How to Kick Bad Habits (and Start Good Ones)
We all have bad habits - things we eat, drink, do or say that cause us unhappiness. We repeat these behaviours over and over again - almost as if we are on autopilot. But we can break free from them, and use the mechanics of habit formation to make doing good things feel effortless.Dr Laurie Sant...
We all have bad habits - things we eat, drink, do or say that cause us unhappiness. We repeat these behaviours over and over again - almost as if we are on autopilot. But we can break free from them, and use the mechanics of habit formation to make doing good things feel effortless.
Dr Laurie Santos meets a scientist who sleeps in her running gear and a former army doctor who went to Vietnam to fight a wave of heroin abuse in the military and discovered something startling about habits.
For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
The Science of Attention and Distraction
Your smartphone might be making you miserable and you might not even realize it. These machines are technological marvels, but our addiction to them is causing us to miss out on the things happening all around us. Dr. Laurie explores the science of in-attentional blindness—our brain's remar...
Your smartphone might be making you miserable and you might not even realize it. These machines are technological marvels, but our addiction to them is causing us to miss out on the things happening all around us. Dr. Laurie explores the science of in-attentional blindness—our brain's remarkable ability to miss things that are right in front of us—and how our phones impact our already limited attention. Psychologist Liz Dunn, whose research shows that even the mere presence of a phone during social gatherings can reduce our enjoyment of them, and science journalist Catherine Price, founder of Screen/Life Balance and author of How To Break Up With Your Phone, explain the science of attention and distraction, and provide useful tips for mindfully using technology.
Experts Mentioned:
- Christopher Chabris, Professor & Director of Decision Sciences, Geisinger Research Institute
- Daniel Simons, Professor of Psychology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Brian Scholl, Professor of Psychology, Yale University
- Brian's Lab Research Projects
- Elizabeth Dunn, Professor of Psychology, University of British Columbia
Resources Mentioned:
- The Inivisble Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us by Chrisopher Chabris and Daniel Simons (2010)
- "Gorillas in our Midst: Sustained Inattentional Blindness for Dynamic Events," (Perception, 1999)
- "A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind," (Science, 2010)
- "No Time to Kill: How Smartphone is Pushing Chewing Gum out of Fashion," (The Economic Times, 2017)
- "Cell Phone Use Latency in a Midwestern USA University Population," (Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 2017)
Related episodes of "The Happiness Lab":
- "Good Screens and Bad Screens"
- "Tame Those Devices: 10 Tips to Achieve Digital Balance"
- "How to Kick Bad Habits (and Start Good Ones)"
- "Reconnect with the Moment"
For Whom the Alarm Clock Tolls
'Time famine' is when you just don't feel you have a spare moment... and it can make you miserable. It's a feeling Dr Laurie Santos knows only too well, so she seeks help from her time affluence hero, Idler author Tom Hodgkinson.Tom lives life to the full, but he ensures he carves out time to wan...
'Time famine' is when you just don't feel you have a spare moment... and it can make you miserable. It's a feeling Dr Laurie Santos knows only too well, so she seeks help from her time affluence hero, Idler author Tom Hodgkinson.
Tom lives life to the full, but he ensures he carves out time to wander around, think, chat with friends and even take naps. He argues that 'idling' is vital to leading a happy, creative and productive existence. Is he right? And if so, what can we all do to break free from the tyranny of time?
For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Working Your Way to Happiness
Marty kills rats... but if you asked him what his job is he'd say it was "solving problems" and "helping people". How we view our work can contribute greatly to our daily levels of happiness - far more than money or status.Dr Laurie Santos examines how we all came to ignore the importance of job...
Marty kills rats... but if you asked him what his job is he'd say it was "solving problems" and "helping people". How we view our work can contribute greatly to our daily levels of happiness - far more than money or status.
Dr Laurie Santos examines how we all came to ignore the importance of job satisfaction and hears from Professor Amy Wrzesniewski about "job crafting" - the reframing skill that happy people like Marty use to see their careers as more than just a way to make money.
For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
PJ and Alex Love to Gripe
Reply All hosts PJ and Alex love to trade gripes. Their complaints about the minor annoyances of modern life make for great audio, but are the podcasters making a classic mistake?We all like to complain - thinking that venting does us good - but Dr Laurie Santos explains to PJ and Alex that they...
Reply All hosts PJ and Alex love to trade gripes. Their complaints about the minor annoyances of modern life make for great audio, but are the podcasters making a classic mistake?
We all like to complain - thinking that venting does us good - but Dr Laurie Santos explains to PJ and Alex that they should gripe less if they want to be happier, and sets them a task to say something nice.
For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Psychopaths and Superheroes
We talk a lot about psychopaths - but rarely discuss their polar opposites, super altruists. These are people who go to extreme lengths to help others - even though their acts of kindness might cost them time, money or expose them to physical danger. These folk are also happier than the rest of u...
