Choosing joy over guilt and shame can make climate-friendly habits easier to sustain while improving your own well-being along the way.

Summary: Fear may grab our attention, but research suggests joy is what helps us make meaningful, sustainable climate choices. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, discover how small shifts can have a big impact. Scientists Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao share how reframing climate action around happiness instead of guilt can help us build healthier habits, strengthen our communities, and care for the Earth.

How To Do This Practice:

Choose one everyday habit: Pick a part of your routine like eating, commuting, shopping, or reducing food waste where you'd like to make a climate-friendly change. Focus on what you can add: Instead of thinking about what to give up, ask yourself what you can enjoy more, such as eating more seasonal produce, walking outdoors, or spending time tending a garden. Notice how it feels: As you try your new habit, pay attention to moments of enjoyment, connection, pride, or calm. Positive emotions help make new behaviors stick. Make it easy: Remove small barriers that get in your way. For example, keep fresh fruits and vegetables where you?ll see them first so they don?t go bad, and pack light when you fly to avoid the extra carbon emissions from checked bags. Share it with someone else: Invite a friend or family member to join you or tell them about a climate-friendly habit you've enjoyed. Positive experiences are more likely to spread than guilt. Reflect on the impact: Consider how your small change affected both your well-being and the planet, and choose one joyful habit you'd like to continue.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

DR. ELIZABETH DUNN is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, who studies the ways that time, money and technology affect our wellbeing.

Learn more about Dr. Elizabeth Dunn here: https://dunn.psych.ubc.ca/

DR. JIAYING ZHAO is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at UBC, Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Sustainability, and UBC Sauder Distinguished Scholar.

Learn more about Dr. Jiaying Zhao here: https://psych.ubc.ca/profile/jiaying-zhao/

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Climate, Hope, & Science Series: https://tinyurl.com/pb27rep

The Case for Hope, with Rebecca Solnit: https://tinyurl.com/4cj3umbz

Related Happiness Break episodes:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

How to Be in Harmony in Nature?Wherever You Are, With Yuria Celidwen: https://tinyurl.com/5n6pfsn2

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] 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

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2s4ft9fc

Indigenous artist Dr. Lyla June Johnston leads a 5-minute freewriting exercise about our personal journeys. Autobiographical writing has been shown to help do better in relationships and feel more satisfied in life.

How to Do This Practice:

Ground yourself: Sit in a comfortable position and take a few slow breaths. Notice the inhale and exhale without trying to change anything. Let your attention settle into your body and the present moment. Set a simple intention: Bring to mind the idea of observing your story with curiosity rather than judgment. You?re not trying to write something ?good,? just something honest. Write the sentence: ?I come from a place where?? and pause briefly before continuing. Let the words that follow come from memory, feeling, or imagery?whatever shows up first. Free-write without stopping: Keep your pen moving for several minutes (around 3?5 minutes, or longer if you like). Don?t edit, filter, or worry about grammar or meaning. If you get stuck, repeat the prompt and continue. Notice what emerged: When time is up, read what you wrote slowly. Notice any themes, emotions, memories, or insights that stand out?without trying to fix or interpret them immediately. Reflect and return: Take a moment to acknowledge your experience of the exercise. You might ask: What surprised me? What feels important? Revisit this practice every few weeks or months to notice how your sense of origin and story evolves

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

DR. LYLA JUNE JOHNSTON is an Indigenous artist and scholar from the Diné Nation.

Learn about Dr. Lyla June Johnston's work: https://www.lylajune.com/

More Happiness Breaks like this one:

A Compassionate Letter to Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/3j6vtwh3

Finding Yourself in Silence: https://tinyurl.com/3w76t94a

An Affirmation Practice for the New Year: https://tinyurl.com/4f9epzbw

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How To Tap Your Way to Calm and Clarity: https://tinyurl.com/vtfrt8b7

The Science of Letting Go: https://tinyurl.com/34u2fu48

How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/88y5r4vr

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/36m7wn3m

What can a singing bird, a neighborhood walk, and a pair of puppet adventurers teach us about awe? Sit down with Wowsabout! creators Dorien Davies and Halle Stanford to discuss helping kids?and grownups?find wonder wherever they are.

Summary: Kids may be natural wonder-seekers, but how do we help them hold onto that sense of awe as they grow up? On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we talk with Wowsabout! creators Dorien Davies and Halle Stanford about creating a PBS Kids special inspired by awe, the science behind wonder, and why small moments?a bird singing at dawn, a blooming jasmine vine, or a walk around the block?can help us feel more connected to ourselves and the world around us. Together, they explore how cultivating awe can foster curiosity, resilience, creativity, and belonging for children and adults alike.

How To Do This Practice:

Slow down and set an intention: Pause your usual routine and decide to look for something that inspires wonder. Notice what you feel: Tune into physical sensations, like the warmth of the sun, a cool breeze, or your feet touching the ground. Look closely at your surroundings: Pay attention to colors, shapes, textures, or movement that you might normally overlook. Listen with curiosity: Notice the sounds around you?the birds, the wind, distant voices, or the hum of your neighborhood. Follow what captures your attention: If something sparks your interest or amazement, spend a moment with it instead of rushing on. Reflect on your experience: At the end of your walk, consider what surprised you and how it made you feel more connected to the world around you.

Try the full practice here: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/awe_walk

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

HALLE STANFORD is the creator and writer of Wowsabout!, founder of 7 Crow Stories, Emmy® Award-winning, and twelve-time Emmy®-nominated executive producer of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

DORIEN DAVIES is an Executive Producer, Co-Creator, Co-Writer and Principal Puppeteer on Wowsabout!, Word Party, and Julie?s Greenroom. 

Watch Wowsabout! here: https://pbskids.org/videos/wowsabout

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Cities of Awe Series: https://tinyurl.com/2vyhxvny

How to Find Calm Through Walking: https://tinyurl.com/43dr26re

Related Happiness Break episodes:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] 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

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/bdsn3n9e

Take less than 10 minutes to write yourself a letter of care, compassion, and encouragement with psychologist Kristin Neff in this research-backed practice.

How To Do This Practice:

Choose an area of self-judgment: Think of one aspect of yourself that makes you feel inadequate, stressed, or not quite good enough. Name what you're feeling: Write a few sentences about the situation and the emotions it brings up, such as sadness, fear, frustration, shame, or loneliness. Imagine an unconditionally compassionate friend: Picture someone who is wise, accepting, and deeply caring?someone who sees both your strengths and your struggles without judgment. Write a letter from their perspective: Let this compassionate friend respond to your situation with understanding, kindness, and acceptance, recognizing that imperfection is part of being human. Include gentle wisdom and encouragement: If it feels helpful, have your compassionate friend offer caring suggestions for growth or change?not because you need fixing, but because they want you to thrive. Read the letter back to yourself: Set the letter aside for a while, then return to it and read it slowly, allowing the words of compassion and support to sink in.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Listen to the Full Practice Here: https://self-compassion.org/practices/noting-practice-2/

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

Dr. Kristin Neff is an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's department of educational psychology. She's also the co-author of 'Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout,' which offers tools to help individuals heal and recharge from burnout.

More Happiness Breaks like this one:

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/ye24rz4k

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x

Take a Break With Our Loving-Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/3vn9t4jv

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/mrxsad33

The Science of Letting Go: https://tinyurl.com/34u2fu48

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

This episode was supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation on "Spreading Love Through the Media." 

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4rcnm6s5

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Intention to Treat: The Race Equation is a new series from the New England Journal of Medicine, investigates how race-specific diagnostic tools harm Black patients and contribute to growing health inequities.

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/36bne7hd

Across school campuses and communities, students and educators are discovering how listening, curiosity, and everyday conversations can open pathways across differences and help restore a sense of shared humanity.

Summary: How do we learn to truly communicate with people who are deeply different than us? In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we follow students and educators practicing the skills of empathy and courageous listening in classrooms and on the road. Their experiences reveal how intentional conversations can open unexpected pathways toward understanding and shared humanity.

How To Do This Practice:

Observe Before You Interpret: Spend a few minutes noticing the environment around you and ask yourself: What do people here see, hear, say, think, and need? Approach with Curiosity: Start with simple human connection?small talk, a question about their day, or genuine interest in their community. Signal That You're There to Listen: Make it clear your goal is understanding, not persuading, debating, or changing anyone's mind. Practice Democratic Listening: Give your full attention through eye contact, nodding, and brief acknowledgments, while resisting the urge to agree, disagree, or jump in with your own views. Stay Relaxed Through Discomfort: When differences emerge, maintain "relaxed awareness"?remaining open, attentive, and calm rather than defensive or reactive. Reflect and Learn: Afterward, ask yourself: What helped create connection? What got in the way? What might I try differently next time?

Scroll down for a transcript of this episode.

Today?s Guests: 

JESSE KELLY is a McNair and MacArthur fellow and a recent graduate of Bowie State University, Maryland's oldest historically black university.

Learn more about Jesse Kelly here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessekellyjr/

LIA HOWARD is the director of the Political Empathy Lab at the University of Pennsylvania.

Learn more about Lia Howards here: https://snfpaideia.upenn.edu/people/lia-howard/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

How to Feel Less Lonely and More Connected: https://tinyurl.com/2s3tbchd

When It's Hard To Connect, Try Being Curious: https://tinyurl.com/mr32nwtv

An Awe Walk Through History and Possibility: https://tinyurl.com/mr3arrbc

Related Happiness Breaks:

A Meditation on Original Love and Interconnectedness:https://tinyurl.com/mu2uzs2c

Our Deep Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/y2epxyxn

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] 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

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3bt8fpdj

Trouble sitting still? Learn to practice meditating by simply walking in this practice guided by 10% Happier host Dan Harris.

How To Do This Practice:

Start walking at a comfortable pace in a place where you can move without rushing. Notice your body moving by paying attention to your feet, legs, and arms as you walk. Tune into your senses by observing sounds, sights, temperature, and other details around you. Notice when your mind wanders into planning, worrying, or distractions. Gently return your attention to the sensations of walking and your surroundings each time you drift away. Keep walking with curiosity and allow yourself to stay present without needing to do it perfectly.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

DAN HARRIS the host of 10% Happier, a podcast about mindfulness and other practices and thoughts that can support our well-being.
Check out Dan?s podcast, 10% Happier: https://tinyurl.com/324xtuut

Related Happiness Break Episodes:

Moving Through Space, With Dacher Keltner: https://tinyurl.com/5f58jp42

Walk Your Way to Calm, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/y8md2759

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yc42s6mv

Related Science of Happiness Episodes: 

How To Focus Under Pressure: https://tinyurl.com/3hpah4ss

How to Find Calm Through Walking: https://tinyurl.com/43dr26re

How To Do Good For The Environment (And Yourself): https://tinyurl.com/26msewb8

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experiences with mindful walking. Email us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus

Help us share Happiness Break! Rate us and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/9n5xu96e

Do you have a hard time calming your nerves? Author Raina Telgemeier tries a practice to get out of her head, one step at a time.

