10% Happier with Dan Harris

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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A journalist explores one of humanity's most brutal and unavoidable experiences.

Cody Delistraty is a writer and speechwriter, most recently working as the culture editor at the Wall Street Journal Magazine. He has written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and was the European arts columnist for The Paris Review. He has degrees in politics from New York University and in history from the University of Oxford. British Vogue named him a best young writer of the year, and he has given talks about art and creativity to companies like PwC. He lives in New York City.

In this episode we talk about:

• Why our culture is so repressed when it comes to grief
• We dive into the many experiments that Cody launched to help cope with loss; from book and laughter therapy, to psilocybin and AI
• The concept of grief as an addiction
• The importance of rituals
• The scientific possibility of deleting our memories to avoid pain
• And how to live along side of grief when there is no cure

Related Episodes:

Abby Wambach On: Grief, Addiction, And Moving From External To Internal Validation

#583. Jennifer Senior On: Grief, Happiness, Friendship Breakups, and Why We Feel Younger Than Our Actual Age

Joe DiNardo, Grief and Meditation

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Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/cody-delistraty-872

Additional Resources:

Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download

The Grief Cure: Looking for the End of Loss

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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This scientist says that walking is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Here are some ways you can incorporate it into your life.

Today we're going to talk about something so obvious, but so incredibly powerful. Walking. This is the third of a three part mini-series we're doing focused on the benefits of spending time outdoors.

Dr. Keltner is one of the world's foremost emotion scientists. He is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Greater Good Science Center. He has over 200 scientific publications and six books, including Born to Be Good, The Compassionate Instinct, The Power Paradox, and Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. He has written for many popular outlets, from The New York Times to Slate, and has consulted extensively for Google, Apple, and Pinterest, on issues related to emotion and well-being. He also hosts the podcast The Science of Happiness.

In this episode we talk about:

• The practice of "awe walks"
• The ritualizing of walking
• How it can help your concentration and anxiety levels
• Walking meetings
• And walking meditations

Related Episodes:

The Science Of How Nature Changes Your Brain—From Sleep To Cognition To Your Nervous System | Dacher Keltner

How To Get The Physiological And Psychological Benefits Of Nature If You Don't Live Near Nature | Dacher Keltner

#546. This Scientist Says One Emotion Might Be the Key to Happiness. Can You Guess What It Is? | Dacher Keltner

We Know Nature Is Good for Us. Here's How To Make Time for It, Scandinavian Style | Linda Åkeson McGurk

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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/dacher-keltner-bonus-3

Additional Resources:

• The Science of Happiness Podcast
• How to Start (Restart, or Upgrade) Your Meditation Practice: A Master Class | Jon Kabat-Zinn
• #580. Tripping Out with a Legend: Jon Kabat-Zinn on Pain vs. Suffering, Rethinking Your Anxiety, and the Buddha's Teaching in a Single Sentence
• The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain
• Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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Buddhist megastars in conversation.

Today, we're dropping a recording of a live event we held earlier this year, during which Joseph Goldstein and Dr. Mark Epstein came on stage for a fascinating set of conversations. We did this event to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dan's first book, also called 10% Happier.

The night was structured like a late night show, so there was a monologue, and live music with the band Mates of State.

Dr. Mark Epstein is a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, and is the author of a number of books about the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy, including Thoughts without a Thinker, Going to Pieces without Falling Apart, Going on Being, Open to Desire, Psychotherapy without the Self, The Trauma of Everyday Life and Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself, and The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University. He has been a student of vipassana meditation since 1974.

Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, Insight Meditation and The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation. Joseph has studied and practiced meditation since 1967 under the guidance of eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet and he leads Insight Meditation retreats around the world.

In this episode we talk about:

• The three month solo silent meditation retreat Joseph had just finished
• How to not suffer in the face of unwanted experiences
• Three exercises for slowing down
• Pragmatic applications of retreat practice for life in the real world
• How to see outside yourself
• How Mark came to Buddhism 50 years ago
• The relationship between Buddhism and psychotherapy
• The Buddhist concept of the two levels of reality
• And a guided meditation from a surprise guest

Related Episodes:

Nirvana | Joseph Goldstein

Dr. Mark Epstein On: How To Transform Your Neuroses Into "Little Shmoos"

I Just Did A 10-Day Silent Meditation Retreat With Joseph Goldstein. Here's What I Learned

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Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/joseph-mark-live

Additional Resources:

• The New York Insight Meditation Center
• http://markepsteinmd.com/
• Going to Pieces without Falling Apart: A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness
• The Trauma of Everyday Life
• Mates of State
• Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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How learning to apologize can upgrade your life.

