Podcasts by The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life… more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You’re dead wrong. Yale professor 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 the psychology course she teaches at Yale -- the most popular class in the university’s 300-year history -- Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness.

Further podcasts by Pushkin Industries

Podcast on the topic Gesellschaft und Kultur

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Is There a Gen Z Happiness Crisis? Dr Laurie Meets the US Surgeon General from 2023-12-11T05:01

Have we created a culture where young people prioritize good grades, social media likes and constant hustling over the important wellbeing pillars of sleep, friendships and free time?

Dr ...

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How Eating Got Complicated from 2023-12-04T05:01

For our ancient ancestors food was just another thing they needed to survive - like sleep, shelter or warmth. But in the modern world, food has become a source of anxiety. Do we eat too much, or...

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Awe and Psychedelics with Michael Pollan from 2023-12-01T05:01

Laurie's former student and friend, Dr. Maya Shankar, has a Pushkin podcast we love called A Slight Change o...

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Giving Away Cash Makes You Happy... and Transforms Lives from 2023-11-27T05:01

YOU can boost your happiness and transform the lives of people in one African village with a cash gift by going to givedirectly.org/happines...

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Make America Happy Again from 2023-11-20T05:01

We're distrustful, unequal and isolated. That's according to the figures showing a decline in happy community feeling since the 1960s. But can we do anything to regain the healthier communal liv...

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Where Everybody Knows Your Name from 2023-11-13T05:01

Cheers was a sitcom hit in the 80s thanks to a theme tune promising that the fictional bar was a place "where everybody knows you name". Venues like pubs - away from our homes and workp...

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Don't Make Friends Where You Make Your Money? from 2023-11-06T05:01

Work and friendship don't mix, thought Katherine Hu. A recent graduate, she found it harder to form bonds with colleagues than she'd expected. But then she concluded that not having friends at w...

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Ask for Help... and Spread Happiness from 2023-10-30T05:01

Jia Jiang dreamed of being the next Bill Gates... but an entrepreneur needs the courage and confidence to ask for help. Jia was terrified of rejection - so couldn't fulfil his ambitions. That is...

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The Introvert's Guide to Extroversion from 2023-10-23T04:01

Jessica Pan hated social gatherings - she cried when her friends threw her a surprise birthday party, and was even too scared to give a speech at her own wedding. Jessica was a hardcore introver...

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Text a Friend... Right Now! from 2023-10-16T04:01

When did you last check in on a friend? Maybe the last time you did, their reply was terse or non-existent. Perhaps months or years have passed and you feel awkward about reestablishing contact?...

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How to Make Friends and Compliment People from 2023-10-09T04:01

Connecting with people is a sure-fire way to be happier - and you can quickly build relationships with friends and strangers alike just by giving them a sincere compliment.

In the first s...

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Grover’s Super Solution to Self-Talk from 2023-10-02T04:01

It's not always easy being a podcast host. Dr Laurie is stressed, making mistakes and blaming herself. When things go wrong, we're often our own harshest critics. So how can we tame this type of...

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Big Bird Has Big Feelings from 2023-09-25T04:01

You don't need to be 8 feet tall like Big Bird to have big, big feelings. We all experience emotions of excitement, frustration and sadness that feel overwhelming.

But when Big Bird's fu...

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Dr Laurie and Sesame Street: Abby Cadabby and the Magic of Gratitude from 2023-09-18T04:10

It's never too early or too late to learn how to be happier. Whether you're aged 3, 23 or 103, we've teamed up with our furry friends from Sesame Street to bring you fun and fact-based tips to i...

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Build the Life You Want... Advice from Arthur Brooks and Oprah from 2023-09-12T04:01

Oprah Winfrey and Arthur Brooks want you to be happier - so the TV megastar and the Harvard academic teamed up to write a book setting out the steps you can take to be a little happier each day....