We talk a lot about psychopaths - but rarely discuss their polar opposites, super altruists. These are people who go to extreme lengths to help others - even though their acts of kindness might cost them time, money or expose them to physical danger. These folk are also happier than the rest of us.
A super altruist once saved the life of psychology professor Abigail Marsh - so she devoted her career to understanding what drives these amazing and happy people and how we call all learn to be more like them.
For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
New Season: The Happiness Lab Returns April 27
Do you want to be happier? Complain less? Enjoy your work more? Find time for the things that matter to you?Yale's Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on her Ivy League psychology co...
Do you want to be happier? Complain less? Enjoy your work more? Find time for the things that matter to you?
Yale's Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on her Ivy League psychology course, Laurie returns with a new season of shows that will change the way you think about becoming happier.
The Happiness Lab from Pushkin Industries returns April 27.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
How Our Screen Habits Impact Our Stress Levels
The pandemic has us all glued to our screens. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs provide vital information, social connection, and distractions—but excessive or unstructured screen use can increase anxiety, reduce focus, and worsen stress. Catherine Price, founder of Screen/Life Ba...
The pandemic has us all glued to our screens. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs provide vital information, social connection, and distractions—but excessive or unstructured screen use can increase anxiety, reduce focus, and worsen stress. Catherine Price, founder of Screen/Life Balance and author of How To Break Up With Your Phone, shares her tips to develop healthy screen habits, set digital boundaries, and make sure our devices ehance our happiness, not our anxiety.
Resources Mentioned:
- "How to Create Screen-Life Balance When Life Has Shifted to Screens," (The New York Times, 2020)
Related episodes of "The Happiness Lab":
- "Dial D for Distracted"
- "Tame Those Devices: 10 Tips to Achieve Digital Balance"
- "How to Kick Bad Habits (and Start Good Ones)"
- "Reconnect with the Moment"
Helping the Helpers
The heaviest burden of Covid-19 has fallen on the shoulders of medical staff, first responders and others who care for the sick and vulnerable. These people are saving lives, while putting their own health and mental wellbeing at risk.Several doctors and nurses have written asking for advice on t...
The heaviest burden of Covid-19 has fallen on the shoulders of medical staff, first responders and others who care for the sick and vulnerable. These people are saving lives, while putting their own health and mental wellbeing at risk.
Several doctors and nurses have written asking for advice on the small ways they can make their daily lives a little easier to bear. So we asked cardiologist and wellbeing expert Dr Michael Rocha to explain the ways he's preparing for shifts on a Covid ward.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Laurie's Personal Tips
Many people seek Laurie's advice on how to be happier despite this awful pandemic. Prof Katy Milkman invited Laurie to appear on the Choiceology podcast to talk about the things she is doing personally to optimise her happiness amid the fear and stress. We thought we'd share Katy's interview with...
Many people seek Laurie's advice on how to be happier despite this awful pandemic. Prof Katy Milkman invited Laurie to appear on the Choiceology podcast to talk about the things she is doing personally to optimise her happiness amid the fear and stress. We thought we'd share Katy's interview with you so you can hear Laurie on the other side of the microphone for a change.
(Choiceology is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. Dr Laurie Santos and The Happiness Lab are not affiliated with Schwab and the views expressed may not necessarily reflect those of The Charles Schwab Corporation or its affiliates.)
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Keep Your Relationship Healthy
The health of our romantic relationships is in peril thanks to the many stresses and strains of the pandemic lockdown. Couples might be facing huge emotional and financial challenges at the same time as being tightly confined to their homes. But psychologist Eli Finkel (author The All-or-Nothing...
The health of our romantic relationships is in peril thanks to the many stresses and strains of the pandemic lockdown. Couples might be facing huge emotional and financial challenges at the same time as being tightly confined to their homes. But psychologist Eli Finkel (author The All-or-Nothing Marriage) says there are ways to weather the crisis without destroying your partnership - and there might even be opportunities to hit the reset button and address problems that in normal times you just let slide.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Help Others to Help Yourself
College student Liam Elkind studied happiness in the class taught by Dr Laurie Santos. When the Covid 19 crisis hit, he knew exactly what to do to fight the negative emotions this pandemic arouses in us all - he helped set up a volunteer group called Invisible Hands to support vulnerable neighbor...
College student Liam Elkind studied happiness in the class taught by Dr Laurie Santos. When the Covid 19 crisis hit, he knew exactly what to do to fight the negative emotions this pandemic arouses in us all - he helped set up a volunteer group called Invisible Hands to support vulnerable neighbors.
Compassion expert David DeSteno explains why helping others can improve our own wellbeing while protecting us from emotional burnout. And with a guided meditation Dr Santos shows that compassion is thing we can nurture and develop.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Calm Can Be Contagious
In normal times our minds can be filled with unhelpful thoughts, but during this crisis you might be finding it even harder to calm your anxious internal monologue. Meditation could be helpful.Dan Harris (host of the Ten Percent Happier podcast) had a panic attack while reading the news live on A...
