10% Happier with Dan Harris

How To Create Micro-Moments of Sanity No Matter What's Happening Today | Jay Michaelson

A conversation with Jay Michaelson [https://www.jaymichaelson.net/], our Teacher of the Month for February, about his path to meditation, navigating multiple identities, and why he calls himself a "cynical, sarcastic bitch." Jay Michaelson is a meditation teacher, journalist, rabbi, and author. In this conversation with executive producer DJ Cashmere, Jay gets candid about his unconventional path into meditation—driven initially by greed for mystical experiences rather than a desire to reduce suffering—and how his practice has evolved over 25 years. We talk about: * Why Jay identifies as a "greed type" in Buddhist psychology (and what that means) * How to balance worldly activism with contemplative practice without getting "hollowed out" * The concept of creating a "permission structure" to live the life you actually want * That moment of spaciousness between stimulus and response (and how it saved Jay when he got heckled during LGBTQ activism) * Whether meditation can help save humanity—and why Jay is both cynical and hopeful about this * How neurotic Jay still is after 25 years of practice (spoiler: he's less reactive, but still neurotic) * "Micro-moments" of awareness—five-second practices for people who can't go on long retreats Jay's guided meditations and live sangha sessions are available throughout February in the 10% Happier app. You can also find him at jaymichaelson.substack.com [http://jaymichaelson.substack.com/], where he writes Both/And, a newsletter about the intersection of spirituality, meditation, and politics. Join Dan's online community here [http://www.danharris.com/] Follow Dan on social: Instagram [https://bit.ly/3tGigG5], TikTok [https://bit.ly/3FOA84J] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/3FybRzD] To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris [https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris]

George Saunders On: Getting Un-Stuck, Calming the Inner Critic, and Building Empathy Without Becoming a Chump

A conversation with celebrated author George Saunders about his new novel, Vigil, and what fiction can teach us about empathy, self-awareness, and mortality. George Saunders is the bestselling, award-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, Tenth of December, and many other books. His new novel, Vigil, tells the story of a woman who died in 1976 and has spent the decades since comforting the dying—until she encounters a former oil executive responsible for early climate change denial. In this conversation, Dan and George talk about: * Why George keeps writing about ghosts and the afterlife (hint: it's not just about mortality dread) * The lavish empathy at the heart of Vigil—and whether we should extend that empathy even to people doing civilizational damage * What George calls "warm metacognition"—the practice of dropping back out of your thought loops to examine what kind of goggles you're wearing * How fiction can turn your mind into a "reconsideration machine" (and why that matters in real life) * The difference between kindness and niceness * George's relationship with death anxiety, which he's had since childhood and which has only intensified with age * What George has learned about listening from teaching and hosting his Substack, Story Club * Why the older he gets, the more important it is to stretch himself creatively * His advice for dealing with stuckness (in writing and in life): curiosity over self-accusation George's new novel Vigil is out January 27th from Random House. Check out his Substack, Story Club [https://georgesaunders.substack.com/], where he discusses classic short stories with an incredibly thoughtful community. Related Episodes: * George Saunders on "Holy Befuddlement" and How to Be Less of a "Turd" [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/10-happier-with-dan-harris/id1087147821?i=1000582335529] Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here [https://app.danharris.com/membership] Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here [http://www.danharris.com/] Follow Dan on social: Instagram [https://bit.ly/3tGigG5], TikTok [https://bit.ly/3FOA84J] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/3FybRzD] To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris [https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris]

How to Regulate Your Emotions and Mental Chatter When Bad Things Happen | Maya Shankar

Practical techniques for dealing with all of life's curveballs. Maya Shankar [https://mayashankar.com/] is a cognitive scientist and creator of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans [https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/a-slight-change-of-plans], previously named "Best Show of the Year" by Apple. She served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Obama White House and was also appointed as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations. She is the author of The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/729180/the-other-side-of-change-by-maya-shankar/]. In this episode we talk about: * The two major life events that caused her to study the topic of change * How to build a more expansive sense of self * Practical tools for navigating change * Cognitive biases such as "the end of history illusion" * The utility of distraction and denial * Tools for getting unstuck from rumination * And much more Related Episodes: * The Science of Handling Uncertainty | Maya Shankar [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-science-of-handling-uncertainty-maya-shankar/id1087147821?i=1000666264365] Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here [https://app.danharris.com/membership] Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here [http://www.danharris.com/] Follow Dan on social: Instagram [https://bit.ly/3tGigG5], TikTok [https://bit.ly/3FOA84J] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/3FybRzD] To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris [https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris]

A Counterintuitive Strategy for Sharper Decision-Making, Stronger Performance, and a More Meaningful Life. | Daniel Pink

How to have fewer regrets (and utilize the ones you already have). Daniel Pink [https://www.danpink.com/] is the author of seven bestselling nonfiction books on a range of topics, from human motivation to the science of timing to a graphic novel career guide. His books include the New York Times bestsellers The Power of Regret, A Whole New Mind, and When—as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. In this episode we talk about: * The myth of the "no regrets" philosophy * What a regret actually is * The very real benefits of regret * The four core regrets people tend to have * Tools for dealing with regrets * The importance of talking or writing about your regrets * How to create a "failure resume" * The Regret Optimization Framework * The crucial role of self-compassion and self-distancing * And much more Related Episodes: * 'When' Can Make a Big Difference [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDsAzjLZdH0] Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here [https://app.danharris.com/membership] Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here [http://www.danharris.com/] Follow Dan on social: Instagram [https://bit.ly/3tGigG5], TikTok [https://bit.ly/3FOA84J] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/3FybRzD] Additional Resources: * Daniel's books [https://www.danpink.com/books/] To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris [https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris]

How To Handle 4 AM Worry Spirals | Bart van Melik

A conversation with self-described "worry warrior" Bart van Melik [https://www.bartvanmelik.com/] about working skillfully with everyday anxiety. Bart is a guiding teacher at the Community Meditation Center [https://www.cmc-ny.org/] in New York and our Teacher of the Month for January. In this conversation with executive producer DJ Cashmere, he gets refreshingly honest about his own tendency to worry — and shares a bunch of practical tools for when your mind won't stop spinning through worst-case scenarios. We talk about: * Why mindful breathing sometimes doesn't work (and what to do instead) * The practice phrase "this wants to be seen right now" * How to work with your aversion to worrying (which can be worse than the worry itself) * Why talking about your fears with other people is so crucial * The question "what is this?" as a low-barrier entry point to awareness * How the Buddha's teaching on clinging shows up in anxious thinking * Why community and sangha aren't optional extras If you want more from Bart, check out the 10% with Dan Harris app [https://app.danharris.com/membership] where he's got meditations and live sessions throughout January. Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here [https://app.danharris.com/membership] Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here [http://www.danharris.com/] Follow Dan on social: Instagram [https://bit.ly/3tGigG5], TikTok [https://bit.ly/3FOA84J] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/3FybRzD] To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris [https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris]