The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Halloween isn't just costumes and candy. It's also a time when we indulge our interest in the scary and macabre. But there's also a taboo about gory horror movies and gruesome true crime shows - we often feel that being interested in blood and violence is unhealthy. The opposite is possibly true.  Psychologist Coltan Scrivner (author of Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can’t Look Away [https://www.coltanscrivner.com/publications]) says that watching a scary movie or listening to a murder podcast is perfectly natural and in fact teaches us valuable lessons to enhance our emotional resilience.   See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Not many elite athletes talk openly about mental health, but five-time NBA All-Star Kevin Love is changing that. After a very public panic attack on the basketball court he was told to "snap out of it". But Kevin decided to discuss his "dark moments" of anxiety and depression and show that vulnerability is actually a strength.  The sports star joins Dr. Laurie to talk about overcoming generational trauma, the pressures of toxic masculinity, and how speaking up can change the game for all of us. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Today we're sharing an episode from another Pushkin Industries podcast, Heavyweight [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavyweight/id1150800298].  Gregor's parents are pushing 90. Gregor wants to move them out of their big Victorian home. But they refuse. So, he's come up with a bold plan. ---------------------------------------- Get ad-free episodes of Heavyweight by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavyweight/id1150800298] or Pushkin.fm [https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin]. You'll also get an exclusive bonus episode where Jonathan, Stevie, and Kalila remember how the beloved Jackie calls came to be and share a never-before-aired opening that could have started the show in an alternate Heavyweight universe. Thanks for your support—and be sure to check out the other offerings available to Pushkin+ subscribers, including ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, and exclusive binges of other podcasts throughout the year. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavyweight/id1150800298] Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plus [https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Every choice you make shapes your wellbeing - and the bigger the decision, the greater the impact. So when it comes to life-changing questions like where to live, who to marry, or which career to pursue, how can you tell if you’re making the best decision for your long-term happiness? Economists might argue that you should weigh up every single option carefully - like a gambler in a casino figuring out the odds of winning. But psychologist Barry Schwartz says you can't apply a formula to happiness. In this episode, he shares insights from his new book, Choose Wisely: Rationality, Ethics, and the Art of Decision-Making  [https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300283990/choose-wisely/](co-authored with philosopher Richard Schuldenfrei), offering a more thoughtful and human approach to making life’s hardest choices. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Many of us toil for long hours - and even take work home at the end of the day. That's bad for us in so many ways - but extensive research shows that it just doesn't have to be this way. Many of us could work a four-day week and still get everything done.  Economist Juliet Schor has studied every kind of business - from breweries to ad agencies - and found that thoughtfully reducing work hours benefits employees, improves productivity and increases profits. She explains how you too can enjoy a three-day weekend with insights from her new book Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter [https://www.harpercollins.com/products/four-days-a-week-juliet-schor?variant=43110374866978].     See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.