Summary: In this episode of The Science of Happiness, bestselling graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier reflects on growing up with anxiety, panic attacks, and emetophobia?the fear of throwing up?and shares how transforming those experiences into stories helped her feel less alone and inspired young readers to seek support. Through a week-long walking meditation practice, Raina explores what it means to slow down, reconnect with her body, and face discomfort with curiosity rather than avoidance. 

How To Do This Practice:

Choose a small, quiet space: Find a place where you can walk slowly back and forth for about 10?15 steps without interruption. This could be a hallway, living room, backyard, or even a hotel room. Set a timer for 10 minutes: Giving yourself a set amount of time helps you stop checking the clock and allows you to settle more fully into the practice. Begin walking slowly and naturally: Walk at a comfortable pace, paying attention to the sensation of each step?your heel touching the ground, the shift of your weight, and the movement of your body. Focus on your breath: As you walk, gently notice your breathing. You might take a slow breath before turning around at the end of each pass, letting your breath help anchor your attention. When your mind wanders, return to the movement: Thoughts, worries, memories, or distractions will come up. Rather than judging yourself, simply guide your attention back to your steps and breathing. Notice how you feel afterward: When the timer ends, pause for a moment before moving on with your day. Take note of any shifts in your body, mood, or pace of mind, even subtle ones can matter.

Try the full practice here: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/walking_meditation

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

RAINA TELGEMEIER is an American cartoonist and New York Times bestselling author. Her books have received many awards, including multiple Eisner Awards, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor and a Stonewall Honor.

Learn more about Raina Telgemeier here: https://goraina.com/ 

RICHARD DAVIDSON is the founder and director of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Learn more about Richard Davidson here: https://www.richardjdavidson.com/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

How to Find Calm Through Walking: https://tinyurl.com/43dr26re

Related Happiness Breaks:

Walk Your Way to Calm, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/y8md2759

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] 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

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/mrxkfvkj

What happens when you linger and look closely at a piece of art? Nathalie Ryan, an educator from the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., guides us through a slow looking practice shown to help deepen your sense of awe, presence, and connection.

How To Do This Practice:

Choose an image to focus on: Pick a piece of art, photograph, postcard, or even a recent photo from your phone that captures a natural or urban scene. Don?t overthink it?choose something that draws your attention. Begin with a few slow breaths: Take a moment to settle into the present. Deepen your inhale, lengthen your exhale, and allow your breathing to slow the pace of your day. Let your eyes wander slowly: Scan the image without rushing. Notice the light, colors, shapes, patterns, textures, and details that begin to emerge as you spend more time looking. Imagine yourself inside the scene: Engage all of your senses. What might you hear, smell, feel, or taste in this place? Allow yourself to step into the environment with your imagination. Notice how the scene changes: Picture the image at different times of day and throughout the seasons. Reflect on how the light, colors, atmosphere, and activity might shift over time. Reflect on what arises: Pause to notice any emotions, memories, thoughts, or sensations that surfaced during the practice. Consider what changed when you gave yourself permission to look more slowly.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

NATHALIE A. RYAN is a Senior Educator at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, where she has led programs for educators, families, teens, and the adult public since 2002.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/mrutudeh

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Cities of Awe Series: https://tinyurl.com/2vyhxvny

How Cities Can Make Space for Awe: https://tinyurl.com/yr7m2zb5

What Humans Can Learn From Trees: https://tinyurl.com/48te84ps

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/mt4mcw3m

What happens when we slow down enough to really experience art? We visit a museum to discover how slow looking at art can cultivate awe, empathy, and a greater sense of connection in a distracted world.

Summary: Art has the power to move us emotionally, physically, and socially?but only if we take the time to truly engage with it. As part of our Cities of Awe series, this episode of The Science of Happiness explores what happens when we slow down and really look at a piece of art. We visit the Nevada Museum of Art to look at the science and practice of slow looking?how it can deepen empathy, presence, and everyday meaning.

How To Do This Practice:

Choose One Piece and Commit to Staying With It: Pick a single artwork, photograph, object, or even a scene in nature. Set aside about 15 minutes and put away distractions?especially your phone. The goal is not to ?figure it out,? but to stay present long enough for your experience to deepen. Spend Time Noticing the Form: For the first five minutes, focus only on what you see. Notice the shapes, textures, colors, lines, patterns, shadows, movement, or composition. Let your eyes wander slowly across the piece and observe details you might normally miss. Pay Attention to Your Emotional Response: For the next five minutes, shift inward. What feelings arise as you look? Curiosity, comfort, sadness, awe, tension, delight, nostalgia? Instead of labeling the experience as simply ?I like it? or ?I don?t,? explore the full range of emotions and reactions that emerge. Let Your Mind Make Associations: For the last five minutes, allow the artwork to lead your thoughts elsewhere. What memories, people, places, or ideas come to mind? Does it remind you of something from your own life or spark questions about the world, history, or humanity? Follow the associations without judging them. Stay Open to Complexity and Discomfort: Some works may bring up conflicting or uncomfortable emotions. Rather than rushing past them, give yourself permission to sit with them. 

Read the full study here.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests: 

COLIN ROBERTSON is the Senior Vice President of Education and Research at the Nevada Museum of Art. 

Learn more about Colin Robertson here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinmrobertson/

DR. ANJAN CHATTERJEE is a professor of Neurology, Psychology, and Architecture and the founding Director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics. 

Learn more about Dr. Anjan Chatterjee here: https://tinyurl.com/yw2fs364

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Cities of Awe Series: https://tinyurl.com/2vyhxvny

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/5b5prh4t

Take a few minutes to reflect on someone who inspires you, and how you can embody the values you admire in them.

How To Do This Practice: 

Arrive and Settle: Find a quiet place to sit or stand. Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze. Take a few slow, steady breaths, allowing your body to relax and the noise of the day to quiet. Call to Mind Someone Who Inspires You: Think of a person whose character deeply moves you?someone whose courage, kindness, integrity, or compassion stands out. Let one specific moment come to mind when they embodied those qualities. Replay the Moment: Picture what they did as clearly as you can. What action did they take? What values were they expressing? Stay with the details of that moment and what made it meaningful. Notice How It Lands in Your Body: As you hold this image, turn your attention inward. What do you feel physically? Warmth, openness, a softening, maybe even emotion rising?just observe without judgment. Name What Matters to You: Reflect on why this moment resonates so deeply. What value or sense of purpose does it point to?justice, care, truth, courage, love? Let yourself name what feels most true for you. Ask yourself: What?s one small way I can live this value today? It might be in how you speak to someone, how you show up in your work, or how you care for yourself or others. Carry this intention with you as you move forward.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

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.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/46383mhx

A Meditation on Becoming a Gift to Life: https://tinyurl.com/yc76n7ur

Visualizing Your Purpose: https://tinyurl.com/3ndn95zr

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

What?s Your ?Why? in Life?: https://tinyurl.com/b38kdt68

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/33uyrykc

Noticing the history and beauty around us can shift how we see ourselves?and our communities. An awe walk through Harlem reveals how the stories embedded in public spaces can spark connection, perspective, and a sense of what?s possible.

Summary: Cities are full of quiet moments of wonder?if we know how to notice them. In this episode of The Science of Happiness we explore the science of awe while taking an awe walk with students at City University of New York in Harlem. We learn  how everyday urban spaces can deepen our sense of connection, belonging, and curiosity. 

How To Do This Practice:

Choose a familiar place: Pick a street, park, campus, or neighborhood you move through often?somewhere ordinary. Slow your pace: Walk more slowly than usual and give yourself permission to notice, rather than rush. Look for signs of story: Pay attention to buildings, names, textures, and small details that hint at history, culture, or the people who?ve been there before. Ask yourself: Who stood here before me? What happened here? What journeys passed through this space? Notice your response: Pause when something catches you?a feeling of wonder, curiosity, or even goosebumps?and stay with it for a moment. Reflect on connection: As you finish, consider how this place and the stories within it connect to your own life, sense of belonging, or what feels possible for you.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today?s Guest:

BOB MCKINNON is an author, teacher, and Director of the Social Mobility Lab at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York

Learn more about Bob here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/bob_mckinnon

This episode is supported by The Gambrell Foundation, who believe a great life grows from strong relationships, a sense of belonging, and moments of awe and wonder. Learn more about their work at gambrellfoundation.org

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Cities of Awe Series: https://tinyurl.com/2vyhxvny

How Cities Can Make Space for Awe: https://tinyurl.com/yr7m2zb5

What Humans Can Learn From Trees: https://tinyurl.com/48te84ps

Related Happiness Break episodes:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/mrutudeh

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4j5sveye

In this gentle practice, psychologist Kristin Neff helps us extend loving kindness inward, offering ourselves the same care and goodwill we naturally give to others.

How To Do This Practice:

Settle into your body: Sit comfortably, close your eyes if you?d like, and take a few natural breaths while noticing the weight of your body in the chair and your feet on the floor. Bring to mind someone you love easily: Think of a person or pet you care about deeply and picture their face. Notice the natural warmth and goodwill you feel toward them. Offer them wishes for well-being: Silently repeat phrases such as: May you be safe. May you be peaceful. May you be healthy. May you be free from suffering. Include yourself in the circle of kindness: Imagine yourself beside this loved one and extend the same wishes to both of you: May we be safe. May we be peaceful. May we be healthy. May we be free from suffering. Turn the kindness fully toward yourself: Let the image of your loved one fade and focus on yourself. If it feels comfortable, place a hand on your heart or hold your hands together, repeating: May I be safe. May I be peaceful. May I be healthy. May I be free from suffering. Rest in whatever arises: Let the phrases go and sit quietly for a few breaths, noticing any feelings that are present?warmth, discomfort, or neutrality?and meeting them with gentle acceptance.

Scroll down for a transcription of this practice.

Listen to the Full Practice Here: https://self-compassion.org/practices/loving-kindness-meditation-2/

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

Dr. Kristin Neff is an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's department of educational psychology. She's also the co-author of 'Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout,' which offers tools to help individuals heal and recharge from burnout.

