10% Happier With Dan Harris

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Actionable advice on working with one of the few socially acceptable vices. Whilst striving for perfection might seem logical on some level, it’s not actually attainable. And the research shows it can lead to burnout, stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, reduced productivity, and reduced resilience. Thomas Curran is a professor in the Department of Psychological and Behavioral Science at the London School of Economics and is the author of The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough.  In this episode we talk about: The definition of perfectionism – it’s more than just high standards The 3 flavors of perfectionism The surprising findings on perfectionism and gender  Perfectionism VS imposter syndrome  The root of perfectionism  The variables that lead to perfectionism  Thomas’ critiques on capitalism and growth mindset How to actually implement mantras like “

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Talking creativity and sanity with one of the world’s biggest pop stars.   British-Albanian singer-songwriter Dua Lipa emerged as a global pop sensation with her captivating blend of sultry vocals, empowering lyrics, and infectious beats. Born in London in 1995 to Albanian parents, Lipa's musical journey began at a young age, inspired by her father's own musical career. She hosts the podcast Dua Lipa: At Her Service, and her latest album is Radical Optimism.      In this episode we talk about: What she means by radical optimism – and how it applied when she literally fell on stage How she resists the temptation to fully armor herself Her famous work ethic and packed schedule   Her non-negotiable daily practices, including meditation Her social media hygiene (specially, how to stay sane when nearly 80 million people follow you on Instagram alone) And we have a great conversation about cre

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- A research-backed plan for getting your sh*t together in every possible sphere. We’re going to talk about some smart strategies today with Emma Seppälä, Ph.D. She is a psychologist and research scientist, with an expertise in the science of happiness, emotional intelligence, and social connection. She is the Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and she also teaches executives at the Yale School of Management. She’s been on this show before, to discuss her best-selling book The Happiness Track. And today she’s back to discuss her new book, Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos.  In this episode we talk about: What she means by that term, sovereign The neuroscience of emotion regulation The science of intuition – and how to work with it when you’re a critical thinke

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- The creator of somatic experiencing shows Dan how to heal trauma through the body.   Peter A. Levine, Ph.D., has spent the past 50 years developing Somatic Experiencing. He holds a doctorate in Biophysics from UC Berkeley and a doctorate in Psychology from International University. His work has been taught to over 30,000 therapists in over 42 countries. He is the author of the new book, An Autobiography of Trauma. Content warning: This episode includes discussions of rape and violence. In this episode we talk about: How to do somatic experiencing. You’ll see Dan play the role of guinea pig + make weird sounds The difference between somatic experiencing and talk therapy Somatic experiencing practices we can implement into our lives Why some people feel horror/terror at the thought of re-occupying the body and how to overcome those fears What the research says – and how these practices

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Buddhist strategies for taming that nagging voice in your head. Ofosu Jones-Quartey, a meditation teacher, author, and musician hailing from the Washington DC area brings over 17 years of experience in sharing mindfulness, meditation and self-compassion practices with the world. Holding a bachelor’s degree from American University and certified by the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, Ofosu is a graduate of the Teleos Coaching Institute and is the male voice on the Balance meditation app, reaching over 10 million subscribers.  Ofosu leads meditation classes and retreats nationwide, having taught and led retreats at the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, The Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, Brooklyn Zen Center, Cleveland Insight, Inward Bound Mindfulness and more. As an accomplished hip hop artist under the name “Born I,” Ofosu released the mindfulne

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- How self compassion works, how to practice it, and what the research says about the benefits. GUEST BIO: Dr. Serena Chen is Professor of Psychology and the Marian E. and Daniel E. Koshland, Jr. Distinguished Chair for Innovative Teaching and Research at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on the self and identity, interpersonal relationships, and social power and influence. She is a Fellow of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, American Psychological Association, and Association of Psychological Science. Dr. Chen was also the recipient of the Early Career Award from the International Society for Self and Identity, and the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Social Sciences Division of the University of California, Berkeley. In this episode we talk about: The connection between self-compassion and authenticity As well as self-compassion exercise

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Debating the cliche: Does everything happen for a reason? Plus, the Meditation Party crew tackles equanimity, work/life balance, and meditation vs napping. Sebene Selassie describes herself as a “writer, teacher, and immigrant-weirdo.” She teaches meditation on the ten percent happier app and is the author of a great book called You Belong. She’s based in Brooklyn.  Jeff Warren is also a writer and a meditation teacher. He and Dan co-wrote the book, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. He also hosts the Consciousness Explorers podcast. He’s based in Toronto.  If you want to be part of the show, please call in with a question or comment. The number is 508-656-0540. Or you can email us with a voice memo at podcast@tenpercent.com with a voice memo.  Tickets for the two more Meditation Party retreats this year at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York are available now. The last one was

