The Happiness Lab is serving up scientifically-backed takes this summer that are so hot, even your SPF 50 won’t protect you. With the help of behavioral scientists, historians, and cultural critics, Yale psychologist Dr. Laurie Santos challenges some of our biggest assumptions about what it takes to live a good life. Dr. Laurie explores topics like why we should forget about TMI and lean into oversharing, how dumping small talk makes for better conversations, why the kids these days are actually doing just fine, and how men can establish strong bromances. Each episode unpacks a bold, counterintuitive claim — using research, data, and expert insight to question the conventional wisdom around happiness and wellbeing.
Excessive screen time creates a significant disconnect between human biology and modern digital habits, leading to chronic fatigue, metabolic issues, and sensory strain. Journalist Manoush Zomorodi, author of Body Electric, highlights that prolonged sedentary behavior restricts blood flow and elevates long-term health ...
Material possessions frequently fail to deliver sustained happiness due to hedonic adaptation, where the initial excitement of a purchase rapidly diminishes. The Diderot effect further complicates this, as acquiring high-status items often makes existing belongings appear inadequate, fueling a cycle of constant consump...
Physical environments significantly influence human well-being, shaping moods, behaviors, and social connections through the lens of self-determination theory. University of Virginia professor Leidy Klotz, author of In a Good Place, explains that humans possess fundamental psychological needs for agency, competence, an...
Breaking ingrained habits requires shifting focus from willpower to environmental design. Willpower often proves self-defeating by keeping unwanted behaviors at the forefront of the mind, whereas successful behavioral change relies on manipulating context to make desired actions automatic. Habit loops consist of a rewa...
The podcast explores the concept of forgiveness as a tool for mental and emotional well-being, framing it as "spring cleaning" for the mind. Dr. Fred Luskin from the Stanford Forgiveness Project, shares his personal journey of overcoming betrayal through forgiveness and highlights that forgiveness is about making peace...
The podcast explores the concept of "product traps," situations where people use products, particularly social media, because of perceived social costs if they don't, even when those products decrease their well-being. Cass Sunstein, a behavioral scientist, introduces this idea from his chapter in the World Happiness R...
The podcast explores the impact of social media and technology on the mental health and well-being of young people, featuring Dr. Jean Twenge, a psychologist known for her research on this topic. Twenge presents data from the World Happiness Report and other studies, revealing a correlation between heavy social media u...
Work-related stress and its impact on overall well-being are examined, highlighting the necessity of establishing healthy boundaries. Psychologist Guy Winch shares his personal experience with burnout and strategies for managing work stress, such as reframing perceptions of workplace challenges and cultivating a challe...
The key to healthy relationships lies in confronting disagreements constructively. John and Julie Gottman share insights from their book, "Fight Right," emphasizing that the manner of arguing is more critical than the subject. Destructive patterns, labeled as the "Four Horsemen of the Relationship Apocalypse," include ...
The Gottman Institute's Julie and John Gottman share insights on building stronger romantic relationships, emphasizing that love is a verb, requiring constant effort and attention. They highlight the importance of "bids" for connection, where partners seek attention or interaction, noting that successful couples turn t...
The podcast explores the science of love and attraction, challenging the "EvoScript" idea that human mating is governed by harsh evolutionary rules and mate value. Dr. Paul Eastwick argues against the notion of a fixed mate value, presenting a three-component model of attraction: popularity, selectivity, and compatibil...
The podcast explores strategies for navigating modern dating using behavioral science, addressing how to meet people, manage expectations, and build resilience against rejection. Dating coach Tim Molnar shares insights from his book, "Date Smarter," emphasizing the importance of reclaiming agency in the dating process....
The podcast explores the science of feeling loved and how it impacts overall happiness and well-being. Sonja Lyubomirsky and Harry Reis, psychologists and authors of "How to Feel Loved," discuss practical strategies for strengthening relationships. They highlight that feeling loved is crucial for happiness and can comb...
The podcast explores how to design a more meaningful life by focusing on small, beautiful moments rather than chasing grand achievements. Dave Evans and Bill Burnett, from the Stanford Life Design Lab, introduce design thinking as a human-centered approach to personal growth, emphasizing that individuals are constantly...
The podcast explores the myths and realities of creativity, challenging the notion of the "lone genius" and advocating for a more exploratory, external approach. George Newman, a professor of organizational behavior, argues that creativity is less about internal inspiration and more about discovering and refining exist...
The podcast explores character development as a path to personal fulfillment, contrasting "resume virtues" with "eulogy virtues." David Brooks, author of The Road to Character and How to Know a Person, argues that society overemphasizes measurable achievements while neglecting essential qualities like kindness and humi...
The podcast explores how to navigate unexpected life changes and overcome feelings of being stuck. Dr. Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist and author, discusses strategies for embracing change, including self-affirmation exercises to reinforce valued aspects of one's identity and challenging misconceptions like the "en...
The podcast explores strategies for deploying energy more effectively to avoid feeling stuck, especially at the start of a new year. Clinical psychologist Dr. Diana Hill uses the analogy of a bird trapped indoors to illustrate how humans often repeat ineffective behaviors. She introduces the concept of "wise effort," a...
In this episode of Decoding Women's Health, Dr. Elizabeth Poynor interviews Dr. Laurie Santos, a psychology professor at Yale and host of The Happiness Lab podcast, about happiness in midlife. They discuss the U-shaped function of happiness across the lifespan, the recent decline in happiness levels, especially among y...
In this episode of The Happiness Lab, Dr. Laurie Santos and actor Rainn Wilson discuss strategies for navigating holiday stresses and enhancing well-being during the holiday season. They address issues such as the stress of gift-giving, financial pressures, and workaholism, offering advice on shifting focus from consum...
Follow this podcast in Podwise
Sign in to get AI summaries, transcripts and mind maps for any episode, including new ones.
