The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

How do you put your life back together after your home and your neighborhood's been destroyed in a wildfire? By tossing beanbags at a hole? That's what Michelle Hastie Thompson did.  Michelle ("Cornhole Meesh") loves the backyard game of cornholing - and uses it to help her relax, share time with her loved ones, and meet new people. So what can cornholing teach Dr Laurie about happiness? Find more about Michells's work at https://www.cornholemeesh.com/ [https://www.cornholemeesh.com/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Joshua Roman has been playing the cello everyday since he was three - but then on a concert tour he caught Covid. The illness wouldn't go away and sapped his ability to play the music he loves at the level he was used to. How can things like music help us feel better during tough times? And what can tough times teach us about appreciating and reappraising the activities we sometimes take for granted?  Check out more of Joshua's music at https://www.joshuaroman.com/ [https://www.joshuaroman.com/]  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Lili Taylor loves her acting career - but the emotional intensity of her work and the constant travel can take its toll. But Lili has found a way to relax and unwind - watching birds.  As Lili explains in her new book Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743576/turning-to-birds-by-lili-taylor/] - if we stop to listen to birdsong or pause to watch their busy daily lives - we give ourselves a break from our own stresses.   ---------------------------------------- Get ad-free episodes to The Happiness Lab by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm [https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin]. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.  Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin [http://apple.co/pushkin] Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus [https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

You might think etiquette is outdated. Who really needs a dinner with nice napkins and four different forks? Etiquette expert William Hanson disagrees. By observing good manners we show others we respect and care about them - deepening our bonds.  William (author of Just Good Manners [https://www.williamhanson.co.uk/books] and host of the podcast Help I Sexted My Boss [https://sextedmyboss.com/]) explains the origins of many formal behaviours and how they can make us happier.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

We all have our own ways of coping - especially when things get tough. So for the next few shows we're going to talking to people with interesting coping strategies. And we start with Elias Weiss Friedman, aka The Dogist. [https://www.instagram.com/thedogist/?hl=en] Throughout his life, Elias has found comfort in dogs. And when he got fired from his job, dogs came to the rescue again - they helped him forge a new career as a photographer and a social media star.  Elias discusses his journey and what he thinks dogs can teach us about being our best selves. And for more stories, check out his new book This Dog Will Change Your Life [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/750870/this-dog-will-change-your-life-by-elias-weiss-friedman-with-ben-greenman/]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.