What Happy People Do Differently with Dr. Laurie Santos

Kevin sits down with Laurie Santos, a renowned Yale professor and happiness expert, to explore the science of happiness. Dr. Santos shares her journey from studying animals to addressing the mental health crisis among students, the impact of technology on well-being, and practical strategies for cultivating happiness in our daily lives. Kevin and Dr. Santos discuss the societal and psychological factors affecting our happiness, the rise of perfectionism, and strategies to counteract hedonic adaptation. Lastly, Dr. Santos emphasizes the benefits of experiencing and accepting negative emotions as part of a psychologically rich life.

Guest Bio and Links:
Dr. Laurie Santos is a Professor of Psychology and Head of Silliman College at Yale University, widely recognized for her work in cognitive science and the science of happiness. She created Yale's most popular course, Psychology and the Good Life, aimed at teaching students about making wiser choices for a happier life, which has drawn significant media attention and led to the online version, The Science of Well-Being, attracting over 4 million learners on Coursera.org. Additionally, she hosts "The Happiness Lab," a podcast exploring happiness research, with over 85 million downloads. Her achievements have earned her numerous awards and recognition as one of Popular Science Magazine’s “Brilliant 10” young minds and a “Leading Campus Celebrity” by Time Magazine.
Listeners can learn more about Dr. Laurie Santos at her website - https://www.drlauriesantos.com/about, her podcast - https://www.drlauriesantos.com/happin..., and on IG - https://www.instagram.com/lauriesanto...

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Resources:
Kevin's Newsletter: https://kevin-rose.ck.page/
Free Course: The Science of Well-Being for Teens - https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-sc...
Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life By Ashley Whillans -   / time-smart  
How to Raise An Adult By Julie Lithgott - https://www.julielythcotthaims.com/ho...

Show Notes:
0:00 Introduction
1:25 Laurie explains her pivot to studying happiness
3:50 Impact of smartphones and technology on well-being
13:00 Neuroscientific disconnect between wanting and liking
14:40 Overcoming misconceptions about happiness
17:10 Laurie’s take on job crafting
23:00 The role of silence and mindfulness
30:40 Technology is fueling perfectionism
35:55 Happiness as a U-shaped curve
37:40 Time Smart By Ashley Whillans
40:00 The concept of time confetti
44:00 Hobbies and their role in happiness
45:40 The impact of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation
49:25 The idea of experience stretching a.k.a the hedonic treadmill
50:45 Strategies to counteract hedonic adaptation
1:05:10 How to Raise An Adult By Julie Lithgott
1:06:55 How to take action when the bad days outweigh the good days
1:11:15 The Happiness Lab - https://www.drlauriesantos.com/happin...
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