10% Happier With Dan Harris

How do you stay calm when the stakes are sky-high — like your kid's health, your partner's wellbeing, or the future of the planet? How do you face chronic pain without falling into self-pity? And how do you actually turn meditation from a good intention into a real habit? In this bonus episode, Dan sits down with the brilliant meditation teacher and author Sebene Selassie for one of our weekly live sessions — a combo of guided meditation and audience Q&A that usually happens for subscribers over at DanHarris.com. We're sharing this one for free so you can get a taste. Together, Dan and Sebene dig into: Practicing non-attachment when life feels anything but abstract Meeting chronic pain and illness with compassion (without spiritual bypassing) The real psychology of habit formation — and why it's not your fault if you struggle to "just meditate" What the Buddhist teachings actually say about impermanence, rebirth, and the self You'll also hear a grounding 10-minute guided meditation, some laughte

How not to forget what actually matters. Soren Gordhamer is the host of Wisdom 2.0, a conference about mindfulness and compassion in the modern age. He's also a Co-Founder and General Partner of Wisdom Ventures, which invests in companies creating a more just and compassionate world. His new book is called THE ESSENTIAL: Discovering What Really Matters in an Age of Distraction.   In this episode we talk about: What Soren means by "the essential" The current and future impact of AI on the economy, our mental health, and society at large  What Soren thinks the world looks like in 5, 10, 15 years from now Useful strategies for managing technology with an iota of balance and wisdom How to get familiar with the unseen stories that run your life—so that they Don't have so much power over you The number one question for our time, per Soren   Whether or not we humans are actually going to do this "essential" work before it's too late Whether the people designing these systems have the best interest of the species a

How to focus your "genius energy" on what matters most.   Diana Hill, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, international trainer, podcast host, and a leading expert on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)—a revolutionary approach to psychology that is changing our understanding of mental health. She is the author of four books including I Know I Should Exercise, But…, The Self-Compassion Daily Journal, ACT Daily Journal, and her latest, Wise Effort.   In this episode we talk about: The concept of "Wise Effort" ( aligning your energy and actions with your core values) The practice of diffusing your thoughts Three things that get in the way of "Wise Effort"  The role of radical acceptance How to spot "energy depletors"  A practice she calls  "Yes, yes, thank you, thank you"  And much more Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us o

It's one of those ideas that sounds kind of like a Zen riddle, but actually turns out to be incredibly useful: what's in the way is the way. If you've ever sat down to meditate and thought, "Ugh, I can't focus — my mind's all over the place," or, "If only this restlessness would go away, then I could really meditate," this one's for you. Christiane's going to show us how those so-called obstacles — the distractions, the boredom, the racing thoughts — can actually become the practice itself. All this month, we're sharing custom guided meditations from our teacher of the month, Christiane Wolf exclusively available at DanHarris.com. Like any good drug dealer, the first taste is free – so today, we're giving you a sample of what you can expect for the rest of the month. Related Episodes:  Is Your Ambition Rooted In Trauma? | Christiane Wolf Peak Performance at Any Age | Christiane Wolf (Dharma Teacher/Doctor/Ultramarathoner)     Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcas

We're sharing an episode of The Paula Faris Show on which Dan was a guest. Here's Paula's introduction: From theological debates to newsroom banter, Dan Harris and I couldn't be more different — I grew up in a Midwest Conservative Christian home, while Dan grew up as an East Coast Liberal who had a Bar Mitzvah for the money (his words!). But our unlikely friendship as co-anchors on Good Morning America became a lesson in empathy, curiosity, and the beauty of bridging divides. In this candid and hilarious reunion, Dan and I talk about media bias, religious differences, and how pushing each other made us better journalists — and better people. It's a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when you stop avoiding the hard conversations and start leaning in and the science behind the importance of having people in our lives who are different from us.  From Bar Mitzvahs to Bible studies, this episode will make you laugh, reflect, and maybe even text a friend who sees the world a little differently than you do. S

Plus: How to take your thoughts less seriously and be the calmest person in the room. GuoGu (AKA Dr. Jimmy Yu) is the founder of the Tallahassee Chan Center  and a Professor of Buddhism and East Asian religions at Florida State University. He is the author of several books, including The Essence of Chan (2012), Passing Through the Gateless Barrier (2016), and Silent Illumination (2021).  In this episode we talk about: Embodied experiencing  How words and language shape our reality  The practice of wonderment  Body scan meditation  The importance of relaxation — and how to do it if you have pain  The 4 things you need in order for meditation to do its job  How to carry all of this into daily life — GuoGu gets super practical here Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel   Additional Resources:  Tallahassee Chan Center & Talks by Guo Gu (YouTube Channel)   Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast wit

