrissharma.com/ Michael Steger is a professor of psychology at Colorado State University, where he is the director of the Center for Meaning and Purpose. Learn more about Steger’s work: http://www.michaelfsteger.com/ Follow Steger on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/yc79d6mb Resources from The Greater Good Science Center: Michael Steger: Why We Search for Meaning: https://tinyurl.com/2s469242 Here’s How to Find Meaning in Your Midlife Crisis: https://tinyurl.com/4kpcnr9c What Our Photos Say About Us (Podcast): https://tinyurl.com/y56wvj42 Purpose in Life Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/yz4ztenp Living with a Purpose Changes Everything: https://tinyurl.com/d3ea7afa More On Meaning and Purpose: The Atlantic - The Meaning of Life Is Surprisingly Simple: https://tinyurl.com/2yfucadj Pew - Where Americans Find Meaning in Life: https://tinyurl.com/nek5j6tk Scientific American - To Feel Meaningful Is To Feel Immortal: https://tinyurl.com/yuhe99m9 NPR - What's Your Purpose? https://tinyurl.com/465aknec Harvard Business Review: What Is the Purpose of Your Purpose? https://tinyurl.com/43pjrc6j Tell us about how you find meaning in your life. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap0 comments0
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