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Laurie Has Fun... Part 2 ICYMI from 2023-08-07T04:10

Am I a fun person? That was the question listener Natalie Robinson was asking herself. The answer was sobering. Natalie felt fun was being squeezed out of her busy life... but she found inspirat...

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Laurie Has Fun... Part 1 ICYMI from 2023-08-07T04:01

Listener Natalie Robinson was worried she and her fellow running club members weren't having enough fun - life was just getting in the way. But what could she and her friends do? They found insp...

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'Do We Even Have Fun Anymore?' A Listener's Story of Funterventions from 2023-07-31T04:01

Natalie Robinson used to have fun - taking her kids to the zoo or the waterpark - but recently life started getting in the way of her being playful and goofy. Then she heard two episodes of The ...

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The Unhappy Millionaire ICYMI from 2023-07-24T04:01

Recovering from a car crash that smashed her face, listener Rebecca Kaduru stumbled across an episode of The Happiness Lab in which we interviewed wounded Iraq veteran JR Martinez. His story bro...

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'I Woke up in an Ambulance Stuck in Traffic.' : A Listener's Story of Recovery from 2023-07-17T04:01

Rebecca Kaduru was driving home... then woke up in an ambulance. She'd been in involved in an accident and her face was smashed. Living in Uganda, she struggled to receive appropriate care for h...

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Ask Us Anything! Laurie and Gretchen Take Your Questions (Live from Toronto) from 2023-05-29T04:01

What do you do when you enter "survival mode"? How can you become better at forging social connections? Can you be happy in a sad world? Happiness experts Dr Laurie Santos and Gretchen Rubin cam...

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With Elmo's Help... It's Never Too Early to Learn About Happiness from 2023-05-22T04:01

Not matter if you're aged three or 103, you can learn to be happier using pretty much the same strategies. Sesame Workshop and its furry friends have been teaching "emotional ABCs" alongside lit...

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Can Spiritual Experiences and Psychedelics Make us Happy? (LIVE from DC) from 2023-05-15T04:01

More than a third of us admit to having had a spiritual experience. We might have been profoundly moved by a sunset or a painting; or felt that we've connected with our god or with the entire wo...

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Why We're Mean to Our Future Selves (LIVE from Boston) from 2023-05-08T04:01

Who do we volunteer to run a gruelling half-marathon? Who do we expect to give up sugar, or quit drinking? Who do we demand clears out the garage in the middle of summer?

Ourselves. Mean,...

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The Man Who Invented Happiness Science: Marty Seligman from 2023-05-01T04:01

When Marty Seligman started his long scientific career, psychologists concentrated on studying "misery and suffering" and what made people sad. But Marty wanted to discover what made happy peopl...

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Smell, Taste and Touch: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses from 2023-04-24T04:01

Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin was warned that her eyesight was in peril. It shocked her into realising she'd taken all of her five senses for granted - and so she resolved to wring every ounce...

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Sight and Sound: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses from 2023-04-17T04:01

Are you seeing what you look at? Or tuning in to the noises all around you? We take our senses for granted - particularly when it comes to the sights and sounds of our everyday lives. Exploring ...

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Do We Need a New Word for 'Happiness'? Katie Couric talks to Dr Laurie Santos from 2023-04-10T04:01

Laurie swaps seats in the studio to be interviewed by none other than Katie Couric. In this episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Laurie's asked to define happiness; outline the b...

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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Sikhism and Daily Habits from 2023-04-03T04:01

Following 9/11, Simran Jeet Singh's Sikh family in Texas was subjected to extreme racist abuse. And yet, Simran's father chose to look on the bright side and offer thanks instead for the acts of...

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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Sikhism and How We're All Connected from 2023-03-27T04:01

Educator and author Simran Jeet Singh is Sikh. Most of his fellow Americans have no idea what Sikhism is - causing some to treat Simran with suspicion and hostility. But one of the key teachings...

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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Yoga of the Mind from 2023-03-20T05:01

We often think of yoga as a physical exercise - but a centuries-old Sanskrit text, The Yoga Sutras, share teachings intended to improve both the body and mind. The author, Patanjali, ma...

