We guide you through a reflection of three things you're grateful for today. This practice is shown to boost happiness, connection, and motivation while reducing stress. Happiness Break is a new series by The Science of Happiness.

How to Do this Three Good Things practice:

1. Take a few deep breaths, and notice how you feel.

2. Think back on your day. Start from when you woke up, and mentally trace your steps forward in time.

3. What was the most beautiful, amazing, or interesting thing you saw all day? How did it make you feel? Take a moment to feel grateful for it. Think what had to happen so you could see that thing today, and let yourself appreciate those things.

4. Keep reflecting on your day. What’s the best sound you heard all day? How did it make you feel? Take a moment to feel grateful for that, and think about how you came to hear that thing today.

5. Look back over your day again: What’s the best thing that happened all day? It could be anything. Sit with your gratitude for that thing. What caused that thing to happen? Take a moment to appreciate all the factors that led to this good thing happening today.

6. Notice how you feel now.

Find the full Three Goods Things practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/three-good-things

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Take our Gratitude Quiz: https://tinyurl.com/yc3dc53c

Why Gratitude is Good: https://tinyurl.com/fr4r2xyw

Tips for Keeping a Gratitude Journal: https://tinyurl.com/6khs9k28

Can Gratitude Help You Live More Sustainably? https://tinyurl.com/bdfws2e5

Four Great Gratitude Strategies: https://tinyurl.com/2s4h6z3f

How Gratitude Helps Your Friendships Grow: https://tinyurl.com/yc55bvw8

Cultivate more gratitude for the people you love with the Mental Subtraction of Relationships practice https://tinyurl.com/mthra2jd

How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times: https://tinyurl.com/m9jz5atd

Today’s host:

Dacher Keltner is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and a co-instructor of UC Berkeley’s course by the same name. He’s also the founding director of The Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley.

Tell us about your experiences trying this version of the Three Good Things practice by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

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Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and copy and share this link: pod.link/1340505607

Find us on Amazon Music!

Do you struggle with sleep? This week Drew Ackerman of Sleep with Me podcast tries tips for a good night's sleep, and we explore why it's so important to our well-being.

Episode summary:

A good night’s sleep can be hard to come by, and beating yourself up over not sleeping enough will only make it worse. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, the host of Sleep With Me podcast Drew Ackerman joins us to try science-backed tips for finding your natural sleep rhythm. Drew, also known as “Dearest Scooter,” talks about his history with insomnia and sleep anxiety, sleep hygiene, and his philosophy on bringing more self-compassion into his approach to trying to fall asleep. Then we hear from sleep scientist Eti Ben Simon about how sleep affects your social life.

Practice:

Here are four tips to help you sleep from Dr. Eti Ben Simon.

1. Avoid alcohol and caffeine after 2 p.m. to unmask your true biological sleep needs.

2. Keep lights dim in the evening and limit access to LED lights after 9 p.m.

3. Go to sleep as soon as you feel tired (even if you're in the middle of something). This will help you figure out the earliest window it is physiologically possible for you to fall asleep.

4. Do not use an alarm clock to wake up.

Try a version of this practice with the sleep tips in this article by expert Eti Ben Simon:

https://tinyurl.com/2nesff8t

Today’s guests:

Drew Ackerman You might know Drew as his alias, “Dearest Scooter*,”* the host of Sleep with Me podcast. Drew struggles with bedtime worries and has a history of insomnia himself, but he’s great at helping others sleep. Sleep with Me is one of the most listened-to sleep podcasts. On each episode, “Scooter” lulls listeners off to dreamland with meandering bedtime stories intended to lose your interest.

Listen to Sleep With Me Podcast: https://pod.link/sleep-with-me

Follow Drew on Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/2p8nrhnp

Follow Drew on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearestscooter/

Follow Drew on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sleepwithmepodcast/

Eti Ben Simon is a sleep scientist and postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley, where she works at Matthew Walkers’ Center for Human Sleep Science.

