10% Happier with Dan Harris

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.---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 addictionThe difference between the scientific view and the Buddhist view on addictionThe buddhist concept of Dependent originationDopamine and dopamine fastingA three gear plan for sticking to your resolutions Judson’s disenchantment with the term “mindfulness”What we need to know about willpowerThe two types of stress – and its impact on our behavior What makes us resilient – and why it mattersHow community plays a role in making habit changesAnd finally, a friendly debate on whether there is such a thing as healthy anger?Related Episodes:Do Life BetterGet Fit SanelyThe Anti-Diet | Evelyn TriboleThe Science of Why You Eat When You're Not Hungry–And How to Stop | Judson BrewerModern Life Is Making You Sick, but It Doesn't Have To | Gabor MatéWhy We're All Suffering from Racial Trauma (Even White People) -- and How to Handle It | Resmaa MenakemI Just Went Through A Career Earthquake: This Is What's Next.How to Break Your Anxiety Habit | Judson Brewer Sign up for Dan’s newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/judson-brewer-898Additional Resources:MindShift RecoverySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.---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 failureGetting comfortable with discomfort and riskThe notion of luck The balance between your relationships and your work Why scale isn’t always the answer Success vs. happiness And much moreRelated Episodes:Do Life BetterSanely Ambitious #321 The Joy of Being Wrong | Adam GrantRethinking Success | Mia BirdsongSign up for Dan’s newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: https://meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/guy-raz-896See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re so often glued to our devices, but mindful screen time is possible. Flip the script and catch yourself before you go into zombie mode.About Dawn Mauricio:Dawn Mauricio discovered the practices of Buddhist meditation in 2005, and from then on, did what any well-intentioned perfectionist would do — plunge in head first! Since then, she's graduated from several teaching programs, including Spirit Rock's four-year Teacher Training. Her teaching style is playful, dynamic, and heartfelt, and she teaches extensively in her home-country of Canada, as well as the US, to teens, people of color, and folks of all backgrounds.To find this meditation in the Happier Meditation app, you can search for “Screen Time for Meditators.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.---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 sitHow to have healthy conflict in the workplaceOur attempts to explain the ineffableAnd much moreRelated Episodes:Do Life BetterSanely AmbitiousSign up for Dan’s newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/nolitha-895Additional Resources:Listen to Nolitha’s talks on DharmaSeed See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 outThe three main symptoms of burnout, their causes, and their health consequencesThe three components of self-compassion and how they can help The inner critic and why we kick our own assesHow to draw appropriate boundaries with your bossThe difference between tender and fierce self-compassionTools for dealing with perfectionism without letting go of high standardsRelated Episodes: Do Life BetterSanely Ambitious Kryptonite for the Inner Critic | Kristin Neff#360 Self-Compassion Ain’t Always Soft | Kristin Neff#310 The Scientific Case for Self-Compassion | Chris GermerFor the Burned Out, Fried, and Exhausted | Emily & Amelia NagoskiSign up for Dan’s newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: https://meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/neff-germer-894Additional Resources:Self-compassion event with Kristin Neff & Dan HarrisThe Self-Compassion TestThe Center for Mindful Self CompassionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

During major life transitions your emotional and mental world can kick into overdrive. Learn how to stay in the eye of the hurricane.About Joseph Goldstein: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 Happier app, you can search for “Calm In Big Transitions.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 stuffThe power of identifying your own money story, in other words, finding the point of origination for your own neuroses on the subjectRelated Episodes:Do Life BetterHow to Avoid the Toilet Vortex of Anxiety | Sebene Selassie and Jeff WarrenHow to Stay Calm No Matter What’s Happening | Sebene Selassie and Jeff WarrenMeditation Party: The “Sh*t Is Fertilizer” Edition | Sebene Selassie & Jeff WarrenMeditation Party with Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren: Psychedelics, ADHD, Waking Up From Distraction, and Singing Without Being Self-ConsciousMeditation Party: Magic, Mystery, Intuition, Tattoos, and Non-Efforting | Sebene Selassie and Jeff WarrenSign up for Dan’s newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/meditation-party-892Additional Resources:Register for Meditation Party at Omega, October 24 - 26, 2025Allison Strickland’s GoFundMeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 purchasesThe relationship between our environment and our financesFinancial shame How our parents relationship with money impacts us as adultsThe G.I. Joe Fallacy, and the misconception that “knowing is half the battle” when it comes to our financial health10 financial questions to ask your romantic partnerHow to eliminate the taboo of financial conversationsAnd much moreRelated Episodes: Do Life Better 543. The Psychology of Money | Morgan Housel#402. How To Work Around Your Own Irrationality | Richard Thaler#345 How to Change Your Habits | Katy MilkmanSign up for Dan’s newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/de-la-rosa-891See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Explore letting your body's most natural habit take over, and enjoy the benefits this brings to any moment.About Jeff Warren:Jeff makes meditation and practice accessible to diverse audiences in order to help people live more fulfilled and connected lives. He’s taught meditation to suspicious journalists, US Army cadets, burned-out caregivers, Arizona cops, formerly-incarcerated youth, virtuoso popstars, distractible teens, and every other conceivable demographic of freethinker, including squirmy six-year old kids.  