The Science of Well-Being: Powerful Happiness Hacks That 5 Million People Are Using

In this episode, you will learn how to live a more meaningful and happy life with zero weird tricks. 

Today, world renowned professor Dr. Laurie Santos is here to give you a crash course on living a happier, more fulfilling life. 

Dr. Santos is the professor behind Yale’s most popular course of all time, which she then taught as an online course called The Science of Well-Being.

5 million students have taken her semester-long course, but you don’t need to.

Why? Because today on the podcast, she is distilling and summarizing the key takeaways from her world-famous 26 lectures into one hour for you. 

She will share the surprising truths about what truly makes you happy and 5 science-backed ways to rewire your mind for more joy and meaning. 

And even if happiness feels out of reach, this episode will change your perspective and equip you with practical tools to experience more of it, starting today. 

If you liked this episode, you’ll love hearing from Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar – the most popular professor in Harvard’s history – share about the science of creating a better life. Listen to this one next: How to Build the Life You Want: Timeless Wisdom for More Happiness & Purpose

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In this episode:

• 8:19: What Yale’s most popular course on happiness can teach you.
• 14:19: What top scholars say you likely have wrong when it comes to happiness.  20:19: Why you’re wired to survive, not to thrive—and how to fix it.
• 24:58: Why changing your circumstances won’t be what makes you happy. 30:00: Money won’t solve your problems or make you feel happier. 
• 36:15: How you should spend your free time if you want to feel better. 
• 41:14: The science of slowing down, and how it unlocks your capacity for kindness.
• 46:43: The ultimate happiness hack for both introverts and extroverts.
• 51:44: What research says about how helping others will unlock more joy.
• 57:42: Why it’s time to break up with your phone.
• 1:05:33: How to find happiness in even the toughest moments. 
• 1:13:26: Simple everyday habits to use for an instant boost in happiness.
• 1:15:26: 3 steps to master self-compassion and overcome negative self-talk.
• 1:21:18: Why happiness is the key to making the world a better place.
• 1:25:57: Happiness professor gives you homework that’s essential for growth. 

‍Dr. Laurie Santos:

• Follow her on Instagram
• Visit her Yale University faculty profile
• Tune in to her podcast, The Happiness Lab
• Explore her free Yale course, The Science of Well-Being
• Check out her website
• Watch her TedTalk

‍Additional Resources:

• Yale University Comparative Cognition Laboratory: Dr. Santos Publications
• The New York Times: Over 3 Million People Took This Course on Happiness. Here’s What Some Learned.
• Journal of Experimental Psychology: Mistakenly Seeking Solitude
• Re-Quilibrum: Ashley Whillans: Time Affluence and Time Poverty
• The University of British Columbia: Not enjoying your dinner out? Try putting the phone away
• Journal of Experimental Social Psychology: Smartphone use undermines enjoyment of face-to-face social interactions
• The New York Times: Yale’s Most Popular Class Ever: Happiness
• Stanford University: Take Time to Be a Good Samaritan
• Science: Wandering mind not a happy mind
• Greater Good Magazine: Happiness Doesn’t Make You Ignore Social Problems
• Princeton University: Kahneman resolves conflict on income-wellbeing study, finds point at which unhappiness stops decreasing for unhappy people
• Psychological and Cognitive Sciences: Income and emotional well-being: A conflict resolved
• Mindful: It’s Time to Break Up with Your Phone
• The Washington Post: The Test of Time
• Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life
• Science: Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness
• New York Times: How to feel less lonely. 
• Harvard Business Review: 3 things that won’t make you happy.
• Forbes: 5 ways to break out of your slump. ‍
• Stanford Center on Longevity: Strong relationships help you live longer.