The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Holiday Survival Guide II: Perfect Gifts and Fighting Fatigue (with Rainn Wilson)

What stresses you out over the festive season? Happiness Lab listeners sent in their holiday woes so Dr Laurie and guest Rainn Wilson (The Office star and host of Soul Boom [https://www.soulboom.com/]) could weigh in with some science-backed advice.  In the second part of our Holiday Survival Guide, Dr Laurie and Rainn discuss what makes the perfect gift, how to slow down to enjoy the festivities, and why your smart phone should join the elf on a shelf.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Holiday Survival Guide I: Ending Family Arguments (with Rainn Wilson)

What stresses you out over the festive season? Happiness Lab listeners sent in their holiday woes so Dr Laurie and guest Rainn Wilson (The Office star and host of Soul Boom [https://www.soulboom.com/]) could weigh in with some science-backed advice.  In the first part of our Holiday Survival Guide, Dr Laurie and Rainn discuss ways to defuse family arguments, why it's ok to feel sad at Christmas, and how to beat festive FOMO.  And find Nick Epley's "deep questions" conversation guide at drlauriesantos.com/deepquestions [https://www.drlauriesantos.com/deepquestions]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

How to Experience the Joy of Giving Right Now

According to the science, it really is better to give than receive. Donating a dollar; sharing a kind word or lending someone a hand changes lives, but can also hugely boost your happiness. So we're teaming up with other podcasts from Hidden Brain to Revisionist History to ask you to give to a charity helping some of the poorest people around. We're calling it #PodsFightPoverty.      Go to givedirectly.org/happinesslab [https://www.givedirectly.org/happinesslab2025/] right now and give whatever you can. And the first $500,000 we donate will be matched thanks to our friends at Giving Multiplier [https://givingmultiplier.org/]! Even a small donation will make you feel good and have a much larger impact on the world than you thought possible. To help inspire you, this special episode examines the science of giving and shares stories of heartwarming and impactful acts of kindness.    See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Why Being Grateful Makes Us Feel Great (A Thanksgiving Re-run)

It's Thanksgiving - a good time to think about gratitude and being selfless. Concentrating on the things we have to be grateful for is a great way to boost your happiness. So thank the people who've done good things for you, and think of ways you can help others too.   This circle of gratitude – the science suggests – will also make you a better friend to one of the most important people in your life… your future self. In a re-run of a 2020 episode, Dr Laurie investigates this effect with Northeastern University’s Professor David DeSteno – author of “Emotional Success: The Power of Gratitude, Compassion and Pride.” See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Reset Your Relationship with Stress (for National Stress Awareness Day)

On National Stress Awareness Day we've pulled a popular episode from our archive. Stress can suck. Many of us drown in it - worrying about past events and fearing upcoming challenges. We even stress about feeling stressed. So how can we reset our relationship with stress - benefitting from its positives and avoiding those negatives?  Dr Jenny Taitz has some effective tips to help you greet stress more healthily. A clinical psychologist and the author of Stress Resets: How to Soothe Your Body and Mind in Minutes [https://drjennytaitz.com/books/], Dr Jenny explains that if we think differently about challenges and tough situations and take action, then stress can become a friend rather than a foe. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.