More Happiness Breaks like this one:

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/45vpp3f4

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8

Take a Break With Our Loving-Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4uhpf

The Science of Letting Go: https://tinyurl.com/566t8udf

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/3x7w2s5s

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/jc7pk3s4

A simple experiment turning a parking space into a parklet reveals how small changes to public spaces can spark connection, belonging, and awe. 

Summary: What if even the smallest changes to our cities could transform how we feel and connect? In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we visit the site of San Francisco?s first parklet, and explore how reclaiming everyday spaces can invite people to pause, gather, and experience a sense of belonging.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

BLAINE MERKER is an urban designer and public space advocate. He leads Gehl?s Enterprise & Corporations team.

Learn more about Blaine here: https://www.gehlpeople.com/people/blaine-merker/

SETHA LOW is an anthropologist and Professor at City University of New York. She?s also the author of the book Why Public Space Matters, as well as many other books examining the social life of cities.

Learn more about Setha here: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/people/setha-low

This episode is supported by The Gambrell Foundation, who believe a great life grows from strong relationships, a sense of belonging, and moments of awe and wonder. Learn more about their work at gambrellfoundation.org

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

What Humans Can Learn From Trees: https://tinyurl.com/48te84ps

How to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself): https://tinyurl.com/5b26zwkx

Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/483bkk2h

Related Happiness Break episodes:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/mrutudeh

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yr7m2zb5

Through poetic reflection, Yrsa Daley-Ward helps us embrace the in-between moments, reminding us that the unknown can be the very terrain where real change begins.

Settle into Stillness: Find a quiet space, get comfortable, and take a few slow breaths to arrive in the moment. Acknowledge the Unknown: Gently notice and name any uncertainty, confusion, or emotional fog you?re feeling without needing to fix it. Welcome the Silence: Allow the silence and stillness to be here, trusting it holds meaning even if it feels uncomfortable. Reflect with Gentle Words: Repeat silently or write: ?To love yourself through the darkness is to plant gardens at night.? Feel Your Connection: Remember that many others are also sitting with uncertainty, and you are not alone in this experience. Close with Compassion: Offer yourself kindness through touch or words and affirm that this pause is part of your growth.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

YRSA DALEY-WARD is an award-winning poet and author of the novel, The Catch.
Learn more about Yrsa here: https://yrsadaleyward.squarespace.com/

Order her book here: https://tinyurl.com/yanw6bb5

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Using Art As Medicine Series: https://tinyurl.com/k3mneupx

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

How To Awaken Your Creative Energy: https://tinyurl.com/4fknd8ev

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/yc77fkzu

Our Brains on Poetry: https://tinyurl.com/y9r9dyzd

Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yckxhbja

What happens in your brain when you read or write a poem? We listen to powerful poetry from you, our listeners, and uncover the neuroscience of why it helps us feel, process, and recover.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today?s Happiness Break Guest:

SUSAN MAGSAMEN is a Neurology professor at John Hopkins, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Your Brain On Art: How the Arts Transform Us. 

Find Susan?s book here: https://www.yourbrainonart.com/

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Using Art As Medicine Series: https://tinyurl.com/k3mneupx

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

How To Awaken Your Creative Energy: https://tinyurl.com/4fknd8ev

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/yc77fkzu

Our Brains on Poetry: https://tinyurl.com/y9r9dyzd

Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/43p9jtny

From a worker-owned restaurant in Oakland to a nonprofit built on shared leadership, we explore how collective work models can help people feel heard, valued, and more invested in their work.

Summary: In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we examine how people can build cultures of care, accountability, and belonging together. Through stories from a worker-owned restaurant and insights from a leader in collective nonprofits, we share what research reveals about why collective decision-making can help teams thrive and organizations succeed.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

NINO SERRANO AND JENABI PAREJA are the co-founders of Understory, a worker-owned and community-built restaurant in Oakland.

Learn more about Understory here: https://understoryoakland.com/

NILOUFAR KHONSARI is the co-founder of Pangea Legal Services, a nonprofit that defends immigrants facing deportation and the author of the book, Future is Collective: Effective Workplace Strategies for Building a Culture of Care. 

Read the book here: https://www.niloukhonsari.com/thebook

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

How to Talk to People You Disagree With: https://tinyurl.com/4cpm8m3a

When It?s Hard to Connect, Try Being Curious: https://tinyurl.com/bde6wyu7

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4uhpf

Related Happiness Breaks:

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

5 Minutes of Gratitude: https://tinyurl.com/r6pkw2xx

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] 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

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/ya9vuy4n

Does your to-do list feel endless? Try this short, guided practice to help you reflect, reconnect, and release the pressure to do it all perfectly.

How To Do This Practice:

Find a Comfortable Posture: Sit or stand tall with a sense of dignity, grounded, yet relaxed. Take Three Cleansing Breaths: Inhale twice through the nose, then exhale slowly through the mouth. Repeat this three times to settle into the moment. Scan Your Body from Head to Toe: Gently bring your attention to each part of your body, noticing sensations and letting go of any tension as you move downward. Visualize Your To-Do List as Floating Bubbles: Imagine each task as a bubble above you. Observe them without judgment, simply noticing their presence. Ask Reflective Questions: Is it the number of tasks that?s overwhelming, or is it fear of forgetting, failing, or letting someone down? What?s truly fueling your stress? Recenter with Gratitude and Self-Compassion: Acknowledge that being needed is a form of purpose. Remind yourself that even if not everything gets done, you are still enough and already whole.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Explore more talks, workshops, and resources atggsc.berkeley.edu/speaking.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

KIA AFCARI is the director of Greater Good Workplaces at GGSC. Kia grounds his work in the science of well-being, prosociality, and contemplative practices and uses creative methods like ?instant dance parties? and Boal-informed theater techniques to achieve results.

Watch Kia?s TED Talk on reshaping diversity, equity, and inclusion here: https://tinyurl.com/483tdjp5

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

Who Takes Care of You: https://tinyurl.com/5xmfkf73

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/mrxa8bp8

Explore the neuroscience behind musical improvisation?and what it reveals about our natural capacity for creativity.

Summary: Creativity may be more natural than we think. Research on musicians and children improvising at the piano suggests that improvisation can quiet the brain?s inner critic while engaging networks linked to exploration, play, and reward. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we look at the neuroscience of improvisation?and what a ?beginner?s mind? can teach us about opening up creativity in everyday life.

How To Do This Practice:

Choose a simple starting point: Begin with something familiar?a simple melody, rhythm, phrase, movement, or creative prompt. It could be notes on a keyboard, a beat you tap on the table, a few lines of writing, or even a movement with your body. Change one small thing: Experiment by altering a single element, like the speed, mood, rhythm, or key. Small changes help spark creativity without feeling overwhelming. Let go of judgment: Remind yourself there are no mistakes in improvisation, only possibilities. If something sounds unexpected, treat it as part of the exploration rather than something to fix. Follow your curiosity: Notice what sounds, patterns, or ideas interest you and build on them. Let each moment guide the next instead of planning too far ahead. Treat it like play: Approach improvisation with a playful mindset, the way kids experiment and explore. The goal isn?t perfection?it?s discovery and enjoyment. Reflect on how it felt: Afterward, take a moment to notice how the experience affected your mood or mindset. Many people find that improvising helps them feel more relaxed, creative, and open.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

DR. KAREN CHAN BARRETT is an Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in the Institute for Health & Aging at the UCSF School of Nursing.

Learn more about Dr. Karen Chan Barrett here: https://karenchanbarrett.com/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

The Science of Singing Along: https://tinyurl.com/4nbb3v76

The Science of Humming: https://tinyurl.com/4esyy6nd

How Music Can Hold and Heal Us: https://tinyurl.com/49svzn4v

Related Happiness Breaks:

Music to Inspire Kindness in Kids: https://tinyurl.com/yjk344rd

A Humming Technique to Calm Your Nerves: https://tinyurl.com/mr42rzad

A Walking Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/mwbsen7a

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/hux7v5ma

Having a curious approach to life can improve our mood, creativity and relationships. Scott Shigeoka leads a visualization exercise to help you approach someone you might disagree with with an open and curious mind.

How To Do This Practice:

Ground Yourself: Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take three slow, deep breaths, noticing the sensation of each inhale and exhale. Let your body begin to settle. Picture the Conversation: Bring to mind an upcoming interaction that may feel challenging and visualize where it?s happening and what the setting looks like. See yourself arriving there. Lead with Curiosity: Imagine yourself speaking with a calm, open tone and asking thoughtful, genuine questions. Picture your body language expressing interest and care. See It Going Well: Visualize the other person responding positively?softening, engaging, or opening up. Notice how connection feels in your body. Rehearse the Hard Moment: Imagine a tense moment arising and observe what happens inside you without reacting. See yourself choosing a curious question instead of a defensive response. Close with Intention: Picture the conversation ending with appreciation and mutual respect. Take three more slow breaths, then gently open your eyes.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

SCOTT SHIGEOKA is an author and storyteller who focuses on themes of curiosity and well-being.

Learn More About Scott?s work here: https://tinyurl.com/y5xyxky7

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Loving Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5

Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/46383mhx

A Meditation for When You Feel Uneasy: https://tinyurl.com/4utrkyh5

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/s5atfjm7

Finding ways to bend tasks toward your strengths and passions can make you happier, more productive and find more meaning in your life?no matter your job.

Summary: On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we explore a research-backed practice in Job Crafting, where you take stock of the tasks that fill your day, how much time and energy they require, what really lights you up, and what changes you can make to better align your efforts at work with your genuine strengths and passions. We learn how Job Crafting doesn?t just benefit your own well-being and help to guard against burnout, it can also boost your whole team?s productivity and morale.

How To Do This Practice:

Take a ?Before? Snapshot: Write down everything you regularly do in a typical week, from major responsibilities to small recurring tasks. Label Time and Energy: Next to each activity, mark whether it requires low, medium, or high time and energy so you can see where your resources are going. Notice How It Feels: Pay attention to what drains, stresses, or creates guilt?and what energizes or uplifts you. Reconnect with What Matters: Ask yourself what you most care about right now and what activities make you feel most alive. Sketch an ?After? Version: Imagine how you?d ideally spend your time and where you might reduce, release, or expand commitments. Make One Small Change: Choose one realistic shift you can try this week to better align your days with what brings meaning and joy.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today?s Guests:

SUSAN GLASS is a retired English professor and visually impaired, Bay Area-based poet. She?s the author of the poetry book ?The Wild Language of Deer.?

Read Susan?s book here: https://tinyurl.com/2jn3jutt

MARIA TIMS is a professor of Management and Organization at the University of Amsterdam School of Business and Economics. 

