Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin was warned that her eyesight was in peril. It shocked her into realising she'd taken all of her five senses for granted - and so she resolved to wring every ounce of joy from the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures around her.  

Concluding her conversation with Dr Laurie Santos, Gretchen explains how to be more alive to smell, taste and touch - building on the ideas in her new book Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World.

Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin was warned that her eyesight was in peril. It shocked her into realising she'd taken all of her five senses for granted - and so she resolved to wring every ounce of joy from the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures around her.  
Concluding her conversation with Dr Laurie Santos, Gretchen explains how to be more alive to smell, taste and touch - building on the ideas in her new book Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World.

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

Smell, Taste and Touch: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a1ac7ff7-91f9-41c5-8be2-afe400de7f10/transcript

Struggling to find free time? Feeling constantly busy or burned out? This episode is for you. Dr. Laurie explores the science behind “time famine,” the nagging sense that there’s never enough time in the day.

Writer Tom Hodgkinson, author of How to Be Idle, makes a provocative case that doing nothing (napping, daydreaming, even staring out the window) isn’t laziness, but a powerful path to greater happiness and creativity.

Plus, Harvard professor Ashley Whillans explains why we keep prioritizing money over time and what that trade-off is really costing us.

Experts Mentioned:
Tom Hodgkinson, founder and editor of The Idler and author of How to Be Idle
Ashley Whillans, Harvard Business School professor and author of Time Smart
Cassie Mogilner, UCLA professor of marketing and behavioral decision making
Michael I. Norton, Harvard Business School professor of business administration 
John M. Darley and C. Daniel Batson, psychologists behind the Good Samaritan helping study.

Resources Mentioned:
The Idler, founded by Tom Hodgkinson
How to Be Idle, by Tom Hodgkinson (2004)
Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life, by Ashley V. Whillans (Harvard Business Review Press, 2020)
“Time, Money, and Subjective Well-Being”, by Cassie Mogilner, Ashley V. Whillans, and Michael I. Norton (Handbook of Well-Being, 2018)
“Buying Time Promotes Happiness”, by Ashley V. Whillans, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Paul Smeets, Rene Bekkers, and Michael I. Norton (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017)
“From Jerusalem to Jericho: A Study of Situational and Dispositional Variables in Helping Behavior”, by John M. Darley and C. Daniel Batson (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1973)
“Valuing Time Over Money Is Associated With Greater Happiness”, by Ashley V. Whillans, Aaron C. Weidman, and Elizabeth W. Dunn (Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2016)
“Valuing Time Over Money Is Associated With Greater Social Connection”, by Ashley V. Whillans and Elizabeth W. Dunn (Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2018)
“Thinking About Time As Money Decreases Environmental Behavior”, by Ashley V. Whillans and Elizabeth W. Dunn (Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2015)
“Time Affluence as a Path Toward Personal Happiness and Ethical Business Practice: Empirical Evidence From Four Studies”, by Tim Kasser and Kennon M. Sheldon (Journal of Business Ethics, 2008)

Related Episodes:
“Are We Born to Work? Or Born to Live?”
“Working Your Way to Happiness”
“Stop Wasting Your Energy — Here’s What to Do Instead”
“The Happiness Lessons Helping Win Olympic Medals”

Struggling to find free time? Feeling constantly busy or burned out? This episode is for you.&nbsp;Dr. Laurie explores the science behind &ldquo;time famine,&rdquo; the nagging sense that there&rsquo;s never enough time in the day.
Writer&nbsp;Tom Hodgkinson, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Idle-Loafers-Manifesto/dp/0060779691">How to Be Idle</a>, makes a provocative case that doing nothing (napping, daydreaming, even staring out the window) isn&rsquo;t laziness, but a powerful path to greater happiness and creativity.
Plus, Harvard professor Ashley Whillans explains why we keep prioritizing money over time and what that trade-off is really costing us.
Experts Mentioned:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.idler.co.uk/">Tom Hodgkinson</a>, founder and editor of The Idler and author of How to Be Idle</li>
<li><a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=943704">Ashley Whillans</a>, Harvard Business School professor and author of Time Smart</li>
<li><a href="https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty-and-research/marketing/faculty/mogilner-holmes">Cassie Mogilner</a>, UCLA professor of marketing and behavioral decision making</li>
<li><a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=326229">Michael I. Norton</a>, Harvard Business School professor of business administration&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.princeton.edu/news/2018/09/13/social-psychologist-john-darley-early-researcher-bystander-intervention-dies-80">John M. Darley</a> and <a href="https://psychology.ku.edu/people/c-daniel-batson">C. Daniel Batson</a>, psychologists behind the Good Samaritan helping study.</li>
</ul>
Resources Mentioned:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.idler.co.uk/">The Idler</a>, founded by Tom Hodgkinson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/54768/how-to-be-idle-by-tom-hodgkinson/9780141015064">How to Be Idle</a>, by Tom Hodgkinson (2004)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid/publications/time-smart-how-reclaim-your-time-and-live-happier-life">Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life</a>, by Ashley V. Whillans (Harvard Business Review Press, 2020)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=53781">&ldquo;Time, Money, and Subjective Well-Being&rdquo;</a>, by Cassie Mogilner, Ashley V. Whillans, and Michael I. Norton (Handbook of Well-Being, 2018)</li>
<li><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5559044/">&ldquo;Buying Time Promotes Happiness&rdquo;</a>, by Ashley V. Whillans, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Paul Smeets, Rene Bekkers, and Michael I. Norton (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017)</li>
<li><a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034449">&ldquo;From Jerusalem to Jericho: A Study of Situational and Dispositional Variables in Helping Behavior&rdquo;</a>, by John M. Darley and C. Daniel Batson (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1973)</li>
<li><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550615623842">&ldquo;Valuing Time Over Money Is Associated With Greater Happiness&rdquo;</a>, by Ashley V. Whillans, Aaron C. Weidman, and Elizabeth W. Dunn (Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2016)</li>
<li><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407518791322">&ldquo;Valuing Time Over Money Is Associated With Greater Social Connection&rdquo;</a>, by Ashley V. Whillans and Elizabeth W. Dunn (Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2018)</li>
<li><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2014.12.001">&ldquo;Thinking About Time As Money Decreases Environmental Behavior&rdquo;</a>, by Ashley V. Whillans and Elizabeth W. Dunn (Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2015)</li>
<li><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9696-1">&ldquo;Time Affluence as a Path Toward Personal Happiness and Ethical Business Practice: Empirical Evidence From Four Studies&rdquo;</a>, by Tim Kasser and Kennon M. Sheldon (Journal of Business Ethics, 2008)</li>
</ul>
Related Episodes:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/q-are-we-born-to-work-or-born-to-live">Are We Born to Work? Or Born to Live?</a>&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/working-your-way-to-happiness">Working Your Way to Happiness</a>&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/stop-wasting-your-energy-heres-what-to-do-instead-with-dr-diana-hill">Stop Wasting Your Energy &mdash;&nbsp;Here&rsquo;s What to Do Instead</a>&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/the-happiness-lessons-helping-win-olympic-medals">The Happiness Lessons Helping Win Olympic Medals</a>&rdquo;</li>
</ul>

The Art of Doing Nothing

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/073b67d3-2ea0-4053-aad0-b444014e3e33/transcript

We hear a lot about how screens affect our mental health, but time spent on computers and smartphones is having just as much of an impact on our physical health — from brain fog and weakened core muscles to changes in our posture, our sleep, and even the shape of our eyes.

As part of our series on spring cleaning your wellbeing, Dr. Laurie sits down with journalist and podcast host Manoush Zomorodi, author of Body Electric, to explore how modern tech habits are affecting us physically, and what steps we can take to protect our health in a world where screens aren’t going away anytime soon.

