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PRX and Greater Good Science Center

Learn research-tested strategies for a happier, more meaningful life, drawing on the science of compassion, gratitude, mindfulness, and awe. Hosted by award-winning psychologist Dacher Keltner. Co-produced by PRX and UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. Follow us on Instagram @HappinessPod.

The Science of Happiness

Music helped former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne come out of his shell and connect with others—and research shows he's not alone. We explore the science behind how music shapes our social lives.

Summary: Musician and artist David Byrne reflects on how music opened his world as a shy kid, offering both an outlet and a sense of belonging. We delve into the science behind music's social power and how it can offer both personal transformation and collective healing.

How To Do This Practice:

 1. 
Tune Into What Moves You: 2. Think back to the first songs or sounds that made you feel something—excitement, belonging, or wonder. Create a playlist that reflects those emotions or moments.

 3. 
Create Space to Listen Deeply: 4. Put away distractions and really listen. Whether it's on a walk, lying down, or with headphones. Let the rhythm, lyrics, or mood take you somewhere new.

 5. 
Use Music as a Mirror: 6. Notice how the music reflects your mood, identity, or desires. Ask yourself: 
What is this music helping me feel or understand about myself? 7. 

 8. 
Make Music, Even Imperfectly: 9. Play an instrument, sing in the car, hum along. Do whatever feels natural. Self-expression through music doesn’t require perfection, only sincerity.

 10. 
Share It With Others: 11. Invite someone to listen with you, send a favorite song to a friend, or sing with a group. Social connection strengthens when we engage in music together.

 12. 
Let Music Move You Into Action or Insight: 13. Reflect on what the music stirs in you. Does it inspire creativity, protest, healing, or joy? Let that feeling guide how you show up in the world.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

DAVID BYRNE is an artist, writer, filmmaker, record producer, and frontman and guitarist for the band Talking Heads.

Visit David Byrne’s official website here: https://whoisthesky.davidbyrne.com/

PATRICK SAVAGE is an associate professor in the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University in Japan.

Learn more about Patrick Savage here: https://tokyo.mutek.org/en/speakers/patrick-savage

Related The Science of Happiness episodes: 

The Science of Awe Series: https://tinyurl.com/3jz8rnev

The Science of Singing Along: https://tinyurl.com/4nbb3v76

The Science of Humming: https://tinyurl.com/4esyy6nd

How Music Can Hold and Heal Us: https://tinyurl.com/49svzn4v

Related Happiness Breaks:

Music to Inspire Kindness in Kids: https://tinyurl.com/yjk344rd

A Humming Technique to Calm Your Nerves: https://tinyurl.com/mr42rzad

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/24ajj7xr

David Byrne on How Music Connects Us

Cultivate more joy in your life with this practice led by meditation teacher and author Spring Washam.

How to Do This Practice:

 1. 
Reflect on 2. an area of your life that brings you joy—whether it’s a small moment, an activity, or a connection.

 3. 
Imagine experiencing 4. that joyful moment. Feel the smiles, peace, and lightness it brings. Let yourself fully connect with the positive emotions.

 5. 
As you reflect, 6. silently say to yourself, 
“May my joy and my happiness increase.” 7. Allow this intention to sink into your heart.

 8. 
Bring to mind someone 9. in your life who is experiencing happiness or success. Picture them in their joyful state.

 10. 
In your mind, 11. say to them, 
“May your joy and happiness increase.” 12. Or, 
“I’m happy for your happiness. May your happiness continue.” 13. 

 14. 
Remind yourself 15. that joy is limitless, like the stars in the universe. Celebrating the joy of others enhances your own happiness.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

Spring Washam, is a meditation teacher based in Oakland, California. She is also the author of the book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. 

Learn more about Spring and her new book: https://www.springwasham.com/
Follow Spring on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/springwasham/
Check out Spring’s YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/22njyd29

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Tap into the Joy That Surrounds You: https://tinyurl.com/2pb8ye9x

Wishing Others’ Well, With Anushka Fernandopulle: https://tinyurl.com/jrkewjs8

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Where to Look for Joy: https://tinyurl.com/5n7thrh4

Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/483bkk2h

Why We Should Seek Beauty: https://tinyurl.com/yn7ry59j

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod 

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/24c7t4cf

Happiness Break: How to Awaken Joy, with Spring Washam

The case of the people person who fell out of love with people. 

