Podcast
The Science of Happiness
Hosted by PRX and Greater Good Science Center · EN
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-produced by PRX and UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. Follow us on Instagram @HappinessPod.
33episodes
Episodes
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Happiness Break: The Unexpected Joy of Slow Looking
1w ago00:08:37Tap to summarizeWhat happens when you linger and look closely at a piece of art? Nathalie Ryan, an educator from the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., guides us through a slow looking practice shown to help deepen your sense of awe, presence, and connection.How To Do This Practice: Choose an image to focus on: Pick a piece of art, photograph, postcard, or even a recent photo from your phone that captures a natural or urban scene. Don’t overthink it—choose something that draws your attention. Begin with a few slow breaths: Take a moment to settle into the present. Deepen your inhale, lengthen your exhale, and allow your breathing to slow the pace of your day. Let your eyes wander slowly: Scan the image without rushing. Notice the light, colors, shapes, patterns, textures, and details that begin to emerge as you spend more time looking. Imagine yourself inside the scene: Engage all of your senses. What might you hear, smell, feel, or taste in this place? Allow yourself to step into the environment with your imagination. Notice how the scene changes: Picture the image at different times of day and throughout the seasons. Reflect on how the light, colors, atmosphere, and activity might shift over time. Reflect on what arises: Pause to notice any emotions, memories, thoughts, or sensations that surfaced during the practice. Consider what changed when you gave yourself permission to look more slowly. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today’s Happiness Break Guide:NATHALIE A. RYAN is a Senior Educator at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, where she has led programs for educators, families, teens, and the adult public since 2002.Related Happiness Break episodes:How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpmPause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/mrutudehRelated Science of Happiness episodes:Cities of Awe Series: https://tinyurl.com/2vyhxvnyHow Cities Can Make Space for Awe: https://tinyurl.com/yr7m2zb5What Humans Can Learn From Trees: https://tinyurl.com/48te84psFollow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPodWe’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapHelp us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/mt4mcw3m
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Love Throughout Your Life: Stories from a Stranger
1w ago00:48:40Tap to summarizeDescription:Sharing a new podcast called Stories from a Stranger, which features portraits of strangers connected by themes of love, loss, regret, inspiration, illness, family connections, and more. In each episode of Stories from a Stranger, host Hunter Prosper shares raw, intimate, long-form conversations with real people. It’s a show that inspires empathy and connection, proving that “Every stranger has a story.”In this episode, Hunter meets three strangers at three different stages of life and asks them what love means to them. You’ll hear how love looks and feels different at every age—from the dizzying rush of a first crush to the quiet comfort of a lifelong partner, and the ache of wondering if love will ever come at all. Today, yesterday, and tomorrow, love is in the air.Listen to Stories from a Stranger at https://lnk.to/storiesfromastrangerSHTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/mu6sn8dp
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The Art of Slowing Down
2w ago00:26:42Tap to summarizeWhat happens when we slow down enough to really experience art? We visit a museum to discover how slow looking at art can cultivate awe, empathy, and a greater sense of connection in a distracted world.Summary: Art has the power to move us emotionally, physically, and socially—but only if we take the time to truly engage with it. As part of our Cities of Awe series, this episode of The Science of Happiness explores what happens when we slow down and really look at a piece of art. We visit the Nevada Museum of Art to look at the science and practice of slow looking—how it can deepen empathy, presence, and everyday meaning.How To Do This Practice: Choose One Piece and Commit to Staying With It: Pick a single artwork, photograph, object, or even a scene in nature. Set aside about 15 minutes and put away distractions—especially your phone. The goal is not to “figure it out,” but to stay present long enough for your experience to deepen. Spend Time Noticing the Form: For the first five minutes, focus only on what you see. Notice the shapes, textures, colors, lines, patterns, shadows, movement, or composition. Let your eyes wander slowly across the piece and observe details you might normally miss. Pay Attention to Your Emotional Response: For the next five minutes, shift inward. What feelings arise as you look? Curiosity, comfort, sadness, awe, tension, delight, nostalgia? Instead of labeling the experience as simply “I like it” or “I don’t,” explore the full range of emotions and reactions that emerge. Let Your Mind Make Associations: For the last five minutes, allow the artwork to lead your thoughts elsewhere. What memories, people, places, or ideas come to mind? Does it remind you of something from your own life or spark questions about the world, history, or humanity? Follow the associations without judging them. Stay Open to Complexity and Discomfort: Some works may bring up conflicting or uncomfortable emotions. Rather than rushing past them, give yourself permission to sit with them. Read the full study here.Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today’s Guests: COLIN ROBERTSON is the Senior Vice President of Education and Research at the Nevada Museum of Art. Learn more about Colin Robertson here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinmrobertson/DR. ANJAN CHATTERJEE is a professor of Neurology, Psychology, and Architecture and the founding Director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics. Learn more about Dr. Anjan Chatterjee here: https://tinyurl.com/yw2fs364Related Science of Happiness episodes:Cities of Awe Series: https://tinyurl.com/2vyhxvnyFollow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPodWe’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapHelp us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/5b5prh4t
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Happiness Break: A Meditation to Inspire a Sense of Purpose
3w ago00:07:40Tap to summarizeTake a few minutes to reflect on someone who inspires you, and how you can embody the values you admire in them.How To Do This Practice: Arrive and Settle: Find a quiet place to sit or stand. Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze. Take a few slow, steady breaths, allowing your body to relax and the noise of the day to quiet. Call to Mind Someone Who Inspires You: Think of a person whose character deeply moves you—someone whose courage, kindness, integrity, or compassion stands out. Let one specific moment come to mind when they embodied those qualities. Replay the Moment: Picture what they did as clearly as you can. What action did they take? What values were they expressing? Stay with the details of that moment and what made it meaningful. Notice How It Lands in Your Body: As you hold this image, turn your attention inward. What do you feel physically? Warmth, openness, a softening, maybe even emotion rising—just observe without judgment. Name What Matters to You: Reflect on why this moment resonates so deeply. What value or sense of purpose does it point to—justice, care, truth, courage, love? Let yourself name what feels most true for you. Ask yourself: What’s one small way I can live this value today? It might be in how you speak to someone, how you show up in your work, or how you care for yourself or others. Carry this intention with you as you move forward. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today’s Happiness Break Guide: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.Related Happiness Break episodes:Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/46383mhxA Meditation on Becoming a Gift to Life: https://tinyurl.com/yc76n7urVisualizing Your Purpose: https://tinyurl.com/3ndn95zrRelated Science of Happiness episodes:What’s Your “Why” in Life?: https://tinyurl.com/b38kdt68How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpmPause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPodWe’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapHelp us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/33uyrykc
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An Awe Walk Through History and Possibility
4w ago00:20:59Tap to summarizeNoticing the history and beauty around us can shift how we see ourselves—and our communities. An awe walk through Harlem reveals how the stories embedded in public spaces can spark connection, perspective, and a sense of what’s possible.Summary: Cities are full of quiet moments of wonder—if we know how to notice them. In this episode of The Science of Happiness we explore the science of awe while taking an awe walk with students at City University of New York in Harlem. We learn how everyday urban spaces can deepen our sense of connection, belonging, and curiosity. How To Do This Practice: Choose a familiar place: Pick a street, park, campus, or neighborhood you move through often—somewhere ordinary. Slow your pace: Walk more slowly than usual and give yourself permission to notice, rather than rush. Look for signs of story: Pay attention to buildings, names, textures, and small details that hint at history, culture, or the people who’ve been there before. Ask yourself: Who stood here before me? What happened here? What journeys passed through this space? Notice your response: Pause when something catches you—a feeling of wonder, curiosity, or even goosebumps—and stay with it for a moment. Reflect on connection: As you finish, consider how this place and the stories within it connect to your own life, sense of belonging, or what feels possible for you. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. Today’s Guest:BOB MCKINNON is an author, teacher, and Director of the Social Mobility Lab at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New YorkLearn more about Bob here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/bob_mckinnonThis episode is supported by The Gambrell Foundation, who believe a great life grows from strong relationships, a sense of belonging, and moments of awe and wonder. Learn more about their work at gambrellfoundation.orgRelated Science of Happiness episodes:Cities of Awe Series: https://tinyurl.com/2vyhxvnyHow Cities Can Make Space for Awe: https://tinyurl.com/yr7m2zb5What Humans Can Learn From Trees: https://tinyurl.com/48te84psRelated Happiness Break episodes:How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpmPause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/mrutudehFollow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPodWe’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapHelp us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/4j5sveye
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Happiness Break: A Loving-Kindness Practice for Yourself
Apr 1600:09:09Tap to summarizeIn this gentle practice, psychologist Kristin Neff helps us extend loving kindness inward, offering ourselves the same care and goodwill we naturally give to others.How To Do This Practice: Settle into your body: Sit comfortably, close your eyes if you’d like, and take a few natural breaths while noticing the weight of your body in the chair and your feet on the floor. Bring to mind someone you love easily: Think of a person or pet you care about deeply and picture their face. Notice the natural warmth and goodwill you feel toward them. Offer them wishes for well-being: Silently repeat phrases such as: May you be safe. May you be peaceful. May you be healthy. May you be free from suffering. Include yourself in the circle of kindness: Imagine yourself beside this loved one and extend the same wishes to both of you: May we be safe. May we be peaceful. May we be healthy. May we be free from suffering. Turn the kindness fully toward yourself: Let the image of your loved one fade and focus on yourself. If it feels comfortable, place a hand on your heart or hold your hands together, repeating: May I be safe. May I be peaceful. May I be healthy. May I be free from suffering. Rest in whatever arises: Let the phrases go and sit quietly for a few breaths, noticing any feelings that are present—warmth, discomfort, or neutrality—and meeting them with gentle acceptance. Scroll down for a transcription of this practice.Listen to the Full Practice Here: https://self-compassion.org/practices/loving-kindness-meditation-2/Today’s Happiness Break Guide:Dr. Kristin Neff is an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's department of educational psychology. She's also the co-author of 'Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout,' which offers tools to help individuals heal and recharge from burnout.More Happiness Breaks like this one:A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/45vpp3f4The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8Take a Break With Our Loving-Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5Related Science of Happiness episodes:Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4uhpfThe Science of Letting Go: https://tinyurl.com/566t8udfThe Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/3x7w2s5sWe’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapHelp us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/jc7pk3s4
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How Cities Can Make Space for Awe
Apr 900:24:22Tap to summarizeA simple experiment turning a parking space into a parklet reveals how small changes to public spaces can spark connection, belonging, and awe. Summary: What if even the smallest changes to our cities could transform how we feel and connect? In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we visit the site of San Francisco’s first parklet, and explore how reclaiming everyday spaces can invite people to pause, gather, and experience a sense of belonging.Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today’s Guests:BLAINE MERKER is an urban designer and public space advocate. He leads Gehl’s Enterprise & Corporations team.Learn more about Blaine here: https://www.gehlpeople.com/people/blaine-merker/SETHA LOW is an anthropologist and Professor at City University of New York. She’s also the author of the book Why Public Space Matters, as well as many other books examining the social life of cities.Learn more about Setha here: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/people/setha-lowThis episode is supported by The Gambrell Foundation, who believe a great life grows from strong relationships, a sense of belonging, and moments of awe and wonder. Learn more about their work at gambrellfoundation.orgRelated Science of Happiness episodes:What Humans Can Learn From Trees: https://tinyurl.com/48te84psHow to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself): https://tinyurl.com/5b26zwkxAre You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/483bkk2hRelated Happiness Break episodes:How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpmPause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/mrutudehFollow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPodWe’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapHelp us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/yr7m2zb5