Experts Mentioned:
Manoush Zomorodi, journalist, author, and host of NPR's TED Radio Hour
Dr. Keith Diaz, exercise physiologist and Florence Irving Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center
Dr. Maria Liu, Professor of Clinical Optometry at UC Berkeley and founder of the Myopia Control Clinic
Dr. Rick Neitzel, Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Michigan 
Dr. Peter Strick, Thomas Detre Professor and Chair of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Sahib Khalsa, psychiatrist and neuroscientist at UCLA 

Resources Mentioned:
Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being, by Manoush Zomorodi (2026)
Body Electric, a six-part podcast series by Manoush Zomorodi (National Public Radio, 2023)
"Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting to Improve Cardiometabolic Risk: Dose-Response Analysis of a Randomized Crossover Trial," by Keith M. Diaz et al. (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2023)
"The Mind-Body Problem: Circuits That Link the Cerebral Cortex to the Adrenal Medulla," by Richard P. Dum, David J. Levinthal, and Peter L. Strick (PNAS, 2019)
Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self, by Manoush Zomorodi (2017)

Related Episodes:
"How I Stopped Fearing Boredom"
"How Our Screen Habits Impact Our Stress Levels"
"Smell, Taste and Touch: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses"
“Sight and Sound: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses”

We hear a lot about how screens affect our mental health, but time spent on computers and smartphones is having just as much of an impact on our physical health &mdash; from brain fog and weakened core muscles to changes in our posture, our sleep, and even the shape of our eyes.
As part of our series on spring cleaning your wellbeing, Dr. Laurie sits down with journalist and podcast host Manoush Zomorodi, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Body-Electric-Digital-Science-Well-Being/dp/1250411203">Body Electric</a>, to explore how modern tech habits are affecting us physically, and what steps we can take to protect our health in a world where screens aren&rsquo;t going away anytime soon.
Experts Mentioned:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.manoushz.com/">Manoush Zomorodi</a>, journalist, author, and host of NPR's TED Radio Hour</li>
<li><a href="https://www.columbiacardiology.org/profile/keith-diaz-phd">Dr. Keith Diaz</a>, exercise physiologist and Florence Irving Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center</li>
<li><a href="https://optometry.berkeley.edu/people/yue-maria-liu-od-phd/">Dr. Maria Liu</a>, Professor of Clinical Optometry at UC Berkeley and founder of the Myopia Control Clinic</li>
<li><a href="https://sph.umich.edu/faculty-profiles/neitzel-richard.html">Dr. Rick Neitzel</a>, Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Michigan&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnup.pitt.edu/people/peter-l-strick-phd">Dr. Peter Strick</a>, Thomas Detre Professor and Chair of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh</li>
<li><a href="https://www.uclahealth.org/providers/sahib-khalsa">Dr. Sahib Khalsa</a>, psychiatrist and neuroscientist at UCLA&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Resources Mentioned:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Body-Electric-Digital-Science-Well-Being/dp/1250411203">Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being</a>, by Manoush Zomorodi (2026)</li>
<li><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/body-electric/id1716971321">Body Electric</a>, a six-part podcast series by Manoush Zomorodi (National Public Radio, 2023)</li>
<li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36728338/">"Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting to Improve Cardiometabolic Risk: Dose-Response Analysis of a Randomized Crossover Trial,"</a> by Keith M. Diaz et al. (Medicine &amp; Science in Sports &amp; Exercise, 2023)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1902297116">"The Mind-Body Problem: Circuits That Link the Cerebral Cortex to the Adrenal Medulla,"</a> by Richard P. Dum, David J. Levinthal, and Peter L. Strick (PNAS, 2019)</li>
<li><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/bored-and-brilliant/id6754063669">Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self</a>, by Manoush Zomorodi (2017)</li>
</ul>
Related Episodes:
<ul>
<li>"<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/how-i-stopped-fearing-boredom">How I Stopped Fearing Boredom</a>"</li>
<li>"<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/bonus-good-screens-and-bad-screens">How Our Screen Habits Impact Our Stress Levels</a>"</li>
<li>"<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/smell-taste-and-touch-how-to-joyfully-awaken-your-senses">Smell, Taste and Touch: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses</a>"</li>
<li>&ldquo;<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/sight-and-sound-how-to-joyfully-awaken-your-senses">Sight and Sound: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses</a>&rdquo;</li>
</ul>

What Screen Time Is Really Doing to Your Body with Manoush Zomorodi

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/476ad9c0-5f4e-4577-a21b-b43d01386ec0/transcript

Buying something new can trigger a rush of dopamine, leading to a momentary boost in happiness. But the rush is fleeting, and over time, our possessions can end up weighing us down more than they lift us up.