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Digging into the nuts and bolts of Stoicism with one of its best-known modern proponents. Ryan Holiday is a prolific author, whose books include The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, and Discipline is Destiny. His newest book, Right Thing, Right Now, comes out in June, and is available for pre-order now. Ryan is also the host of the Daily Stoic Podcast. In this episode we talk about: The history and theory of Stoicism, and some of its big names (including a former Vice Presidential candidate) Premeditatio Melorem, or thinking ahead to the worst possible outcome in order to avoid it Memento Mori, or being aware of the inevitability of one’s own death Amor Fati, or “loving one’s fate” as a path to acceptance of reality Journaling as a key Stoic practice, of talking to oneself on the page The four Stoic values: Courage, Temperance, Justice, Wisdom How Stoicism and Buddhism overlap –

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Death isn’t the most appetizing topic, but contemplating mortality can be a massive source of motivation, perspective, and even stress relief. In this episode, life lessons from a death doula, who helps people at the end. Description:  There seems to be one clear bug in the human operating system — most of us do not like talking about death. Yet when we do talk about it, it can genuinely upgrade the quality of our lives. Our guest today is Alua Arthur, a former attorney who is now what’s called a death doula, which is someone who helps guide people through the end of their lives. Through this work, she has learned some extraordinary stuff about how to live life right now.  Alua is also the founder of Going with Grace, a death doula training and end-of-life planning organization. Her debut memoir, Briefly Perfectly Human: Making An Authentic Life By Getting Real About the End, will be r

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Professor and writer Arthur Brooks on his recent book (co-authored with Oprah Winfrey): Build The Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier. Arthur has seen the themes of this book play out in his own life. He started his career as a classical French horn player, then got his PhD in public policy analysis, and went on to run a think tank called the American Enterprise Institute. He is currently a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. He also does work with The Atlantic, where he writes a column and hosts a podcast called How to Build a Happy Life. Arthur was formerly on Ten Percent Happier to discuss his book From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.  In this episode we talk about: Myth busting about happiness The three macronutrients of happiness The perils of pursuing pleasure How to b

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- How our false expectations and misunderstandings about relationships can create an incalculable amount of suffering — and the many problems of the "You complete me" model. Description:  This episode was part one of our four-part series where we’re counter-programming against the way Valentine’s Day is often celebrated, and examining different kinds of relationships including romantic, friendship, and family.  Today’s guest hews a bit more closely to the traditional Valentine’s Day theme and will do some myth-busting around all the things we tend to get wrong when we talk about romantic relationships.  Myisha Battle is the author of the book, “This Is Supposed to Be Fun: How To Find Joy in Hooking Up, Settling Down, and Everything in Between.” She also hosts the podcast How’s Your Sex Life? Much of her public work focuses on the early stages of relationships, but in her private practi

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Hidden sources of stress — and how to beat them. Also: the myth of normal, the necessity of being disillusioned, and the disutility of comparing your suffering. Description:  There’s so much to be grateful for in modern medicine. We can all agree that we would not do as well in a world with no Advil or dentistry. And yet, our guest today, who is a renowned doctor, says modern medicine is overlooking something crucial: the pernicious impact that modern living has on our minds and bodies. In other words, we are surrounded by these hidden societal and structural sources of stress and we aren’t thinking about how to treat and prevent these factors that are degrading our happiness and our immune systems.  Dr. Gabor Maté is a bestselling author with an expertise on everything from stress to addiction to ADHD. His latest book is called, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Tox

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Buddhist strategies for making money and being creative. Meditation teacher David Nichtern believes that business can be, in his words, an essential spiritual practice. He has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He’s also the author of a book, Creativity, Spirituality, and Making a Buck. And he hosts a podcast by the same name. He began his career as a successful composer, producer, and guitarist. He’s recorded and played with Stevie Wonder, Jerry Garcia, Lana Del Rey, Paul Simon, and others. Recently, he’s become an entrepreneur, founding an online mindfulness based education platform called Dharma Moon. You can check out the video series based on his latest book, here. And on June 14, David’s leading a 100 Hour Mindfulness Teacher Training. For more info, check out the Dharma Moon website. Related Episodes: Duncan Trussell on: Being a Spiritual Omnivore, Whether P

