Listen Now

This episode explores how to make the infernally difficult challenge of habit formation a little easier, with guest Richard H. Thaler, who won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2017 for his pioneering work in the fields of behavioral economics and finance. Thaler is the Charles R. Walgreen Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, where he also serves as the director of the Center for Decision Research. He is also the co-author, with Cass R. Sunstein, of Nudge: the Final Edition.In this episode, Dan and Richard discuss what a nudge is as well as its opposite – which Thaler and Sunstein call sludge. They also discuss other fascinating concepts, including: choice architecture, mental accounting, libertarian paternalism, bounded rationality, and how the lessons of behavioral economics can lead to a happier lifeThe Anti-Diet Challenge kicks off today in the Ten Percent Happier app. If you’re not already a Ten Percent Happier subscriber, you can join us by starting a free trial that’ll give you access to the challenge, along with our entire app. Click here to get started.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gratitude practices are transformative. Experiment with gratitude for your own body, noticing the relaxation and ease that results.About Anushka Fernandopulle:Anushka teaches meditation, works as an organizational consultant, and does leadership coaching with individuals and teams. She has practiced meditation for over 25 years, including four years in full-time intensive training in monasteries and retreat centers in the US, India and Sri Lanka. Her work is informed by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale focused on leadership and organizational behavior, and certification in coaching from the Coaches Training Institute.To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Grateful For Your Body,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=de800c6b-56cc-4e97-ad22-a3b68e74086f.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is the second in our two-part Anti-Diet Series, and features guest Christy Harrison. Christy is an anti-diet registered dietitian and nutritionist, a certified intuitive eating counselor, and a certified eating disorders specialist who has struggled with disordered eating herself. She has come out the other side and written a book called Anti-Diet, and in this episode, she discusses how to transform your relationship with food and your body.This conversation explores Christy’s personal experience with disordered eating, the problems with and deep historical roots of diet culture, the scientific evidence against dieting, and the principles of intuitive eating.Content warning: This conversation touches on sensitive topics such as eating disorders and body image, some of which might carry an emotional charge for some listeners.   Christy is also the instructor in our brand-new Anti-Diet Challenge over in the Ten Percent Happier app. This seven-day challenge helps you build a better relationship with food and your body and is backed by science and supercharged with meditation.The Anti-Diet Challenge kicks off on Monday, December 6 in the Ten Percent Happier app. If you’re not already a Ten Percent Happier subscriber, you can join us by starting a free trial that’ll give you access to the challenge, along with our entire app. Click here to get started.Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/christy-harrison-401See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest for our 400th episode is actor and activist Jameela Jamil, who you may have seen on such shows as The Good Place, The Misery Index, and Legendary. Outside of her acting career, Jameela is known for launching a movement and platform called I Weigh. She's also the host of the I Weigh podcast, where she talks to everybody from Reese Witherspoon to Vivek Murthy, the US Surgeon General, to Gloria Steinem.This episode explores: how to develop what Jameela calls mental self-defense; how to be ruthless when it comes to personal boundaries; the difference between body positivity and body neutrality; how she handles the scrutiny and toxicity of social media; and how men can play a positive role in a world with profound double standards when it comes to looks.Content Warning: This episode touches on the topics of suicide, eating disorders, and sexuality. Any profanity has been bleeped out.  This episode is the first in our two-part Anti-Diet Series. In this series, you’ll not only have the chance to reconsider your relationship to food, eating, diet, exercise, and body image–you’ll also learn practical, research-backed tools for approaching all of these things in a healthier, more mindful way. It’s also the subject of our newest Challenge over in the Ten Percent Happier app. In the 7-day Anti-Diet Challenge, we are going to help you build a better relationship with food and your body. The Anti-Diet Challenge kicks off on Monday, December 6, in the Ten Percent Happier app. If you’re not already a Ten Percent Happier subscriber, you can join us by starting a free trial that’ll give you access to the challenge–along with our entire app. Click here to get started.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This meditation will explore an ancient meditation on the classical elements of matter, helping you connect more deeply with your body.Growing up, Sebene felt like a big weirdo. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in white neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., she was a tomboy Black girl who loved Monty Python and UB40. She never believed she belonged. Thirty years ago, she began studying Buddhism as an undergraduate at McGill University where she majored in Comparative Religious Studies. Now, Sebene is a teacher, author, and speaker who teaches that meditation can help us remember our inherent sense of belonging, that our individual freedom affects absolutely everyone and everything, and that our collective freedom depends on each and every one of us. To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Four Elements,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=1ba1eb16-2918-4f7d-b4cd-160ecad8e4ab.