Want More Joy? Try Taking Yourself Less Seriously with Comedian Chris Duffy
When we’re exhausted, overworked, or just going through a difficult time, our instinct is often to put our heads down and simply focus on getting through it. But those serious moments may actually be when we benefit from a little silliness and absurdity the most. Laurie explores the science...
When we’re exhausted, overworked, or just going through a difficult time, our instinct is often to put our heads down and simply focus on getting through it. But those serious moments may actually be when we benefit from a little silliness and absurdity the most.
Laurie explores the science of humor with comedian Chris Duffy, host of How to Be a Better Human and author of the new book Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy. Chris shares what he’s learned about how to find humor in almost any situation — and how embracing the funny can improve our wellbeing in surprising ways.
Experts Mentioned:
- Chris Duffy, comedian, author, and host of How to Be a Better Human
- E. B. White, writer and essayist
- Mimi M.Y. Tse, Assistant Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Ross Gay, poet, essayist, and Professor of English at Indiana University
- Annie Rauwerda, creator of “Depths of Wikipedia”
- Aparna Nancherla, comedian and author
- Greg Bryant, Professor of Communication at UCLA
- Adam Mastroianni, experimental psychologist and author
Resources Mentioned:
- Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy, by Chris Duffy (2026)
- How to Be a Better Human, TED podcast hosted by Chris Duffy
- “The impression management benefits of humorous self-disclosures: How humor influences perceptions of veracity,” by T. Bradford Bitterly and Maurice Schweitzer (Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2019)
- “The effect of a pratfall on increasing interpersonal attractiveness,” by Elliot Aronson, Ben Willerman, and Joanne Floyd (Human Learning and Thinking, 1966)
- “Humor Therapy: Relieving Chronic Pain and Enhancing Happiness for Older Adults,” Mimi Tse, Anna Lo, Tracy Cheng, Eva Chan, Annie Chan, and Helena Chung (Journal of Aging Research, 2010)
- The Book of Delights: Essays, by Ross Gay (2019)
- Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching, directed by Owen Reiser (2025)
- “Depths of Wikipedia”
- “Hello, stranger? Pleasant conversations are preceded by concerns about starting one,” by Juliana Schroeder, Donald Lyons, and Nicholas Epley (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 2022)
- “The Perception of Spontaneous and Volitional Laughter Across 21 Societies,” by Greg Bryant et al. (Psychological Science, 2018)
- “Neural substrates of spontaneous musical performance: an FMRI study of jazz improvisation,” by Charles Limb and Allen Braun (PLoS One, 2008)
- “Good conversations have lots of doorknobs,” by Adam Mastroianni (Experimental History, 2022)
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Why Smaller Goals Can Lead to Bigger Changes with Eric Zimmer
Most of us are familiar with this frustrating pattern: you set a goal, start off strong, but then lose motivation and end up right back at square one. Why does it seem so hard to change, even when you have a plan in place? Turns out, you may be aiming too high, too soon. Laurie speaks with Eric Zimmer,...
Most of us are familiar with this frustrating pattern: you set a goal, start off strong, but then lose motivation and end up right back at square one. Why does it seem so hard to change, even when you have a plan in place? Turns out, you may be aiming too high, too soon.
Laurie speaks with Eric Zimmer, host of the award-winning podcast The One You Feed and author of the new book How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life. Eric spent years struggling to overcome a heroin addiction before eventually turning his life around. He explains why lasting change often comes from making consistent progress in the right direction rather than attempting one dramatic transformation, and shares what he’s learned about building momentum, overcoming setbacks, and finally reaching the goals we’ve been striving for. His new book is out now.
Experts Mentioned:
- Eric Zimmer, author, behavior coach, and host of The One You Feed
- Steven Pressfield, author
Resources Mentioned:
- How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life, by Eric Zimmer (2026)
- The One You Feed, hosted by Eric Zimmer
- The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield (2002)
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A Neuroscientist’s Guide to Changing Your Brain with Dr. Richard Davidson
Your brain is changing all the time, whether you realize it or not. Everything from your hobbies and chores to the media you consume can physically shape it. So how can you make sure it’s changing in ways that actually serve you? Laurie speaks with neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson,...
Your brain is changing all the time, whether you realize it or not. Everything from your hobbies and chores to the media you consume can physically shape it. So how can you make sure it’s changing in ways that actually serve you?
Laurie speaks with neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson, whose decades of work with the Dalai Lama helped pioneer the scientific study of meditation. Drawing on research with Buddhist monks, stressed-out school teachers, and others, Richie explains why psychological flourishing is a skill we can train, and how simple practices involving awareness, connection, insight, and purpose can help us become more resilient, focused, and fulfilled. His new book, Born to Flourish, is out now.