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Why fear of other people’s opinions (FOPO) holds us back, and what to do about it.   Michael Gervais is a high performance psychologist and the host of the Finding Mastery podcast. His new book is called The First Rule of Mastery: Stop Worrying About What People Think of You.  In this episode we talk about: A handy new acronym: FOPO, Fear of People’s Opinions  How the evolutionary roots of our desire for social acceptance work against us in the modern world  Why caring about what others think is not the same thing as worrying about what others think  The difference between a purpose-based identity and a performance-based identity  The anti-FOPO power of things like: imagination, journaling, meditation, social support, and considering your mortality Why focusing less on yourself can be the greatest bulwark against FOPO Related Episodes: Michael Gervais and Pete Carroll Michael Gervais

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- How to build a career that is sturdy, meaningful, and doesn’t burn you out. Description:  Christina Wallace is a senior lecturer of entrepreneurship at Harvard business school, an active angel investor, and even a co-producer of Broadway musicals. Her new book is called The Portfolio Life. Her varied resume should give you an idea of what she means by this.  In this episode we talk about: how to design a portfolio life for yourself her philosophy of ambition  how to create the freedom to fail how to engage in sane time management. To order the revised tenth anniversary edition of 10% Happier: click here  For tickets to Dan Harris: Celebrating 10 Years of 10% Happier at Symphony Space: click here Sign up for Dan’s weekly newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier online bookstore Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, S

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Slow productivity: achievement without burnout. Cal Newport is a professor of computer science at Georgetown University where he is also a founding member of the Center for Digital Ethics. In addition to his academic work, Newport is a New York Times bestselling author who writes for a general audience about the intersection of technology, productivity, and culture. His books have sold millions of copies and been translated into over forty languages. He is also a contributor to The New Yorker and hosts the popular Deep Questions podcast.   In this episode we talk about: How overload culture wears us out and makes us less productive The rise of “pseudo-productivity” in office culture  The three tenets of slow productivity: do fewer things, work at a natural pace, and obsess over quality Sign up for Dan’s weekly newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Ten Percent Happier

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Do you struggle to fit meditation into a busy life? Check out this candid conversation with Dan’s younger brother, Matt. Matt Harris is partner at Bain Capital Ventures, where he’s developed an expertise in Fintech, or financial technology. He’s also a father of six incredible children. He is 17 months younger than Dan, to the day. And as you will hear, he likes to make fun of his neurotic brother. In fact, he shows up a lot in Dan's first book, 10% Happier, mocking Dan for his budding interest in meditation. In this episode we talk about: Practical tips from Joseph Goldstein The books that have been integral to Matt's process Tips on starting a practice.  The biggest issues for meditators How not to try too hard How awareness of the ego impacts work, The upsides and downsides of living a more examined life. Related Episodes: Click here to listen to the previous episodes in our te

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- We explore the intellectual and practical aspects of these mystical and esoteric concepts. Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, Insight Meditation and The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation. Joseph has studied and practiced meditation since 1967 under the guidance of eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet and he leads Insight Meditation retreats around the world. In this episode we talk about: Why Joseph has become more comfortable talking about these concepts as he’s gotten older Why karma should not be seen as a deterministic principle that rules every aspect of our lives The connection between karma and past l

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- A Buddhist psychiatrist (and one of the key players in Dan’s meditation career) talks about the overlap between Freud and the dharma. Mark Epstein M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, is the author of a number of books about the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy, including Thoughts without a Thinker, Going to Pieces without Falling Apart, Going on Being, Open to Desire, Psychotherapy without the Self, The Trauma of Everyday Life and Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself. His latest work, The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life, was published in 2022 by Penguin Press. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University. He has been a student of vipassana meditation since 1974. In this episode we talk about: The insubstantial nature of thoughts  Staying present through anything without clinging or condem

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Am I a bad meditator if I don’t go on a retreat? What do they entail? How do I stay silent for days on end? How do I get into one? What’s the food like? Spring Washam is the author of two books, A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment and The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. She is also one of the founding teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center and is the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, a one-of-a-kind organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom for transformative retreats in South America. In this episode we talk about: Whether or not you’re a bad meditator if you don’t go on a retreat What the specifics of a retreat entails How you stay silent for days on end And how to actually get into a meditation retreat Related Episodes: Click here to listen to the previous episodes in our tenth anniversary