Happycast: The Science of Happiness

Listening and the incredible power of understanding

Happycast: The Science of Happiness

Show Notes

Listening is a skill that is often overlooked, or a skill we think we don't need to learn. However, by the end of this episode you'll probably realize you aren't listening as well as you could be. With listening comes understanding, I'll talk about a couple studies that show why understanding is key to human connection. A Happier Year is now available — an illustrated calendar with 366 science-based actions. Use the code "happycastlistener" for 10% off at checkout on ahappieryear.com [01:20] Intro to listening and why it matter [06:10] SOLER listening [09:10] Don't try to listen with an intent to reply [10:19] Be okay with silence. [11:25] Multi-tasking is a myth! [12:40] Study: Feeling understood makes people happier [14:20] Study: Happier relationships when you feel understood

More from Happycast: The Science of Happiness

Apr 22, 2021

What do I need to actually balance? Why is balance so important? How can we achieve more balance? Listen and find out. [01:00] A metaphor for balance [02:23] Social relationships [02:53] Mirror neurons [03:53] Bowling et al., "What makes your life good?" [06:13] Creating space for social relationships [07:31] Meaning and passion [13:20] Overwork [15:41] Disconnecting from work [17:43] Passions [18:50] Creating space References: Schnell, T. (2011). Individual differences in meaning-making: Considering the variety of sources of meaning, their density and diversity. Personality and Individual Differences, 51(5), 667-673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.06.006 Uddin, L. Q., Iacoboni, M., Lange, C., & Keenan, J. P. (2007). The self and social cognition: The role of cortical midline structures and mirror neurons. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 11(4), 153-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2007.01.001 Kuroda, S., & Yamamoto, I. (2019). Why Do People Overwork at the Risk of Impairing Mental. Journal of Happiness Studies, 20(5), 1519–1538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-0008-x SONNENTAG, S., & FRITZ, C. (2015). Recovery from job stress: The stressor-detachment model as an integrative framework. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36(S1), S72-S103. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1924 Bridekirk, J., Turcotte, J., & Oddson, B. (2016). Harmonious passions support cognitive resources. Motivation and Emotion, 40(4), 646–654. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-016-9561-y

Oct 28, 2020

Today we are going to talk about three different papers assessing: healthy selfishness, optimism, and acceptance. These three papers provide the basis for three actions in A Happier Year. Let's dive into these papers and get a sneak peek of what's in A Happier Year. [00:00] Intro [02:36] Healthy Selfishness [06:25] Looking forward to tomorrow [09:25] Is anything bugging you right now?

Oct 6, 2020

Today we are learning about active leisure! Why do we feel so "blah" after watching Netflix and what can we do instead? What psychological needs are we missing out on? [00:30] Something exciting! [02:30] Active leisure vs passive leisure [04:35] The benefits of active leisure [06:25] How does active leisure benefit us (vs passive leisure) [11:10] An example of active leisure: Rock climbing [13:05] Finding active leisure that suits you [14:06] What are you actually tired of? [15:54] A Happier Year is on Kickstarter! bit.ly/ahappieryear

Jul 15, 2020

What is joy? We dig into how we define joy and talk about a strategy to add more joy to our lives. [00:00] Intro [1:10] Exciting Happycast news! [02:28] What is joy? [05:25] Joy as an emotion [08:32] Joy as more than an emotion [11:25] Appreciative joy [13:55] Joy journal [15:08] Tears of joy [20:05] Outro

Apr 8, 2020

We are all feeling a little anxious and overwhelmed right now. Here are some science backed tips on how to feel a little better during these weird and scary times. [00:18] Intro [02:35] Stay social with video chats! [08:40] Get moving [13:24] Focus on what you can control [15:30] Disconnect from the news a little [17:44] Outro

See all episodes →