Experts Mentioned:
- Richard Davidson, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Cortland Dahl, Contemplative Scientist at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism
- Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist monk
- François Jacob, Nobel Prize-winning biologist
Resources Mentioned:
- Born to Flourish: How New Science and Ancient Wisdom Reveal a Simple Path to Thriving, by Richard Davidson and Cortland Dahl (2026)
- “Neurogenesis in the adult brain: death of a dogma,” by Charles Gordon Gross (Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2000)
- “The book of neurogenesis,” by Matthew Sloan (Harvard Health Publishing, 2021)
- “In pursuit of resilience: stress, epigenetics, and brain plasticity,” by Bruce McEwen (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2016)
- “The plasticity of well-being: A training-based framework for the cultivation of human flourishing,” by Cortland Dahl, Christine Wilson-Mendenhall, and Richard Davidson (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2020)
- “Navigation-related structural change in the hippocampi of taxi drivers,” by Eleanor Maguire, David Gadian, Ingrid Johnsrude, Catriona Good, John Ashburner, Richard Frackowiak, and Christopher Frith (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2000)
- “Training induces changes in white-matter architecture,” by Jan Scholz, Miriam Klein, Timothy Behrens, and Heidi Johansen-Berg (Nature Neuroscience, 2009)
- “Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice,” by Antoine Lutz, Lawrence Greischar, Nancy B. Rawlings, Matthieu Ricard, Richard Davidson (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2004)
- “A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Smartphone-Based Well-Being Training in Public School System Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” by Matthew Hirshberg, Corrina Frye, Cortland Dahl, Kevin Riordan, Nathan Vack, Jane Sachs, Robin Goldman, Richard Davidson, and Simon B Goldberg (Journal of Educational Psychology, 2022)
- “Altered anterior insula activation during anticipation and experience of painful stimuli in expert meditators,” by Antoine Lutz, Daniel McFarlin, David Perlman, Tim Salomons, and Richard Davidson (Neuroimage, 2013)
- Healthy Minds Program (meditation app)
- “Integrating mindfulness and connection practices into preservice teacher education results in durable automatic race bias reductions,” by Matthew Hirshberg, Lisa Flook, Evan Moss, Robert Enright, and Richard Davidson (Journal of School Psychology, 2022)
- “Sitting and Active Meditation Practice: Utilization and Associations with Outcomes in Naturalistic and Clinical Trial Data,” by Simon B Goldberg, Zishan Jiwani, Cortland J Dahl, Raquel Tatar, John D Dunne, Richard J Davidson, Matthew J Hirshberg (Mindfulness, 2026)
Related Episodes:
Stop Doing Things the Hard Way with Dr. Angela Duckworth
When we’re struggling to reach a goal, most of us assume the answer is to buckle down and try harder. But what if all that white-knuckling is actually making things more difficult than they need to be?
58 min
The Life-Changing Power of a Sabbatical
It’s hard to focus on wellbeing when we’re expected to work nonstop until retirement. Taking a break from time to time should be a given, not a privilege. Dr. Laurie works in one of the few industries that recognizes the importance of extended time off. As she begins her own year-long...
It’s hard to focus on wellbeing when we’re expected to work nonstop until retirement. Taking a break from time to time should be a given, not a privilege.
Dr. Laurie works in one of the few industries that recognizes the importance of extended time off. As she begins her own year-long sabbatical from Yale, we’re revisiting her conversation with DJ DiDonna, author of Big Time Off, about what can happen when we step away from work for more than just a vacation.
DJ breaks down how to manage the biggest barriers to taking a sabbatical, from money and workplace optics to family responsibilities. He also explains why extended time off can help us recover from burnout, rethink our routines, and experiment with different versions of ourselves.
Whether you’re contemplating months away or just fantasizing about turning off your email, this episode makes the case that sometimes the best way to move forward is to stop for a while.
Experts Mentioned:
- DJ DiDonna, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School
Resources Mentioned:
- Big Time Off: The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals and How to Take One, by DJ DiDonna (2026)
- Recover, Explore, Practice: The Transformative Potential of Sabbaticals, by Kira Schabram, Matt Bloom, and DJ DiDonna (Academy of Management Discoveries, 2023)
- The Sabbatical Project
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You're Actually Not Bothering People Enough
Most of us hate asking for favors. We worry about being a burden, coming across as needy, or facing rejection for asking too much. But what if our fear of bothering people is stopping us, and the people around us, from becoming happier? Dr. Laurie explores why our instincts about asking for help...
Most of us hate asking for favors. We worry about being a burden, coming across as needy, or facing rejection for asking too much. But what if our fear of bothering people is stopping us, and the people around us, from becoming happier?
