The Science of Happiness

By PRX and Greater Good Science Center

Learn research-tested strategies for a happier, more meaningful life, drawing on the science of compassion, gratitude, mindfulness, and awe. Hosted by award-winning psychologist Dacher Keltner. Co-

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How many episodes does The Science of Happiness have?

The podcast currently has 272 episodes available.

The Science of Happiness episodes:

May 11, 2023How To Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself)
Walking can increase our sense of connectedness with the earth and motivation to take climate action, which might be an important aspect of your well-being.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mu6yru2p
This is the third and final episode of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. We explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action.
Look for another climate-focused Happiness Break on May 18th.
Episode summary:
Musician and activist Diana Gameros tries leaving her car at home and walking instead of drive for three days. We hear what was challenging about her experience, and why in the end, she loved it. Incorporating small climate actions into our daily life can strengthen our relationship with the earth and inspire us to take better care of it. Later, climate scientist Patrick Gonzalez breaks down the actual climate impact of one person choosing not to drive for a day. (It’s more than you’d think.) Finally, we learn how to reimagine our relationship to the environment from Dr. Yuria Celidwen, an expert in Indigenous contemplative practices and sciences, and what we — and the planet — might gain from bridging Western and Indigenous worldviews.
Practice:
Avoid driving for one day out of the week. Instead, walk and take public transportation.
Try to avoid using your phone while getting around. Instead, observe the environment around you and how you engage with it. Notice as much as you can about your neighborhood. Pay attention to how you feel when you walk versus drive.
Think about how you can incorporate other small actions in your daily life to help the planet.
Today’s guests:
Diana Gameros is a musician and social activist. Her music is informed by themes like identity, language, culture and her experience as an immigrant.
Learn more about Diana: https://www.dianagameros.com/
Listen to Diana’s Music: https://open.spotify.com/album/0JdsjnFwzgkr0kPelaODF4
Follow Diana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianagameros/
Follow Diana on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianagamerosmusic/
Patrick Gonzalez is a climate scientist and forest ecologist at UC Berkeley. His work inspired numerous policy changes focused on forestry protections around the world.
Learn more about Patrick and his work: http://www.patrickgonzalez.net/
Follow Patrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pgonzaleztweet?lang=en
Dr. Yuria Celidwen is an Indigenous scholar whose work focuses on Indigenous contemplative traditions and advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples and lands.
Learn more about Yuria and her work: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/
More Resources on Climate Action:
Greater Good Mag - Can We Have More Productive Conversations About Climate Change? https://tinyurl.com/5n95sva3
WHO - Cycling and walking can help reduce physical inactivity and air pollution, save lives and mitigate climate change: https://tinyurl.com/3kzhytf5
TED - When Mother Earth Speaks, You Best Listen: https://tinyurl.com/yzmhch34
Time Magazine - In the Face of Climate Change, We Must Act So That We Can Feel Hopeful—Not the Other Way Around: https://tinyurl.com/98bbspap
What climate actions have you incorporated into your life? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Help us share The Science of Happiness!
Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
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24min
May 04, 2023Happiness Break: Contemplating our Interdependence with Nature, with Dekila Chungyalpa
Take ten minutes to renew your connection to the earth through this guided meditation on our interdependence with the ecosystem.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mt473u79
How to Do This Practice:
Find a comfortable place to do this practice, relax into your body.
Wherever you are, start to acknowledge your surroundings, noticing the living and inanimate things around you.
Focus your attention on your breath, and how your breathing is interdependent on other life forms, and other life forms are dependent on your breath.
Contemplate the Earth’s compassion, and how it provides you with unconditional support.
Finish this practice by acknowledging your connection to the natural world.
Today’s Happiness Break host:
Dekila Chungyalpa is the founder and head of the Loka Initiative, which brings together faith leaders and culture keepers of indigenous traditions on environmental and climate issues.
Learn More About Dekila Chungyalpa’s work: https://centerhealthyminds.org/about/people/dekila-chungyalpa
Learn about the Loka Initiative: https://centerhealthyminds.org/programs/loka-initiative
Follow Dekila on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dchungyalpa/?hl=en
Follow Dekila on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dchungyalpa?lang=en
More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
What Happens When We Reconnect With Nature: https://tinyurl.com/553xwm47
How Nature Helps Us Heal: https://tinyurl.com/2p93682j
Why Is Nature So Good for Your Mental Health? https://tinyurl.com/ycx9ns4p
How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier and More Creative: https://tinyurl.com/d2vzpsaj
How Being in Nature Can Spur Personal Growth: https://tinyurl.com/2p822nyj
How Modern Life Became Disconnected from Nature: https://tinyurl.com/bdzzy6pc
Being Around Nature Helps You Love Your Body: https://tinyurl.com/34m7tfre
We love hearing from you! How do you connect with nature? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.
This Happiness Break is part of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. In it, we explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action.
Look for the third and final episode May 11. Plus, we’ll share another climate-focused Happiness Break on May 18.
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10min
April 27, 2023How to Feel More Hopeful
How can we build a sense of hope when the future feels uncertain? Poet Tomás Morín tries a writing practice to make him feel more hopeful and motivated to work toward his goals.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/9d73zav8
This is the second episode of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. We explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action.
Look for the third and final episode May 11. Plus, we’ll share climate-focused Happiness Breaks next week and May 18.
Episode summary:
In the first episode of Climate, Hope & Science, we explored the power of hope with Rebecca Solnitt. Hope can help us cope with uncertainty and sustain action, even when we don’t know what will happen. But what can we do when hope feels far away? This week, we learn about a practice shown in a lab to increase hopefulness and happiness. Poet and professor Tomá Morín got his first taste of climate anxiety as a kid, when he learned about the hole in the ozone layer, and he still feels the panic over the state of the environment today. Will writing about a past hope that was fulfilled — like the global effort to heal the ozone layer — help him overcome despair and cultivate hope? We hear about Tomás’ experience. Then, the scientist behind the practice explains how she created it and why it works.
Editor’s Note: In this episode, Tomás mentions recycling as a way to care for the environment. But in the last few years, we’ve learned that most things we toss in the recycling bin are never made into something new. If you’d like to learn more, here are a few places to start:
https://tinyurl.com/3y9u2y5w
https://tinyurl.com/yckstwer
Today’s Practice:
Find a quiet space and grab paper and something to write with.
Write about something you're currently hopeful for when it comes to climate change. Describe it as if it’s happening now in as much detail as possible. Don’t worry about spelling and grammar.
Next, write about a past hope you’ve held in the past regarding the environment that's been fulfilled and that brings you a sense of gratitude to think about now. Describe what happened, the gratitude you felt, how you and others contributed to it, and what you learned from the experience. If you like, take these prompts one by one. Don’t worry about writing well, just write as much as you can.
Today’s guests:
Tomás Morin is a poet who won an American Poetry Review Honickman First Book Prize for his collection of poems A Larger Country. He’s currently a professor at Rice University.
Check out Tomás’ work: https://www.tomasqmorin.com/About
Read Tomás’ latest book: https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496226495/
Follow Tomas on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomasqmorin/
Charlotte Van Oyen-Witvliet is a clinical psychologist who teaches at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.
Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
How Hope Can Keep You Happier and Healthier: https://tinyurl.com/2n9k59xn
How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times: https://tinyurl.com/3b66kh5n
How to Overcome “Apocalypse Fatigue” Around Climate Change: https://tinyurl.com/yc47ph38
What to do With Dread and Anxiety Around Climate Change: https://tinyurl.com/3766a6sj
Tell us about your experience finding hope for the environment. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Help us share The Science of Happiness!
Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
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22min
April 22, 2023 The Case for Climate Hope
In the first episode in our series Climate, Hope and Science, we explore how embracing uncertainty enables us to move beyond climate anxiety and despair to hope and action, with author and activist Rebecca Solnit.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/y6yr2kz4
What does it take to be aware of what’s really happening, without falling into despair? How do we find hope? Do small, individual actions really matter? What happens to our minds and hearts when we connect with nature, and how can that actually protect the climate? We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action.
Look for new episodes April 27 and March 11. Plus, we’ll share climate-focused Happiness Breaks in the weeks following those episodes.
Episode summary:
When you think about climate change, do you feel hope? On this episode of our special series, Climate, Hope and Science, we examine what it means to feel hopeful for the future of our planet. Renowned writer and activist Rebecca Solnit joins Dacher to share why she loves uncertainty, what gives her hope, and how hope empowers her. Later, we hear from climate scientist Patrick Gonzalez about why he believes climate hope is scientifically sound, and how much power we truly have to create meaningful change.
Today’s guests:
Rebecca Solnit is an award-winning author and activist whose works have explored numerous themes including technology, feminism, the environment and social change. Her latest book, which she co-edited, is It's Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility. https://www.nottoolateclimate.com/
Learn more about Rebecca: http://rebeccasolnit.net/biography/
Read Rebecca’s article “Ten ways to confront the climate crisis without loosing hope”: https://tinyurl.com/2p92e2h6
Follow Rebecca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaSolnit
Follow Rebecca on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccasolnit/
Follow Rebecca on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.solnit
Patrick Gonzalez is a climate scientist and forest ecologist at UC Berkeley. His work inspired numerous policy changes focused on forestry protections around the world.
Learn more about Patrick and his work: http://www.patrickgonzalez.net/
Follow Patrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pgonzaleztweet?lang=en
Follow Patrick on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/mvn98ear
More Resources on Climate Hope:
Greater Good Mag - More Resources on Science Center https://tinyurl.com/ytna663b
University of Michigan - Climate crisis: 4 reasons for hope in 2023: https://tinyurl.com/5n7hhpu8
United Nations - 8 reasons not to give up hope - and take climate action: https://tinyurl.com/3wzrebyy
Australian Psychological Society - Coping with climate change distress: https://tinyurl.com/43jhkbjw
How do you feel when you think about climate change? Where do you derive hope? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Help us share The Science of Happiness!
Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
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23min
April 20, 2023Happiness Break: Sketching Serenity with Chris Murchison
Happiness Break: Sketching Serenity with Chris Murchison
A guided drawing meditation to help you break out of stale thought patterns and maybe even enter a state of flow. No talent required.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3fzm6ja5
How to Do This Practice:
Grab a piece of paper and something to draw with.
Find a comfortable place and start by taking some deep, mindful breaths
Take a few moments to take in your environment. What colors, shapes, and objects do you see?
Set a timer and for the next two minutes, draw something that caught your attention. Don’t worry about how it looks and try to stay in the moment.
Once time is up, spend a moment appreciating what you drew. Think about the impact of slowing down and doing something fun has had on your day.
Today’s Happiness Break host:
Chris Murchison is a meditation teacher, artist and speaker. He currently works as an independent advisor for organizations interested in improving their work cultures.
Check out Chris’s GGSC profile: https://tinyurl.com/32htut6n
Learn more about Chris’s art and other work: https://chrismurchison.com/about
Follow Chris on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4auxk3ur
Follow Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/murchisonchris?lang=en
Add Chris on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/253x83ty
More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
Doing Something Creative Can Boost Your Well-Being: https://tinyurl.com/4pcwxhsf
What is Creative Mortification and How Can You Overcome It: https://tinyurl.com/583kswfw
Does Art Heal? https://tinyurl.com/3ttybzpm
Everyday Art: https://tinyurl.com/mstemcsf
7 Ways to Foster Creativity: https://tinyurl.com/ycn5majv
How to Combat America’s Creativity Crisis: https://tinyurl.com/yckzm8se
We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of drawing this week. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.