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Summary: On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we’re featuring an episode from the Proxy podcast, hosted by Yowei Shaw. The episode follows Zakiya Gibbons, who also appeared on our show recently to explore science-based ways of connecting with her intuition. In this Proxy episode, Zakiya shares a personal reflection on how the pandemic altered her social life and sense of identity, offering an honest look at how our personalities can shift in response to major life changes.

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/d7vd44j4

Bonus: Zakiya Used to Be So Fun (Proxy podcast)

What if burnout isn’t a breaking point, but an invitation to slow down, tune in, and hear the intuition you have been trying to say all along?

Summary: When we’re deep in burnout, even the simplest decisions can feel overwhelming. This episode of The Science of Happiness explores the difference between urgency and intuition, and what it takes to rebuild trust in your inner knowing. It’s a conversation about slowing down, listening inward, and finding clarity on the other side of exhaustion.

How To Do This Practice: 

 1. 
Pause the noise: 2. Set aside 5–10 minutes without screens, music, or conversation. Let yourself settle into stillness, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.

 3. 
Feel your body: 4. Bring your attention inward. Notice physical sensations—tightness in your chest, a flutter in your gut, warmth in your hands—without trying to change them.

 5. 
Breathe and soften: 6. Take a few slow, gentle breaths. With each exhale, invite your body to soften and release any tension.

 7. 
Ask a simple question: 8. Bring to mind something you’re unsure about. Ask yourself softly, “What do I really know about this?” or “What feels true right now?”

 9. 
Notice what arises: 10. Pay attention to the first felt sense—not the loudest thought, but the quiet feeling underneath. It might show up as a word, image, emotion, or subtle pull in the body.

 11. 
Close with trust: 12. You don’t need a final answer. Just acknowledge what you noticed, thank yourself for listening, and carry that quiet knowing with you as you move forward.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

ZAKIYA GIBBONS is an award-winning journalist. She is a host, story editor, podcast producer, writer, and voice actor based in Brooklyn.

Learn more about Zakiya here: https://www.zakiyagibbons.com/

Follow Zakiya on Instagram: @zak_sauce

JOEL PEARSON is a Psychologist, Neuroscientist and public intellectual, keynote speaker, working at the forefront of science, innovation and agile science.

Learn more about Joel here: https://www.profjoelpearson.com/

Follow Joel on Instagram: @profjoelpearson

Related The Science of Happiness episodes: 

How Awe Helps You Navigate Life’s Challenges: https://tinyurl.com/2466rnm4

How Exploring New Places Can Make You Feel Happier: https://tinyurl.com/4ufn2tpn

Related Happiness Breaks:

Tap into the Joy That Surrounds You: https://tinyurl.com/2pb8ye9x

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4hbknadj

The Science of Trusting Your Intuition

Just a soft smile and a few minutes of breath can shift your mood, lower stress, and deepen your sense of connection.

How To Do This Practice: 

 1. 
Settle In: 2. Find a comfortable seat, rest your hands gently, and soften your gaze or close your eyes.

 3. 
Breathe and Soften: 4. Take a few slow, deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth, relaxing your face, jaw, and neck.

 5. 
Form a Gentle Smile: 6. Let a soft, effortless smile form at the corners of your mouth. Think of something or someone that makes you smile.

 7. 
Turn the Smile Inward: 8. Imagine that smile radiating inside your body, through your face, throat, and chest.

 9. 
Send the Smile Through Your Body: 10. With each breath, guide the smile to your heart, lungs, digestive system, and spine, acknowledging and appreciating each part.

 11. 
Close Gently: 12. Let the smile spread throughout your whole body, take one final deep breath, and slowly open your eyes, carrying the smile into the rest of your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

DACHER KELTNER is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and is a co-instructor of the Greater Good Science Center’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Take a Break With Our Loving-Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5

A Meditation on Original Love: https://tinyurl.com/5u298cv4

Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/46383mhx

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/483bkk2h

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

Why We Should Seek Beauty: https://tinyurl.com/yn7ry59j

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod. 

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/s4wk4x4y

Happiness Break: Smiling From The Inside Out

From childhood adventures to post-trauma recovery, explore how our parks support our well-being— and why access to them matters.

Summary: Nature has long been a source of wonder, healing, and connection. But access to those green spaces—from neighborhood parks to national treasures—are increasingly at risk. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we hear how awe-inspiring outdoor experiences can help us feel more alive and less alone, and what we can do to protect those spaces.

