"What can we do to find hope when times are tough?" That was the question posed to Dr Laurie for a live recording of IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson at the 2025 SXSW festival. 

Dr Laurie explained what science says about retaining hope and how we can act in ways that make us feel better even in bleak times - and the former First Lady shared her tips for staying hopeful. 

IMO is a new show hosted by Michelle and her brother Craig - with guests ranging from Jay Shetty to Seth Rogen.  

Listen to IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson wherever you get your podcasts. 

"What can we do to find hope when times are tough?" That was the question posed to Dr Laurie for a live recording of <a href="https://www.imopod.com/">IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson</a> at the 2025 SXSW festival.&nbsp;
Dr Laurie explained what science says about retaining hope and how we can act in ways that make us feel better even in bleak times - and the former First Lady shared her tips for staying hopeful.&nbsp;
IMO is a new show hosted by Michelle and her brother Craig - with guests ranging from Jay Shetty to Seth Rogen.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Listen to <a href="https://www.imopod.com/">IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson</a> wherever you get your podcasts.&nbsp;

You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life… more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You’re dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on the psychology course she teaches at Yale -- the most popular class in the university’s 300-year history -- Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness.

You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life… more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You’re dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on the psychology course she teaches at Yale -- the most popular class in the university’s 300-year history -- Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness.

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

How to Stay Hopeful (Live from SXSW with Michelle Obama)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f0d6cf53-9869-4a61-8a47-b2ba00bcbb68/transcript

Clinical psychologist Dr Becky Kennedy thinks every child is “good inside” even when they’re behaving badly. So to tackle tantrums or rule-breaking, she argues that parents must set clear boundaries for acceptable behaviour, but also seek to understand why their children are misbehaving. 

If a child is acting "badly" because they are disappointed, sad, frustrated, jealous, or uncomfortable, then a parent's job is to help their kid deal with those feelings and build up more resilience to common emotions that they'll experience throughout life.

Hear more of Dr Becky's parenting tips on her podcast Good Inside With Dr Becky

This series on parenting coincides with Dr Laurie's new free online class, The Science of Wellbeing for Parents which is available now at Coursera.org. You can sign up at drlauriesantos.com/parents.

 

Clinical psychologist <a href="https://www.goodinside.com/">Dr Becky Kennedy</a> thinks every child is &ldquo;good inside&rdquo; even when they&rsquo;re behaving badly. So to tackle tantrums or rule-breaking, she argues that parents must set clear boundaries for acceptable behaviour, but also seek to understand why their children are misbehaving.&nbsp;
If a child is acting "badly" because they are disappointed, sad, frustrated, jealous, or uncomfortable, then a parent's job is to help their kid deal with those feelings and build up more resilience to common emotions that they'll experience throughout life.
Hear more of Dr Becky's parenting tips on her podcast <a href="https://www.goodinside.com/podcast/">Good Inside With Dr Becky</a>
This series on parenting coincides with Dr Laurie's&nbsp;new free online class, The&nbsp;Science of Wellbeing for Parents which is available now at <a href="https://www.coursera.org/">Coursera.org</a>. You can sign up at&nbsp;<a href="http://drlauriesantos.com/parents">drlauriesantos.com/parents</a>.
&nbsp;

How to Tackle Bad Behaviour (with Dr Becky Kennedy)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1d24839f-60c5-4db7-8567-b2d500ef2c8e/transcript

Nordic countries are known to be happy - so should we all raise our children like the Scandinavians do? British parent Helen Russell moved to Denmark and was shocked that Danish children play outside in all weathers; are given sharp tools and they're shown how to light matches.

In her book The Danish Secret to Happy Kids: How the Viking Way of Raising Children Makes Them Happier, Healthier, and More Independent, Helen explains why play, risk and independence are the cornerstones of "viking" parenting.    

This series on parenting coincides with Dr Laurie's new free online class, The Science of Wellbeing for Parents which is available now at Coursera.org. You can sign up at drlauriesantos.com/parents.

Nordic countries are known to be happy - so should we all raise our children like the Scandinavians do? British parent Helen Russell moved to Denmark and was shocked that Danish children play outside in all weathers; are given sharp tools and they're shown how to light matches.
In her book <a href="https://www.helenrussell.co.uk/books/how-to-raise-a-viking/">The Danish Secret to Happy Kids: How the Viking Way of Raising Children Makes Them Happier, Healthier, and More Independent</a>, Helen explains why play, risk and independence are the cornerstones of "viking" parenting.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
This series on parenting coincides with Dr Laurie's&nbsp;new free online class, The&nbsp;Science of Wellbeing for Parents which is available now at <a href="https://www.coursera.org/">Coursera.org</a>. You can sign up at&nbsp;<a href="http://drlauriesantos.com/parents">drlauriesantos.com/parents</a>.

Is a "Viking" Childhood a Happier Childhood (with Helen Russell)?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d2b57c3e-5a99-404d-b7f8-b2cf00b96a0c/transcript

Parents are never perfect - but their mistakes can have a lasting impact on their children. We all carry with us ideas and attitudes planted in us during childhood - and they're not always very helpful for leading a happy life. How can we unlearn some of these things and also prevent ourselves from passing them on if we have kids?

Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach have raised three children together - so have lots of thoughts on this topic. The couple behind the hit podcast We Can Do Hard Things(and a new book We Can Do Hard Things) tell Dr Laurie how they've learned from their upbringings and decided to do a better job with their own family. 

Get ad-free episodes to The Happiness Lab by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. 

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

Parents are never perfect - but their mistakes can have a lasting impact on their children. We all carry with us ideas and attitudes planted in us during childhood - and they're not always very helpful for leading a happy life. How can we unlearn some of these things and also prevent ourselves from passing them on if we have kids?
Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach have raised three children together - so have lots of thoughts on this topic. The couple behind the hit podcast <a href="https://wecandohardthingspodcast.com/">We Can Do Hard Things</a> (and a new book We Can Do Hard Things) tell Dr Laurie how they've learned from their upbringings and decided to do a better job with their own family.&nbsp;
<hr>
Get ad-free episodes to The Happiness Lab by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or <a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin">Pushkin.fm</a>. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.&nbsp;
Subscribe on Apple: <a href="http://apple.co/pushkin">apple.co/pushkin</a> Subscribe on Pushkin:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin">pushkin.fm/plus</a>

How Not to Repeat Your Parents' Mistakes (with Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/80092395-c31c-47c3-b2a9-b2cf00abc4f4/transcript

How to Stay Hopeful (Live from SXSW with Michelle Obama)

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