As part of our series on spring cleaning your wellbeing, Dr. Laurie explores why material things so often fail to make us happier, and why experiences are usually a better investment in our long-term wellbeing. Along the way, she talks with psychologist Bruce Hood, researcher Amit Kumar, and writer Cait Flanders, who reflects on the psychological benefits of shifting from a maximalist lifestyle to a minimalist one.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s actually worth the time and effort to clean out your closet, this episode offers some answers.

Experts Mentioned:
Bruce Hood, professor of developmental psychology in society at the University of Bristol
Amit Kumar, assistant professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Texas at Austin
Cait Flanders, author of The Year of Less and Adventures in Opting Out
Richard Easterlin, economist and professor at the University of Southern California, originator of the Easterlin Paradox

Resources Mentioned:
Possessed: Why We Want More Than We Need, by Bruce Hood (2019)
The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store, by Cait Flanders (2018)
“Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence” by Richard A. Easterlin (Nations and Households in Economic Growth, 1974)

Related Episodes:
"The Unhappy Millionaire"
"Why Giving Money to Others Makes Us Happier"
"You Can't Always Want What You Like"

Buying something new can trigger a rush of dopamine, leading to a momentary boost in happiness. But the rush is fleeting, and over time, our possessions can end up weighing us down more than they lift us up.
As part of our series on spring cleaning your wellbeing, Dr. Laurie explores why material things so often fail to make us happier, and why experiences are usually a better investment in our long-term wellbeing. Along the way, she talks with psychologist Bruce Hood, researcher Amit Kumar, and writer Cait Flanders, who reflects on the psychological benefits of shifting from a maximalist lifestyle to a minimalist one.
If you&rsquo;ve ever wondered whether it&rsquo;s actually worth the time and effort to clean out your closet, this episode offers some answers.
Experts Mentioned:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://brucemhood.wordpress.com/">Bruce Hood</a>, professor of developmental psychology in society at the University of Bristol</li>
<li><a href="https://www.kumar-amit.com/">Amit Kumar</a>, assistant professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Texas at Austin</li>
<li><a href="https://www.caitflanders.com/">Cait Flanders</a>, author of The Year of Less and Adventures in Opting Out</li>
<li><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pBYzJL8AAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Richard Easterlin</a>, economist and professor at the University of Southern California, originator of the Easterlin Paradox</li>
</ul>
Resources Mentioned:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/possessed/id1472993321">Possessed: Why We Want More Than We Need</a>, by Bruce Hood (2019)</li>
<li><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-year-of-less/id1420584142">The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store</a>, by Cait Flanders (2018)</li>
<li>&ldquo;<a href="https://huwdixon.org/teaching/cei/Easterlin1974.pdf">Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence</a>&rdquo; by Richard A. Easterlin (Nations and Households in Economic Growth, 1974)</li>
</ul>
Related Episodes:
<ul>
<li>"<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/the-unhappy-millionaire">The Unhappy Millionaire</a>"</li>
<li>"<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/giving-tuesday-why-giving-money-to-others-makes-us-happier">Why Giving Money to Others Makes Us Happier</a>"</li>
<li>"<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/you-cant-always-want-what-you-like">You Can't Always Want What You Like</a>"</li>
</ul>

Why More Stuff Doesn’t Make You Happier

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2cd84ad8-a301-4096-8315-b43601345a6e/transcript

Smell, Taste and Touch: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses

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