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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Trauma of Troy from 2023-03-13T05:01

In Virgil's epic poem, The Aeneid, few Trojans survive the destruction of their city at the hands of their Greek enemies. A prince, Aeneas, leads a band of those fleeing Troy - but the journey i...

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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Anger of Achilles from 2023-03-06T05:01

Achilles has anger issues. The great Greek warrior sits out most of the Trojan War because he's angrily sulking. When he finally enters battle, he does so in a fit of rage that causes him to com...

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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Aristotle and Plato ICYMI from 2023-02-27T05:01

The Greek thinker Socrates was put to death for encouraging his students to question everything - from their own beliefs to the laws and customs of Athenian society. But his ideas didn't die wit...

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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Socrates and Self-Knowledge from 2023-02-20T05:48:26

Question everything... that's a key insight from the great Greek philosopher Socrates. We may think we know ourselves and what makes us happy... but that's not always true.

Yale professo...

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The Happiness of Silence from 2023-01-30T05:01

We're surrounded by noise. That "noise" can be actual sounds - but also other annoyances and distractions that make it hard for us to concentrate or think clearly. And it's only getting worse - ...

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Stop Looking for the Perfect Job - a "Good Enough Job" is Just Fine from 2023-01-23T05:01

We can put huge amounts of physical and emotional energy into our jobs - even basing our self-worth on our achievements at work and letting ourselves be defined by what we do. So have our career...

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A Daily Workout to Tackle Nagging Self-Criticism from 2023-01-16T05:01

Lots of us hit the gym in January to get fit - but should we also be exercising our minds in preparation for tough times? A daily "self-talk workout" might be just as beneficial as squats and pu...

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How to Eat Intuitively from 2023-01-09T05:01

Everyone has a view about what you should eat and how much. We're so bombarded with fad diets, fasting plans and nutritional advice that we can bounce from one way of eating to another without s...

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From Ten Percent Happier: The Dalai Lama’s Guide to Happiness | Part 1 from 2023-01-07T05:01

Here's a preview of another podcast we love, Ten Percent Happier. Host Dan Harris flies to Dharamsala, India to spend two weeks in the orbit of His ...

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Stop Endlessly Chasing the "Next Big Thing" from 2023-01-02T05:01

We're often looking into the future... hunting for the "next big thing". That could be an exciting new job or a new relationship. We can get so fixated with these events and the happiness we hop...

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Coming Jan 2: Let Your Inner Voice be Heard in 2023 from 2022-12-19T05:01

At the start of a new year there are plenty of voices telling us to get fit; go on a diet; or supercharge our careers. This advice might be well-intentioned, but it can also be DEAFENING...

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Giving Tuesday: Why Giving Money to Others Makes us Happier from 2022-11-29T05:01

Money can buy you happiness - but not in the way we think. Giving money away - especially to help others - has been shown make us happier than spending on ourselves.

Soc...
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Happier Parents, Happier Kids Pt 2: Letting Children Try and Fail from 2022-11-07T05:01

It's tempting to tie a child's shoe lace, tidy their rooms or help with their science projects - to see that these tasks are done right - but parents are depriving their kids of the valuable exp...
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Happier Parents, Happier Kids Pt 1: Your Child Isn't a VIP or a Fragile Vase from 2022-10-31T04:01

Rosy had a packed schedule of lunches, meet-ups and activities - and she was only three. Mom Michaeleen Doucleff felt she couldn't waste a second of her daughter's time. Rosy needed to...
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Hulking Out! Why You Change When You're Angry from 2022-10-24T04:01

When mild-mannered David Banner gets mad he transforms into the raging Incredible Hulk. Dr Laurie Santos loves this comic book tale - because it reflects real life. Intense things like anger, pa...
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You Only Live Once... So Commit from 2022-10-17T04:01