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It is a common desire to get out of our heads, to escape the internal noise, the chatter, the Sturm und Drang, the sound and fury, etc. You hear about it in pop songs and poetry, this urge to be blown away, to transcend. But how do you actually do it?Willa Blythe Baker can help answer this question and is a font of practical advice. She is the Founder and Spiritual Director of Natural Dharma Fellowship in Boston, MA and its retreat center Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in Springfield, NH. She was authorized as a dharma teacher and lineage holder in the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism after twelve years of monastic training and two consecutive three-year retreats. She has a doctorate from Harvard University and is the author of the new book, The Wakeful Body: Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom.This episode talks about Willa’s new book and explores: what somatic mindfulness is; the four levels of your body; specific exercises for getting out of your head; and how to meditate without all the effort. This rangy conversation goes on all sorts of fascinating, esoteric digressions, but always comes back to the practical stuff.Subscribe by December 1 to get 40% off a Ten Percent Happier subscription! Click here for your discount.Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/willa-blythe-baker-399See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is there a good kind of suffering? Paul Bloom says, yes -- there is a kind of suffering that you choose. This voluntary suffering can reduce anxiety and make your life more meaningful. This episode explores that idea, along with: why we are hardwired to worry about bad things (and why that’s ok); the difference between chosen and unchosen suffering; post-traumatic growth and why it’s not always true that what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger; benign masochism and the blurring of pleasure and pain; and cognitive empathy vs. emotional empathy.Dr. Paul Bloom is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University. He is the author of six books, the most recent of which is called, The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning.Subscribe by December 1 to get 40% off a Ten Percent Happier subscription! Click here for your discount.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joseph teaches you how to authentically accept difficult emotions to make them more manageable and less overwhelming.Joseph is one of the most respected meditation teachers in the world -- a key architect of the rise of mindfulness in our modern society -- with a sense of humor to boot. In the 1970's, he co-founded the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) alongside Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Since its founding, thousands of people from around the world have come to IMS to learn mindfulness from leaders in the field. Joseph has been a teacher there since its founding and continues as the resident guiding teacher.To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “It’s Okay to Feel This,” or click here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett is at the forefront of understanding human emotions: what they are, why humans evolved to have them, how they’re different from feelings, and what science says about how to manage them. She is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University, with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She’s written several books, including How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain and Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain. This episode explores how we can “deconstruct” our own emotions, and the overlap between her research findings and Buddhism.Just a note: This episode is a rerun from earlier this year, and the interview was recorded in March 2021. There are some references to COVID that might seem a little out of date, but the content remains relevant. Subscribe by December 1 to get 40% off a Ten Percent Happier subscription! Click here for your discount.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. David DeSteno has embarked on a project he calls “religio-prospecting.” In other words, he has been looking at the scientific evidence that many ancient religious traditions can confer all sorts of benefits, whether you’re a believer or not. He points out that many secular people practice mindfulness, even if they’re not Buddhists. His question is - what’s the next mindfulness?David DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University, where he directs the Social Emotions Group, and the author of a new book called How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion, and is the host of a new podcast on PRX, also called “How God Works.” This episode explores David’s desire to study the benefits of religious practice in a scientific way and the evidence behind such practices as: sitting shiva, gratitude, the Apache sunrise ceremony, and Japanese Shinto rituals around childbirth. Subscribe by December 1 to get 40% off a Ten Percent Happier subscription! Click here for your discount.Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/david-desteno-397See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Check out this sneak peak into an episode of our new podcast Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app. About Matthew Hepburn:Matthew Hepburn is a straight shooting, clear thinking, and dedicated meditation teacher. His personal practice caught fire over the course of several extended meditation retreats and volunteering to teach buddhist meditation in prisons in his early twenties. Now he shares his love of contemplative practice with people on intensive silent retreats, through dedicated daily life practice as a core teacher at Cambridge Insight Meditation Center, and as the Editor of Mobile Content for Ten Percent Happier.