In normal times our minds can be filled with unhelpful thoughts, but during this crisis you might be finding it even harder to calm your anxious internal monologue. Meditation could be helpful.
Dan Harris (host of the Ten Percent Happier podcast) had a panic attack while reading the news live on ABC - and found that meditating brought him a calm he'd never previously known. He tells Dr Laurie Santos how we can all use simple meditations to help us and our families during the pandemic.
The show includes a guided meditation from Dr Santos.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Rising to a Challenge
We always face problems and setbacks - but the coronavirus has dramatically upended many of our lives in a few short weeks. Allowing sadness, anger or fear to dominate us does little to help. We should instead learn from the Greek Stoics - philosophers who embraced challenges with humor, grace an...
We always face problems and setbacks - but the coronavirus has dramatically upended many of our lives in a few short weeks. Allowing sadness, anger or fear to dominate us does little to help. We should instead learn from the Greek Stoics - philosophers who embraced challenges with humor, grace and perspective.
Bill Irvine (author of The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient) explains some simple ways that you can train yourself to reduce negative emotions and put on your "game face" when you find obstacles in your path.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Coach Yourself Through a Crisis
We all need to keep a clear head at times of crisis - but that's not always easy. So when strong emotions of fear and anxiety start to cloud your judgement, turn to an effective and reassuring voice of reason... you. Ethan Kross of the University of Michigan Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory gi...
We all need to keep a clear head at times of crisis - but that's not always easy. So when strong emotions of fear and anxiety start to cloud your judgement, turn to an effective and reassuring voice of reason... you. Ethan Kross of the University of Michigan Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory gives us concrete strategies on how to coach yourself so you can approach upsetting problems in a calmer and more reasoned way.
If you have a question you want answered on a future coronavirus bonus episode then tweet @lauriesantos or @pushkinpods using #happinesslabpod
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Beat Your Isolation Loneliness
Many of us are being advised to stay at home and avoid social contact to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Human interaction is a vital component of happiness, so Dr Laurie Santos asks Stanford's Professor Jamil Zaki to explain his research into how we can maintain meaningful links to our...
Many of us are being advised to stay at home and avoid social contact to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Human interaction is a vital component of happiness, so Dr Laurie Santos asks Stanford's Professor Jamil Zaki to explain his research into how we can maintain meaningful links to our loved ones, friends and colleagues even if we can't be in the same room with them.
If you have a question you want answered on a future coronavirus bonus episode then tweet @lauriesantos or @pushkinpods using #happinesslabpod
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Sleep When You're Dead Tired (LIVE with Arianna Huffington)
Business leader Arianna Huffington nearly died because she didn't get enough sleep. She tells Dr Laurie Santos how this wake-up call changed her attitude to getting enough sack time and shares tips on how we can all prepare ourselves mentally and physically to enjoy the amount of sleep that is vi...
Business leader Arianna Huffington nearly died because she didn't get enough sleep. She tells Dr Laurie Santos how this wake-up call changed her attitude to getting enough sack time and shares tips on how we can all prepare ourselves mentally and physically to enjoy the amount of sleep that is vital for us to be healthy, happy and effect in our waking hours.
Recorded in front of a live audience at The Wing in New York's SoHo.
For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Think Yourself Happy (LIVE from Yale)
Really concentrating on the emotions and physical sensations you are experiencing right now can make you happier. Join Yale mindfulness expert Dr Hedy Kober as she introduces a live audience to guided meditation. She shares her tips on being mindful with Dr Laurie Santos and explains the new scie...
Really concentrating on the emotions and physical sensations you are experiencing right now can make you happier. Join Yale mindfulness expert Dr Hedy Kober as she introduces a live audience to guided meditation. She shares her tips on being mindful with Dr Laurie Santos and explains the new scientific research that shows the benefits of this ancient practice.
For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Grateful Expectations
Grit and determination to change your habits can only get you so far... if you want to be happier you have to stop and think about how nice people have been to you and how nice you can be to them in return. This circle of gratitude - the science suggests - will also make you a better friend to on...
Grit and determination to change your habits can only get you so far... if you want to be happier you have to stop and think about how nice people have been to you and how nice you can be to them in return. This circle of gratitude - the science suggests - will also make you a better friend to one of the most important people in your life... your future self.
Dr Laurie Santos investigates this effect with Northeastern University's Prof David DeSteno - author of Emotional Success: The Power of Gratitude, Compassion and Pride.
For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
A New Hope
Research shows we all look for moments to make a fresh start - new years, new seasons, new decades. Our optimism about making big, positive changes is strong, but it fades quickly. As we enter 2020, Dr Laurie Santos asks Wharton's Katy Milkman about the science behind the "fresh start' effect and...
Research shows we all look for moments to make a fresh start - new years, new seasons, new decades. Our optimism about making big, positive changes is strong, but it fades quickly. As we enter 2020, Dr Laurie Santos asks Wharton's Katy Milkman about the science behind the "fresh start' effect and examines ways we can maintain our new habits beyond January.
For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com