YOLO seems like the perfect rock 'n' roll philosophy. You only live once... so do whatever seems right in the moment. Be spontaneous. Quit your job; find a new person to date; and always, al...
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The Fun of Eating a Pepper Hotter Than the Sun from 2022-10-10T04:01

There is nothing hotter than Puckerbutt Farm’s Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce... and author Leigh Cowart gargles it for FUN!!! Why do we sometimes get a happiness high from painful and scary things? ...
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From Revisionist History: The Starvation Experiment from 2022-10-06T04:01

We’re sharing a bonus episode from another Pushkin podcast, Revisionist History. Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast about things misunderstood and overlooked. This season, Malcolm...
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Why Living Without Regret is a Bad Idea from 2022-10-03T04:01

Regret sucks. Thinking back on things we should have done, or should never have done, can make us feel bad. But #noregrets isn't a philosophy for a happy and healthy life. Listen

The Handbook for Sonic Happiness - A Twenty Thousand Hertz/Happiness Lab Mash-up from 2022-09-26T04:01

Some sounds bring happy memories flooding back. Other sounds put us on edge; drive us to distraction; or cause us considerable distress. Sound matters... so why don't we pay more attention to ou...
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Move to Your Happy Place from 2022-09-19T04:01

People who live in some places are happier than others. But if you move to a happy country, happy city or happy district, will it make you feel better? And what can do if you can't uproot from y...
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Nerd Out! The Happiness of Being a Fan from 2022-09-12T04:01

Really love a TV show; a boyband; a sci fi movie; or a celebrity? We're often too embarrassed to admit adoring some things for fear that we'll be seen as frivolous or childish - but we may be mi...
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The Secret to Making Friends as an Adult from 2022-09-06T04:01

Loneliness is a far more common and far more serious problem than we think. It affects one in five Americans, and takes a toll on our bodies and minds. To thrive we need to several types of soci...
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The Joy of Star Trek, The Grateful Dead and Hot Sauce: The Happiness Lab Returns September 6 from 2022-08-22T04:01

Happiness can be found in unusual places. Dr Laurie Santos returns with a new season that takes us to the fun frontiers of fandom with Star Trek's Wesley Crusher; to the world's happiest country...
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Q: "What Did the Pandemic Teach Us About Happiness?" from 2022-08-01T04:01

Covid brought disruption and despair... but it also caused many of us to think about our lives and what is most important to us. Listener Dr Amy Comander, Director of Lifestyle Medicine at the M...
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Q: "How Do I Stop Negative Self-talk?" from 2022-07-25T04:01

It can speak to us in the middle of a work project, the middle of a date, or the middle of the night. The critical voice in our head telling us we're just not good enough and we're headed for fa...
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Q: "Can You Be Happy Alone?" from 2022-07-18T04:01

Since Covid hit, many of us have seen fewer people and experienced more loneliness. Listener Ivana Cole wants to know what we can do to reconnect and asks, if we can't reconnect: "Can we be happ...
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Q: "Are We Born to Work? Or Born to Live?" from 2022-07-11T04:01

Listener Niki Walker has a question... in our busy, career-driven, money-oriented live, are we forgetting to make time for more important things?

In our first episode fielding questions ...
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Malala on Burnout, Guilt and How to Disagree Better from 2022-07-11T04:01

Nobel Peace Prize winners feel burnout too. Malala Yousafzai - who survived an assassination attempted by the Taliban - works tirelessly so that more women and girls can access education. But sh...
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Laurie Answers Your Happiness Questions - Coming July 11 from 2022-07-04T04:01

What would you ask a wellbeing expert? Dr Laurie Santos is back with a special season of The Happiness Lab fielding listener questions about work, relationships and getting back out into the wor...
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Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Connection Through Community from 2022-03-01T05:00

Sharing a special preview of Pushkin's newest show, Well-Read Black Girl. Glory Edim started a book club called Well-Read Black Girl in 2015, and since then it's exploded into a passionate, worldwi...
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Burnout and How to Avoid It from 2022-02-21T05:01