How to handle people better.   Isabelle Morley is a clinical psychologist and EFT-certified couples therapist (Emotionally Focused Therapy). She is a contributing author to Psychology Today, and has been featured in The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, Business Insider, Vox, and Very Well Mind, among others. Her latest book is They're Not Gaslighting You: Ditch the Therapy Speak and Stop Hunting for Red Flags in Every Relationship.   In this episode we talk about: The difference between abuse and bad behavior How to know if you're really in an abusive relationship How to correctly use the term 'gaslighting' What boundaries are, how to set them, and how to know if yours have actually been violated How to spot a narcissist  The difference between having Narcissistic Personality Disorder and just having selfish qualities Red flags vs. garden-variety imperfections The definition and weaponization of terms like 'bipolar' and 'borderline' The overuse of the word 'triggered' Basic tips for navigating relationships be

What if the very thing you think is blocking your progress in meditation — or in life — is actually the doorway forward? In this conversation with Dr. Christiane Wolf, hosted by DJ Cashmere, we explore how to work with expectations, frustration, and the belief that life needs to be different before we can be okay. Christiane shares clear, compassionate wisdom for turning toward difficulty instead of fighting it — and for discovering that what feels like the problem can become the path. Christiane is a physician, longtime meditation teacher, and author of Outsmart Your Pain and A Clinician's Guide to Teaching Mindfulness. She's known for blending deep Buddhist insight with warmth and humor. We're also thrilled to share that Christiane will be our Teacher of the Month for November, leading meditations and conversations throughout the month in the DanHarris.com Substack community.   Related Episodes: Peak Performance at Any Age | Christiane Wolf (Dharma Teacher/Doctor/Ultramarathoner) How to Outsmart Your Pain

If your inner narrator won't give it a rest — constantly judging, narrating, or second-guessing you — you're in good company. In this live conversation from our weekly Substack sessions, Dan sits down with meditation teacher Dawn Mauricio to explore how to work with the nonstop chatter in your mind. They dig into common pitfalls like self-judgment, overthinking, and the feeling that you're "failing" at meditation — and how small mindset shifts can turn those moments into wins. Dawn offers practical, kind, and often funny guidance for bringing gentleness and curiosity to your practice, whether your eyes are closed on the cushion or open while doomscrolling. Plus, Dan and Dawn swap tips on finding meditation community, celebrating awareness instead of berating yourself, and making mindfulness a little more doable — even when your mind won't shut up.   Related Episodes: Am I Meditating Correctly? Am I Doing the Right Kind?How to Handle Difficult People | Dawn Mauricio    Tickets are now on sale for a special li

An antidote to boredom and stuckness. Sarah Ruhl is an award-winning American playwright, author, essayist, and professor. Her latest book is Lessons from My Teachers: From Preschool to the Present.   In this episode we talk about: How to orient towards the world with an eagerness to learn  How to approach our lives not only as students, but also as teachers Unpacking the moment when "the student becomes the master" What does it mean to have a meditation teacher?  Being open to synchronicity or signs from the universe Is everything magic?  What Sarah's learned from the venerable psychiatrist Dr. Mark Epstein What it means to "leave an emotion alone" Related Episodes:  A Deeply Healthy Kind of Perfectionism | Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo How To Find Joy In an Anxious World |Sara Bareilles and Dacher Keltner Sara Bareilles: Anxiety, Anger, and Art   Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel   Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of th

An often overlooked secret, from a U. Chicago happiness expert.   Shigehiro Oishi is the Marshall Field IV Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago. He is one of the foremost authorities on happiness, meaning, and culture. His newest book is Life in Three Dimensions: How Curiosity, Exploration, and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life.   In this episode we talk about: How our obsession with productivity is flattening and dulling our lives The definitions of both happiness and meaning—both of which have, until now, been considered the main paths to a good life  The potential downsides of pursuing happiness and meaning  Shige introduces his third path to a good life—psychological richness  Skills for developing psychological richness Tools for becoming more playful The difficult balance between detachment and healthy ambition  How to reframe adverse experiences Re-storying tools for reframing the "hard shit" in our lives And much more Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Insta

Sharing an episode featuring Dan from a podcast we love, Think Fast, Talk Smart. Whether presenting to millions on live television or talking to just one person, Dan Harris knows that the quality of every interaction depends on the presence you bring to it. Harris is a former national news anchor for ABC News and is now the host of the 10% Happier podcast and author of 10% Happier and Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. As he knows from experience, there’s power in “Waking up to something fundamental, that the mind is out of control, and you don't want to be owned by it.” How do we break the pattern of being controlled by our thoughts? Mindfulness and self-awareness, he says, put “distance” between us and our “thoughts and urges and emotions,” enabling us to connect with ourselves and others with greater consciousness and clarity. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Harris and host Matt Abrahams discuss how mindfulness can transform our communication, sharing strategies for deeper listening, responding v

