10% Happier With Dan Harris

Dan and executive producer DJ Cashmere talk about how we’re putting “sanely ambitious” into action on our team; plus, an important update on how to listen to the podcast ad-free.   In this episode we talk about: How rest and productivity are two sides of the same coin What psychological safety looks like on a small, creative team Having a “parking lot” for great ideas that we aren’t ready to do Other ways we’re navigating some big changes in our business Related episodes:  Work Less, Get More Done | Alex Soojong Kim-Pang Digital Minimalism | Cal Newport Help, Work Sucks | Cal Newport How to Be Productive Without Burning Out | Cal Newport BIG NEWS: Paid subscribers can now listen to the 10% Happier podcast ad-free by going to podcast.danharris.com! If you’re not a paid subscriber, you will be prompted to sign up there. It’s another one of our perks for our paid subscribers, including transcripts and cheat sheets for every episode, plus live guided meditations and Q&A sessions with Dan. Sign up

Secrets from the massively popular Stanford business school course on interpersonal hygiene.   Carole Robin and David Bradford taught the most popular elective course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business for a combined total of 75 years. Officially, the name of the course is Interpersonal Dynamics, but everybody calls it “Touchy-Feely.” Together they have written the new book, Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues.   We dive into the six hallmarks of what they call “exceptional relationships,” how to be honest and vulnerable without overdoing it, why the questions “how am I feeling?” and “how are you feeling?” are central to improving our communication, the inevitability of risk when you set out to deepen a relationship, and why meditation is helpful in all of this.   This episode originally aired in 2021.   Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favori

Why knowing your tendency can improve your life.   Susan Cain is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, and Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. Her Kindred Letters newsletter is read by people in all 193 countries and all 50 American states. Join her at TheQuietLife.net.     In this episode we talk about: How to know if you’re an introvert or extrovert The strengths of introversion – and how these can you no matter where you are on the introvert / extrovert spectrum  Techniques to improve your relationships and work life  How to design your life around where you do your best – including figuring out your true goals The perks of exposing ourselves to the things we fear the most The paradox of anxiety and shyness And why introverts and extraverts often get along so well—something Susan calls “introvert/extrovert synergy”     Related Episodes: What Is Sadness Good For? | Susan Cain   Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here F

What it is, how beginners can get a taste, the dangers of striving, and whether tech can make it easier.   Dr. Matthew D. Sacchet, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Meditation Research Program at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General). Since 2012, he has authored more than 120 publications, presented more than 150 times at international, national, regional and local conferences and speaker series, and been cited more than 8,000 times.     In this episode we talk about: What Matthew's learning about advanced states of meditation, and what they do to the brain What relevance advanced meditation might have for the rest of us How we might get a taste of these states ourselves Whether technology might ultimately help some of us advance more quickly The psychological risks of practicing deep end meditation   Related Episodes: Dr. Richie Davidson, Daniel Goleman – Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain and Body Nirvana | Jos

Featuring a meditation teacher, author, professor, and dedicated experimenter with these molecules.   Jay Michaelson is a journalist, meditation teacher, rabbi, and professor of religious studies whose work for the last several years has been focused on psychedelics, meditation, and spirituality. Jay is a field scholar at Emory University’s Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality, and a fellow at Harvard Law School’s project on Psychedelic Use, Law, and Spiritual Experience. He is currently a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, teaching courses on psychedelics, law, and religion.   In this episode we talk about: Everything you should know about psychedelics if you’re wondering whether to give them a try What the research shows thus far The differences among various compounds The overlap between meditation and psychedelics The difference between spirituality and healing The dizzying question of whether these medicines have a separate consciousness  And more   Related Episodes: Psychedelics and Medita

A node of sanity in these challenging times.   Bill Weir is America’s leading climate reporter. His new book is a celebration of our planet and human brilliance. It is a hopeful plea for communities to rally around nature, new ideas and each other, to create the kind of resilience that lasts generations.   In this episode we talk about: How a hotter earth is increasingly changing our lives Why some experts say the climate issue is half physics, half psychology How to work with feelings like rage and despair Why so many of us look away from the climate crisis Why acceptance is not surrender And the utility of class psychological frameworks, including Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ Five Stages of Grief   Related Episodes: What to do About Eco-Anxiety | Jay Michaelson   Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Ep

One of my favorite episodes that we’ve recorded in a long while.   Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, Insight Meditation and The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation. Joseph has studied and practiced meditation since 1967 under the guidance of eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet and he leads Insight Meditation retreats around the world.   This year, IMS printed a collection of Joseph’s poetry, titled Dreamscapes of the Mind: Poems and Reflections. The book includes 21 poems and almost a dozen short verses. We have made copies available for a suggested donation of $12 to support IMS’s Retreat Center scholarship fund (shipping to U.S. addresses only).   For a copy of Joseph’s book, visit give.dharma.org/JGpoetry    In this episode we ta