V (formerly Eve Ensler) is the Tony award-winning playwright, author, and activist. Her play The Vagina Monologues is an Obie award-winning, Olivier-nominated theatrical phenomenon that has been translated into 48 languages and performed in 140 countries. She is the author of numerous books, including the recently released bestseller Reckoning (2023), heralded by the Washington Post as "gutting and gorgeous." Other best-selling books include The Apology (2019), translated into 20 languages, In the Body of the World, and The New York Times bestseller I Am an Emotional Creature. She starred on Broadway in The Good Body and, most recently Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in the critically acclaimed In the Body of the World. She helped create That Kindness: Nurses in Their Own Words, presented by the Brooklyn Academy of Music in collaboration with theaters across the US, as a tribute to nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. V is currently writing the story and co-writing lyrics for the musical Becoming (formerly WILD), which made its world premiere in December 2021 at The American Repertory Theater. She recently wrote This is Crazy, a play about mental illness commissioned by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Her film credits include The Vagina Monologues (HBO), What I Want My Words to Do to You (Executive Producer, Winner of the Sundance Film Festival Freedom of Expression Award, PBS), Mad Max: Fury Road (Consultant), and City of Joy documentary (Netflix). She is the founder of V-Day, the 26-year-old global activist movement that has raised over 120 million dollars to end violence against women, gender-expansive people, girls, and the planet—and founder of One Billion Rising, the largest global mass action to end gender-based violence in over 200 countries, as well as a co-founder of the City of Joy, a sanctuary and revolutionary center for women in the Congo who have survived sexual assault. She writes regularly for The Guardian.

In this episode we talk about:

• V's 4-step process for making an apology
• Why she doesn't believe in forgiveness
• Her concept that the wound is the portal
• And much more.

Related Episodes: What To Do When You're Angry | Matthew Brensilver, Vinny Ferraro, Kaira Jewel Lingo

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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/v-868

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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Practical tips for accessing the healthcare of nature no matter where you live.

It's very possible that you've heard the long list of physiological and psychological benefits that one can derive from getting out into nature. Those benefits include improved mood, boosted immune system, lowered blood pressure and more. That being said, 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas. So today, we're going to talk to an expert about how to derive the many benefits of nature, no matter where you are.

Dr. Keltner is one of the world's foremost emotion scientists. He is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Greater Good Science Center. He has over 200 scientific publications and six books, including Born to Be Good, The Compassionate Instinct, The Power Paradox, and Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. He has written for many popular outlets, from The New York Times to Slate, and has consulted extensively for Google, Apple, and Pinterest, on issues related to emotion and well-being. He also hosts the podcast The Science of Happiness.

In this episode we talk about:

• The importance of opening our senses to nature
• The power of birdsong
• The science of street trees and their impact on depression
• How taking pictures of our local environment can enhance focus and productivity
• And lastly, how we can harness the power of our imagination

Related Episodes:

The Science Of How Nature Changes Your Brain—From Sleep To Cognition To Your Nervous System | Dacher Keltner

#546. This Scientist Says One Emotion Might Be the Key to Happiness. Can You Guess What It Is? | Dacher Keltner

We Know Nature Is Good for Us. Here's How To Make Time for It, Scandinavian Style | Linda Åkeson McGurk

Sign up for Dan's newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/dacher-keltner-bonus-2

Additional Resources:

Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

A journalist-turned-Buddhist-nun shares six phrases – or mantras – to help keep your relationships on the rails.

Relationships can be tricky. Especially if you find yourself upset with someone, and instead of talking it through, you let it fester until one moment you completely lose it and end up having to apologize. If you've ever felt like you had friction with the people in your life, or that you've been taken for granted, today's episode offers you solid strategies to cope.

Sister True Dedication is a Zen Buddhist nun and teacher ordained by the great meditation teacher and author, Thich Nhat Hanh. She edited several of Thich Nhat Hanh's books, including The Art of Living and Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet. She was born in the United Kingdom, studied history and political thought at Cambridge University, and worked for BBC News before ordaining as a nun at the age of 27.

In this episode we talk about:

• The six phrases – or mantras – that Thich Nhat Hanh recommended people use in their relationships
• Keeping misunderstandings "dust free"
• Taking action to make sure anger doesn't fester
• The importance of recognizing that our understanding of the world is always partial
• Bringing mantras to work
• How Sister True Dedication went from journalism to the monastery

Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/sister-true-dedication-rerun

Where to find Sister True Dedication online:

Website: Plum Village Teacher Page

Additional Resources:

• Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

A compendium of expert advice on handling all the complications — and pleasures — that the holiday season brings.

I have whipped up a holiday survival guide for you, a series of evidence-based strategies for navigating what can be a tricky time of year.