Learn more about her work here: https://tinyurl.com/mtp7tpy3

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

How To Feel Better About Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/42fn62a2

How to Feel More Hopeful: https://tinyurl.com/4tfwhbpb

Related Happiness Breaks:

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

5 Minutes of Gratitude: https://tinyurl.com/r6pkw2xx

A Meditation to Connect With Your Roots: https://tinyurl.com/ycy9xazc

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/568punx8

Research shows that reflecting on our shared humanity can increase self-compassion and life satisfaction while reducing feelings of isolation. In this practice, Dacher Keltner guides us to look beneath our differences and connect with the qualities that make us human together.

This guided exercise draws on a meditation by Sean Fargo, a mindfulness teacher and former Buddhist monk.

How To Do This Practice:

Settle your body: Sit comfortably and take a few slow, steady breaths. Let your shoulders drop, soften your jaw, and allow your body to feel supported by the ground or chair beneath you. Notice what?s here: Briefly scan your body and emotions. Whatever you?re feeling?calm, tense, distracted, open?simply acknowledge it without trying to change it. Bring someone to mind: Think of someone you don?t know well, feel distant from, or have mild tension with. Picture them as if they were in front of you. Reflect on your similarities: Silently repeat phrases like: This person has a body and mind, just like me; this person has felt sadness, joy, and pain, just like me; this person wants to be safe, loved, and understood, just like me. Gently extend kind intentions toward them: May you be well. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease. Return and reflect: Bring your attention back to your breath and body. Notice if anything has shifted?perhaps a softening, a little more space, or a sense of connection?and carry that awareness into your day.

This episode was supported by a grant from The John Templeton Foundation on Spreading Love Through the Media.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Meditation for When You Feel Uneasy: https://tinyurl.com/4x27ut3p

A Meditation to Connect With Your Roots: https://tinyurl.com/ycy9xazc

A Mindful Breath Meditation, With Dacher Keltner: https://tinyurl.com/mr9d22kr

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4uhpf

How to Feel More Hopeful: https://tinyurl.com/4tfwhbpb

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4ju7rmtd

Guest host Geena Davis guides us through the research on love that stretches beyond romance and friendship, showing up in our bonds with objects, nature, grief, and the collective moments that connect us to something larger than ourselves.

Summary: In this final episode of our 3-part series on The Science of Love, researchers reveal how love expands our sense of self and strengthens our bond to humanity. We also explore why objects can feel meaningful, how love of nature can motivate care for the planet, he ways grief reshapes our capacity for connection, and our love of humanity.

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

The Science of Love Series: https://bit.ly/TheScienceofLove

The Science of Love, with Geena Davis (Episode 1): https://tinyurl.com/bfave5wd

How 7 Days Can Transform Your Relationship: https://tinyurl.com/bdh2ezhr

Related Happiness Breaks:

Visualizing Your Best Self in Relationships: https://tinyurl.com/4797z2vf

A Guided Meditation on Embodied Love: https://tinyurl.com/3dmpfam6

A Meditation on Love and Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/ye6baxv3

Today?s Guests:

AARON AHUVIA is the most widely published and cited academic expert on non-interpersonal love.

Learn more about Aaron Ahuvia here: https://thethingswelove.com/about-aaron/

JESSICA EISE is a social and environmental scientist and is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health with Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington.

Learn more about Jessica Eise here: https://jessicaeise.com/

??YURIA CELIDWEN is an indigenous scholar of contemplative studies, and author of the new book, Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Foundations For Collective Well-Being.

Learn more about Yuria Celidwen here: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/

MARY-FRANCES O'CONNOR is a psychologist and professor at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss, and Social Stress Lab.

Learn more about Mary-Frances O?connor here: https://maryfrancesoconnor.org/

SHIRA GABRIEL is a Professor of Psychology at SUNY, University at Buffalo.

Learn more about Shira Gabriel here: https://tinyurl.com/2vvav8xj

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] 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

Funding for this special was provided by the John Templeton Foundation, as part of the Greater Good Science Center's Spreading Love Through the Media initiative.

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/22d5nuyr

Guest host Geena Davis helps us explore how the love we feel ?for our partners, friends, family, even our four legged companions?shapes our brains, bodies, and lives.

Summary: On this episode of The Science of Love with Geena Davis, we delve into the many forms of love, and experts share research on how small daily actions, physical touch, and emotional attentiveness strengthen relationships, while evolutionary and neuroscience studies reveal why these bonds matter. We also explore practical strategies for cultivating deeper connections and understanding the biological and psychological roots of love.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

The Science of Love Series: https://bit.ly/TheScienceofLove

The Science of Love, with Geena Davis (Episode 1): https://tinyurl.com/bfave5wd

How 7 Days Can Transform Your Relationship: https://tinyurl.com/bdh2ezhr

Today?s Guests:

DANIEL LEVITIN is a neuroscientist, musician, and bestselling author of the books, Music as Medicine: How We Can Harness Its Therapeutic Power and I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music As Medicine. 

Follow Daniel Levitin on IG: https://www.instagram.com/daniellevitinofficial

JOHN GOTTMAN is a psychologist and the co-founder of The Gottman Institute. 

JULIE GOTTMAN is a clinical psychologist and co-founder of The Gottman Institute and President of The Gottman Institute and co-founder of Affective Software, Inc. 

Learn more about John and Julie Gottman here: https://www.gottman.com/

JUSTIN GARCIA is an evolutionary biologist and international authority on the science of sex and relationships. 

Learn more about Justin Garcia here: https://tinyurl.com/2c39cs6r

ANNA MACHIN is a British evolutionary anthropologist at the Department of Experimental Psychology at Oxford University, England and author of the book Why We Love: The Definitive Guide to Our Most Fundamental Need. 

Learn more about Anna Machin here: https://annamachin.com/

MARISA G. FRANCO is a psychologist and professor at The University of Maryland and author of the book ?Platonic: How The Science of Attachment Can Help You Make ? and Keep ? Friends.?

Learn more about Marisa G. Franco here: https://drmarisagfranco.com/

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] 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

Funding for this special was provided by the John Templeton Foundation, as part of the Greater Good Science Center's Spreading Love Through the Media initiative.

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4b52azja

In a culture that often reduces love to romance, Geena Davis helps us explore the science of love across the lifespan?revealing how our bonds with parents, friends, partners, and communities shape our health, happiness, and survival.

Summary: Love is commonly understood as a feeling, yet scientific research increasingly points to its role as a core biological drive. In this episode of The Science of Love, we explore how love is expressed through caregiving, friendship, romantic attachment, and shared experience, and how these connections leave measurable effects on the brain, body, and even the microbiome. 

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

The Science of Love Series: https://bit.ly/TheScienceofLove

36 Questions to Spark Love and Connection: https://tinyurl.com/ktcpz78u

How 7 Days Can Transform Your Relationship: https://tinyurl.com/bdh2ezhr

Today?s Guests:

ANN DRUYAN is an author, activist, and documentary producer.

Learn more about Ann Druyan?s work here: https://tinyurl.com/5n8crkev

DANIEL LEVITIN is a neuroscientist, musician, and bestselling author.

Follow Daniel Levitin on IG: https://www.instagram.com/daniellevitinofficial

JESSICA EISE is a social and environmental scientist and is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health with Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington.

Learn more about Jessica Eise here: https://jessicaeise.com/

ANNA MACHIN is an evolutionary anthropologist who studies the evolution of love.

Learn more about Anna Machin here: https://annamachin.com/

FRANCESCO BEGHINI is a computational biologist at Yale University.

Learn more about Francesco Beghini here: https://tinyurl.com/knm4du4m

ILANA BRITO is a biomedical engineering professor at Cornell University.

Learn more about Ilana Brito here: https://tinyurl.com/mtnhw3yd

CONSTANCE BAINBRIDGE is a Communication PhD student at UCLA.

Learn more about Constance Bainbridge here: http://constancebainbridge.com/

SANDRA LANGESLAG is a cognitive and biological psychologist who studies romantic love.

Learn more about Sandra Langeslag here: https://tinyurl.com/523wc9wx

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] 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

Funding for this special was provided by the John Templeton Foundation, as part of the Greater Good Science Center's Spreading Love Through the Media initiative.

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/bfave5wd

Discover what happens to our well-being when we respond to suffering with compassion, collective action, and why choosing to care can help us hold on to our shared humanity.

Summary: In the face of widespread suffering, many of us struggle with how to respond without becoming overwhelmed or numb. Drawing on research and real-world experience, this episode of The Science of Happiness examines the psychological impact of bearing witness, acting in alignment with our values, and showing up for others?even when it?s hard. We look at how compassion, agency, and a sense of common humanity can both strengthen resilience and carry real emotional costs, and why people continue to act anyway.

Take our 5-minute survey https://tinyurl.com/happyhappysurvey. Thank you for helping us make the podcast even better!

How To Do This Practice:

Pause and name what?s happening: Take a moment to notice what you?re feeling as you witness suffering or injustice?anger, grief, numbness, confusion. Naming the emotion helps calm the stress response and keeps you from shutting down or looking away. Reconnect with common humanity: Remind yourself: there are no ?good people? and ?bad people??there are people.  Clarify your values on paper: Write down one to three values that matter most to you right now (for example: compassion, integrity, dignity, justice). Studies show that writing values down lowers stress and makes it more likely you?ll act in alignment with them. Gently ask yourself: ?What does a person like me?with these values?do in a situation like this?? Consider what access, safety, or influence you may have, and what constraints you face. Acting with integrity looks different for everyone, and this step helps you choose a response that is both values-aligned and realistic. Choose a safe, doable action: Action doesn?t have to be loud or risky. It might be writing, speaking up in a meeting, supporting someone directly, or adding your voice to a collective effort. Even small actions strengthen agency and social connection. Reflect and reconnect: After you act, check in with yourself. Notice any sense of alignment, relief, meaning, grief, or fear. Acting with integrity won?t erase pain, but it helps protect mental health and shapes who we become over time.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

DR. FEROZE SIDHWA is a trauma, and critical care surgeon in California. He has also worked as a physician in Haiti, Ukraine and Palestine. 

Learn more about Dr. Feroze Sidhwa here: https://www.ferozesidhwa.org/

DR. AKIVA LEBOWITZ is a physician and critical care specialist.

Learn more about Dr. Akiva Lebowitz here: https://akivaforbrookline.com/

DR. SUNITA SAH is a social scientist, author, and psychologist.

