The Science of Happiness

What if getting older doesn’t have to mean losing your memory? Learn how neuroplasticity, healthy habits, and simple memory exercises can help keep your brain strong at any age.

Summary: We often assume that getting older means our memory and brain function will inevitably decline—but emerging science tells a more hopeful story. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we’ll explore how neuroplasticity, along w...

Buddhist meditation teacher, Anushka Fernandopulle, guides us through a practice of Mudita, or appreciative joy, to help us share in the happiness of others.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Get comfortable and ground yourself: Sit comfortably, close your eyes if you’d like, and take a few deep breaths.
2. Relax your body: As you exhale, release tension in your face, jaw, shoulders, and anywhere else you feel it.
3. Think of someone ...

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From the time we are old enough to hold a crayon, it feels instinctive to draw on the wall. But for MISS CHELOVE—also known as Cita Sadeli—this instinct became a calling. Through bold color and layered symbolism, she transforms everyday public spaces into deeply personal statements, inspiring some passers-by to wonder: what is the role of the public artist? And how can pub...

We often underestimate how much small talk can impact our wellbeing. Research shows that even brief conversations with strangers can boost our happiness and sense of connection, but fear and anxiety often keep us from reaching out.

Summary: We often avoid talking to strangers because we assume they’d rather be left alone, or worry the interaction will be awkward. But research shows that our expectations about these interaction...

Join yoga and meditation teacher Jonathan Relucio for a trauma-informed practice combining mindful movement and breathing to reduce tension and build resilience to stress.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Get comfortable: Sit or lie down and notice the support beneath your body, keeping your eyes open or closed—whichever feels comfortable.
2. Connect with your body: Bring your attention inward and notice how your body, mind, ...

How can we feel more moments of joy? Explore how joy is rooted in connection, gratitude, and paying attention to the people and moments that bring meaning to our lives.

Summary: Did you know that joy isn’t just something we feel, but something we practice? On this episode of The Science of Happiness, poet Ross Gay shares how connection and attention can help us cultivate more joy, while psychologist Philip Watkins explains how...

Meditation teacher Spring Washam guides us in a practice of embodied awareness, helping us use the body as an anchor during stressful or overwhelming moments.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Find a comfortable position: Sit upright in a relaxed position where you can comfortably notice the flow of your breath.
2. Begin at the top of your body: Close your eyes and bring your attention to your head, neck, face, and jaw. Notice any tightne...

Can anyone truly succeed alone? We explore how role models, mentors, and strong social support make upward mobility far more possible than grit alone.

Summary: What role do the people around us play in shaping our success? Brothers Danny and Gilbert Murillo share how education, mentorship, and their evolving relationship helped them overcome incarceration and systemic barriers to build lives of purpose. Then, Social Mobility Lab fou...

Take a moment to connect with your body and make space for difficult emotions with compassion and care. This embodiment practice is guided by Lyla June Johnston, a Diné musician, scholar of Indigenous land management, and community organizer.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Ground yourself in the present: Find a comfortable seated position and take four slow, deep breaths. Notice the feeling of your body supported by the chair o...

Neuroscience reveals revenge can become a powerful habit—and that forgiveness may be one of the most effective ways to break the cycle.

Summary: After years of bullying led him to almost committing an act of violence, James Kimmel Jr., an assistant clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine, set out to understand why revenge can be so compelling—and how forgiveness can interrupt that cycle, easing emotional pain a...

Try a practice in accepting difficult feelings like anger or irritation to help keep your cool, feel better overall, and find calm with contemplative social scientist Eve Ekman. 

How To Do This Practice:

1. Settle with your breath: Take a few slow, deep breaths, lengthening your spine as you inhale and relaxing your face and body as you exhale.
2. Notice your body: Scan your body with curiosity and observe any sensations withou...

Choosing joy over guilt and shame can make climate-friendly habits easier to sustain while improving your own well-being along the way.

Summary: Fear may grab our attention, but research suggests joy is what helps us make meaningful, sustainable climate choices. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, discover how small shifts can have a big impact. Scientists Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao share how reframing climate action a...

Indigenous artist Dr. Lyla June Johnston leads a 5-minute freewriting exercise about our personal journeys. Autobiographical writing has been shown to help do better in relationships and feel more satisfied in life.

How to Do This Practice:

1. Ground yourself: Sit in a comfortable position and take a few slow breaths. Notice the inhale and exhale without trying to change anything. Let your attention settle into your body and the p...

What can a singing bird, a neighborhood walk, and a pair of puppet adventurers teach us about awe? Sit down with Wowsabout! creators Dorien Davies and Halle Stanford to discuss helping kids—and grownups—find wonder wherever they are.

Summary: Kids may be natural wonder-seekers, but how do we help them hold onto that sense of awe as they grow up? On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we talk with Wowsabout! creator...

Take less than 10 minutes to write yourself a letter of care, compassion, and encouragement with psychologist Kristin Neff in this research-backed practice.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Choose an area of self-judgment: Think of one aspect of yourself that makes you feel inadequate, stressed, or not quite good enough.
2. Name what you're feeling: Write a few sentences about the situation and the emotions it brings up, such as sadness,...

Across school campuses and communities, students and educators are discovering how listening, curiosity, and everyday conversations can open pathways across differences and help restore a sense of shared humanity.

Summary: How do we learn to truly communicate with people who are deeply different than us? In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we follow students and educators practicing the skills of empathy and courageous list...

Trouble sitting still? Learn to practice meditating by simply walking in this practice guided by 10% Happier host Dan Harris.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Start walking at a comfortable pace in a place where you can move without rushing.
2. Notice your body moving by paying attention to your feet, legs, and arms as you walk.
3. Tune into your senses by observing sounds, sights, temperature, and other details around you.
4. Notice when yo...

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.

Summary: In this episode of The Science of Happiness, bestselling graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier reflects on growing up with anxiety, panic attacks, and emetophobia—the fear of throwing up—and shares how transforming those experiences into stories helped her feel less alone and inspired you...

What 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:

1. 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. Do...