How To Do This Practice: 

 1. 
Step outside with intention 2. , even if it’s just to your backyard, a nearby park, or a patch of grass.

 3. 
Pause and take a few deep breaths 4. to ground yourself and shift your attention from doing to simply being.

 5. 
Notice the details around you 6. . The movement of leaves, the pattern of clouds, the sound of birds or distant traffic.

 7. 
Look for something that surprises or moves you 8. , no matter how small, like a weed blooming through concrete or shifting light on a tree.

 9. 
Let yourself feel whatever arises 10. , whether it’s wonder, calm, grief, or joy—there’s no right way to experience awe.

 11. 
Before you return indoors, take a moment to reflect 12. on what you saw or felt, and how it might shift your day or perspective.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

STACY BARE is a climber, mountaineer, and skier. Climbing helped Stacy recover from PTSD from a year in Baghdad as a Civil Affairs Team Leader in the Army. He is the recipient of the Bronze Star for merit and a combat action badge and named one of National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year for 2014.​

Follow Stacy on Instagram: @stacyabare

Add Stacy on Linkedin: https://tinyurl.com/49zazw8f

Related The Science of Happiness episodes: 

The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife: https://tinyurl.com/bde5av4z

How to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself): https://tinyurl.com/5b26zwkx

Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/mrutudeh

Related Happiness Breaks:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

A Walking Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/mwbsen7a

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3fv7695k

How Parks Keep Us Connected

What if you could tap into your inherent resilience at any time? Prentis Hemphill guides a meditation to turn good memories into a state of resilience.

How To Do This Practice:

 1. 
Get Comfortable in Your Body: 2. Find a position, seated, standing, or lying down, that feels right. Move, shake, or sound out anything that helps you arrive in your body.

 3. 
Conjure a Resilient Memory: 4. Call to mind a moment, place, or experience that makes you feel strong, creative, or connected, something that reminds you of your resilience.

 5. 
Let It Fill You Up: 6. Notice where that memory lives in your body, and let it expand into your arms, legs, face, and breath until it energizes your whole being.

 7. 
Turn It Up: 8. Amplify the sensation by 20%, letting it spill through your muscles and cells. Notice shifts in breath, posture, and energy.

 9. 
Turn It Down: 10. Gently reduce the sensation, bit by bit, and observe what changes. What stories re-emerge, how your body responds, and how you make that shift.

 11. 
Carry It With You: 12. Return to the present moment with the option to bring that resilience with you at the volume and intensity you need, knowing it’s always available.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

PRENTIS HEMPHILL is the founder of the Embodiment Institute, and a writer and therapist who prioritizes the body in their approach to healing.

Learn More About the Embodiment Institute: https://www.theembodimentinstitute.org/about

Check out Prentis’ website: https://prentishemphill.com

Follow Prentis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/prentishemphill

Follow Prentis on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4d99f4xs

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

Breathe Away Anxiety: https://tinyurl.com/3u7vsrr5

Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/483bkk2h

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/46383mhx

Happiness Break: Embodying Resilience, With Prentis Hemphill

How can we build a sense of hope when the future feels uncertain? Poet Tomás Morín tries a writing practice to make him feel more hopeful and motivated to work toward his goals.

Summary: Can writing about your hopes make you feel more optimistic? In this episode, poet Tomás Morin tries a hope-focused writing practice developed by psychologist Charlotte Van-Oyen Witvliet. Backed by research, the practice helps people feel more hopeful, motivated, and grounded in gratitude, even in the face of uncertainty.

How To Do This Practice: 

 1. 
Write about something 2. you deeply hope will happen, but can’t fully control.

 3. 
Reflect 4. on how important this hope is to you and how motivated you are to pursue it. 

 5. 
Recall a past hope 6. that once felt uncertain but eventually came true.

 7. 
Write about 8. what you’re grateful for from that experience, including who helped and what you learned.

 9. 
Connect 10. what you learned then to what you’re hoping for now.

 11. 
End 12. by naming one small action you can take today toward your current hope.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

TOMÁS MORIN is a poet who won an American Poetry Review Honickman First Book Prize for his collection of poems A Larger Country. He’s currently a professor at Rice University.