...more
10min
April 13, 2023 A New Relationship with Stress
Is there such a thing as good stress? Our guest learns to welcome her stress by understanding how it can actually help her, plus tips and tricks to not feel too much of it.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5n6s346x
Episode summary:
Like many of us, our guest Yana Leventon has dealt with a fair amount of stress in her life. But after living through the COVID-19 pandemic and grappling with the ongoing war in Ukraine (with relatives on both sides of the border) Yana’s stress levels reached a new high. This week’s episode is all about how we can reframe our relationship with stress. Yana spent one week trying a new practice each day. All 7 of the practices were aimed at managing different aspects of stress, from physically metabolizing her stress through exercise to visualization and breathing techniques. These exercises helped her regain a sense of clarity about what is truly not in her control, and agency over what is. She began to see stress as a normal and necessary part of life that can actually be beneficial in the right amount. Later, we hear from the psychologist who developed this stress management tool, Elissa Epel. She discusses the importance of developing a positive relationship with stress, and how we can use stress to feel a sense of empowerment.
Practice:
Day 1. Embrace Uncertainty: Releasing Embodied Stress
Day 2. Let Go of What You Can’t Control: Stress Inventory
Day 3. Find Excitement in Challenges: Stress Shield
Day 4. Metabolize Body Stress: Hormetic Stress
Day 5. Immerse Yourself in Nature: Sensory Absorption
Day 6. Experience Deep Rest: Breath for Restoration
Day 7. Create Bliss Bookends: Start and End Full of Joy
For more information on each of the daily practices, check out Elissa Epel’s book, The Stress Prescription.
Today’s guests:
Yana Leventon was a refugee in Austria and Italy before migrating to the United States from the former USSR when she was 10 years old.
Elissa Epel is a psychologist who specializes in stress, aging and well-being. She has developed self-care practices rooted in scientific research to improve how we cope with stress.
Learn more about Elisa and her work: https://www.elissaepel.com/
Read Elissa’s book, The Stress Prescription: https://tinyurl.com/yt66t3b3
Follow Elissa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dr_Epel
Follow Elissa on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TelomereEffect
Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
How to Transform Stress into Courage and Connection: https://tinyurl.com/n49fzhf7
Seven Ways to Have a Healthier Relationship With Stress: https://tinyurl.com/mr3yy6b5
Is Stress Making You Withdraw from People? https://tinyurl.com/4kkesr7s
Could Stress Help You Find Your Purpose in Life? https://tinyurl.com/2ssz7mck
The Surprising Benefits of Stress: https://tinyurl.com/3uynfkf2
More Resources on Managing Stress:
National Institute for Mental Health - I’m So Stressed Out! Fact Sheet: https://tinyurl.com/4hr3eawc
TED - How to make stress your friend: https://tinyurl.com/y5bsj3ks
Harvard Business Review - Turning Stress into an Asset: https://tinyurl.com/3fdzfx3v
Johns Hopkins - Sleepless Nights? Try Stress Relief Techniques: https://tinyurl.com/mw6jxbvz
Do you struggle with managing your stress levels? What’s your go-to stress management tool? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Help us share The Science of Happiness!
Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
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20min
April 06, 2023Happiness Break: Visualizing Your Purpose, with Dacher Keltner
Finding a greater sense of purpose can help us achieve our goals and strengthen our relationships. Dacher leads a meditation to find purpose by imagining a better world.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3u7njv3a
How to Do This Practice:
Find a comfortable place to do this practice. Once you feel ready, relax your shoulders and close your eyes. Focus on your breathing, and take a few slow, deep breaths.
Think about the world around you. If you could change one thing in society, what would it be?
Imagine this ideal world. Visualize it manifesting before you. Notice what you see and how you feel in as much detail as possible.
Is there anything that you can do to make this a reality? It can be anything, no matter how small. Think of some manageable steps you can take to get a little closer to what you’ve imagined.
Return your focus to your breathing to close out this practice.
If you have the time, jot down your thoughts and goals.
Today’s Happiness Break host:
Dacher Keltner is the host of the Greater Good Science Center’s award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Check out Dacher’s most recent book, *Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life: *<https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt\](https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt)
Find the full practice at our Greater Good in Action website:
https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/magic_wand
More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
How to Find Purpose in Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/yc4dd5ff
Living with Purpose Changes Everything: https://tinyurl.com/m28uvsjn
The Purpose Challenge: https://tinyurl.com/53zykj8a
How Strong is Your Sense of Purpose in Life? https://tinyurl.com/2r3yr3hr
Purpose in Life Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/mrxys77h
We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of finding purpose. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.