Learn more about Dr. Sunita Sah here: https://www.sunitasah.com/

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/48wz2vru

Psychologist and stress expert Elissa Epel leads us in a gentle, science-backed practice to calm our nervous systems and meet uncertainty with greater ease and acceptance.

We want to hear from you! Take our quick 5-minute survey to tell us what you love, what you want more of, and how we can make the show even more inspiring and useful. Everyone who completes the survey can enter a drawing to win a copy of The Science of Happiness Workbook: 10 Practices for a Meaningful Life. Click the survey link in the show notes wherever you?re listening, or go directly to: https://tinyurl.com/happyhappysurvey. Thank you for helping us make the podcast even better!

How To Do This Practice:

Settle in: Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit. Close your eyes or soften your gaze, and begin breathing in through your nose with long, slow exhales through pursed lips. Scan your body: Gently move your attention from the top of your head down to your toes, noticing areas of tension with a kind, curious awareness. Breathe into tension: Wherever you feel tightness, breathe into that area and soften it with each exhale, allowing your nervous system to relax just a little more. Notice uncertainty: Turn your attention to your thoughts and feelings. Ask yourself what feels uncertain right now, and name any emotions that arise without trying to change them. Ask yourself: What is on my mind right now? Am I thinking about the past, the future, or am I right here in the present?? What do I feel most uncertain about right now? What expectations might I be holding? Am I striving to control something? What feelings do I have right now? Release control: Notice where you may be holding expectations or trying to control the future, and gently practice letting go, reminding yourself that uncertainty is part of life. Rest in the present: Lean back, relax your shoulders, and focus on the safety and ease of this moment, repeating a phrase like ?Things are exactly as they are right now.?

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

ELISSA EPEL, PH.D, is a Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, at University of California, San Francisco.

Learn more about Elissa Epel here: https://www.elissaepel.com/

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Loving Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5

Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/46383mhx

A Meditation for When You Feel Uneasy: https://tinyurl.com/4utrkyh5

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2x4pe95j

Studies show qigong can strengthen your body and mind, and reduce cortisol levels. We explore this Chinese meditative movement practice that dates back over 4,000 years.

Summary: After a period of intense stress, loss, and physical disconnection, one guest turns to qigong?a gentle, meditative movement practice rooted in traditional Chinese medicine?to reconnect with their body and calm their nervous system. This episode of The Science of Happiness explores the growing scientific evidence behind qigong, revealing how mindful movement can support both physical health and psychological well-being.

We want to hear from you! Take our 5-minute survey to enter a drawing to win a copy of The Science of Happiness Workbook: 10 Practices for a Meaningful Life. Tell us what you love, what you want more of, and how we can make the show even more inspiring and useful. Click the survey link in the show notes wherever you?re listening, or go directly to: https://tinyurl.com/happyhappysurvey. Thank you for helping us make the podcast even better!

One Way To Do This Practice:

Stand and settle: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft, arms relaxed by your sides. Take a moment to feel the ground beneath your feet and let your body arrive. Ground through your feet: Gently rock or sway in small circles, slowly shifting your weight to notice different parts of your feet making contact with the floor. Let your balance find its own rhythm. Breathe slowly and naturally: Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, allowing your breath to deepen without forcing it. Imagine your breath moving through your whole body, not just your chest. Begin gentle, flowing movements: Move your arms and torso in smooth, continuous motions?circling, swaying, or softly lifting and lowering your hands. Keep your movements relaxed and fluid rather than stiff or controlled. Soften your body and attention: Release unnecessary tension in your jaw, shoulders, and hands. Place your attention on how the movements feel from head to toe, letting your mind stay with sensation rather than thoughts. Close with stillness: After 10?15 minutes, return to standing quietly. Notice any changes in your energy, mood, or sense of grounding before stepping back into your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

ACE BORAL is an Oakland-based chef.

PETER WAYNE is an Associate Professor of Medicine, and serves as the Director for the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, jointly based at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women?s Hospital.

Learn more about Peter?s work: https://tinyurl.com/342xndna

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

Breathe Away Anxiety (Cyclic Sighing): https://tinyurl.com/3u7vsrr5

The Science of Synchronized Movement: https://tinyurl.com/n4bcrb5j

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yyxnsfy9

This New Year, affirm the wonderful qualities you already possess with this meditative writing practice with Chris Murchison called "I Am."

How To Do This Practice:

Settle your body and breath: Find a comfortable seat. Close your eyes or soften your gaze. Take a few slow, deep breaths. Feeling your belly and lungs expand. Bringing your attention into the present moment. Notice what?s here: Briefly tune in to what?s moving through you right now: thoughts, emotions, sensations in your body, and the space around you. There?s nothing to change?just notice. Begin with ?I am??: Open your eyes and place your pen at the top of the page. Write the words ?I am?? and complete the sentence with whatever feels true at this moment. Keep writing continuously for one minute: On each new line, write ?I am?? again and complete it. Keep your pen moving for a full minute. Don?t edit, judge, or overthink. Just let the words come. Pause and reflect: Put your pen down. Read what you?ve written. Notice where you started, how your responses shifted, and where you ended. Look for patterns, themes, or surprises. Carry it forward: Take a few mindful breaths. Consider how this clearer sense of your present self might shape how you move into the next moment with more awareness and care.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

CHRIS MURCHISON is an artist and meditation teacher.

Check out Chris?s website: https://chrismurchison.com/

Follow Chris on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4nyjahj4

Related Happiness Break episodes:

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

How to Be Your Own Best Friend: https://tinyurl.com/y5kbecej

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How to Stick to Your Resolutions in 2024: https://tinyurl.com/mub9z9z4

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2d595rz3

Learn how the stories we tell and hear shape our relationships, values, and sense of belonging.

Summary: Storytelling is more than entertainment. It shapes how we think, feel, and relate to others. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we dive into how immersive narratives calm stress, inspire reflection, and foster compassion across differences. We also explore how stories of resilience, joy, and tradition leave lasting impressions that influence our relationships and sense of self.

How To Do This Practice:

Choose a meaningful story: Bring to mind a personal memory, family tradition, or moment that carries emotion, care, or learning. Settle the body first: Take a few slow breaths and notice your posture, helping your nervous system feel steady and present. Recall sensory details: Gently remember what you saw, heard, smelled, or felt in the moment, letting the story come alive without forcing it. Notice what matters: As the story unfolds, pay attention to themes of connection, care, resilience, or joy that stand out to you. Reflect on its meaning: Ask yourself what this story has shaped in you?how it influences your values, relationships, or sense of belonging. Share or carry it forward: If it feels right, share the story with someone you trust, write it down, or hold it quietly as a reminder of connection and continuity.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

SAFA SULEIMAN is an elementary school teacher and author of the new children?s book Hilwa?s Gifts. 

Learn more about Safa here: https://www.safasuleiman.com/

MELANIE GREEN is a social psychologist at the University at Buffalo who has published widely on narrative persuasion and the power of storytelling.

See more on Melanie?s work here: https://tinyurl.com/e5fd8bu5

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

How Thinking About Your Ancestors Can Help You Thrive: https://tinyurl.com/4u6vzs2w
Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj
How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

Related Happiness Breaks:

A Meditation on Love and Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/ye6baxv3
Our Deep Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/jthxkpjd
Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2tkvdyr8

También tenemos esta meditación en Español.

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4rjmambm

Take a few minutes to reflect on someone who inspires you, and how you can embody the values you admire in them.

You can also listen to this episode in Spanish here: https://tinyurl.com/4rjmambm

How To Do This Practice:

Find a quiet moment and settle your body: Sit or stand somewhere you feel safe and comfortable. Take a few slow breaths and let your body soften, releasing the noise of the day. Bring to mind someone who embodies ?moral beauty?: Think of a person whose kindness, courage, humility, or integrity has genuinely inspired you. Choose one specific moment when their character moved you. Visualize an act that inspired you: Recall exactly what the person did. Picture the scene, their actions, their choices. Notice why this moment stood out as meaningful or brave or good. Notice how your body responds: As you hold this image, tune into your body: warmth, openness, tenderness, or even tears. Allow yourself to feel the emotional impact of their moral beauty. Reflect on why this matters to you: Ask yourself: What does this moment reveal about the values that matter most to me? What purpose does it awaken? What did this person teach me about how I want to live? Choose one small aligned action for today: Identify one thing you can do?big or small?that expresses the value or purpose this person embodies. Carry that intention with you into the rest of your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

DIANA PARRA is professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She is also a registered mindfulness and yoga teacher who focuses on sharing these practices with the Latino immigrant community in St Louis.

Learn more about Diana Parra?s work: https://tinyurl.com/4acc7nsv

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Loving Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5

How to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself): https://tinyurl.com/5b26zwkx

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Why We Should Seek Beauty: https://tinyurl.com/yn7ry59j

We want to hear from you! Take our quick 5-minute survey to tell us what you love, what you want more of, and how we can make the show even more inspiring and useful. Everyone who completes the survey can enter a drawing to win a copy of The Science of Happiness Workbook: 10 Practices for a Meaningful Life. Click the survey link in the show notes wherever you?re listening, or go directly to: https://tinyurl.com/happyhappysurvey. Thank you for helping us make the podcast even better!

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4945b59w

Explore how students are using simple mindful breathing practices to navigate stress, stay grounded, and support their classmates.

Summary: Classrooms often are confronted with difficult topics that can leave students overwhelmed and anxious. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we highlight how college student Evelyn Mata brought calm to herself and peers during an Immigration Studies class through simple collective breathing practices. 

How to Do Box Breathing:

Sit comfortably: Find a quiet spot and focus on your breath, keeping a relaxed posture.  Inhale (4 counts): Breathe in slowly through your nose, letting the air fill your belly and chest. Keep the pace steady, not strained for a count of four.  Hold (4 counts): Pause gently at the top of the inhale. This isn?t a tense hold, just a moment of stillness to let the body register calm. Hold your breath for four slow counts.  Exhale (4 counts): Release the breath through your nose or mouth in a smooth, even flow. Imagine tension leaving the body as the breath moves out for a count of four, emptying your lungs.  Hold (4 counts): Let yourself rest briefly in the empty space before the next inhale. This completes the ?box.? Repeat: Continue this cycle for several minutes, or for 3-4 rounds, until you feel calmer. Stop sooner if you feel lightheaded; return to natural breathing when you?re done.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests: 

EVELYN MATA is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, studying Psychology and Public Policy.

DR. PABLO GONZALEZ is a professor in the Ethnic Studies department at UC Berkeley.