Dr. Laurie explores why our instincts about asking for help are usually wrong. She speaks with psychologist Nicholas Epley about why asking others for help can actually make them like us more. And author and entrepreneur Jia Jiang shares how 100 days of asking for outlandish favors totally transformed his life.
Experts Mentioned:
- Nicholas Epley, Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- Jia Jiang, author, entrepreneur, and expert in “rejection therapy”
Resources Mentioned:
- Rejection Proof: How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection, by Jia Jiang (2015)
- “What I Learned from 100 Days of Rejection,” by Jia Jiang (TED, 2016)
- “100 Days of Rejection Therapy,” by Jia Jiang (YouTube series, 2013)
- RejectionTherapy.com
- “Surprisingly Happy to Have Helped: Underestimating Prosociality Creates a Misplaced Barrier to Asking for Help,” by Xuan Zhao and Nicholas Epley (Psychological Science, 2022)
- “Beautiful mess effect: Self–other differences in evaluation of showing vulnerability,” by Anna Bruk, Sabine Scholl, and Herbert Bless (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2018)
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Why Being Alone Might Be Better Than You Think
In recent years, we've heard a lot of unsettling news about the loneliness epidemic and the dangers of social isolation. But could all this talk about loneliness paradoxically be making the problem... worse? Dr. Laurie unpacks what we get wrong about loneliness. Along the way, she speaks with his...
In recent years, we've heard a lot of unsettling news about the loneliness epidemic and the dangers of social isolation. But could all this talk about loneliness paradoxically be making the problem... worse?
Dr. Laurie unpacks what we get wrong about loneliness. Along the way, she speaks with historian Fay Bound-Alberti about why loneliness, as we think of it today, is a surprisingly modern phenomenon. Psychologist Micaela Rodriguez explains why we often confuse loneliness with being alone — and why learning to enjoy solitude can actually make us less lonely. And writer Emma Gannon shares practical tips for embracing the joy of your own company.
Laurie discovers why spending time alone is a skill, and how getting better at it can help us regulate our emotions, spark creativity, and strengthen our connections with others.
Experts Mentioned:
- Vivek Murthy, 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States
- Fay Bound-Alberti, Professor of Modern History at King’s College London
- Micaela Rodriguez, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Yale University
- Emma Gannon, author, blogger, and podcaster
- Matthew Killingsworth, Senior Fellow at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
- Timothy Wilson, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Virginia
- Scott Campbell, Professor of Mediated Communication at The Ohio State University
- Julia Cameron, author, poet, songwriter, filmmaker, and playwright
- Blaise Pascal, 17th-century French philosopher
Resources Mentioned:
- “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community,” by Office of the Surgeon General (2023)
- “Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death,” by World Health Organization Media Team (2025)
- A Biography of Loneliness: The History of an Emotion, by Fay Bound-Alberti (2019)
- “Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind,” by Timothy Wilson, David Reinhard, Erin Westgate, Daniel Gilbert, Nicole Ellerbeck, Cheryl Hahn, Casey Brown, and Adi Shaked (Science, 2014)
- “How people think about being alone shapes their experience of loneliness,” by Micaela Rodriguez, Kathryn E. Schertz, and Ethan Kross (Nature Communications, 2025)
- “From ‘isolation’ to ‘me-time’: Linguistic shifts enhance solitary experiences,” by Micaela Rodriguez and Scott Campbell (Cognition and Emotion, 2025)
- “Solitude can be good—If you see it as such: Reappraisal helps lonely people experience solitude more positively,” by Micaela Rodriguez, Samuel Pratt, Benjamin W. Bellet, and Richard J. McNally (Journal of Personality, 2023)
- A Creative Compass: Finding Your Way to a Creative Life, by Emma Gannon (2026)
- “A love letter to solitude,” by Emma Gannon (The Hyphen, 2025)
- “‘Don’t you have friends to go with?’: the stigma and joy of a table for one,” by Emma Gannon (The Guardian, 2026)
- The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron (1992)
Related Episodes:
Winning the Lottery Could Ruin Your Life
What would it take to make you happier? A raise? A promotion? Getting into your dream school? Winning the lottery? It turns out that we’re surprisingly bad at predicting how these events will actually make us feel. When they do make us happier, research shows that the highs won’t last...
What would it take to make you happier? A raise? A promotion? Getting into your dream school? Winning the lottery? It turns out that we’re surprisingly bad at predicting how these events will actually make us feel. When they do make us happier, research shows that the highs won’t last as long as we expect. The good news is that the lows won't last as long as we expect either. We're just as bad at predicting how life's setbacks will affect us.
Dr. Laurie speaks with Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert about why our minds exaggerate the emotional impact of life’s biggest events. She also hears from psychotherapist Clay Cockrell about why extreme wealth often comes with misery, and from writer Rafaella Gunz and Army veteran J.R. Martinez about their journeys toward happiness and meaning after experiences they once thought would ruin their lives.