During the course of this episode, I'm going to talk about nine pain points, including navigating political differences around the dinner table, overeating, overwhelm, travel indignities, social anxiety, difficult family members, etc. I'm going to share with you a bunch of strategies pulled from ancient wisdom and modern science.

In this episode we talk about practical strategies for dealing with nine pain points of the holiday season:

• The expectation of perfection
• Overwhelm
• Difficult family dynamics
• Grief
• Loneliness
• Social anxiety
• Overeating
• Holiday travel
• Financial worries

Related Episodes:

How to Feel Less Enraged And Hopeless When You Consume The News | Sharon McMahon

Science-Based Tools For When You're Stressed, Obsessed, Or Overthinking | Dr. Jenny Taitz

How to Speak Clearly, Calmly, and Without Alienating People | Dan Clurman and Mudita Nisker

The Science of Loss and Recovery | Mary-Frances O'Connor

Strategies for Social Anxiety | Ellen Hendriksen

The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole

Can Anxiety Be a Gift? | Dr. David Rosmarin

Your Craving Mind | Kevin Griffin

Why Your Bad Habits (and Addictions) May Be Getting Worse - and How Mindfulness Can Help | Dr. Jud Brewer

Sign up for Dan's newsletter here

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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/holiday-survival-guide

Additional Resources:

• Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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Scientific evidence that spending time in nature has profound impacts on your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

We've got something special planned for you today. We're talking about the massive psychological and physiological benefits of being in nature.

Nature impacts your mood. It has a whole long list of positive benefits for your nervous system, and even changes how you are with other people. In fact, as you'll hear today's guest say, "nature is healthcare".

Dr. Dacher Keltner is one of the world's foremost emotion scientists. He is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Greater Good Science Center. He has over 200 scientific publications and six books, including Born to Be Good, The Compassionate Instinct, The Power Paradox, and Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. He has written for many popular outlets, from The New York Times to Slate, and has consulted extensively for Google, Apple, and Pinterest, on issues related to emotion and well-being. He also hosts the podcast The Science of Happiness.

This is the first of a three-part series we're doing focused on the benefits of spending time outside. Today we talk about how it impacts sleep, cognition, memory, your nervous system, and your relationships. Next week, we address the 80% of Americans who live in urban areas—how do you derive these benefits? And in week three, we take a deep dive on the science of walking.

Related Episodes:

#546. This Scientist Says One Emotion Might Be the Key to Happiness. Can You Guess What It Is? | Dacher Keltner

We Know Nature Is Good for Us. Here's How To Make Time for It, Scandinavian Style | Linda Åkeson McGurk

Sign up for Dan's newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/dacher-keltner-bonus-1

Additional Resources:

Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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Radical strategies for the scarcity mindset.

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, which has earned Kimmerer wide acclaim. Her first book, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing, and her other work has appeared in Orion, Whole Terrain, and numerous scientific journals.

Her new book, The Serviceberry, is about a plant whose behavior is a model not only for our individual lives, but potentially for rethinking the global economy.

In this episode we talk about:

• Nature as a model for the economy
• How to reclaim our stolen attention
• Practices of gratitude
• Counterintuitive advice on wealth and security
• How to change your relationship to the living world
• The science of biomimicry
• Plants as persons, and the study of plant cognition
• And the importance of recognizing both Western science and the indigenous worldview

Related Episodes:

#546. This Scientist Says One Emotion Might Be the Key to Happiness. Can You Guess What It Is? | Dacher Keltner

We Know Nature Is Good for Us. Here's How To Make Time for It, Scandinavian Style | Linda Åkeson McGurk

#505. The 5 Things That Are Ruining Your Meditation (and Your Life) – And How to Handle Them | Bonnie Duran

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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://happierapp.com/podcast/tph/robin-wall-kimmerer-861

Additional Resources:

Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

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Evidence from the guy who pioneered the science.

James Pennebaker is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He is known for his early research on expressive writing and health. More recently, he has pioneered ways to study people's personalities and behaviors through the analysis of their language use. His text analysis program LIWC is used across disciplines. Author of over 300 scientific articles and 8 books, his research has affected our understanding and treatment of mental and physical health of people dealing with upheavals in their lives.

In this episode we talk about:

• The specific form of journaling, called expressive writing or therapeutic journaling, that he invented and studied.
• Other kinds of journaling such as to-do lists and gratitude lists.
• Why writing things down helps shift our perspective on our stress or trauma.
• How that can lead to a cascade of benefits, from improved sleep to improved working memory
• And why Pennebaker, who's a very laid-back dude, is so laid-back about how often we need to journal in order to derive its benefits

Dump It Here journal is available now. https://shop.danharris.com/

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Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/pennebaker-860