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Work can be one of the most difficult places to apply meditative concepts such as mindfulness, patience, and kindness. But work can also be an amazing testing ground for your attempts at meditation and other forms of self-improvement.Unlike many meditation teachers, Matthew Hepburn has spent a lot of time in the professional world. He has worked at Apple and in the service industry. He’s also a long time leader at the Ten Percent Happier company and is the host of the new Twenty Percent Happier podcast. In this episode, Matthew talks about how to change your relationship to your thoughts; how to navigate the highs of praise and the lows of blame; how to handle relationships at work, including relationships that require you to give and/or receive feedback; and how to bring your mindfulness practice to your workplace, starting with something as simple as a cup of coffee.And be sure to join Matthew in the seven-day Work Life Challenge, where you’ll get the chance to practice a meditation related to your work life, led by Matthew or Dawn Mauricio, another TPH meditation teacher and recent podcast guest. Download the Ten Percent Happier app now to join the Challenge for free.The "Healing Ourselves, Healing Our World," online benefit for the New York Insight Meditation Center is on November 13 and 14. Register here to participate.Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/matthew-hepburn-396See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s been a problem ever since the dawn of humankind: how do we deal with jerks? What do you say to them? And how do you not make everything worse? And what if the jerk is you? We’re going to get into this and other issues in this episode with a meditation teacher named Dawn Mauricio. This is the fourth episode in our five-part Work Life Series, and it is time to bring in some dharma. It turns out the Buddha had a not-insignificant amount of wisdom to offer that is directly applicable to both our inner and outer work lives.Dawn Mauricio is an excellent teacher who is making her Ten Percent Happier podcast debut with this episode. Dawn has been meditating since 2005 and is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s four-year teacher training program. She is also the author of the book Mindfulness Meditation for Beginners: 50 Meditations to Practice Awareness, Acceptance, and Peace. In this episode, Dawn talks about how to deal with jerks, imposter syndrome, and what the dharma can teach us about the technology that dominates so much of our lives both in and outside of work.Dawn is one of two phenomenal mediation teachers in the Work Life Challenge in the Ten Percent Happier app. In this free challenge, you’ll get seven days of video interviews, led by Dan, tackling tough work topics. Then, you’ll get a short meditation from either Dawn or Matthew Hepburn, another TPH teacher, so that you can practice what you’ve learned.Download the Ten Percent Happier app now to join the free Challenge today.Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/dawn-mauricio-395See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It turns out you can call up Laurie Santos and ask about any conundrum and she will respond with a veritable treasure trove of scientifically-grounded relatable wisdom. In this episode, we ask the question: how do you hit the reset button at work? This question can apply to a variety of contexts - maybe you’re leaving a job, looking for a job, starting a new job, or trying to do your current job more mindfully. Dr. Laurie Santos is a professor of psychology at Yale University and the host of the popular podcast The Happiness Lab. In this episode, she provides a slew of science-backed strategies for hitting the reset button at work, including: increasing our time affluence; challenging our misconceptions about how much we actually dislike work; leveraging the power of ritual in order to draw firmer boundaries around our work; employing a values-based strategy called “job crafting;” and what to do when someone else at work–someone who is not us–succeeds.This interview was recorded live on Facebook, and Dr. Santos will be dropping a version of the same conversation over on The Happiness Lab podcast. Be sure to check it out!This episode is part of the Work Life series we are running here on the show. In conjunction with this series on the podcast, we’re launching a Work Life challenge over on the Ten Percent Happier app. We’ll be dealing with issues such as feedback, imposter syndrome, jerks at work, burnout, productivity shame, and more. You can download the app here, or wherever you get your apps to join the challenge for free. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/laurie-santos-394See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of the hardest things to do in any relationship is give feedback. It’s always dicey. You don’t want to be too aggressive. You don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But you also don’t want to be too indirect. That’s where radical candor comes in. This term comes from Kim Scott, who is the bestselling author of Radical Candor and Just Work. She has coached executives at Dropbox and Twitter, and has led teams at Google. In this conversation she’ll not only talk about how to speak with radical candor, but also how to avoid its evil cousins: ruinous empathy, manipulative insincerity, and obnoxious aggression. She’ll also talk about how to push for more equitable workplaces at all levels of an organization, how to speak up about diversity issues without ruining your career, and what to do if you’re the person who has created harm. Kim will also talk about the difficult wake-up call that led her from her first book to her second.This episode is part of the Work Life series we are running here on the show. In conjunction with this series on the podcast, we’re launching a Work Life challenge over on the Ten Percent Happier app. We’ll be dealing with issues such as feedback, imposter syndrome, jerks at work, burnout, productivity shame, and more. You can download the app here, or wherever you get your apps to join the challenge for free. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kim-scott-393See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode officially marks the launch of the Work Life Series, a brand-new, five-part series that’s all about how to live better lives at work. In each episode, we’ll be hosting meditation teachers, thought leaders, and top-of-their-field scientists to explore how to better connect with coworkers, boost our on-the-job resilience, and bring mindfulness to our work. And to help you put into action what you learn here on the show, you can join our free Work Life Challenge: a new meditation challenge specifically designed to help you navigate your life at work, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app. Download the app here or wherever you get your apps to join the Work Life Challenge for free. To kick things off in the Work Life Series, we’ve got a longtime TPH fan favorite: Adam Grant. Adam is an organizational psychologist at The Wharton School and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of multiple books, including his most recent, Think Again. He is also the host of a hit podcast from TED called WorkLife. In this episode, Adam will talk about languishing, some of his ideas for what to do about it, why and how to rethink flexibility at work, and much more.Please note: There are brief references to alcohol & substance abuse and multiple references to anxiety and depression in this episode.Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/adam-grant-392See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Check out this sneak peak into an episode of our new podcast Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app. About Matthew Hepburn:Matthew Hepburn is a straight shooting, clear thinking, and dedicated meditation teacher. His personal practice caught fire over the course of several extended meditation retreats and volunteering to teach buddhist meditation in prisons in his early twenties. Now he shares his love of contemplative practice with people on intensive silent retreats, through dedicated daily life practice as a core teacher at Cambridge Insight Meditation Center, and as the Editor of Mobile Content for Ten Percent Happier.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The advice to “think like an entrepreneur” can, from a certain angle, come off as the kind of rote, tech-bro guidance you’d get from a millennial lifehacker. But Reid Hoffman makes a good case that all of us, whether entrepreneurs or not, can benefit from having what he calls an “entrepreneurial mindset.” He says this mindset is a trainable skill, and he believes that capitalism and compassion (two words you don’t often hear together) are compatible. Reid Hoffman is the co-founder of LinkedIn, a partner at Greylock, the venture capital company, and the host of Masters of Scale podcast, which is all about how uber-successful people/companies got where they are. And now he has a new book, also called Masters of Scale.This episode explores: how to train for an entrepreneurial mindset; how to live a life that minimizes the odds of burnout; how to network without it feeling icky; the value of curiosity; the importance of “failing fast”; how to deliver feedback in a stressful environment; and how he thinks we can make capitalism more compassionate and equitable.Be sure to listen to our new podcast, Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/reid-hoffman-391See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We all know that change is inevitable and impermanence is non-negotiable. But somehow it can feel surprising, maybe even wrong, when we personally hit turbulence. The Buddha had a lot to say about this, and so does our guest. Kaira Jewel Lingo has come back to the show to talk about her new book, We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons on Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption. This episode explores a few of those strategies including: waking up to what’s happening right now; trusting the unknown; a Buddhist list called the Five Remembrances; how gratitude helps us in times of disruption; and accepting what is (and why this is different from resignation or passivity). Kaira herself is no stranger to impermanence: she spent 15 years as a Buddhist nun, and then decided to leave, which caused no small amount of disruption. Please note: There are brief mentions of domestic violence, abuse, the suffering of refugees, and war in this episode.To help you find your way during times of upheaval, loss, and transition, Kaira Jewel has recorded a series of meditations in the Ten Percent Happier app. Check it out by downloading the Ten Percent Happier app wherever you get your apps, tapping on the Singles tab, and searching for the topic called "Made for These Hard Times." Or, you can just click here.And while you’re there, be sure to listen to our new podcast, Twenty Percent Happier, available exclusively in the Ten Percent Happier app. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/kaira-jewel-lingo-390See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Regather your attention with this short meditation. Afterwards, you can use that newfound focus to make progress on whatever matters most.About Anushka Fernandopulle:Anushka teaches meditation, works as an organizational consultant, and does leadership coaching with individuals and teams. She has practiced meditation for over 25 years, including four years in full-time intensive training in monasteries and retreat centers in the US, India, and Sri Lanka.Her work is informed by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard University, an MBA from Yale focused on leadership and organizational behavior, and certification in coaching from the Coaches Training Institute.To find this meditation in the Ten Percent Happier app, you can search for “Gathering Focus,” or click here: https://10percenthappier.app.link/content?meditation=c71121c5-1b01-4e6b-babb-a43ce5f568b3. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.