Experts Mentioned:
- Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University
- Clay Cockrell, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Psychotherapist
- Daniel Kahneman, Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, and Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Emeritus at Princeton University
- Angus Deaton, Professor of International Affairs, Emeritus, and Professor of Economics and International Affairs, Emeritus at Princeton University
- Matthew Killingsworth, Senior Fellow at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
- Rafaella Gunz, writer and social worker
- J.R. Martinez, Army veteran, actor, author, and podcast host
Resources Mentioned:
- “Billie Bob’s (Mis) Fortune,” by Steve McViker (Houston Press, 2000)
- “The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want,” by Sonja Lyubomirsky (2007)
- “High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being,” by Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010)
- “Experienced well-being rises with income, even above $75,000 per year,” by Matthew Killingsworth (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2023)
- “Income and emotional well-being: a conflict resolved,” by Matthew Killingsworth, Daniel Kahneman, and Barbara Mellers (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2023)
- Stumbling on Happiness, by Daniel Gilbert (2006)
- “Immune neglect: a source of durability bias in affective forecasting,” by Daniel Gilbert, Elizabeth Pinel, Timothy Wilson, Stephen Blumberg, and Thalia Wheatley (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1998)
- “Affective forecasting: Why can't people predict their emotions?,” by Peter Ayton, Alice Pott, and Najat Elwakili (Thinking & Reasoning, 2007)
- “Anticipated versus actual reaction to HIV test results,” by Elaine Sieff, Robyn Dawes, and George Lowenstein (The American Journal of Psychology, 1999)
- Well-Being: Foundations of Hedonic Psychology, by Daniel Kahneman, Edward Diener, and Norbert Schwartz (1999)
- “Getting Herpes Was a Gift,” by Rafaella Gunz (Ravishly, 2016)
- “The impact bias is alive and well,” by Timothy Wilson and Daniel Gilbert (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2013)
- Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength, and Spirit, by J.R. Martinez with Alexandra Rockey Fleming (2012)
Related Episodes:
Men Don’t Just Need Friends. They Need Bromance.
Men today are spending less time with friends, and many have no close friendships at all. Research shows that this lack of social connection can lead to serious long-term consequences for men's mental and physical health. The answer isn’t just more social interaction. Guys need something de...
Men today are spending less time with friends, and many have no close friendships at all. Research shows that this lack of social connection can lead to serious long-term consequences for men's mental and physical health. The answer isn’t just more social interaction. Guys need something deeper: bromance.
Dr. Laurie speaks with actor, director, and author Andrew McCarthy about his book, Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America, and what he learned after reconnecting with the men who shaped his life. She also talks with Harvard behavioral scientist Todd Rogers about why sports fandom can be a surprisingly powerful way for men to build deeper relationships.
Experts Mentioned:
- Andrew McCarthy, actor, director, and author
- Todd Rogers, Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School
- Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University
- Michael Norton, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School
- Sara Algoe, Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Resources Mentioned:
- Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America, by Andrew McCarthy (2026)
- The Fandom and Social Connection Initiative
- Harvard Study of Adult Development
- The Ritual Effect: The Transformative Power of Our Everyday Actions, by Michael Norton (2024)
- “Positive Interpersonal Processes,” by Sara Algoe (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2019)
Forget Small Talk: Go Deep Instead
Most of us default to small talk. It's polite, familiar, and feels like the safest way to start a conversation. But it may also be one of the biggest barriers to genuine connection. Dr. Laurie speaks with author and metal-health advocate Claire Eastham about her month-long experiment replacing sm...
Most of us default to small talk. It's polite, familiar, and feels like the safest way to start a conversation. But it may also be one of the biggest barriers to genuine connection.
Dr. Laurie speaks with author and metal-health advocate Claire Eastham about her month-long experiment replacing small talk with deeper conversations while living with social anxiety. She also chats with psychologist Nicholas Epley about why going deeper often scares us, what research reveals about opening up, and what happens when you tell a stranger about the last time you cried.
Experts Mentioned:
- Claire Eastham, author, blogger, and mental-health advocate
- Nicholas Epley, Professor of Behavioral Science and Faculty Director of the Roman Family Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- Arthur Aron, Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook
- Elaine Aron, psychologist and author
Resources Mentioned:
- We're All Mad Here: The No-Nonsense Guide to Living with Social Anxiety, by Claire Eastham (2016)
- A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection, by Nicholas Epley (2026)
- “The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness: A Procedure and Some Preliminary Findings,” by Arthur Aron, Edward Melinat, Elaine Aron, Robert Darrin Vallone, and Renee Bator (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1997)
Related Episodes:
What We Still Get Wrong About Happiness (Live at Dartmouth)
In this special live episode, Dr. Laurie takes the stage at Dartmouth College for a conversation with happiness historian Darrin McMahon. Together, they break down some of the biggest misconceptions about happiness in modern life, discuss the most effective (and often counterintuitive) ways to im...