What confidence does to your brain, why it helps with anxiety, and how to get it if you don't already have it. Plus, the problem with overconfidence.   Ian Robertson is a Professor Emeritus in Psychology at Trinity College and was the founding director of Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience. He has written five books, the latest of which is called, How Confidence Works.   In this episode we talk about: What confidence actually is How to boost confidence  The dangers of overconfidence, and how to guard against it The role of anxiety and failure The "Oscar effect”, and why winners tend to live longer How to reframe anxiety as excitement  The role of gender, race, and class on confidence levels The importance of distancing yourself from confidence saboteurs  And much more   Related Episodes: A Buddhist Recipe For Confidence | Ethan Nichtern Do You Feel Like an Imposter? | Dr. Valerie Young (Co-Interviewed by Dan’s Wife, Bianca!)     Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, Tik

A candid, useful, and hilarious conversation.   Chodo Robert Campbell Sensei is a Zen teacher, bereavement specialist, grief counselor and a recognized leader for those suffering with the complexities of death & dying, aging, and sobriety. The educational non-profit he co-founded, the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, touches thousands of lives every year through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices. Chodo has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets.  Koshin Paley Ellison is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year. Koshi

Why self-inquiry is the first ingredient to a healthy relationship.   Jillian Turecki is a renowned relationship coach, teacher, author, and host of the podcast, Jillian On Love. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity about what makes a relationship thrive, Jillian has helped thousands over the last 20 years through her teachings, courses, and writing to revolutionize their relationship with themselves so that they transform their romantic relationships.    In this episode we talk about: The difference between lust and love How to make the idea of self love more than an empty cliché How to be honest with your partner The myth of finding “the one” How to be your best self even after you’ve exited the honeymoon stage  And why, if you want a successful relationship, you have to make peace with your parents   Related Episodes: #510. Me, a Love Story: How Being OK With Yourself Makes You Better at Everything | Sharon Salzberg #464. How to Keep Friendships From Imploding | Esther Perel Esther Perel on the One Thing T

Data-driven, dharma-informed, Dan-tested strategies for improving relationships of all kinds.  In this episode we talk about: The value of having platonic friends in addition to your spouse or partner A key communication skill that Dan picked up from the writer and researcher Brené Brown How humor can help your relationships – and how it can hurt A cognitive reframe from couples therapist Esther Perel How to manage conflict in a healthy way And one of Dan’s favorite Saturday Night Live sketches: Man Park   Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes   Full Shownotes: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/how-not-to-torpedo-your-relationships-dan-solo-episode   Additional Resources: Download the Happier app today: https://my.happierapp.com/link/download  

Practical strategies for managing our emotional lives.   Dr. Ethan Kross, author of the international bestseller Chatter, is one of the world’s leading experts on emotion regulation. An award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, he is the Director of the Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory.     In this episode we talk about: What an emotion actually is  The myth that we should only experience positive emotions  Why sometimes avoidance is a smart strategy The six emotional "shifters" we can use to regulate our emotions The role of our senses How to use mental time travel to shift perspective And the role of our surroundings, relationships, and culture      Related Episodes: #365 The Voice in Your Head | Ethan Kross The Neuroscience Of: Emotional Regulation, Relationships, Body Image, And Intuition | Emma Seppälä     Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Sub

How your reliance on being liked, being comfortable, and being perfect is blocking you from making the change you want.   Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is one of the most influential doctors in the UK with over two decades of experience. He now hosts Europe's biggest health podcast, Feel Better, Live More, he is the author of 5 Sunday Times bestsellers, he regularly appears on BBC television, national radio and his TED talk, How To Make Disease Disappear, has almost 6 million views.    In this episode we talk about: Why we have an overreliance on experts and perfection Barriers and solutions to long term change How to stop people pleasing (or become a “people pleaser in recovery”) Tips for neutralizing emotional discomfort and stress The "life is an escalator" myth, and our relationship with complaining  How to adapt to adversity without feeding our bad habits Escaping the trap of busyness And much more     Related Episodes: Why Your Bad Habits (and Addictions) May Be Getting Worse - and How Mindfulness Can Help |