He tries to do this in a way that’s rigorous and clear and adventurous. You can find out more about him at jeffwarren.org. To find this meditation in the Happier app, you can search for “Being Simplicity.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The science and dharma of mindful eating. How it can stop over eating—and how to actually make the habit.Brother Pháp Lưu is an ordained monk in the Plum Village tradition started by Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh. He’s worked with scientists at Dartmouth College and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to develop research on the effect of Plum Village mindfulness practices on children.This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series. We talk about:The health benefits of mindful eatingThe line between moderation and restriction The five contemplations before eating The basic steps of mindful eating How to ensure mindful eating doesn’t feel like a chore or burdenFasting and our culture's dysregulated relationship to foodMindful consumption in generalThe four nutrimentsAnd much moreRelated Episodes:Do Life BetterGet Fit SanelyThe Anti-Diet | Evelyn TriboleThe Science of Why You Eat When You're Not Hungry–And How to Stop | Judson BrewerSign up for Dan’s newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/phap-luu-889See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What exercise does to your brain—and how to actually do it regularly.Wendy Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University, where she is also the first Asian-American Dean of the College of Arts and Science. She is the author of two books, Good Anxiety and Healthy Brain, Happy Life.This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.We talk about:How exercise not only enhances cognitive function but also protects against age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. The difference between cardio and strength trainingWhether it matters if you track your stepsHow to sustain your motivation to exerciseAnd practical tips on how to start, restart or increase an exercise habitWe also talk about the brain benefits of sleep, meditation, and healthy eating (with a detour into ways to counteract the potentially unhealthy obsession with being healthy)And finally, we talk about the counterintuitive benefits of anxietyRelated Episodes:Do Life BetterGet Fit SanelySleep BetterThe Anti-Diet | Evelyn TriboleSign up for Dan’s newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/wendy-suzuki-888See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Returning to the practice of equanimity keeps you both grounded and receptive, especially during times of turmoil and uncertainty.About Roshi Joan Halifax:Roshi Joan Halifax speaks to Buddhists and non-followers alike on such universal topics as compassion, suffering, and what it is to be human. As Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya, her vision for the Zen Center embraces comprehensive Buddhist studies, meditation, service, dharma art, and environmental action as integrated paths cultivating peace and interconnectedness.To find this meditation in the Happier Meditation app, you can search for “Strong Back, Soft Front.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dan briefly whittles down his top 10 takeaways from the science of behavior change.In this episode we talk about:How our brain’s evolution for short-term survival makes long-term goals harderPicking the right goalsMaking it easyLeveraging fresh startsHow to make goals a team sportThe crucial role of mindfulness and self-compassionThis episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series. Related Episodes:The Science of Making – And Keeping – New Year’s Resolutions | Hal HershfieldHow To Change Your Habits | Katy MilkmanWhy Your Bad Habits (And Addictions) May Be Getting Worse – And How Mindfulness Can Help | Dr. Jud BrewerSign up for Dan’s newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/dan-solo-habit-formationAdditional Resources:Download the Happier Meditation app today.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Contemplating your own death can feel like a massive bummer at first, but there’s good news: how you react to that inescapable fact really matters. Vinny Ferraro has practiced insight meditation (vipassanā) since the mid-90s. He’s the Guiding Teacher of the Big Heart City Sangha in San Francisco and has led a weekly sitting group for almost two decades.As a fully empowered Dharma Teacher thru Spirit Rock/IMS, he has taught residential retreats at Spirit Rock, Insight Meditation Society, and the Esalen Institute. Currently, he leads Spirit Rock's Year to Live course and teaches retreats and daylongs through Big Heart City and meditation centers across the country.He is a respected leader in developing and implementing interventions for at-risk populations. leading groups in schools, juvenile halls and prisons since 1987. He has led emotional intelligence workshops for over 100,000 youth on four continents.In this episode we talk about:Why it’s important to think about your own death even if you’re not expecting it anytime soonThe distinction between the actual conditions of your life and how much you sufferA practice called the five Daily Remembrances, which Dan started doing himself right after we recorded this — and which has made a real difference for himAnd some of other practices they do in the class, including the “life review” and “housekeeping”Related Episodes:Three Buddhist Practices For Getting Your Sh*t Together | Vinny FerraroHow Thinking About Death Can Improve Your Life | Alua ArthurJoin the waiting list for A Year To Live at Spirit Rock.Find out more about the Young Adult Retreat at Spirit Rock (taught by Vinny Ferraro, Matthew Brensilver, Cara Lai, and Hakim Tafari).Use code TENPERCENT for 10% off these two courses at Spirit Rock: Anxiety as Teacher: A Dharma and Yoga DaylongCultivating the Beautiful Factors of MindSign up for Dan’s weekly newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/vinny-ferraro-a-year-to-liveAdditional Resources:Download the Happier Meditation app today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“Radical self-love” — what it is and how to do it.It is incredibly common for many of us humans, whatever our gender, to be at war with our bodies -- trying to live up to the people we see in the movies, on social media, or even the versions of ourselves in old pictures. This never-enough-ness can lead to an ambient level of self-loathing that can be incredibly destructive. That's where "radical self-love" comes in.Our guest today is Sonya Renee Taylor. She is the author of three books, including The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love. She is the Founder and Radical Executive Officer of The Body is Not An Apology. She has come to this work as a result of her own personal pain, as a Black woman inhabiting a body that she says does not conform to societal norms. In this conversation, we talk about defining radical self-love (and why she believes it's our natural state), tools for cultivating radical self-love, and the connection between being OK with yourself and the larger society. Full Shownotes: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/sonya-renee-taylor-rerunAdditional Resources:Download the Happier Meditation app today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How not to take sh*t for granted.About Jay Michaelson:Jay Michaelson is a writer & journalist, rabbi & meditation teacher, keynote speaker, and scholar of religion. Jay is the author of ten books, most recently The Secret That Is Not A Secret: Ten Heretical Tales. He holds a JD from Yale, a PhD in Jewish Thought from Hebrew University, and nondenominational rabbinic ordination.To find this meditation in the Happier Meditation app, you can search for “Delighting in Pleasure.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Very few of us relish chaos and disruption, but they are facts of life, given the nonnegotiable nature of change. In this episode with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, we’re going to talk about how to tune into the value of disruption, and learn how to sit with the chaos. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel is an ordained Zen priest, holds a Ph.D., and worked for decades as a social science researcher and development director for non-profit organizations. She is also a prolific author.In this conversation we’ll explore: what to do with the unknown and not having any answersthe power of a “sip of silence” (her term)what she means by the phrase “death as a doorway to tenderness” how she defines tenderness - a word that can easily get bogged down in sloppy sentimentalityand what she meant when she wrote “I'm not advocating love as an answer to all of the ills of the world. Then again, it is just that simple to be love.”Content Warning: There are brief mentions of assault; spiritual, sexual, and substance abuse; and racism, including an incident Zenju experienced herself. Full Shownotes: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/zenju-earthlyn-manuel-rerunThis episode was originally published in October 2021. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can mindfulness really pull you out of a spiral of self-judgment? Don’t you need to be judgmental sometimes? What’s the difference between being discerning and judgmental?Description: Meditation and mindfulness doesn’t uproot your capacity to be judgmental, but it can help you see the value in being judgmental by learning how to work with the judging mind. La Sarmiento has been practicing Vipassana meditation since 1998. La is a mentor for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, a teacher with Cloud Sangha, and a contributor to the Happier Meditation app.In this episode we talk about:How mindfulness can help us identify when we’re being judgmentalThe difference between discernment and judgmentHow it can be so delicious to be judgmental of others – but why it’s actually harmful to ourselves and othersThe four questions to ask when we notice ourselves going into judgment mode How to operationalize the phrase “am I suffering right now?” Investigating the motivations behind striving for success Why owning up to being a jerk is sometimes the exact right answerFull Shownotes: www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/la-sarmiento-rerun-2024Where to find La Sarmiento online: Website: www.lasarmiento.comAdditional Resources:Download the Happier Meditation app today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Equanimity: what it is, what it isn’t, and how to get it. Guest Kamala Masters was one of the teachers at Dan’s first ever meditation retreat. In this episode she dives into how to develop equanimity and shares her story of learning how to practice meditation during her everyday life while raising three children on her own. Kamala Masters has been meditating since the 1970s, first with Anagarika Munindra, who was Joseph Goldstein’s first teacher, and then with the Burmese master Sayadaw U Pandita with whom she twice temporarily ordained as a Buddhist nun. More recently, she’s been training with another Burmese master we’ve talked about here on the show, Sayadaw U Tejaniya. She is a Guiding Teacher at the Insight Meditation Society, and the co-founder of the Vipassana Metta Foundation, which developed the Maui Dharma Sanctuary.In this conversation we talk about: What is equanimity?The most common misconception about equanimityThe near and far enemies of equanimity The power and limitations of setting intentionsFull Shownotes: https://meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/kamala-masters-rerunWhere to find Kamala Masters online: Website: Vipassana Metta on MauiAdditional Resources:Download the Happier Meditation app today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bring an open minded curiosity to your big emotions and get to know yourself more fully, developing resilience to deal with all the feels.About Sharon Salzberg:Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is among the first to bring mindfulness & lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture fifty years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers.A co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, Sharon is the author of thirteen books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindess.To find this meditation in the Happier Meditation app, you can search for “Being With Big Emotions.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.