In this special live episode, Dr. Laurie takes the stage at Dartmouth College for a conversation with happiness historian Darrin McMahon.
Together, they break down some of the biggest misconceptions about happiness in modern life, discuss the most effective (and often counterintuitive) ways to improve our wellbeing, and explore how smartphones, AI, and other new technologies may shape happiness in the years ahead.
Experts Mentioned:
- Darrin McMahon, Professor of History at Dartmouth College
- Martin Seligman, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania
- Lorraine Siggins, Director Emeritus of Mental Health and Counseling for Students at Yale Health
- Ashley Whillans, Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School
- Sonja Lyubomirsky, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside
- Carey Morewedge, Chair of the Marketing Department at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business
- Gabriele Oettingen, Professor of Psychology at New York University and the University of Hamburg
- David Blanchflower, Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College
- Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University
- Jonathan Haidt, Professor of Ethical Leadership and Professor of Business & Society at New York University Stern School of Business
- Elizabeth Dunn, Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia
- Manoush Zomorodi, journalist, podcast host, and author
- Robert Putnam, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy at Harvard University
- Kostadin Kushlev, Associate Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University
- Catherine Price, journalist and author
- Michael Inzlicht, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, with a cross-appointment in the Rotman School of Management
- Adam Smith, Scottish economist and philosopher
- Erzo Luttmer, Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College
- Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science and Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford
Resources Mentioned:
- The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, by Charles Darwin (1871)
- “High Income Improves Evaluation of Life but Not Emotional Well-Being,” by Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010)
- “Income and Emotional Well-Being: A Conflict Resolved,” by Matthew Killingsworth, Daniel Kahneman, and Barbra Mellers
- Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life, by Ashley Whillans (2020)
- The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want, by Sonja Lyubomirsky (2007)
- The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, by Jonathan Haidt (2006)
- “Thought for Food: Imagined Consumption Reduces Actual Consumption,” by Carey K Morewedge, Young Eun Huh, and Joachim Vosgerau (Science, 2010)
- Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation, by Gabriele Oettingen (2014)
- “Declining Life Satisfaction and Happiness Among Young Adults in Six English-Speaking Countries,” by Jean Twenge and David Blanchflower (NBER Working Paper Series, 2025)
- “Smartphones Reduce Smiles Between Strangers,” by Kostadin Kushlev, John Hunter, Jason Proulx, Sarah Pressman, and Elizabeth Dunn (Computers in Human Behavior, 2019)
- Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being, by Manoush Zomorodi (2026)
- Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, by Robert Putnam (2000)
- Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter, by Juliet Schor (2025)
- “Do Happy People Care About Society’s Problems?,” by Kostadin Kushlev, Danielle M. Drummond, Samantha J. Heintzelman, and Ed Diener (The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2019)
- “When Less Is More: Counterfactual Thinking and Satisfaction Among Olympic Medalists,” by Victoria Husted Medvec, Scott Madey, and Thomas Gilovich (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1995)
- The Theory of Moral Sentiments, by Adam Smith (1759)
- “Neighbors as Negatives: Relative Earnings and Well-Being,” by Erzo Luttmer (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2005)
- How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life, by Catherine Price (2018)
- “How Does Turning to AI for Companionship Predict Loneliness and Vice Versa?”, by Dunigan Folk and Elizabeth Dunn (Psychological Science, 2026)
- “Effort Feels Meaningful,” by Michael Inzlicht and Aidan Campbell (Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 2022)
- Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters: The Science Behind Employee Happiness and Organizational Performance, by Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and George Ward (2025)
- “Alysa Liu: ‘If I Didn’t Hit Rock Bottom, I Could Not Have Gone Up’,” by Alex Morris (Rolling Stone, 2026)
Related Episodes:
Why the “Pursuit of Happiness” Is a Bad Idea
The “pursuit of happiness” is one of America’s founding ideals. But what if chasing happiness is actually making us feel worse? In honor of the 250th anniversary of American independence, Dr. Laurie travels to Independence Hall in Philadelphia to explore what Thomas Jefferson an...
The “pursuit of happiness” is one of America’s founding ideals. But what if chasing happiness is actually making us feel worse?
In honor of the 250th anniversary of American independence, Dr. Laurie travels to Independence Hall in Philadelphia to explore what Thomas Jefferson and the founders really meant by “the pursuit of happiness” — and how that idea has changed over time.