Learn more about Pablo here: https://ethnicstudies.berkeley.edu/people/pablo-gonzalez

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

Breathe Away Anxiety (Cyclic Sighing): https://tinyurl.com/3u7vsrr5

How To Tune Out The Noise: https://tinyurl.com/4hhekjuh 

What To Do When Stress Takes Over: https://tinyurl.com/mskvfmv4

Related Happiness Breaks:

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

A Meditation for When You Feel Uneasy: https://tinyurl.com/4x27ut3p

A Mindful Breath Meditation, With Dacher Keltner: https://tinyurl.com/mr9d22kr

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4wz4vbc3

Through a gentle ancestral meditation, discover how grounding in your roots can open the door to healing, meaning, and a deeper sense of belonging.

How To Do This Practice: 

Settle Into Your Body: Notice whether you?re sitting, standing, or walking, and gently bring your attention to the natural rhythm of your breath. Ground Yourself Through the Earth: Feel the weight of your body supported by the ground beneath you, and let any thoughts drift by like passing clouds. Sense the Ancestors in Nature: Expand your awareness to the sky, the earth, trees, and mountains, imagining them as ancestors who have been here long before you. Connect With Your Heartbeat: Place a hand on your heart if it feels comfortable, noticing the steady drumbeat within you?a rhythm shared across generations. Cultivate Compassion for Your Lineage: Envision compassion as a color or texture in your chest and let it gently radiate outward, offering it to your ancestors and to yourself. Offer a Wish for Healing: Bring to mind a simple wish for the easing of suffering?your own or others??and breathe it through your body from sky to earth before slowly opening your eyes.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide: 

SARÁ KING is a neuroscientist, medical anthropologist and educator at UC San Diego.

Learn more about Sará King here: https://www.eomega.org/people/sara-king

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Where Did You Come From: https://tinyurl.com/2y9uyjj6

How To Tune Into Water?s Restorative Power: https://tinyurl.com/2k6ybzrs

A Meditation to Connect With Your Roots: https://tinyurl.com/ycy9xazc

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj

How Water Heals: https://tinyurl.com/utuhrnh3

Who?s Always There for You: https://tinyurl.com/yt3ejj6w

We want to hear from you! Take our quick 5-minute survey to tell us what you love, what you want more of, and how we can make the show even more inspiring and useful. Everyone who completes the survey can enter a drawing to win a copy of The Science of Happiness Workbook: 10 Practices for a Meaningful Life. Click the survey link in the show notes wherever you?re listening, or go directly to: https://tinyurl.com/happyhappysurvey. Thank you for helping us make the podcast even better!

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/mrsnwvrm

Self-compassion reduces our feelings of shame and self-doubt. We explore a practice to help quiet our inner critic with kindness.

Summary: What does your inner critic sound like? Many of us carry echoes of past misunderstandings, pressures, or expectations. Voices that show up as shame, self-judgment, or the belief that we?re not doing enough. This episode explores a self-compassionate writing practice that helps interrupt those patterns by noticing how we talk to ourselves and learning to respond with more kindness. 

How To Do This Practice: 

Choose something you feel ashamed about or critical of: Pick a moment or pattern that brings up self-blame, embarrassment, or disappointment. It doesn?t need to be huge, just something that regularly activates your inner critic. Describe the situation honestly and without judgment: Write down what happened and how it made you feel. Let the tone be neutral, like you?re simply acknowledging what?s true. No harsh labels, no minimizing. Imagine someone who loves you speaking to you: This could be a close friend, mentor, future self, or the voice you?d naturally use when comforting someone you care about. Let that tone guide the rest of the letter. Write to yourself with compassion, acceptance, and understanding: Recognize the difficulty, normalize the feelings, offer reassurance and warmth, acknowledge your strengths and intentions. Treat yourself the way you?d treat someone who came to you hurting. Reframe your struggle in a kinder, more accurate way: Gently question the harsh story you usually tell yourself. Identify what was actually happening beneath the shame? survival instincts, past patterns, symptoms, fear, or overwhelm. Offer yourself a more truthful, generous narrative. Set the letter aside then come back and read it: After a little time (an hour or a day), return to what you wrote. Notice how it feels to receive your own compassion. Let the warmth land. Over time, rereading and rewriting letters like this can shift your inner voice toward kindness and authenticity.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests: 

RENÉ BROOKS is the creator of the blog Black Girl, Lost Keys. She draws on her personal experiences to coach and assist adults with ADHD.

Visit René?s Blog: https://blackgirllostkeys.com/

SERENA CHEN is the Chair of the Psychology department at UC Berkeley. Her research is focused on self-compassion, wellbeing, and social interaction.

Learn more about Serena and her work: https://tinyurl.com/mry3vx3v

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4uhpf

Related Happiness Breaks:

Fierce Self-Compassion Break: https://tinyurl.com/yk9yzh9u

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/et2spbbp

When gratitude feels distant, gently notice what?s here now? creating space for both heaviness and small moments of appreciation.

How To Do This Practice:

Get Comfortable: Sit upright or lie down. Whatever feels most supportive. Then soften your gaze or close your eyes. Take Three Slow Breaths: Let your body begin to settle. Feel the tension release a little more with each exhale. Notice How You?re Feeling: Without changing anything, simply acknowledge what?s present?tiredness, frustration, numbness, ease?whatever it is. Make Space for What?s Hard: Recognize that the world can feel heavy. It?s okay to hold grief, anger, or stress. You don't have to push it away. Gently Notice the Present Moment: Shift your attention to something neutral: your breath, your feet on the floor, the air on your skin. Just observe. Look for One Small Thing to Appreciate: Ask: Is there anything, however small, I can be thankful for right now? A warm cup of coffee, a slower breath, the fact that you showed up.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

DACHER KELTNER is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and is a co-instructor of the Greater Good Science Center?s popular online course of the same name. He?s also a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Meditation on Original Love: https://tinyurl.com/5u298cv4
Loving Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5
Who Takes Care of You: https://tinyurl.com/5xmfkf73

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Nine Steps to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/vb7kk5ky

How to Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

Who?s Always There for You: https://tinyurl.com/yt3ejj6w

We want to hear from you! Take our quick 5-minute survey to tell us what you love, what you want more of, and how we can make the show even more inspiring and useful. Everyone who completes the survey can enter a drawing to win a copy of The Science of Happiness Workbook: 10 Practices for a Meaningful Life. Click the survey link in the show notes wherever you?re listening, or go directly to: https://tinyurl.com/happyhappysurvey. Thank you for helping us make the podcast even better!

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/f6xa56mx

Doing good for others benefits our own minds and bodies, as well. We explore the science of kindness.

Summary: On this episode of The Science of Happiness we explore how everyday acts of kindness strengthen our sense of connection and belonging, and why our brains are built to feel good when we support others. Drawing from both research and lived experience, we examine how even small gestures can reduce anxiety, increase purpose, and ripple outward through our communities. We also look at why kindness flourishes when it?s spontaneous and genuine, and how practicing it can open us to deeper presence, vulnerability, and joy.

How To Do This Practice:

Set an intention: Take a moment each evening to reflect on the day ahead and choose a general theme for how you want to show kindness. Like offering gratitude, being more present, or supporting someone who comes to mind. Keep it flexible: Rather than creating a rigid checklist, identify a few broad ?buckets? of kindness so you can let opportunities arise naturally. Notice moments to connect: As you move through your day, look for organic openings to offer warmth. Whether through a sincere compliment, a helpful gesture, or simply slowing down to truly listen. Act on what feels genuine: Choose gestures that feel authentic to you and appropriate to the moment, aiming for sincerity over perfection. Reflect briefly: At the end of the day, jot down the acts you did and how they felt?for you and for others?paying attention to small emotional shifts or moments of connection. Stay gentle with yourself: If you miss a moment or a day feels off, reset without judgment; the practice is about cultivating awareness and kindness, not completing a task list.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests: 

DANA MERWIN is a progressional clown and performer based in San Francisco.

Learn about Dana?s Work: https://tinyurl.com/bd6ew95a

Follow Dana on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/dspstzrk

DAVID CREGG is a clinical psychologist at South Texas Veterans Health Care System whose research specializes in positive psychology.

Find more of David?s work here: https://tinyurl.com/ajay6n6a

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4uhpf

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/3x7w2s5s

Who?s Always There For You: https://tinyurl.com/yt3ejj6w

Related Happiness Breaks:

Tap into the Joy That Surrounds You: https://tinyurl.com/2pb8ye9x

A Meditation for When Others Are Suffering: https://tinyurl.com/2tcp2an9

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yx64nk2n

Explore a gentle practice for releasing resentment and finding freedom through forgiveness.

How To Do This Practice: 

Prepare Your Space and Body: Find a quiet, safe place to sit and take slow, grounding breaths. Notice any tension in your body and gently release it with each exhale. Identify Who You?re Ready to Forgive: Bring to mind two or three people who have hurt you, and start with the one whose actions feel least painful. Reflect on how this hurt still affects your emotions and body. Acknowledge the Hurt: Recognize what happened and how it impacted your life, trust, or well-being. Allow yourself to feel the pain without judgment. Seek to Understand (Without Excusing): Consider what struggles or past hurts might have influenced the other person?s behavior. This step is about seeing their humanity, not condoning their actions. Make the Choice to Forgive: When you feel ready, make an inner decision to release resentment and let go of the burden it carries. Offer kindness, respect, or simply your intention to move forward. Reflect and Offer Yourself Compassion: Notice any small sense of softening or relief, and honor where you are in the process. End by thanking yourself for taking a step toward healing.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide: 

DACHER KELTNER is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and is a co-instructor of the Greater Good Science Center?s popular online course of the same name. He?s also a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Science-Backed Path to Self-Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/yh2a5urt

A Note to Self on Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/y53tkn87

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Nine Steps to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/vb7kk5ky

The Science of Letting Go: https://tinyurl.com/566t8udf

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/3x7w2s5s

This episode was supported by a generous grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation as part of a Greater Good Science Center project on "Putting the Science of Forgiveness into Practice."

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/trnz9x8n

Discover how forgiveness reshapes the brain, eases the body, and helps us move forward with greater compassion and freedom.

Summary: Forgiveness isn?t about forgetting or excusing?it?s about releasing the grip of resentment so we can make room for peace. Research shows it also engages empathy, strengthens emotional regulation, and helps us reconnect with what truly matters. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we look at how forgiveness transforms not just relationships, but our overall well-being.