A Buddhist doctor/nun on how we’re all addicted to something—and how to reduce craving.   Sister Dang Nghiem, MD, (“Sister D”) was born in 1968 in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, the daughter of a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier. She lost her mother at the age of twelve and immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen with her brother. Living in various foster homes, she learned English and went on to earn a medical degree from the University of California – San Francisco. After suffering further tragedy and loss, she quit her practice as a doctor to travel to Plum Village monastery in France founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, where she was ordained a nun in 2000, and given the name Dang Nghiem, which means adornment with nondiscrimination. She is the author of a memoir, Healing: A Woman’s Journey from Doctor to Nun (2010), and Mindfulness as Medicine: A Story of Healing and Spirit (2015).   This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.  We talk about:   Sister D’s B

How to use your innate mindfulness to turn the volume down, or even uproot, your everyday addictions.   Dr. Judson Brewer is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and professor in Behavioral and Social Sciences and Psychiatry at the Schools of Public Health & Medicine at Brown University. He is the author of several books, including The Craving Mind, Unwinding Anxiety, and The Hunger Habit.   This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.  We talk about: Jud’s definition of addiction The difference between the scientific view and the Buddhist view on addiction The buddhist concept of Dependent origination Dopamine and dopamine fasting A three gear plan for sticking to your resolutions  Judson’s disenchantment with the term “mindfulness” What we need to know about willpower The two types of stress – and its impact on our behavior  What makes us resilient – and why it matters How community plays a role in making habit changes And finally, a friendly debate on wheth

A podcast pioneer on failure, resilience, luck, work/life balance, and the power of questions.   Guy Raz has been instrumental in creating some of the most iconic podcasts in the world, including Wondery's How I Built This, Wow in the World and TED Radio Hour. The New York Times has described him as “one of the most popular podcasters in history.”    This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.    We talk about: The challenge–and gift–of failure Getting comfortable with discomfort and risk The notion of luck  The balance between your relationships and your work  Why scale isn’t always the answer  Success vs. happiness  And much more   Related Episodes: Do Life Better Sanely Ambitious  #321 The Joy of Being Wrong | Adam Grant Rethinking Success | Mia Birdsong   Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes   Full Sh

How to be less stressed and more productive.   Nolitha Tsengiwe, a Dharma teacher and board member at Dharmagiri Retreat Center, in South Africa. She is also a graduate of Insight Meditation Society teacher training.   This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.  In this episode we talk about: How to weave mindfulness into your day without requiring a big formal sit How to have healthy conflict in the workplace Our attempts to explain the ineffable And much more   Related Episodes: Do Life Better Sanely Ambitious   Sign up for Dan’s newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes     Full Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/nolitha-895     Additional Resources: Listen to Nolitha’s talks on DharmaSeed   

Burnout is on the rise. Two experts show us how to combat it.   Dr. Kristin Neff is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion more than twenty years ago.    Christopher Germer is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He also co-developed a highly impactful program called Mindful Self-Compassion, which has been taught to over 100,000 people across the world.   This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.    We talk about: How to know if you are burnt out The three main symptoms of burnout, their causes, and their health consequences The three components of self-compassion and how they can help  The inner critic and why we kick our own asses How to draw appropriate boundaries with your boss The difference between tender and fierce self-compassion Tools for dealing with perfectionism without letti

A candid conversation about money: How much is enough? How to find real security?   Sebene Selassie, an author and meditation teacher. She writes the popular newsletter Ancestors to Elements and her first book is called, You Belong.    Jeff Warren is also an author and meditation teacher. He writes the popular Substack newsletter Home Base and is the coauthor, along with me, of a book called Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. And he is the co-host of the mind/bod adventure pod.   This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.  We talk about: How much is enough  The illusion of security  The importance of being able to talk to your friends about this stuff The power of identifying your own money story, in other words, finding the point of origination for your own neuroses on the subject     Related Episodes: Do Life Better How to Avoid the Toilet Vortex of Anxiety | Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren How to Stay Calm No Matter What’s Happening | Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren Meditation Party: The

A Wharton professor shares practical tips on increasing your financial security, and eradicating the taboo around financial conversations.   Dr. Wendy De La Rosa is an Assistant Professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She focuses on behavioral science to improve consumers’ financial well-being.   This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.    We talk about: Psychological and technological tools for taking control of your finances  How to get a handle on small frequent purchases The relationship between our environment and our finances Financial shame  How our parents relationship with money impacts us as adults The G.I. Joe Fallacy, and the misconception that “knowing is half the battle” when it comes to our financial health 10 financial questions to ask your romantic partner How to eliminate the taboo of financial conversations And much more   Related Episodes:  Do Life Better  543. The Psychology of Money | Morgan Housel #402. How To Work Around Your Own Irrati