If you dread getting out of bed in the morning; if you are bad tempered with co-workers, clients or customers; if you leave work feeling an exhaustion that goes way beyond tiredness... it could ...
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Fighting that "Meh" Feeling of Languishing from 2022-02-14T05:01

Psychologist and writer Adam Grant used every second of his day to the fullest... until he was struck by feelings of emptiness and stagnation. His sleep patterns changed, his productivity dipped...
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When Guilt is Good... and When it's Not from 2022-02-07T05:01

If you've done something wrong, feelings of guilt can prompt us to apologise, make amends and change our ways. But many of us also feel guilty with little cause. We may think we're bad parents, ...
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Embracing Sadness in the Pursuit of Happiness from 2022-01-31T05:01

We react to sadness in a variety of unhelpful ways. We try to suppress it. We experience guilt over it and apologise to the people around us for feeling it. We assume it means we've failed. We e...
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How to be Angry Better from 2022-01-24T05:01

Anger is a powerful signal that you or someone you value is in danger. But in our normal lives the sensations of rage we experience are false alarms - we aren't in real peril and we don't need t...
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Stepping Off the Path of Anxiety from 2022-01-17T05:01

Many of the most painful or troubling emotions we experience are reactions to events that have actually happened - but one powerful and sometimes paralyzing feeling can be provoked by things as ...
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The Paradox of Grief from 2022-01-10T05:01

Most of us don't like to think about death - and when we experience a bereavement we're often not prepared for the pain or willing to confront all the feelings grief can bring. Psychotherapist J...
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The Eight Pillars of Grieving from 2022-01-10T05:01

Grief is a simple enough word, but the emotional journey it describes is chaotic, messy and unique to each person. Psychotherapist and bereavement expert Julia Samuel (Listen

How to Identify Your Negative Emotions from 2022-01-03T05:01

We need to pay attention to our negative feelings - since they are telling us important things which we should address if we are to be happier in 2022. But often we just can't tell different emo...
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Emotions Are Data...So Listen to Them from 2022-01-03T05:01

Uncomfortable emotions such as anger, guilt or loneliness are like the guiding beam of a lighthouse - they warn you of dangers ahead and help you navigate a meaningful life more effectively.
...
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Reset Your Relationship With Negative Emotions in 2022 from 2021-12-20T05:01

The Happiness Lab returns on Jan 3 to help you take a fresh, new year look at the emotions that make us sad, angry or uncomfortable. We often either ignore these feelings, or wallow in them. Nei...
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How to Give More Effectively from 2021-11-30T05:01

We all want to do good - and doing good can make us feel good - but we often don't make the most effective choices when we do things like donate money to charity.
To mark #GiveTuesday, Har...
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How to Adopt a Growth Mindset from 2021-11-23T05:00

If we decide that we can't get better at things, or that our ideas and personality traits are fixed... then we hinder our ability to change and improve in enjoyable and fulfilling ways. But by c...
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The Happiness Lab Presents: Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon from 2021-11-22T10:00

Presenting: An Excerpt from Miracle And Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon by Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam. Download the audiobook today at Listen

How to be Happier at Work (with Dan Harris) from 2021-11-08T05:01

Dan Harris was working seven days a week - and knew something had to give. He reluctantly left his ABC News job to concentrate on the Ten Percent Happier Listen

How to Feel More Empathy (With the Host of Bad Women: The Ripper Retold) from 2021-11-02T04:05

When bad things happen to people - illness, accident or crime - our brains fool us into believing the victims must have done something to deserve their fate. This deep-seated bias is wrong thoug...
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An 80s nostalgia-fest with Molly Ringwald and Rob Lowe from 2021-10-25T16:07:01

Our recent episode about happiness and nostalgia prompted a lot of listener feedback. Since people seemed to really enjoy our chat with 80s star Rob Lowe, we thought it would be fun to bring you...
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Laurie Gets a Fun-tervention (Part Two: Beach Party) from 2021-10-11T04:05

