Science-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness

I explain the science of happiness, including the different types of happiness and how our actions, circumstances and mindset control them. While it is difficult to standardize happiness from one person to the next, I outline a structured framework of what is critical to increasing your innate “natural happiness,” including financial security, purposeful work and relationships, and I explain specific tools to increase internal happiness (so-called “synthetic happiness”). I review how specific types of human connection and attention to our choices (or lack thereof) can increase or undermine our level of happiness. I also discuss the importance of certain types of physical contact, gratitude, financial choices and volunteer contributions that research shows can maximize happiness. And I discuss how factors such as children, pets, physical well-being, substance use, prior traumas and life-phase milestones affect our quest for and depth of happiness.

For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) Happiness

(00:06:27) Tool: Light Exposure Timing & Brightness Timing

(00:14:30) Sponsor: LMNT

(00:17:51) Imprecise Language for Happiness

(00:20:26) Happiness: Neuromodulators & Neurotransmitters 

(00:26:32) Harvard Happiness Project 

(00:29:22) Income & Happiness; Social Interactions & Peer Group 

(00:37:20) Work, Sense of Meaning & Happiness

(00:40:13) Toolkit for General Wellbeing

(00:43:06) Happiness Across the Lifespan, Does Having Children Make Us Happier?

(00:47:20) Sponsor: AG1

(00:50:20) Birthdays & Evaluated Happiness

(00:52:45) Smoking, Alcohol & Happiness

(00:54:23) Trauma & Happiness, Lottery Winner vs. Paraplegic Accident

(01:05:05) Synthesizing Happiness

(01:09:18) Natural Happiness & Synthetic Happiness; Music

(01:13:45) Tool: Synthesizing Happiness: Effort, Environment & Gratitude

(01:24:50) Tool: Pro-Social Spending/Effort, Happiness

(01:31:55) Tool: Focus, Wandering Mind & Meditation 

(01:39:40) Tool: Quality Social Connection

(01:41:28) Brief Social Connection, Facial Recognition & Predictability

(01:46:33) Deep Social Connection, Presence & Eye Contact

(01:54:00) Physical Contact & Social Connection, Allogrooming, Pets

(02:03:00) Freedom & Choice; Synthetic Happiness

(02:11:57) Happiness Toolkit

(02:22:00) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Neural Network Newsletter, Social Media

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

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