She speaks with historian Darrin McMahon and psychologist Iris Mauss about Americans’ unique relationship with happiness, why striving for it can sometimes backfire, and why the best path to a good life may involve focusing less on ourselves and more on other people.
For more content about the Declaration of Independence, and what we get wrong about it, check out the new Pushkin show, First America. Find First America wherever you get podcasts.
Experts Mentioned:
- Darrin McMahon, David W. Little Class of 1944 Professor of History at Dartmouth College
- Iris Mauss, Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley and Director of the Emotion and Emotion Regulation Lab
- Lahnna Catalino, Associate Professor of Psychology at Scripps College
- Birgit Koopmann-Holm, Associate Professor of Psychology at Santa Clara College of Arts and Sciences
Resources Mentioned:
- “Declaration of Independence,” (1776)
- Happiness: A History, by Darrin McMahon (2006)
- A Dictionary of the English Language, by Samuel Johnson (1755)
- Democracy in America, by Alexis de Tocqueville (1835)
- “The Pursuit of Happiness: Pitfalls and Promises,” by Iris Mauss and Brett Ford
- “Can Seeking Happiness Make People Happy? Paradoxical Effects of Valuing Happiness,” by Iris Mauss and colleagues (Emotion, 2011)
- “Focusing on the Negative: Cultural Differences in Expressions of Sympathy,” by Birgit Koopmann-Holm and Jeanne Tsai (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2014)
- “Prioritizing Positivity: An Effective Approach to Pursuing Happiness?,” by Lahnna Catalino, Sara Algoe, and Barbra Frederickson (Emotion, 2014)
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Why “No Regrets” Is Bad Advice
We’ve all had moments we wish we could do over: the relationship we stayed in too long, the opportunity we didn’t take, the thing we said that we can’t unsay. Regret can feel awful. So it’s no surprise that “no regrets” has become a popular life motto. But what...
We’ve all had moments we wish we could do over: the relationship we stayed in too long, the opportunity we didn’t take, the thing we said that we can’t unsay. Regret can feel awful. So it’s no surprise that “no regrets” has become a popular life motto. But what if regret isn't actually the enemy?
In this episode from The Happiness Lab archives, Dr. Laurie explores the surprising science of regret with authors Daniel Pink and Liz Fosslien. Together, they explain why our biggest regrets can reveal what we value most, help us make better decisions, and even point us toward a happier future.
If you've ever found yourself stuck replaying an old mistake, this episode offers a more productive way to look back.
Experts Mentioned:
- Daniel Pink, non-fiction author
- Liz Fosslien, author, illustrator, and expert in workplace culture and emotions
- Mollie West Duffy, author, illustrator, and expert in organizational development
- Augusten Burroughs, author and memoirist
- Bronnie Ware, author and palliative carer
Resources Mentioned:
- “Liz + Mollie”
- Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay, by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy (2022)
- Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, by Daniel Pink (2022)
- The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing, by Bronnie Ware (2011)
- “Making Up for Lost Opportunities: The Protective Role of Downward Social Comparisons for Coping With Regrets Across Adulthood,” by Isabelle Bauer and Carsten Wrosch (2011)
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Are Kids Today Really Worse Off?
We hear a lot about rising rates of anxiety, depression, and fragility among kids today. But when Harvard researcher Alexis Redding uncovered a forgotten trove of interviews with college students from the 1970s, she found something surprising: their emotional struggles and developmental challenge...
We hear a lot about rising rates of anxiety, depression, and fragility among kids today. But when Harvard researcher Alexis Redding uncovered a forgotten trove of interviews with college students from the 1970s, she found something surprising: their emotional struggles and developmental challenges sounded nearly identical to those of students today.
Dr. Laurie also talks with psychologist Adam Mastroianni about why our minds are so quick to believe that young people are getting worse over time. Together, they explore what we get wrong about “kids these days,” and how historical perspective can help us respond to young people with a little more compassion.
Experts Mentioned:
- Alexis Redding, developmental psychologist and Co-Chair of Higher Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
- William Perry, professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Adam Mastroianni, writer and social psychologist
- Nancy Hill, Charles Bigelow Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Resources Mentioned:
- Mental Health in College: What Research Tells Us About Supporting Students, by Alexis Redding (2026)
- Forms of Ethical and Intellectual Development in the College Years: A Scheme, by William Perry (1968)
- “The Illusion of Moral Decline” by Adam Mastroianni and Dan Gilbert (Nature, 2023)
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The Surprising Case for Oversharing
We’re kicking off a new season of The Happiness Lab with some happiness hot takes — bold claims that challenge conventional wisdom about what it really takes to feel happier. Today's hot take is all about oversharing. We’re usually told that revealing too much is cringe-worthy....