Dr Laurie Santos doesn't have so much fun these days - which is really bad for her health and wellbeing. So Catherine Price (author of Listen

Laurie Gets a Fun-tervention (Part One) from 2021-09-27T04:05

Peter Pan was her childhood hero, but Dr Laurie Santos woke up one day and realised she'd broken the cardinal rule of Neverland - she'd grown up and stopped having fun.
Research suggests t...
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How to Handle Change from 2021-09-22T11:24:57

Change is the only certainty in life. We may desperately want to change ourselves and our surroundings, or we may fear the disruption and distress some changes bring. Dr Laurie Santos talks to c...
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The Kindness of Strangers from 2021-09-20T04:05

When Kitty Genovese was murdered, her family and the wider world was told that bystanders watched, but did nothing to intervene. Psychologists tried to explain this callous inaction with a popul...
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You Can’t Always Want What You Like from 2021-09-13T04:05

We might love gruelling hikes, trips to see far-flung relatives or super hard crossword puzzles, but often we lack the motivation needed to embark on these fun things. How can that be? They make...
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Let Slip the Dogs of More Happiness from 2021-09-06T04:05

Companion pets - especially dogs - are credited with making our lives richer and more fun, but does the science back up this belief? Dr Laurie Santos breaks down what it is dogs can do to make u...
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Boldly Go Like Yuri Gagarin from 2021-08-30T04:05

Space crews, athletes and pop stars all indulge in strange rituals before moments of high stress. It's easy to mock these behaviours - indeed even the people who practise them often admit they're a...
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Treating the Pain of a Broken Heart from 2021-08-23T04:05

Being shunned by a lover, a school or an employer hurts - but we're only just beginning to understand how real this pain is and what steps we can take to administer a bit of emotional first aid ...
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Why Nostalgia Ain't So Rosy from 2021-08-16T04:05

Actor Rob Lowe LOVES the 1980s. And who can blame him? He was one of the most famous men on the planet. But, as he tells Dr Laurie Santos, he's careful not to wallow in nostalgia for the music, ...
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The Happiness Lab Meets No Stupid Questions from 2021-08-09T04:05

There are no stupid questions when it comes to discussing happiness - so Dr Laurie Santos has joined forces with fellow psychologist Angela Duckworth (host of the No Stupid Questions podcast fro...
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A Slight Change of Plans from 2021-05-20T04:05

Dr Maya Shankar studies how our minds work and how we change. She joins Dr Laurie Santos to discuss how her own life plans were derailed at 15 and the journey that finally brought her to start a...
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Hidden Brain: Laurie Talks Monkeys and Bad Money Decisions. from 2021-05-10T04:05

Hidden Brain is a weekly podcast hosted by Shankar Vedantam. It's a show about science and human behaviour we think you'll enjoy. Dr Laurie Santos was a guest on the show - so we thought you'd a...
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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Lao Tzu from 2021-05-03T04:05

The challenges of life often cause us to work frantically to overcome our difficulties - but the Chinese thinker Lao Tzu recommended that instead we should emulate the slow, steady, yet powerful...
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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Confucius from 2021-04-26T04:05

The Covid pandemic has robbed us of many rituals and ceremonies we took for granted - from simple handshakes to elaborate graduation ceremonies. Their loss is important - rituals contribute to o...
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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Forgiveness from 2021-04-19T04:05

Miroslav Volf teaches at Yale Divinity School - and is celebrated for his work on reconciliation and forgiveness. But book learning alone does not explain this focus.
Miroslav’s brother wa...
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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Day of Rest from 2021-04-12T04:05

Sarah Hurwitz worked 24/7 at Harvard, and barely took time off as she built a career in DC writing speeches for first Hillary Clinton and then Michelle Obama. Sarah would even take her cell phon...
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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Torah from 2021-04-05T04:05

Sarah Hurwitz grew up thinking there was little the great texts of Judaism could teach her - she even hatched a plot to get out of Hebrew school. But in adulthood she discovered that The Torah c...
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Feed Yourself Like You'd Feed a Loved One from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Diets and "healthy" eating fads are a January fixture - but few of us stick to these harsh regimes. And when the dieting ends, we often go back to the "bad" foods we craved during our fasting. Psyc...
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Reconnect With The Moment from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Psychologist and meditation teacher Tara Brach felt too stressed and busy to spend time with her elderly mother - until she had a lightning moment of realisation. Why couldn't she enjoy living in t...
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Dump Your Inner Drill Sergeant from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We often start a new year hoping to make big changes in how we look, feel or act. This can involve a lot of self-criticism and adopting things like tough diets and brutal exercise regimes. But bein...
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Happier Holidays: How to Celebrate No Matter What from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

A lot of the festive events and traditions we look forward to each year will be very different in 2020. Gatherings might be smaller than we'd like... or cancelled altogether. Family tensions might ...
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Happier Holidays: How to Give and Receive the Perfect Gift from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Exchanging holiday gifts is supposed to be joyful... but for many of us it is a source of stress, anxiety and hurt feelings. To transform the way you think about the act of giving and receiving pre...
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The Happiness Lab Presents: Brave New Planet from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Introducing Brave New Planet, a seven-part series that delves deep into the powerful technologies changing our world. These technologies have amazing potential upsides, but if we’re not careful, so...
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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: The Buddha from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The Buddha was born to a royal family... and it shocked him when he found out that no amount of money or power could keep suffering and loss at bay forever. The quest to accept that life brings us ...
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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Epictetus from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Epictetus was born into slavery and beaten until he was lame... but he became one of Ancient Rome's greatest thinkers by accepting every setback as an opportunity to learn and grow. Philosophy prof...
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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Plato from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Plato likened us all to charioteers trying to control two wayward horses. The steeds represent the competing wants and desires that constantly pull us off course and away from a happier life. Yale ...
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Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Aristotle from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

He gave us biology, physics and drama... but Greek philosopher Aristotle also thought deeply about how humans can flourish and live happy lives of virtue. Yale professor Tamar Gendler tells Dr Laur...
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The Happiness Lab Presents: Revisionist History from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The Happiness Lab presents an episode of Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History, in which Malcolm explores the delicate science of hiring nihilism, examined in five deeply-personal case studies. Re...
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The Happiness Lab Presents: The Chronicles of Now from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Covid-19 has made us all prisoners of our homes. And at times, our families. If the pandemic goes well into 2021, what will an extended quarantine do to our relationships, our country, our daily li...
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How to Be a Better Ally from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

You might detest bigotry and injustice, but have you done anything to address these problems? There are many reasons we stay silent and inactive when we know we should intervene to defend the right...
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The War For Kindness from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Feeling you belong to a group can be great - but it also has a darker side, leading us down an unhappy path of hatred and violence towards people with different identities and backgrounds. Dr Lauri...
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Demonic Possessions from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Cait Flanders went deep into debt so she could buy all the clothes, books and gadgets she thought would make her happier. It was only when she junked it all that she found that 'doing' rather than ...
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How to Kick Bad Habits (and Start Good Ones) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 the...
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Dial D for Distracted from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The world is full of people and things that can make you happy, but you have to notice them to get the full effect. Smartphones are technological marvels, but the hold they have over our limited at...
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For Whom the Alarm Clock Tolls from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

