"Birds Are Like My Afternoon Martini" (Birding with Lili Taylor)
New Episode of The Happiness Lab: "Birds Are Like My Afternoon Martini" (Birding with Lili Taylor)
I Was on The Rich Roll Podcast!
I’m excited to share that today I appear on the Rich Roll Podcast, “The Science Of Happiness: Dr. Laurie Santos Shares Evidence-Based Tools For Genuine Joy, Why We Chase The Wrong Things & What Creates Well-Being.” Rich and I had a fascinating conversation about why many of us pursue things that don’t actually make us happy and what science tells us about genuine well-being. Watch the episode on YouTube or listen to the audio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
In our new season of The Happiness Lab, we’re diving into the science of surprising coping tools—the quirky habits and unexpected rituals that can actually help us feel better during life’s toughest moments.
This week, I had the joy of speaking with actress and author Lili Taylor—whose name you might recognize from the cult classic Say Anything. But instead of talking romantic comedies, we dove into something a little more unexpected: birdwatching.
We can learn a lot from Lili's approach to birdwatching—not just as a hobby, but as a genuine tool for coping with stress.
If you want to hear Lili share her story about how birdwatching helps her find calm and connection, listen to my full conversation in this week’s episode of The Happiness Lab, "'Birds Are Like My Afternoon Martini' (Birding with Lili Taylor).”
What Birdwatching Can Teach Us About Happiness
1: Birdwatching is a form of play that reminds us to embrace joy without purpose. Birdwatching is what philosophers call an "atelic activity"—something we do purely for the sake of doing it. These kinds of playful experiences let us escape the pressure to be productive and remind us that joy doesn’t always need an outcome.
2: Tuning into the natural world is a way to practice mindfulness. Lili shared that listening to birds grounds her in the present moment. She’s not drawn to traditional meditation, which she says doesn’t work for her, but gets a lot of the mindfulness benefits while birdwatching. And there's lots of evidence that being more mindful can help us boost our well-being.
If you’re curious about mindfulness, you can listen to mindfulness expert, Dr. Hedy Kober, introduce a live audience to a guided meditation in a bonus episode of The Happiness Lab, “Think Yourself Happy (LIVE from Yale).”
3: Paying attention to birds can also strengthen our social bonds. Birding might seem like a solo pursuit, but it often sparks connection. Lili shared a story about spotting a downy woodpecker and striking up an unexpected conversation with a stranger.
4: Experiencing awe can help us feel more connected to the world around us. Noticing a hawk overhead or hearing a warbler’s song can spark a feeling of awe—an emotion that reminds us we're part of something larger than ourselves. And research from UC Berkeley’s Dacher Keltner shows that experiencing awe can actually help us feel less stressed, less self-absorbed, and more connected. When we stop to marvel at something larger than ourselves, it interrupts our inner monologue and shifts our perspective.
Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing
Lili shares even more of her story in her new book, Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing. It’s a beautifully written collection of essays about how she found peace and meaning in the midst of chaos by simply tuning into the natural world. As she recounts her intimate encounters with birds—from Manhattan fire escapes to the top of the Empire State Building—Lili reminds us of the quiet joy that comes from paying close attention.
Take action today: If you’re feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or disconnected, take Lili’s advice to birding newbies: just step outside and notice what’s around you. See if anything happens and if you hear a bird singing. You don’t need fancy binoculars or an app (though Lili and I both swear by the Merlin app—which is like Shazam for birds). You don’t even need to worry about identifying what birds you see or taking photos. You just need to take a few brief moments to notice the natural world around you.
A Little Moment of Delight
This week’s delight was bird related—in the midst of a busy morning, I was en route to my favorite coffee shop, and saw a robin (one of my favorite birds!) catch a worm. It looked just like it did in a children’s book. And it made me smile. Delight!
I hope you can find a moment of delight in the natural world this week too.
P.S. Know someone who could use a little moment of awe? Share this newsletter with them. Maybe even take a bird walk together!
Looking for more?
You can find all our companion guides from this season of The Happiness Lab on DrLaurieSantos.com/Newsletter.
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