We’re kicking off a new season of The Happiness Lab with some happiness hot takes — bold claims that challenge conventional wisdom about what it really takes to feel happier. Today's hot take is all about oversharing.
We’re usually told that revealing too much is cringe-worthy. That it demonstrates social ignorance. That when it comes to overly personal information, save it for your therapist, because less is usually more.
Dr. Laurie argues that revealing more than feels comfortable can actually strengthen our social connections and boost our wellbeing. She speaks with Harvard Business School professor Leslie John, author of Revealing, about why TLI (too little information) is often more dangerous than TMI, and chats with University of Chicago psychologist Nick Epley, author of A Little More Social, about what “embracing the cringe” can teach us about connection, vulnerability, and trust.
Together, they explore the line between sharing and oversharing, and explain why what feels like “too much information” is often just information.
Experts Mentioned:
- Leslie John, James. E. Burke Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School
- Nick Epley, John Templeton Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Faculty Director of the Roman Family Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- Bronnie Ware, author and palliative carer
Resources Mentioned:
- Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing, by Leslie John (2026)
- “Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling as implicit emotion regulation” by Jared Torre and Matthew Lieberman (Emotion Review, 2018)
- The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing, by Bronnie Ware (2011)
- A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection, by Nick Epley (2026)
- “Undervaluing gratitude: Expressers misunderstand the consequences of showing appreciation,” by Amit Kumar and Nick Epley (Psychological Science, 2018)
- “Insufficiently complimentary?: Underestimating the positive impact of compliments creates a barrier to expressing them” by Xuan Zhao and Nick Epley (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2021)
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How to Feel Happier in Your Body with Jessamyn Stanley
As summer begins, many of us are bombarded with messages about how our bodies aren't good enough. But what if we embraced movement not out of self-criticism or shame, but self-compassion? To close out our series on how to spring clean your wellbeing, we're revisiting a powerful conversation from...
As summer begins, many of us are bombarded with messages about how our bodies aren't good enough. But what if we embraced movement not out of self-criticism or shame, but self-compassion?
To close out our series on how to spring clean your wellbeing, we're revisiting a powerful conversation from The Happiness Lab archives featuring Jessamyn Stanley, author of Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get On the Mat, Love Your Body. Dr. Laurie explores how body shame warps our relationship with exercise — and how to rediscover the joy of moving our bodies.
If you've ever treated exercise like punishment, this episode offers a happier, kinder way to move through the world.
What Your Negative Emotions Are Trying to Tell You
Negative emotions like sadness, anger, guilt, and anxiety can feel overwhelming. But what if those uncomfortable feelings aren’t problems to fix, but signals worth listening to? As part of our series on how to spring clean your wellbeing, Dr. Laurie revisits a conversation with Harvard Medi...
Negative emotions like sadness, anger, guilt, and anxiety can feel overwhelming. But what if those uncomfortable feelings aren’t problems to fix, but signals worth listening to?
As part of our series on how to spring clean your wellbeing, Dr. Laurie revisits a conversation with Harvard Medical School psychologist Susan David, author of Emotional Agility. Together, they discuss why bottling up difficult feelings doesn’t work, why brooding can keep us stuck, and what our individual emotions are actually trying to tell us about our lives and relationships.
If you’ve ever tried to bury a bad feeling, this episode offers a more effective approach to emotional healing.
Experts Mentioned:
- Susan David, Harvard Medical School psychologist a
- Viktor Frankl, psychiatrist, neurologist, and founder of logotherapy
Resources Mentioned:
- Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life, by Susan David (2016)
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The Hidden Beliefs That Shape Your Happiness with Shawn Achor
Our beliefs shape more than we realize. They influence what we notice, how we respond to setbacks, how connected we feel to others, and whether we take action to improve our lives. As part of our series on how to spring clean your wellbeing, Dr. Laurie sits down with happiness expert Shawn...
Our beliefs shape more than we realize. They influence what we notice, how we respond to setbacks, how connected we feel to others, and whether we take action to improve our lives.
As part of our series on how to spring clean your wellbeing, Dr. Laurie sits down with happiness expert Shawn Achor, author of The Power of Beliefs, to explore how our beliefs about time, work, relationships, and self-worth shape happiness, success, and long-term wellbeing.
And if some of your beliefs are holding you back, Shawn shares practical ways to start shifting them. Plus, we learn one delightful fact about fireflies.