If the idea of “sending love to all beings” makes you roll your eyes, this episode is for you. Dan leads a guided meditation, suitable for all levels of experience. Originally recorded during one of our live sangha gatherings on Substack, which are open to paid subscribers at DanHarris.com.  Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here! Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket! Join Dan’s online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

A performance coach and bestselling author shares practical tools for thriving in crisis, shaving down the ego, and designing the life you want.   #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Murphy is a Performance Coach to some of the best athletes and leaders in the world. In addition to coaching professional athletes and executives, Murphy is the president of the Inner Excellence Freedom Project whose mission is to build communities to alleviate spiritual and physical poverty around the world.   In this episode we talk about: A counterintuitive secret to performing under pressure How to “relanguage” the story you tell about yourself A crucial life question that everyone should be asking themselves Practical tools for “inner excellence” Jim’s Four Daily Goals Cultivating non-attachment to results  How to be less afraid of fear The “expect nothing” rule  And the role of faith in his life   Join Dan’s online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel   Get ready for

An acclaimed science writer on how to upgrade your mind by using more than your head. Annie Murphy Paul is a science writer and TED speaker. Her latest book is The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain. In this episode we talk about: Why upgrading your mind involves more than just using your head. How our bodies, surroundings, and relationships all have the power to enhance our thinking. Practical strategies for “thinking with the body,” including interoception, the role of intuition, movement breaks, and even fidgeting. The importance of gesture and movement—why sitting perfectly still actually makes thinking harder for many of us. Tips for “thinking with your surroundings”—from stepping outdoors to using evocative objects and whiteboards to organize your ideas. The social side of thinking: how to learn from experts, think with peers, and harness the intelligence of groups. The challenges—and potential—of group collaboration, avoiding the pitfalls of groupthink, and fostering what psycholog

A longtime cancer survivor — and our Teacher of the Month — has some suggestions for working with pain.   Join Dan’s online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025.   Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!    To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris   Thanks to our sponsor: Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/h

Nobody makes it out of childhood unscathed. Here's a guide to letting go of the past.   Allison Sweet Grant, graduate with dual master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, turned author. She has been published in The New York Times and The Atlantic. She is the author of two children’s picture books, The Gift Inside the Box and Leif and the Fall, co-authored with her husband Adam Grant. I Am the Cage is her debut novel. In this episode we talk about: The impact of your childhood trauma on your adult relationships The concept of the “junk drawer” (a metaphor for all the pain, self-doubt, and anxiety you might try to compartmentalize) Writing as a tool for self-acceptance and self-compassion  How to re-write your own story and where to start  Practical meditation tools to quiet the mind  The role of cathartic visualization  Dealing with imposter syndrome  And more Join Dan’s online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Cha

A Buddhist recipe for speaking, working, and living in a way that will make you happy. JoAnna Hardy has practiced in multiple traditions since 1999. She is currently a meditation trainer at Apple Fitness+, a visiting teacher at Black Being LA, a visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society, and about to embark on a new mystery journey!  In this episode we talk about: Sila, the Buddhist code of ethics Concepts such as right livelihood and right speech  Why we lie The power of Buddhist tattoos  Hiri and Otappa (AKA healthy shame and healthy embarrassment) Related Episodes: How to Speak Clearly, Calmly, and Without Alienating People | Dan Clurman and Mudita Nisker Oren Jay Sofer, Practicing Mindful Communication The Buddha’s 8-Part Manual for a Good Life | Brother Pháp Dung The Surprising Power of “Healthy Embarrassment” | Koshin Paley Ellison The Selfish Case for Being Ethical | Eugene Cash   Join Dan’s online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Cha

How to do “shadow work,” interpret your dreams, and find your “self.” Satya Doyle Byock is a psychotherapist and educator focused on the relationship with the unconscious. She is the director of The Salome Institute of Jungian Studies and the author of the book Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood. She writes weekly and hosts regular workshops on her Substack, Self & Society.  In this episode we talk about: The vast impact of Carl Jung’s work What separates Freud and Jung The connection between Jung’s ideas and Buddhism Practical exercises to help us resolve the tension between safety and meaning – between stability and taking a walk on the wild side Dreamwork: what it is, why we should do it, and the “how to” The perks of making the unconscious feel seen  Join Dan’s online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Additional Resources:  Satya’s Substack, Self & Society.  Satya’s new year-round program in Jungian Psychology and Myth (regi

Listening to your body… easier said than done? Sebene Selassie is here to help.  All this month, we’re sharing custom guided meditations from our teacher of the month, Sebene Selassie exclusively available at DanHarris.com. Like any good drug dealer, the first taste is free – so today, we’re giving you a sample of what you can expect for the rest of the month. Related Episodes:  Sebene Selassie On: Resiliency, Rewriting Your Patterns and Finding a Teacher Who Speaks to You   Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025. Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditati