Yale professor Dr Laurie Santos’ ability to distil happiness into relatable steps in her podcast makes it a must-listen for those in search of a more meaningful life
Laurie Santos. Pic Courtesy/Facebook
If you believe that achieving a happier life requires more money, a superior job, or vacations worthy of social posts, this isn’t always true. In a landscape dominated by superficial advice and fleeting trends, The Happiness Lab is a breath of fresh air. Yale professor Dr Laurie Santos’ podcast is an invitation to explore the depths of our happiness.
Santos, who has studied the science of happiness, was voted as one of Popular Science magazine’s brilliant 10 young minds, and her Apple podcast has amassed over 85 million downloads since its inception. With 168 episodes, Santos manages to blend the wisdom of academia with a heart-to-heart chat, making complex psychological concepts accessible to all. Each episode is carefully curated, featuring interviews with experts, inspiring stories, and practical exercises that empower listeners to implement positive changes in their lives.
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One of our favourite episodes is titled How to make friends and compliment people. She narrates how to be sociable with examples from Troy Hawke, who makes a living by complimenting everyone he passes on the street, and inputs from scientist Xuan Zhao. Santos explains how the simple act of complimenting people around us matters more for our own and other people’s happiness than we might imagine.
The podcast’s strength lies in its versatility with topics such as gratitude, extroversion, spiritual experiences, and even Sikhism. The Happiness Lab doesn’t confine itself to clichéd topics but ventures into uncharted territories, unravelling the science behind gratitude, mindfulness, and the profound impact of social connections on our well-being.
The latest episode on climate change demystifies that fighting climate change is a drain on our happiness and that it’ll mean sacrificing the things we love, like air travel or eating hamburgers. She presents the concept of Happy Climate pioneered by researchers Jiaying Zhao and Liz Dunn to show how small lifestyle changes can have a positive impact on your happiness and reduce your carbon footprint, all at the same time.
Santos is not just sharing ways to become happier but also giving you data to back it up. It’s one of those podcasts that leaves you feeling hopeful about the world.
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