'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 he...
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Working Your Way to Happiness from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ...
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The Power of a Made-up Ritual from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Vlad's mom taught him a family tradition - remember grandpa when you taste the first fruits of the season. It was odd, but the boy went along with it. Only later when he faced two crushing bereavem...
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PJ and Alex Love to Gripe from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 co...
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Psychopaths and Superheroes from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 cos...
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New Season: The Happiness Lab Returns April 27 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ...
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BONUS: Good Screens and Bad Screens from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The pandemic has us all glued to our smartphones, tablets, laptops and TVs - they give us important information, vital social contact and much needed distraction. But Catherine Price (founder of Sc...
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BONUS: Helping the Helpers from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ow...
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BONUS: Laurie's Personal Tips from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 person...
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The Happiness Lab Presents: Checking In with Susan David from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The Happiness Lab Presents: Checking In with Susan David, a podcast where Susan David—a psychologist at Harvard Medical School— offers strategies to cope with our heightened emotions during this gl...
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BONUS: Keep Your Relationship Healthy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ti...
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BONUS: Help Others to Help Yourself from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ...
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BONUS: Calm Can Be Contagious from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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...
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BONUS: Rising to a Challenge from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 sh...
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BONUS: Coach Yourself Through a Crisis from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 voic...
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BONUS: Beat Your Isolation Loneliness from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 Stanf...
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BONUS: Sleep When You're Dead Tired (LIVE with Arianna Huffington) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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...
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BONUS: Think Yourself Happy (LIVE from Yale) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 gui...
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BONUS: Grateful Expectations from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 i...
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BONUS: A New Hope from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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...
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The Happiness Lab Presents: How To! with Charles Duhigg from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this special episode of Happiness Lab, we feature an episode of the podcast How To! with Charles Duhigg. Mike’s dream job of playing bass in a Chicago orchestra is within reach — if only he can ...
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BONUS: A Happier Christmas from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Accept our gift of happiness this holiday season! It can be a hectic and stressful time of year... but it's also full of opportunities to feel happier. Dr Laurie Santos brings you science-based tip...
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Making the Grade from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

From school grades to fitness trackers, we're all being ranked and rated on a daily basis. This is having a huge impact on our happiness and preventing us from living our lives to the fullest. Can ...
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Make 'Em Laugh from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The world's greatest expert on canned TV laugh tracks helps Dr Laurie Santos demonstrate how the emotions of those around us can make us feel happier or more sad. If happiness is so contagious... c...
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Choice Overload from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We all make thousands of choices each day - and think it means we're in charge of our lives. But making even trivial decisions - about salad dressings, for example - can sap our energy and cause an...
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Don't Accentuate the Positive from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We often think positive thinking is the best way to achieve our ambitions - but the science shows it holds us all back. Dr Laurie Santos hears how champion swimmer Michael Phelps imagined the worst...
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Don't Think of the White Bear from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Once a thought is in our heads, we can't suppress it and trying to only causes us misery. Dr Laurie Santos explains why our brains work in this way and hears from real people who have confronted an...
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Mistakenly Seeking Solitude from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Technology allows us to bank, shop and dine without talking to another human, but what toll is this taking on our happiness? The inventor of the ATM and the Talking Heads singer David Byrne join Dr...
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A Silver Lining from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Ice skater Michelle Kwan was all set to win Olympic Gold... but in a major sporting upset she came second. Sharing her story with Dr Laurie Santos, Michelle lets us in on a key secret to achieving ...
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The Unhappy Millionaire from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

How can winning the lottery ruin your life - while contracting an incurable disease feel like 'a gift'? Dr Laurie Santos hears about dreams come true and nightmares realised; and talks with Dr Dan ...
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Coming Soon: The Happiness Lab Season One from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Do you want to be happier? 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 the Ivy L...
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Introducing: The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Coming September 17 from Pushkin Industries Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
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Caring What You're Sharing from 2019-10-15T04:05

Sharing a good experience with another human deepens our enjoyment of the moment... but only if we abide by certain rules. Dr Laurie Santos shows us how we often get 'sharing' wrong and explains ho...
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You Can Change from 2019-09-13T04:05

You can make yourself happier today. Your life circumstances and personality aren't nearly as important as you think in deciding how happy you can be. Dr Laurie Santos explains how understanding th...
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Introducing: The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos from 2019-07-24T22:02:01

Coming September 17 from Pushkin Industries Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
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Introducing: The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos from 2019-07-24T22:02:01

Coming September 17 from Pushkin Industries Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Listen