The Science of Happiness

Have you ever been moved by music sung in a language you don't understand? We speak with Gambian musician Sona Jobarteh about how music can connect us across cultures. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc68h4zk

What is it about certain melodies that can relax our nerves and rock us to sleep? We explore the science of calming music with pianist Rosey Chan. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2ys7mf5d

Music helped former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne come out of his shell. Hear Byrne's story and learn how music creates social bonds in part one of our series, The Science of Music and Happiness. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5dtxmsun

Feeling awe can boost your mood and make you feel more connected with others. Comedian Chris Duffy learns how to tap into that sense. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3ywvxfrb

What happens when we spend time outdoors? We explore how getting out in nature can restore peace of mind—and make us more creative. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/56cp6d52

Setting goals can sometimes feel like setting ourselves up for failure. But journalist Monica Campbell finds there's something magical that happens with certain kinds of goals. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/d842bub2

A stranger helped her through the hardest day of her life. When she expresses her gratitude, our guest encounters the power of true connection. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mv3h9nx5

The way we interact with people who come in and out of our lives has changed since COVID-19. Our guest tries a practice to connect with strangers while keeping a social distance. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3ddvnmpn

Are you unable to be with your friends and family during the holiday season this year? These 36 questions can bring you closer to loved ones, even if you're separated.Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ft6kxd74

Connecting across generations is one of the oldest happiness practices there is. We explore why to honor your elders, along with other practices from indigenous cultures often overlooked by Western science. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2wjbjj3e

Can practicing mindfulness make us wiser? Judge Jeremy Fogel explores how being present in the moment helps him keep a clear mind and stay connected to his true values. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4vaxruje

What does it really take to forgive someone? And why should we do it? Our guest, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, tries a practice to let go of anger. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/24txsbxz

Why do we vote? We explore the science behind what drives us to the polls, and the benefits we reap for ourselves and communities when we cast our ballots. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/56rmwec7

It's easy to be anxious and uncertain about the future—especially if you're eight months pregnant. Our guest tries practices to help her deal with whatever life throws her way. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/vrvn5p6a

Feeling hard on yourself? Pinterest co-founder Evan Sharp learns to quiet his inner critic and tap into his highest potential. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4pbt5efs

Feeling lonely? Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy learns why focusing on the quality of our relationships, not the quantity, can be an antidote. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2s4m6emb

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/5chaxu75

Do you obsess over negative feedback? Shereen Marisol Meraji, of NPR’s Code Switch, tries a better way to cope. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/epuw68ft

A couple try a practice to bring more excitement and passion into their relationship, even while sheltering-in-place. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/bdhkkdvt

We can be at our worst with the people we love best. Our guests try ways to be more calm and present with those closest to them. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ycx4cxam

Our guest tries a practice to help her feel compassion toward others — even those she disagrees with. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/32zrzn5t

Adrian Michael Green asks big questions designed to help teens — and adults — find more meaning and purpose in their lives. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/58es3rup

We speak with john a. powell, director of the Othering & Belonging Institute, about racial justice, well-being, and widening our circles of human connection and concern. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yewzbtj9

When our world is turned upside down, how do we keep moving forward? Our guest, award-winning author Christine Day, sets a new path for herself. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4rx9tv3p

Do you want to be famous? What's a favorite memory? These 36 questions can bring you closer to loved ones, even if you're separated. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4nww8xrm

Want to calm your inner critic? Our guest tries a practice to find more self-compassion during uncertain times. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc63cckh

Sheltering-at-home with kids? These questions can help them, and us, focus on the good things in life. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yvbp9zf7

How a doctor stays calm and centered during times of uncertainty, one breath at a time. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3fjn655n

Our guest tries a practice to feel more connected to loved ones, and herself, while sheltering at home. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/53d7c5jx

Think of an important person in your life. Now imagine you never met. Our guest practices counting his blessings by picturing his life without a special person from his past. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5y9x2rz

Do you have a hard time calming your nerves? Author Raina Telgemeier tries a practice to get out of her head, one step at a time. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/d42v3ywd

He survived the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, two years ago and has been a student mental health advocate ever since. Now Kai Koerber finds a way to thank the person who helped him find his voice. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mrfakhm3

Are you actually listening when someone is talking to you, or just waiting for your turn to talk? Our guest, a veteran of the Iraq War, practices how to truly listen to others. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/nhfvv54t

How can people from different groups get on the same page? Our guest, an educator and football coach, tries a strategy for building stronger, more inclusive teams. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/ef83kvf2

Her New Year's resolution was to have more joyful and fulfilling experiences in her daily life. Our guest tried a practice to help make that happen. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/nh9nn3m5

There are millions of YouTube channels with people crinkling bubble wrap or whispering about folding laundry. Our guests talks about why autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) makes her, and many others, feel more calm and happy. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3t4nnp6m

Do you beat yourself up over every mistake? A high school senior tries to be kinder to himself during an especially stressful time. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yrbcmj37

Comedian Maz Jobrani tries to be more thankful for the good things in his life by writing them down — and encourages his kids to do the same. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2p8k3m6h

When was the last time you felt connected to something bigger than yourself? Award-winning cellist Yumi Kendall looks, and listens, for moments of awe. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/388cpjer

It's easy to lose sight of what matters most. Our guest finds a way to reconnect with her values during stressful times. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/55hmf3mm

Doctors are often trained to be emotionally detached. But our guest finds greater meaning in his work as a physician when he tries to connect more deeply with his patients, co-workers, and family. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5n8h4vxs

A tree next to a bus stop, a flower poking through the sidewalk. Our guest, a veteran of the Iraq War, discovers how awe and wonder can be found anywhere — if you just pay attention. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2w2ht55h

Do you fixate on what's going wrong in your life? Poet and "recovering pessimist" Maggie Smith practices looking on the bright side. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5n8cy7fk

She's one of the most accomplished comedians of her generation. But Margaret Cho wants to find a different kind of happiness. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2p9yjvks

Should we try to find common ground with the villains in our lives? Comedian Zahra Noorbahksh tries to understand a "zombie" from her past. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3be2aszs

We gave our Happiness Guinea Pig a mission: Do five random acts of kindness in one day. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/36zrcd2p

Heights. Public speaking. Death. Our Happiness Guinea Pig explains how she overcomes her fears, one small step at a time. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mr2pyunc

How can you unearth humor in everyday life? Best-selling author Michael Lewis goes looking for laughs. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/3kebr688

After more than a decade together, our Happiness Guinea Pig tries to bring the spark back into her marriage. Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/27vwc6bb

Our Happiness Guinea Pig, the creator of Cartoon Network's We Bare Bears, finds a way to feel close to a loved one he recently lost. Try this week’s happiness practice: Feeling Connected Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4pjw3k5a