The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Medical doctors are waking up to the importance of happiness, partly prompted by the work of people like Rangan Chatterjee. Dr Chatterjee is Professor of Health Education and Communication, the host of the hit podcast 'Feel Better, Live More' [https://drchatterjee.com/blog/category/podcast/]and author of five best-selling books including Happy Mind, Happy Life: 10 Simple Ways to Feel Great Every Day. [https://drchatterjee.com/happy-mind-happy-life/] Rangan sat down with Dr Laurie Santos at the 2024 World Happiness Summit [https://worldhappinesssummit.com/]to discuss his life and work - and explain why physicians like him are joining the fight to make happiness a health priority. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The US is sliding down the world happiness rankings - but it's the unhappiness of young people that's really dragging down the average. What has happened to make Gen Z so sad? And what can be done to turn the situation around? Jan-Emmanuel De Neve (director of Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Centre) has been analyzing the figures for the World Happiness Report. He offers advice to young people and parents, and looks at what happy young Lithuanians can teach the rest of the world. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Age is the main risk factor for cognitive decline. So with more people around the world living longer, cases of dementia are set to rise. There's currently no cure - but research suggests that happiness can reduce the impact of this awful illness.  Psychologist Emily Willroth helped write a chapter on this topic for the 2024 World Happiness Report [https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2024/] - and explains how making friends, helping others and engaging in fun physical activities can slow cognitive decline, even when the disease has taken hold.   See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

There are certain nations which always top the rankings in the World Happiness Report. [https://worldhappiness.report/] What are they doing right, that other countries are getting wrong? And what can you do to make your home country happier? John Helliwell of the World Happiness Report explains how things like wealth, freedom and friendship combine to make a happy society - and how tiny changes in your home, neighborhood or workplace can have a huge national impact.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Happiness Lab’s Dr. Laurie Santos brings together other Pushkin hosts to mark the International Day of Happiness. Revisionist History’s Malcolm Gladwell talks about the benefits of the misery of running in a Canadian winter. Dr. Maya Shankar from A Slight Change of Plans talks about quieting her mental chatter. And Cautionary Tales host Tim Harford surprises everyone with the happiness lessons to be learned from a colonoscopy. Hear more of The Happiness Lab HERE [https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.