Check out Tomás’ work: https://www.tomasqmorin.com/
|Read some of Tomás’ poems: https://tinyurl.com/3v8u6m5h
Read Tomás’ latest book: https://tinyurl.com/aej9cw3a

CHARLOTTE VAN OYEN-WITVLIET is a clinical psychologist who teaches at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.
Learn more about Charlotte’s work: https://tinyurl.com/yc65w4nu

Related The Science of Happiness episodes: 

Climate, Hope, & Science Series: https://tinyurl.com/pb27rep
Why Going Offline Might Save Us: https://tinyurl.com/e7rhsakj
How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc
How To Feel Better About Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/42fn62a2

Related Happiness Breaks:

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y
5 Minutes of Gratitude: https://tinyurl.com/r6pkw2xx
A Humming Technique to Calm Your Nerves: https://tinyurl.com/mr42rzad

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/557waxw7

How to Feel More Hopeful

Does your to-do list feel endless? Try this short, guided practice to help you reflect, reconnect, and release the pressure to do it all perfectly.

How To Do This Practice:

 1. 
Find a Comfortable Posture: 2. Sit or stand tall with a sense of dignity, grounded, yet relaxed.

 3. 
Take Three Cleansing Breaths: 4. Inhale twice through the nose, then exhale slowly through the mouth. Repeat this three times to settle into the moment.

 5. 
Scan Your Body from Head to Toe: 6. Gently bring your attention to each part of your body, noticing sensations and letting go of any tension as you move downward.

 7. 
Visualize Your To-Do List as Floating Bubbles: 8. Imagine each task as a bubble above you. Observe them without judgment, simply noticing their presence.

 9. 
Ask Reflective Questions: 10. Is it the number of tasks that’s overwhelming, or is it fear of forgetting, failing, or letting someone down? What’s truly fueling your stress?

 11. 
Recenter with Gratitude and Self-Compassion: 12. Acknowledge that being needed is a form of purpose. Remind yourself that even if not everything gets done, you are still enough and already whole.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Explore more talks, workshops, and resources atggsc.berkeley.edu/speaking.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

KIA AFCARI is the director of Greater Good Workplaces at GGSC. Kia grounds his work in the science of well-being, prosociality, and contemplative practices and uses creative methods like “instant dance parties” and Boal-informed theater techniques to achieve results.

Watch Kia’s TED Talk on reshaping diversity, equity, and inclusion here: https://tinyurl.com/483tdjp5

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

Who Takes Care of You: https://tinyurl.com/5xmfkf73

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/5dvk3d7m

Happiness Break: A Meditation For When You Have Too Much To Do

What happens when the world sees you as a hero, but you feel lost inside? Abby Wambach, a trailblazer in women’s soccer, shares how facing life’s challenges after retirement helped her discover truth, healing, and self-love. 

Summary: Abby Wambach spent years chasing excellence as a world-class athlete, only to find that winning gold didn’t bring the inner fulfillment she craved. In this powerful conversation, she reflects on addiction, shame, identity, and the hard-earned lessons of self-love. Her honesty reveals a new kind of strength. One rooted in vulnerability and the courage to be fully seen.

This episode was supported by a grant from The John Templeton Foundation on Spreading Love Through The media.

How To Do This Practice: 

 1. 
Acknowledge 2. the belief that achievement or perfection will make you feel whole.

 3. 
Notice 4. when success doesn’t bring lasting happiness, and let yourself feel that disappointment.

 5. 
Share your struggles 6. honestly, even the ones you're ashamed of.

 7. 
Choose to live openly 8. instead of hiding parts of yourself to fit others’ expectations.

 9. 
Ask yourself 10. where your beliefs about worthiness and shame come from.

 11. 
Keep coming back to love 12. and accept yourself, especially the parts you were taught to hide.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

ABBY WAMBACH is a two time World Olympic gold medalist, FIFA world champion, and bestselling author. She is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and a six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award.

Follow Abby on Instagram here: @abbywambach

Order her book We Can Do Hard Things here: https://treatmedia.com/

Listen to Abby’s podcast here: https://wecandohardthingspodcast.com/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes: 

Why Going Offline Might Save Us: https://tinyurl.com/e7rhsakj

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/3x7w2s5s

How Awe Helps You Navigate Life’s Challenges: https://tinyurl.com/2466rnm4

Related Happiness Breaks:

Take a Break With Our Loving-Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/25p25ctd

How To Do Hard Things

Our guest uses her breath to find calm in some of Los Angeles' noisiest neighborhoods.

Link to Episode Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yc7ccv7x

How to Tune Out the Noise

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