How To Do This Practice:

Acknowledge the hurt: Be honest about what happened and how it affected you?avoiding or denying the pain can keep it alive. Empathize with the other person: Try to see their humanity and what might have led them to act as they did, without excusing the harm. Choose to forgive: Decide, for your own peace, to let go of resentment and stop letting the past control your emotions. Offer forgiveness as a gift: Imagine extending understanding or compassion toward the person, even if they never apologize. Commit to your choice: Write it down, share it, or reflect on it as a reminder of your intention when old feelings resurface. Practice holding on to peace: When reminders or emotions arise, return to calm, compassion, or gratitude?strengthening forgiveness over time.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

DR. EVERETT WORTHINGTON is one of the world's leading experts on forgiveness. 

Learn more about Dr. Everett Worthington here: https://www.evworthington-forgiveness.com/

DR. EMILIANA SIMON-THOMAS is a neuroscientist and Director of Science at UC Berkeley?s Greater Good Science Center.

Learn more about Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas here: https://tinyurl.com/2z7mhjbm

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/3x7w2s5s

Nine Steps to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/vb7kk5ky

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4uhpf

Related Happiness Breaks:

A Science-Backed Path to Self-Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/yh2a5urt

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

A Note to Self on Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/y53tkn87

This episode was supported by a generous grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation as part of a Greater Good Science Center project on "Putting the Science of Forgiveness into Practice."

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/566t8udf

We explore Día de los Muertos as a ritual that nurtures community, imbues loss with meaning, and helps us process grief while also connecting through shared joy.

Summary: We investigate how Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead,  rituals strengthen family ties and cultural identity, and learn about its evolution from a 3,000 year old practice to a global celebration. We look at key elements like the ofrenda and explore how commercialization?like Mattel?s Day of the Dead Barbie?raises questions about balancing tradition with modern influences.

This episode is made possible through the generous support of the John Templeton Foundation.

How To Do This Practice:

Set an intention: Begin by reflecting on who or what you want to honor, focusing on connection and gratitude rather than loss. Let this intention guide the energy of your ritual. Create a space of offering: Choose a spot in your home and make it a place of remembrance. Gather meaningful items like photos, flowers, candles, or anything that holds personal or ancestral significance. Invite the elements: Bring in water, fire, wind, and earth in simple ways?perhaps a candle, a glass of water, a plant, or a piece of fabric that moves gently in the air?to represent balance and harmony. Add a personal touch: Offer something that carries memory, like a favorite food, scent, or song of someone you love. These gestures transform remembrance into a living connection. Gather in community: Invite others to join you in building the altar or sharing stories and food. Coming together in this way turns memory into collective celebration and strengthens belonging. Reflect and release: When the ritual feels complete, take a few quiet moments to notice what you feel. Offer gratitude for the connections that remain and carry their presence forward into daily life.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today?s Guests:

MICHELLE TELLÉZ is an Associate Professor in Mexican-American studies at Arizona State University.
Learn more about Michelle: https://tinyurl.com/2ph3can7

MATHEW SANDOVAL, a.ka. "Dr. Muerte," is an artist and Associate Professor at Arizona State University. He is a leading expert on Día de los Muertos.
Learn more about Mathew: mathewsandoval.com

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife: https://tinyurl.com/bde5av4z

Who?s Always There For You: https://tinyurl.com/yt3ejj6w

How Thinking About Your Ancestors Can Help You Thrive: https://tinyurl.com/4u6vzs2w

Related Happiness Breaks:

A Meditation on Love and Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/ye6baxv3

A Meditation to Connect With Your Roots: https://tinyurl.com/ycy9xazc

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/jerruy47

Show yourself real self-kindness in less than 10 minutes with this self-compassion break guided by psychologist Kristin Neff.

How To Do This Practice:

Identify what?s hard right now: Bring to mind a real situation that?s causing you stress, sadness, or self-criticism, something that?s currently difficult. It could be a mistake, a relationship challenge, or a feeling of not being enough. Acknowledge your pain: Notice what?s happening inside you without judgment. Gently name it: ?This is hard,? or ?I?m really struggling right now.? Remember you?re not alone: Remind yourself that struggle is part of being human. Say something like: ?Others feel this way too,? or ?It?s normal to have moments like this.? Offer yourself kindness: Bring warmth to the part of you that?s hurting. You might place a hand over your heart, hold your face gently, or clasp your hands. Physical touch helps calm the nervous system and signals care. Speak supportive words to yourself: Say something to yourself that you?d say to a good friend in the same situation like, ?I?m here for you.? ?It?s okay to be imperfect.? ?You?re doing the best you can.? Let the compassion sink in: Take a few slow breaths. Feel your body softening. Notice any sense of calm, warmth, or ease that arises, even if it?s subtle. You can return to this practice anytime you feel overwhelmed or self-critical.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

Dr. Kristin Neff is an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's department of educational psychology. She's also the co-author of 'Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout,' which offers tools to help individuals heal and recharge from burnout.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

Tap into the Joy That Surrounds You: https://tinyurl.com/2pb8ye9x

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How to Stick to Your Resolutions in 2024: https://tinyurl.com/mub9z9z4

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

Why We Need Friends With Shared Interests: https://tinyurl.com/bp8msacj

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3eep76z6

What happens when imagination meets perception, and ordinary objects come alive? We explore the science of pareidolia.

Summary: Our minds are wired to find meaning, even in randomness? which is why sometimes we can see faces and patterns in everyday objects. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we explore how this phenomenon, called pareidolia, can shift how we experience our surroundings and open ourselves to more creativity, connection, and calm.

How To Do This Practice:

Pause and settle: Take a few slow breaths and allow yourself to slow down. Let your mind soften its focus. Choose your space: Look around your home, your walk, or wherever you are. Everyday objects work best? walls, trees, clouds, shadows. Let curiosity lead: Notice shapes, textures, or patterns that catch your eye. Don?t try to find something, just observe. See what appears: Allow your imagination to play. Do you see a face, an animal, a tiny scene hidden in plain sight? Stay with it: Notice how it feels to find meaning in randomness. What emotions or memories come up? Reflect and return: Take a final look around. Does your space or the way you see the things around you feel any different now?

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

MALIK MAYS is an Oakland-based musician who also releases music under the name Mahawam.

Learn more about Malik here: https://mahawam.com/bio

ANTOINE BELLEMARE-PEPIN is a neuroscientist and artist, who researches the connection between pareidolia and creativity. 

Learn more about Antoine here: https://tinyurl.com/233w9rym

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife: https://tinyurl.com/bde5av4z

Why Going Offline Might Save Us: https://tinyurl.com/e7rhsakj

How To Tune Out The Noise: https://tinyurl.com/4hhekjuh

Related Happiness Breaks:

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yzp9hykv

Dedicating a little time to tune into your body fortifies you to better handle the stresses of daily life.

How To Do This Practice: 

Find your space: Choose a quiet place where you feel safe and comfortable. You can sit, stand, or lie down, whatever helps you relax. If sitting, rest your hands on your thighs; if standing, let them hang by your sides. Begin with your breath: Close your eyes. Inhale slowly to a count of four, feeling your belly and chest expand. Exhale to a count of four, letting your body soften. Notice the temperature of the air as it moves in and out through your nose. Start at your feet: Bring your attention to your feet on the ground. Notice sensations? pressure, warmth, tingling. Gently wiggle your toes. On the next breath, move your awareness to your ankles and calves, then your knees, thanking them for their steady work. Move up the body: With each breath, shift attention upward. Thighs, hips, and lower back, then your stomach. Feel it rise and fall with your breath. Continue up through your back and shoulders, releasing any tension there. Soften the upper body: Turn your attention to your throat, face, and head. Relax your jaw, smooth your forehead, and feel any soft tingling at the top of your head. Then bring awareness to your hands and fingers. Close with awareness: Take a few final deep breaths. On your last exhale, open your eyes gently. Notice how your body feels and carry that awareness into the rest of your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

DACHER KELTNER is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and is a co-instructor of the Greater Good Science Center?s popular online course of the same name. He?s also a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Mindful Breath Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/mr9d22kr

Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/46383mhx

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Breathe Away Anxiety: https://tinyurl.com/3u7vsrr5

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4fjwac6y

We explore how embracing uncertainty enables us to move beyond climate anxiety and despair to hope and action, with author and activist Rebecca Solnit.

Summary: When you think about climate change, do you feel hope? In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we examine what it means to feel hopeful for the future of our planet. Renowned writer and activist Rebecca Solnit shares 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.

How To Do This Practice:

Acknowledge the hard stuff: Hope doesn?t come from ignoring reality, it begins with honesty. Naming the fears, grief, or overwhelm we feel about climate change and life?s challenges. Remember uncertainty leads to possibility: Despair often assumes the future is fixed. But history is full of surprises and turning points. When we leave space for uncertainty, we leave space for possibility. Focus on progress, not perfection: Every step forward matters. Clean energy expanding, policies shifting, communities protecting what they love. Small and large wins alike fuel the feedback loop between hope and action. Nourish yourself with beauty, awe, and joy: A sunrise, music, dancing, kindness, or the courage of others can all awaken something bigger in us. Awe quiets despair and helps us see new ways forward. Connect with others: Hope grows when it?s shared. Joining movements, communities, or simply leaning on friends creates a sense of belonging and power. Together, the ants can move the elephant. Practice hope daily: Some days hope comes easily; other days it doesn?t. That?s normal. Journaling, noticing progress, limiting bad news, and showing up in community are all ways to keep practicing.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today?s Guests:

REBECCA SOLNIT is an author, activist, and historian. She has written over 20 books on Western and Indigenous history, feminism, social change, hope, and disaster.

Learn more about Rebecca Solnit here: http://rebeccasolnit.net/

PATRICK GONZALEZ is a climate change scientist and forest ecologist at the University of California, Berkeley.

Learn more about Patrick Gonzalez here: http://www.patrickgonzalez.net/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

Climate, Hope, & Science Series: https://tinyurl.com/pb27rep

The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife: https://tinyurl.com/bde5av4z

Related Happiness Breaks:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3uw3hdk3

Zen and mindfulness teacher Henry Shukman guides us in a meditation that invites us to listen deeply and find clarity in quiet.

How To Do This Practice:

Find Stillness: Sit comfortably in a quiet space. Close your eyes if you?d like, and allow your body to settle. Bring Your Attention to the Present: Take a few deep breaths. Let go of to-do lists or distractions, gently arriving in this moment. Tune In to the Sounds Around You: Begin to notice the soundscape of your environment. Near or far, loud or soft. Don?t judge or label the sounds, just hear them. Notice Background Silence: Beyond individual sounds, sense the quiet in which all sounds arise. This isn?t just an absence of noise, it?s a felt sense of stillness. Soak in the Quiet: Rest your awareness in this space of quiet. Let it wash over you, soften you, and bring you back to yourself. Gently Return: When you're ready, bring small movements back to your body. Wiggle your fingers or stretch. Open your eyes and carry this quiet awareness into the rest of your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

Henry Shukman, is a poet, mindfulness teacher, and author of Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening. 

Learn more about Shukman?s work: https://henryshukman.com/about

Order his book, Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening: https://tinyurl.com/mwv5cuxr

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Mindful Breath Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/mr9d22kr

A Meditation for When You Feel Uneasy: https://tinyurl.com/4x27ut3p

Find Calm When You Can?t Clear Your Mind: https://tinyurl.com/3u8k2j8h

A Meditation on Original Love and Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/ye6baxv3

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How To Tune Out The Noise: https://tinyurl.com/4hhekjuh

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3bs7udur

Learn why uncertainty fuels anxiety and how noticing our body?s stress signals can help us find calm.

Summary: One in five adults in the U.S. report living with anxiety, and many of us struggle to control or avoid the feelings that come with it. Science shows that tuning into the body, rather than resisting discomfort, can actually reduce anxiety and strengthen resilience. Join us on The Science of Happiness as we explore what anxiety teaches us about control, uncertainty, and how to care for ourselves with more compassion.

How To Do This Practice:

Create a quiet moment for yourself: Find a space where you won?t be interrupted?even just for 30 seconds. Close the door, silence your phone, and step away from distractions. Take a deep breath in: Begin with one slow, steady inhale. On the exhale, let your body soften. Keep your breathing gentle, not forced. Do a quick scan: Where are you holding stress? Maybe in your chest, shoulders, or jaw. Simply notice the tightness or pressure without trying to change it. Breathe into those sensations: With each inhale, imagine sending your breath to the place where stress lives in your body. With each exhale, release a little of that tension?like letting it flow out. Name what?s on your mind: Ask yourself: What am I feeling? Am I anxious about the past, worried about the future, or caught up in uncertainty? You don?t need to solve or fix anything?just acknowledge it. Let it go, even briefly: Tell yourself, I don?t have to fix this right now. Allow the stress to soften as you exhale. Even 20?30 seconds can bring a sense of calm and clarity.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests: 

JENNY LITTLE is a Health and Fitness Director at the Albany YMCA.

DR. ELISSA EPEL is a psychologist and professor at UCSF. Her research shows how chronic stress and anxiety affect our bodies at the cellular level.
Learn more about Dr. Elissa Epel here: https://www.elissaepel.com/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6
Hot to Tap Your Way to Calm and Clarity: https://tinyurl.com/psmskjyp
How To Tune Out The Noise: https://tinyurl.com/4hhekjuh

Related Happiness Breaks:

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7
A Meditation for When You Feel Uneasy: https://tinyurl.com/4x27ut3p
A Meditation For When You Have Too Much To Do: https://tinyurl.com/5dvk3d7m

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/mskvfmv4

When was the last time you thought about your ancestors? This guided meditation by Indigenous scholar Yuria Celidwen will help you connect to your heritage and reap the potent benefits of remembering your roots.

How To Do This Practice:

Arrive and Center: Find a comfortable position. Close your eyes if you?d like. Place your attention at the center of your chest. Notice how your chest expands as you inhale, pauses, and gently releases as you exhale. Rest in that pause between breaths. Open the Heart Space: Imagine your chest softening and opening. With each breath, sense a feeling of spaciousness there. Let this space become an anchor to return to. Invite Your Lineage: In that pause of breath, bring awareness to your ancestors. Elders of the past, present, and those yet to come. Acknowledge the richness and complexity of your lineage.  Remember Origin Stories: Call to mind the stories of your elders and their elders before them. Picture their journeys, the lands they once touched, and the lives they carried forward. Imagine their footsteps across the earth, leading to where you stand today. Connect Land and Heart: Visualize the lands your ancestors belonged to. The soils, waters, and skies that sustained them. Bring those lands into the center of your chest, merging them with your breath, your heart, and your pause. Feel the connection ripple from them to you, and from you back to them. Rest in Home and Belonging: Let the word home echo silently in your heart. With each breath, feel this home expand outward?into belonging, togetherness, and care for all living beings and for the Earth itself. Rest in that pulse of vastness and possibility.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Happiness Break Guide: 

DR. YURIA CELIDWEN is an indigenous scholar of contemplative studies, and author of the book, Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Foundations For Collective Well-Being.

Learn more about Dr. Celidwen: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Where Did You Come From: https://tinyurl.com/2y9uyjj6

How To Tune Into Water?s Restorative Power: https://tinyurl.com/2k6ybzrs

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj

How Water Heals: https://tinyurl.com/utuhrnh3

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/ycy9xazc

Even just a few minutes of dancing can shift energy, release emotions, and remind us to care for ourselves while we care for others.

Summary: Dance isn?t just fun?it?s scientifically shown to make us happier, ease stress, and strengthen social bonds. From swaying in the kitchen to joining a community class, movement helps us regulate our nervous systems and reconnect with joy. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we explore what the science says about how dancing supports well-being for parents, caregivers, and families.

How To Do This Practice: 

Pick a Song You Love: Choose music that makes you want to move. Even if it?s just a little sway. It could be something upbeat or a song from your childhood that feels comforting. Start Small: Give yourself permission to move for just five minutes. No pressure to ?work out??the goal is to shift your energy and lift your mood. Follow Your Body: Sway, step, shake, or spin. There?s no right or wrong way. Let your body lead instead of worrying about looking a certain way. Play with Pausing: Try stopping mid-song for a ?freeze? moment, then move again. Pausing helps build awareness, self-control, and a sense of play. Invite Connection: If you have kids, family, or friends around, pull them into the movement. Science shows that dancing together strengthens bonds and amplifies joy. Release and Reset: Notice how you feel after moving? lighter, calmer, maybe more grounded. Let dance be a way to release tension and return to your day with more energy.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests: 

 MAGDALENE MARTINEZ is a licensed clinical social worker who works with children, teens and adults. 

Learn more about Magdalene here: https://www.oceandustwellness.com/

DR. ÖZGE UGURLU is a behavioral scientist in the social interaction lab at UC Berkeley. Her research centers on emotions, self-control, and child development.

Add Dr. Ugurlu on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozge-ugurlu

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

Caring for Caregivers Series: https://tinyurl.com/4k2hv47j

Our Caring for Caregivers series is supported by the Van Leer Foundation, an independent Dutch organization working globally to foster inclusive societies where all children and communities can flourish. 

To discover more insights from Van Leer Foundation and others on this topic, visit Early Childhood Matters, the leading platform for advancing topics on early childhood development and connecting diverse voices and ideas across disciplines that support the wellbeing of babies, toddlers and caregivers around the globe.

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4uuhku3z

Through breath, compassion, and kind words to yourself, this guided meditation helps you forgive yourself, let go, and move forward with love.

How To Do This Practice:

Get Comfortable: Sit upright but relaxed. Close your eyes or soften your gaze, and take a few slow, deep breaths. Inhale gently through your nose and slowly, twice as long, through your mouth. Bring Something to Mind: Think of a mistake, harsh word, or regret you?re holding against yourself. Notice how it feels in your body, without judging it. Acknowledge What Happened: Silently say to yourself: ?I acknowledge that I made this mistake.? Take a breath. Remember Your Humanity: Remind yourself: ?I am human. Being human means I will sometimes fall short.? Offer Forgiveness: Place a hand over your heart (or somewhere comforting) and repeat: ?I forgive myself for this. May I learn from it and move forward.? Close with Kindness: Breathe deeply. Once more, say: ?I forgive myself. May I treat myself with kindness.?  Check In with Your Body Again: Notice if anything feels lighter or softer?maybe your breath, your shoulders, or your chest. Allow yourself to rest in that shift, however small. Take one final deep breath: When you feel ready, gently open your eyes and return to your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today?s Happiness Break Guide:

DACHER KELTNER is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and is a co-instructor of the Greater Good Science Center?s popular online course of the same name. He?s also a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Meditation on Original Love: https://tinyurl.com/5u298cv4

Who Takes Care of You: https://tinyurl.com/5xmfkf73

A Note to Self on Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/y53tkn87

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Nine Steps to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/vb7kk5ky

How to Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

This episode is part of "Putting the Science of Forgiveness into Practice," a multiyear project run by the Greater Good Science Center and supported by the Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF). Learn more about forgiveness on TWCF's Discover Forgiveness website.

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We?d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yh2a5urt

Research shows that simple practices such as self-hugs, soothing touch, and hand-to-heart can calm the nervous system, supporting caregivers and the children in their care.

Summary: From parents to teachers, caregiving can be overwhelming and exhausting. This episode of The Science of Happiness dives into simple touch-based strategies that promote calm, reduce stress, and foster stronger connections. Researchers share how even brief moments of self-soothing or supportive touch can improve mental and physical health for caregivers and children. 

How To Do This Practice: 

Sit or stand comfortably and take a moment to notice your body. Soften your jaw and shoulders. If it feels safe, close your eyes or lower your gaze. Place one hand on your belly, both hands over your heart, or give yourself a self-hug? whatever feels most comfortable and natural. Let the weight of your hands feel steady and supportive. Take a slow inhale through your nose and a longer exhale through your mouth. Silently repeat a kind phrase to yourself, like ?How can I be a friend to myself today?? and ?It?s okay to make mistakes.? Feel the warmth and weight of your hands. On each exhale, invite a little ease into your face, shoulders, belly, and back. Notice any tiny shift toward calm. Wrap your arms around your torso and apply comfortable pressure, finishing with a gentle self-hug before returning to your day. 

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today?s Guests:

THERESA ALEXANDER is a pre-K teacher based in Arlington, Virginia, with nearly 20 years of teaching experience. She?s also a new mother.

MICHAEL BANISSY is a psychology professor at University of Bristol and the author of ?Touch Matters: Handshakes, Hugs, and the New Science on How Touch Can Enhance Your Well-Being.?

Learn more about Michael here: https://www.banissy.com/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

Caring for Caregivers Series: https://tinyurl.com/4k2hv47j

Related Happiness Breaks:

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8

Our Caring for Caregivers series is supported by the Van Leer Foundation, an independent Dutch organization working globally to foster inclusive societies where all children and communities can flourish. 

To discover more insights from Van Leer Foundation and others on this topic, visit Early Childhood Matters, the leading platform for advancing topics on early childhood development and connecting diverse voices and ideas across disciplines that support the wellbeing of babies, toddlers and caregivers around the globe.

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @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/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4ppzs8kw