The Science of Happiness

Dr. David Spiegel leads us in a practice of cyclic sighing, a simple breathing technique that uses slow, extended exhales to calm your nervous system, ease stress and anxiety, and help you feel more relaxed.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Prepare: Find a comfortable seated or standing position in a quiet environment. Relax your shoulders and jaw. 
2. First Inhale: Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. Start with your abdomen...

Explore how cyclic sighing, a simple controlled breathing technique, can help reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and bring greater calm to everyday stressful moments.

Summary: In this episode of The Science of Happiness, professional surfer and chemistry professor Sarah Gerhardt shares how she uses cyclic sighing to manage anxiety and stress in everyday situations. Then Stanford psychologist David Spiegel explains the science behin...

Take a moment to appreciate the friends who know you, support you, and make your life richer with their presence, with author Alex Elle.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Take a few deep breaths: Inhale through your nose and exhale slowly, relaxing your shoulders and jaw.
2. Bring a friend to mind: Think of someone who has become an important part of your life.
3. Remember how they’ve known you: Reflect on the stories, experiences, an...

Discover how our sense of smell can transport us back to meaningful memories, shape our emotions, and influence the brain systems involved in memory and mood.

Summary: Smell is one of our most powerful and underappreciated senses, with a unique ability to evoke memories and emotions. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we look at the science behind smell’s close relationship with memory, emotion, and our environment a...

In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, embrace the beauty of your accent in this self-compassion meditation. Mindfulness and meditation teacher Criss Cuervo invites you to reflect on your history, heritage, and connection to your ancestors.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Find a Comfortable Position: Sit in a relaxed yet alert posture, either on a cushion or chair. Gently lower your gaze or close your eyes if that feels comfortable.
...

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 ...

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,...