...more
10min
March 30, 2023Encore: 24 Hours of Kindness
Why should you be nice? Our guest explores how small, daily acts of kindness can produce meaningful life changes.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdhedpvk
Episode summary:
When you’re kind to someone, the positive impact doesn’t stop with them. In fact, the effect of your kind action can ricochet back to you by improving your physical health and outlook on life. This week’s episode is all about how kindness has the power to strengthen our sense of self within a larger community. Our guest Aaron Harvey is an activist and UC Berkeley alumni who performed five random acts of kindness in one day. He found that practicing kindness allowed him to develop deeper relationships with those around him and shifted the way he views his role in society. Later, we hear from Oliver Scott Curry, the Research Director at Kindlab, to learn about why humans are evolutionarily designed to be kind and how practicing kindness can positively affect our physical and mental state of being.
How to Do This Practice:
Choose a day of the week to perform 5 random acts of kindness throughout that day.
These acts don’t have to be big or small or even for the same person. Just aim to perform a variety of acts of kindness. This could include helping a friend with a chore or providing a meal to a person in need.
After each act, write down what you did in at least one or two sentences and reflect on how it made you feel.
Learn more about this practice at Greater Good In Action:
https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/random_acts_of_kindness
Today’s guests:
Aaron Harvey is a UC Berkeley Underground Scholar alumnus and activist. After facing the possibility of life in prison, Aaron successfully proved his innocence due to a lack of evidence.
Learn more about Berkeley Underground Scholars: https://undergroundscholars.berkeley.edu/
Oliver Scott Curry is the Research Director for Kindlab at kindness.org. He uses scientific research to better understand topics like kindness, human morality and cooperation.
Learn more about Oliver and his work: https://www.oliverscottcurry.com/
Learn more about Kindlab: https://kindness.org/kindlab
Follow Oliver on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Oliver_S_Curry
Follow Oliver on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/yc29nn62
Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
Random Acts of Kindness: https://tinyurl.com/jxafbdm4
How to Start a Kindness Revolution: https://tinyurl.com/3fr68t6v
Three Strategies for Bringing More Kindness into Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/22cx7w9f
How Kindness Fits Into a Happy Life: https://tinyurl.com/h8mspz37
How to Be a Kindness Role Model for Your Kids: https://tinyurl.com/3cjkp785
Where Does Kindness Come From? https://tinyurl.com/hkv94anp
Is There an Altruism Gene? https://tinyurl.com/5n8r7eh5
More Resources on Kindness
MasterClass - How to Be Kind to Yourself: 5 Ways to Practice Kindness: https://tinyurl.com/ycx7uysu
The New York Times - The Unexpected Power of Random Acts of Kindness: https://tinyurl.com/ycxxd7af
TED Talk - Mark Kelly: How one act of kindness a day can change your life: https://tinyurl.com/u2n3t3s
Have you ever tried practicing random acts of kindness? Ever been the recipient of one? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Help us share The Science of Happiness!
Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
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19min
March 23, 2023Happiness Break: Embodying Resilience, with Prentis Hemphill
What if you could tap into your inherent resilience at any time? Prentis Hemphill guides a meditation to turn good memories into a state of resilience.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yp25m3dp
How to Do This Resilience Practice:
Find a position that is comfortable for you, whether that is sitting, laying down or even standing. Don’t feel pressured to remain still for this practice. If you feel like you need to move or make sounds to stay present, feel free to.
Think of something that brings you a sense of resilience.
While in this memory, what are you doing with your body? What does your body feel like?
Try to intensify those feelings. Notice how that feels in your body and in the experience of that memory.
Take yourself back to how the memory was at the beginning of this practice, at a lower intensity. Notice how you’re able to make that change.
Thinking about the day ahead or the day that you’ve had, ask yourself how much space do you want the day to take up in this moment?
Once you’re ready, move from that comfortable position. See if you can take this experience with you throughout your day.
