Episode
Science-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
2:23:30
Published: Mon Nov 14 2022
Description
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. Thank you to our sponsors Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Happiness (00:06:27) Tool: Light Exposure Timing & Brightness Timing (00:14:30) Sponsors: LMNT, Thesis, Momentous (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 Disclaimer
Chapters
In this podcast, the speaker talks about the science of happiness, the mechanisms underlying happiness and provides a framework to achieve happiness in life.
00:00 - 07:21 (07:21)
Summary
In this podcast, the speaker talks about the science of happiness, the mechanisms underlying happiness and provides a framework to achieve happiness in life. The podcast acknowledges the contradictions in popular discussions around the topic and presents a way to think about happiness as a state that one can control.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
Lack of exposure to bright light during the day and too much exposure to bright artificial light in the evening can negatively impact sleep-wake cycles, focus, and mood.
07:21 - 14:14 (06:53)
Summary
Lack of exposure to bright light during the day and too much exposure to bright artificial light in the evening can negatively impact sleep-wake cycles, focus, and mood. Increasing bright light exposure during the day and dimming artificial lights in the evening can improve overall well-being.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
Language is imprecise in describing our brain and body states, including happiness.
14:14 - 23:16 (09:01)
Summary
Language is imprecise in describing our brain and body states, including happiness. Self-reported levels of happiness tend to be lower for individuals with lower baseline levels of dopamine and can be seen in drug addiction and conditions like Parkinson's disease where dopamine levels are severely depleted.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
This podcast explores the connection between age and happiness, drawing insights from longitudinal studies that show how people's definition of happiness changes over time.
23:16 - 33:54 (10:38)
Summary
This podcast explores the connection between age and happiness, drawing insights from longitudinal studies that show how people's definition of happiness changes over time. It also highlights the role of dopamine and serotonin in happiness, and how chronically low levels of these chemicals can lead to a lower mood.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
Studies reveal that happiness often decreases as people acquire more responsibilities and demands on their time, such as getting married and having children, and increases again in later life as those demands decrease.
33:54 - 46:34 (12:39)
Summary
Studies reveal that happiness often decreases as people acquire more responsibilities and demands on their time, such as getting married and having children, and increases again in later life as those demands decrease. People who choose to not have children typically report higher levels of happiness than those who become parents.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
Longitudinal studies have shown that people's self-reported levels of happiness are usually not significantly lower than prior to experiencing a trauma.
46:34 - 55:19 (08:44)
Summary
Longitudinal studies have shown that people's self-reported levels of happiness are usually not significantly lower than prior to experiencing a trauma. However, chronic smoking and alcoholism have been found to be strongly anti-correlated with happiness, and people often report feeling lower levels of happiness on their birthday.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
Money cannot buy happiness, but having money can reduce stress and provide access to experiences that can lead to happiness.
55:19 - 1:04:59 (09:40)
Summary
Money cannot buy happiness, but having money can reduce stress and provide access to experiences that can lead to happiness. Self-reported levels of happiness are the same for those who won the lottery and those who became paraplegic one year after the event.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
Synthetic happiness is as powerful as natural happiness and can be created by placing oneself in a positive environment, combined with an effort to synthesize happiness, such as doing meaningful work.
1:04:59 - 1:19:07 (14:07)
Summary
Synthetic happiness is as powerful as natural happiness and can be created by placing oneself in a positive environment, combined with an effort to synthesize happiness, such as doing meaningful work. Research in psychology and neuroscience suggests that synthetic happiness is a viable way to achieve elevated levels of happiness.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
The receipt of gratitude and observing stories of other people receiving help, are powerful stimuli for the release of neurochemicals and activation of brain areas associated with happiness, feelings of wellbeing and pro-social behavior.
1:19:07 - 1:32:05 (12:58)
Summary
The receipt of gratitude and observing stories of other people receiving help, are powerful stimuli for the release of neurochemicals and activation of brain areas associated with happiness, feelings of wellbeing and pro-social behavior. Environment factors can affect the synthesis of happiness but personal circumstances can be buffered by opportunities made available through money.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
Focusing on an activity tends to predict a higher level of happiness.
1:32:05 - 1:39:34 (07:29)
Summary
Focusing on an activity tends to predict a higher level of happiness. Meditation, whether it is on one's internal state or external surroundings, has shown to improve focus and refocus on perception, done in as little as 13 minutes consistently.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
The speaker emphasizes that social interaction, even seemingly insignificant ones, have a potent impact on increasing our level of happiness and well-being, and that social connections do not necessarily have to be close friendships or relationships.
1:39:34 - 1:47:44 (08:10)
Summary
The speaker emphasizes that social interaction, even seemingly insignificant ones, have a potent impact on increasing our level of happiness and well-being, and that social connections do not necessarily have to be close friendships or relationships.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
Eye contact is the most powerful way to engage in social contact and build a sense of connection with another person.
1:47:44 - 1:57:37 (09:52)
Summary
Eye contact is the most powerful way to engage in social contact and build a sense of connection with another person. This is particularly important in conversations where both people are present and focused on the conversation's contents, as having eye contact helps to increase happiness.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
The podcast explores the relationship between freedom of choice and happiness, analyzing data from experiments that suggest that having limited options can increase levels of satisfaction with a choice, and discussing the impact of this on natural and synthetic happiness.
1:57:38 - 2:07:51 (10:13)
Summary
The podcast explores the relationship between freedom of choice and happiness, analyzing data from experiments that suggest that having limited options can increase levels of satisfaction with a choice, and discussing the impact of this on natural and synthetic happiness.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
A focus on presence and striving to be present can lead to the outcomes we want in both natural and synthetic happiness.
2:07:51 - 2:22:07 (14:15)
Summary
A focus on presence and striving to be present can lead to the outcomes we want in both natural and synthetic happiness. Pursuing both forms of happiness and including natural and synthetic forms in a general model of happiness can increase overall levels of happiness.
EpisodeScience-Based Tools for Increasing Happiness
PodcastHuberman Lab
The Huberman Lab podcast provides science and science-related tools for mental health, physical health, and performance.
2:22:07 - 2:23:34 (01:27)
Summary
The Huberman Lab podcast provides science and science-related tools for mental health, physical health, and performance. Additionally, the newsletter includes summaries of podcast episodes, as well as protocols for mental health, physical health, and performance.