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Happiness Break: Make Uncertainty Part of the Process
Apr 200:03:57Tap to summarizeThrough poetic reflection, Yrsa Daley-Ward helps us embrace the in-between moments, reminding us that the unknown can be the very terrain where real change begins. Settle into Stillness: Find a quiet space, get comfortable, and take a few slow breaths to arrive in the moment. Acknowledge the Unknown: Gently notice and name any uncertainty, confusion, or emotional fog you’re feeling without needing to fix it. Welcome the Silence: Allow the silence and stillness to be here, trusting it holds meaning even if it feels uncomfortable. Reflect with Gentle Words: Repeat silently or write: “To love yourself through the darkness is to plant gardens at night.” Feel Your Connection: Remember that many others are also sitting with uncertainty, and you are not alone in this experience. Close with Compassion: Offer yourself kindness through touch or words and affirm that this pause is part of your growth. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today’s Happiness Break Guide:YRSA DALEY-WARD is an award-winning poet and author of the novel, The Catch.Learn more about Yrsa here: https://yrsadaleyward.squarespace.com/Order her book here: https://tinyurl.com/yanw6bb5Related Happiness Break episodes:Using Art As Medicine Series: https://tinyurl.com/k3mneupxMaking Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfvHow To Awaken Your Creative Energy: https://tinyurl.com/4fknd8evRelated Science of Happiness episodes:How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/yc77fkzuOur Brains on Poetry: https://tinyurl.com/y9r9dyzdAre You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvjFollow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPodWe’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapHelp us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/yckxhbja
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Happiness Break: How Poetry Helps Us Feel and Heal
Mar 3100:17:15Tap to summarizeWhat happens in your brain when you read or write a poem? We listen to powerful poetry from you, our listeners, and uncover the neuroscience of why it helps us feel, process, and recover.Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. Today’s Happiness Break Guest:SUSAN MAGSAMEN is a Neurology professor at John Hopkins, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Your Brain On Art: How the Arts Transform Us. Find Susan’s book here: https://www.yourbrainonart.com/Related Happiness Break episodes:Using Art As Medicine Series: https://tinyurl.com/k3mneupxMaking Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfvHow To Awaken Your Creative Energy: https://tinyurl.com/4fknd8evRelated Science of Happiness episodes:How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/yc77fkzuOur Brains on Poetry: https://tinyurl.com/y9r9dyzdAre You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvjFollow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPodWe’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/43p9jtny
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Why Work Feels Better Together
Mar 2600:25:48Tap to summarizeFrom a worker-owned restaurant in Oakland to a nonprofit built on shared leadership, we explore how collective work models can help people feel heard, valued, and more invested in their work.Summary: In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we examine how people can build cultures of care, accountability, and belonging together. Through stories from a worker-owned restaurant and insights from a leader in collective nonprofits, we share what research reveals about why collective decision-making can help teams thrive and organizations succeed.Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today’s Guests:NINO SERRANO AND JENABI PAREJA are the co-founders of Understory, a worker-owned and community-built restaurant in Oakland.Learn more about Understory here: https://understoryoakland.com/NILOUFAR KHONSARI is the co-founder of Pangea Legal Services, a nonprofit that defends immigrants facing deportation and the author of the book, Future is Collective: Effective Workplace Strategies for Building a Culture of Care. Read the book here: https://www.niloukhonsari.com/thebookRelated The Science of Happiness episodes: How to Talk to People You Disagree With: https://tinyurl.com/4cpm8m3aWhen It’s Hard to Connect, Try Being Curious: https://tinyurl.com/bde6wyu7Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4uhpfRelated Happiness Breaks:A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y5 Minutes of Gratitude: https://tinyurl.com/r6pkw2xxMaking Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfvMessage us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail 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/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/ya9vuy4n
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