Today’s Happiness Break host:
Prentis Hemphill is the founder of the Embodiment Institute, and a writer and therapist who prioritizes the body in their approach to healing.
Learn More About the Embodiment Institute: https://www.theembodimentinstitute.org/about
Check out Prentis’ website: https://prentishemphill.com
Follow Prentis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/prentishemphill
Follow Prentis on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4d99f4xs
More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
How to Hardwire Resilience into Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/26mff6hf
Four Ways Social Support Makes You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/34ntce8u
Evidence Mounts that Mindfulness Breeds Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/2u6k6mkh
Mindfulness and Resilience to Stress at Work: https://tinyurl.com/yrujmwxs
Three Ways to Boost Your Resiliency as a Parent: https://tinyurl.com/w6f3w3ak
How Tuning into Your Body can Make You More Resilient: https://tinyurl.com/yv5yzper
We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experience of this resilience meditation. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
Help us share Happiness Break! Leave us a 5-star review and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.
...more
10min
March 16, 2023One Way to Make Work More Meaningful
We all overestimate how much we know. Our guest tries a practice in slowing down to ask more questions, and finds it leads to higher quality connections.
Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3mxt2f5e
Episode summary:
What happens when we pause and open up to ideas that we didn’t think of ourselves? This episode is about intellectual humility, the ability to surrender to the idea that we might not have all the information or may not be right. Our guest is Kelly Corrigan, a best-selling author and host of PBS talk show Tell Me More and podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Her teams look to her for direction, but she wanted to see what would happen if she paused more to ask them questions, and found it totally changed her approach to both her work and family life. We also explore science around the subtle ways we react differently to people we disagree with, and how intellectual humility can change that.
Try this practice: Cultivate Intellectual Humility
If you can, write out your answers.
When you encounter information or an opinion that contradicts your opinion or worldview, ask yourself questions like these:
Why do you disagree?
Are you making any assumptions? Might those assumptions be wrong?
How did you come to your opinion?
Think about the scenario from the perspective of a person who disagrees with you. Try to imagine how they came to believe what they believe:
What information might they be basing their opinion off of?
What values do you think they’re weighing in how they think about this topic?
Can you imagine how they came to hold those values?
3. Tap into your intellectual humility:
Identify places where, before, you didn’t acknowledge the limitations of what you know
Now that you’ve worked to see this issue from another person’s point of view, do you see more value in their perspective?
Today’s guests:
Kelly Corrigan is the author of five books. She’s also the host for PBS’s longform interview show, Tell Me More and Kelly Corrigan Wonders*.*
Check out Kelly’s website: https://www.kellycorrigan.com
Follow Kelly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/corrigankelly
Follow Kelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellycorrigan/
Mark Leary is a psychologist and emeritus professor at Duke University.
Learn more about Mark and his work: https://sites.duke.edu/leary/
Check out Mark’s research on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/p8ayz8dn
Resources from The Greater Good Science Center:
What Does Intellectual Humility Look Like? https://tinyurl.com/5n949h69
Five Reasons Intellectual Humility is Good for You: https://tinyurl.com/2ce3jrmc
Intellectual Humility Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/574k99fs
Three Reasons for Leaders to Cultivate Intellectual Humility: https://tinyurl.com/2s4ecda6
How to Know if You’re Actually Humble: https://tinyurl.com/y8js44v
More Resources on Intellectual Humility
Vox - Intellectual humility: The importance of knowing you might be wrong: https://tinyurl.com/2cryd336
Financial Times - Why Intellectual Humility Matters: https://tinyurl.com/5n84hsh7
Psych Central - How Humility Strengthens Your Relationship: https://tinyurl.com/2fj9a4wh
University of Notre Dame - To Make Better Decisions, Get More Comfortable Saying “I Don’t Know” https://tinyurl.com/3npysxh8
Tell us about your thoughts on intellectual humility. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Help us share The Science of Happiness!
Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
This episode was supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, as part of our project on "Expanding Awareness of the Science of Intellectual Humility." For more on the project, go to www.ggsc.berkeley.edu/IH.
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