Experts Mentioned:
- Shawn Achor, positive psychology researcher and author
- Richard Wiseman, professor of the public understanding of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire
- Henry Beecher, anesthesiologist at Harvard Medical School who pioneered research on the placebo effect
Resources Mentioned:
- The Power of Beliefs: How Strengthening Seven Core Beliefs Predicts Greater Success and a Better Life, by Shawn Achor (2026)
- The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work, by Shawn Achor (2010)
- The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind, by Richard Wiseman (2004)
- "From Jerusalem to Jericho: A Study of Situational and Dispositional Variables in Helping Behavior," by John M. Darley and C. Daniel Batson (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1973)
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The Art of Doing Nothing
Struggling to find free time? Feeling constantly busy or burned out? This episode is for you. Dr. Laurie explores the science behind “time famine,” the nagging sense that there’s never enough time in the day. Writer Tom Hodgkinson, author of How to Be Idle, makes...
Struggling to find free time? Feeling constantly busy or burned out? This episode is for you. Dr. Laurie explores the science behind “time famine,” the nagging sense that there’s never enough time in the day.
Writer Tom Hodgkinson, author of How to Be Idle, makes a provocative case that doing nothing (napping, daydreaming, even staring out the window) isn’t laziness, but a powerful path to greater happiness and creativity.
Plus, Harvard professor Ashley Whillans explains why we keep prioritizing money over time and what that trade-off is really costing us.
Experts Mentioned:
- Tom Hodgkinson, founder and editor of The Idler and author of How to Be Idle
- Ashley Whillans, Harvard Business School professor and author of Time Smart
- Cassie Mogilner, UCLA professor of marketing and behavioral decision making
- Michael I. Norton, Harvard Business School professor of business administration
- John M. Darley and C. Daniel Batson, psychologists behind the Good Samaritan helping study.
Resources Mentioned:
- The Idler, founded by Tom Hodgkinson
- How to Be Idle, by Tom Hodgkinson (2004)
- Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life, by Ashley V. Whillans (Harvard Business Review Press, 2020)
- “Time, Money, and Subjective Well-Being”, by Cassie Mogilner, Ashley V. Whillans, and Michael I. Norton (Handbook of Well-Being, 2018)
- “Buying Time Promotes Happiness”, by Ashley V. Whillans, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Paul Smeets, Rene Bekkers, and Michael I. Norton (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017)
- “From Jerusalem to Jericho: A Study of Situational and Dispositional Variables in Helping Behavior”, by John M. Darley and C. Daniel Batson (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1973)
- “Valuing Time Over Money Is Associated With Greater Happiness”, by Ashley V. Whillans, Aaron C. Weidman, and Elizabeth W. Dunn (Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2016)
- “Valuing Time Over Money Is Associated With Greater Social Connection”, by Ashley V. Whillans and Elizabeth W. Dunn (Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2018)
- “Thinking About Time As Money Decreases Environmental Behavior”, by Ashley V. Whillans and Elizabeth W. Dunn (Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2015)
- “Time Affluence as a Path Toward Personal Happiness and Ethical Business Practice: Empirical Evidence From Four Studies”, by Tim Kasser and Kennon M. Sheldon (Journal of Business Ethics, 2008)
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What Screen Time Is Really Doing to Your Body with Manoush Zomorodi
We hear a lot about how screens affect our mental health, but time spent on computers and smartphones is having just as much of an impact on our physical health — from brain fog and weakened core muscles to changes in our posture, our sleep, and even the shape of our eyes. As part of our se...
We hear a lot about how screens affect our mental health, but time spent on computers and smartphones is having just as much of an impact on our physical health — from brain fog and weakened core muscles to changes in our posture, our sleep, and even the shape of our eyes.
As part of our series on spring cleaning your wellbeing, Dr. Laurie sits down with journalist and podcast host Manoush Zomorodi, author of Body Electric, to explore how modern tech habits are affecting us physically, and what steps we can take to protect our health in a world where screens aren’t going away anytime soon.
Experts Mentioned:
- Manoush Zomorodi, journalist, author, and host of NPR's TED Radio Hour
- Dr. Keith Diaz, exercise physiologist and Florence Irving Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center
- Dr. Maria Liu, Professor of Clinical Optometry at UC Berkeley and founder of the Myopia Control Clinic
- Dr. Rick Neitzel, Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Michigan
- Dr. Peter Strick, Thomas Detre Professor and Chair of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh
- Dr. Sahib Khalsa, psychiatrist and neuroscientist at UCLA
Resources Mentioned:
- Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being, by Manoush Zomorodi (2026)
- Body Electric, a six-part podcast series by Manoush Zomorodi (National Public Radio, 2023)
- "Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting to Improve Cardiometabolic Risk: Dose-Response Analysis of a Randomized Crossover Trial," by Keith M. Diaz et al. (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2023)
- "The Mind-Body Problem: Circuits That Link the Cerebral Cortex to the Adrenal Medulla," by Richard P. Dum, David J. Levinthal, and Peter L. Strick (PNAS, 2019)
- Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self, by Manoush Zomorodi (2017)
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