You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life… more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You’re... more
The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy. But all too often, the darker, colder days of winter,... more
It's Giving Tuesday - a time when many people donate to charity (using websites like this: givingmultiplier.org/happiness). Giving money to... more
It's the season of giving: colorful paper and shiny bows, sure, and charitable giving, too. In this special episode, Jacob... more
It's Happiness Lab's fifth birthday - so as part of the celebration we're playing some of Dr Laurie's favorite episodes.... more
To celebrate five years of The Happiness Lab, Dr Laurie has picked out the five episodes she loves the most.... more
Happiness Lab is five years old. To mark our birthday, Dr Laurie has picked her favorite five episodes from the... more
To mark the podcast's fifth birthday, Dr Laurie is revisiting some of her favorite episodes. And this show - Working... more
The Happiness Lab debuted back in fall 2019. To celebrate our fifth birthday, we're revisiting Dr Laurie's favorite shows. We... more
We're bringing you an episode of Fixable, where Laurie joined Frances Frei and Anne Morriss to discuss whether you can... more
We can spend a lot of time working - and it gives us fulfillment, social interaction and fun - but... more
You can't alway win at work. We all have career setbacks and disappointments - and learning how to deal with... more
The biggest names in wellness podcasting - "The Titans of Happiness" - come together to talk about the greatest mental... more
We often assume that we can’t fix the big problems we see in the world around us. And that trying... more
It feels like our world is deeply polarized. We seem to fundamentally disagree with so many people - and with... more
Some people think they need to be ruthless and selfish to thrive and survive in life. The theories of Charles... more
It’s hard to stay hopeful these days. Stanford professor Jamil Zaki has been studying the incredible depth of human kindness... more
It's hard to stay hopeful sometimes. Things can look pretty bleak and divided, especially around election time. But if you're... more
We're bringing you an episode of Immigrantly, where Laurie joined host Saadia Khan to discuss the psychology of happiness education... more
America's top athletes need coaches. And those coaches themselves need guidance. It's a hard and stressful job - and one... more
Georgia Bell was a great runner as a child - but in college she fell out of love with the... more
Making shows about her own happiness challenges was both fun and instructive for Dr Laurie, but it also took guts... more
Dr Laurie HATES thinking about her own death. It's scary, creepy and morbid, right? Wrong. Thinking about our finite lives... more
By 2030 we'll only work 15 hours a week, predicted the legendary economist John Maynard Keynes back in 1930. He... more
We often do things now that will make our lives more difficult or stressful in the future. We spend money,... more
Awe reduces stress, helps us forget our minor worries and makes us feel more connected to the people around us.... more
Dr Laurie is stressed, and it's harming her health. Constant worry and stress is bad for our bodies and our... more
Dr Laurie HATES boredom! Since childhood she's found it so painful that she'll do anything to avoid being bored. She'll... more
Holding yourself to impossibly high standards is self-defeating and makes for a miserable life. Can Dr Laurie Santos find ways... more
Sometimes the happiness teacher flunks her own class. In a deeply personal new season, Dr Laurie Santos opens up about... more
Liz Dunn is a regular guest on The Happiness Lab, but in this extended interview with TED's Chris Anderson she... more
A chance to hear a recent episode of A Slight Change of Plans in which Maya Shankar asks psychologist Adam... more
Work is a worry. Are we paid enough? Should we be getting promoted quicker? Is artificial intelligence about to replace... more
Technology is amazing! We can make video calls, find facts in an instant and watch movies on our phones. We... more
Karen Guggenheim was devastated by the death of her husband, Ricardo. She was alive, but dead to the world around... more
Medical doctors are waking up to the importance of happiness, partly prompted by the work of people like Rangan Chatterjee.... more
The US is sliding down the world happiness rankings - but it's the unhappiness of young people that's really dragging... more
Age is the main risk factor for cognitive decline. So with more people around the world living longer, cases of... more
There are certain nations which always top the rankings in the World Happiness Report. What are they doing right, that... more
The Happiness Lab’s Dr. Laurie Santos brings together other Pushkin hosts to mark the International Day of Happiness. Revisionist History’s... more
We often think adding more things to our lives will make us happier - more trips, more activities, more possessions.... more
Fairy tales and Hollywood rom coms have taught us to expect perfection from a soul mate, but sex and relationships... more
Some people ask searching questions and then really listen to the replies. These so-called supercommunicators make great romantic partners, so... more
No matter how much you love your partner, your relationship will never be totally free from disagreement. And nor should... more
Some people are just good at building and maintaining healthy partnerships. In their 'Love Lab", the married researchers Dr John... more
Does happiness have a scent? Dr Laurie has been trying to remove the bad smells in her life and bring... more
Busy scientist Adam Aron had too much on his plate to think deeply about climate change - until he read... more
We often think of fighting climate change as a drain on our happiness - it'll mean sacrificing the things we... more
Humans are great at reacting to mortal danger... but only sometimes. Unfortunately, some risks to our safety and wellbeing don't... more
Time off work is vital for your happiness. So what would you do if you couldn't take the same rest... more
Enjoy this episode of another show you might like: the Build the Life You Want Super Soul Podcast. Oprah and... more
Have we created a culture where young people prioritize good grades, social media likes and constant hustling over the important... more
For our ancient ancestors food was just another thing they needed to survive - like sleep, shelter or warmth. But... more
Laurie's former student and friend, Dr. Maya Shankar, has a Pushkin podcast we love called A Slight Change of Plans.... more
YOU can boost your happiness and transform the lives of people in one African village with a cash gift by going... more
We're distrustful, unequal and isolated. That's according to the figures showing a decline in happy community feeling since the 1960s.... more
Cheers was a sitcom hit in the 80s thanks to a theme tune promising that the fictional bar was a... more
Work and friendship don't mix, thought Katherine Hu. A recent graduate, she found it harder to form bonds with colleagues... more
Jia Jiang dreamed of being the next Bill Gates... but an entrepreneur needs the courage and confidence to ask for... more
Jessica Pan hated social gatherings - she cried when her friends threw her a surprise birthday party, and was even... more
When did you last check in on a friend? Maybe the last time you did, their reply was terse or... more
For our ancient ancestors food was just another thing they needed to survive - like sleep, shelter or warmth. But in the... more