Learn more about Eti and her work: https://www.sleepingeti.com/

Follow Eti on Twitter: https://twitter.com/etoosh

Follow Eti on Google Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/328aa5yr

Resources for A Good Night’s Sleep

Psychology Today - What’s Your Sleep Type? Two forces that dictate our sleep, by Eti Ben Simon: https://tinyurl.com/2nesff8t

Matthew Walker’s 11 Tips for Improving Sleep Quality: https://tinyurl.com/2kadu7va

TED - Sleeping with Science: https://tinyurl.com/23mmbdy3

Harvard Health - 8 Tips to Get a Good Night’s Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/2p8um9z7

BBC - Why Do We Sleep? https://tinyurl.com/2p8z9v2d

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

Four Surprising Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/2p832bh5

How Mindfulness Improves Sleep: https://tinyurl.com/2p8rhkhj

Your Sleep Tonight Changes How You React to Stress Tomorrow: https://tinyurl.com/2p8zvbjz

Tell us about your experiences and struggles with falling asleep by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or copy and share this link with someone who might like the show: pod.link/1340505607

Episode summary:

Emanuel Hahn has never been great at asking for help. He didn’t live with his parents after age 12, and consequently, he says he learned to only rely on himself. But now that he’s launching his first book and juggling a freelance career, he knows he can’t do it all on his own. He tried our Ask for Help at Work practice, which challenges you to make a direct request when you need a hand from someone. 

Emanuel had to pack 800 pre-ordered books into boxes for shipping. It’s a laborious task, and he knew he couldn’t handle it all on his own. It was a Sunday, and people probably already had plans. He took a beat, and then he sent the texts out anyway. Before long, he had eight people packing books. **
**
Vanessa Bohns of Cornell University has studied exactly what Emanuel experienced: When it comes to asking for help, we underestimate how likely others are to say “yes” to our request. But when we put ourselves in the shoes of a person being asked for help, it’s hard to imagine saying “no.”

“People do get this warm glow from helping,” Bohns says. “People enjoy being helpful.”

This Happiness Practice might benefit you as much as the person you ask.

Try this week’s practice, Ask for Help at Work at GGIA.berkeley.edu

Today’s guests:

Emanuel Hahn is a freelance photographer and director in Los Angeles. He just released his first book, Koreatown Dreaming, which documents 40 small businesses in LA’s Koreatown as they weather the pandemic and encroaching gentrification. He joins us today after trying a practice where he makes a commitment to ask for help whenever he needs it.

Follow Emanuel on Twitter and Instagram.

Vanessa Bohns is an associate professor of social psychology at Cornell University and the author of the book You Have More Influence Than You Think. She did an experiment to see why it’s so hard for people to ask for help.

Follow Vanessa Bohns on Twitter.

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How Love and Connection Exist in Micro-Moments

Is Stress Making You Withdraw from People?

Try Our One-Month Pathway to Happiness Program

Tell us about your experiences and struggles with asking for help by emailing us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or using the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness!

Copy and share this link: pod.link/1340505607

Fear is a normal part of our lives — but there are ways we can safely challenge and conquer it. Our guest tries a research-backed way to tackle a fear she's had since elementary school.

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Don’t forget to verify your account!

CLICK HERE to make an account and vote.

Or, go to webbyawards.com. Click "Start Voting." Click "categories," then select "Podcasts," then "Limited Series & Specials" at the bottom. Click "Health, Science and Education" and click The Science of Happiness and Music to make an account and vote!

Comedian Marilyn Pittman takes stock of what she really wants in life – and makes a plan to get it.

High expectations can lead to disappointment, but expecting the worst doesn't feel great, either. This week we explore how to find the balance.

Part of life is experiencing pain and loss. And sometimes, finding meaning in it. We explore a writing practice shown to help us come out stronger after difficult times.

A NYT restaurant critic puts down her pen and grabs her camera to capture the beauty of the outdoors.

What happens when we feel compassion for the things that scare us? Shabazz Larkin shares what it's like to face some of his deepest fears.

What does your best possible self look like? Our guest tries a practice in optimism by imagining her brightest future.

Feeling burned out? Our guest, a nurse, explores how cultivating gratitude helps people in high stress jobs.

Can taking a few photos really make you happier? Afghan rocker Sulyman Qardash tries a practice to find meaning through snapping photos of daily life.

Thank you. Gracias. Merci. Every language has a word for gratitude. But why do we feel it? How can we experience more of it? We revisit some of our favorite episodes about the science of gratitude. 

What happens when we share our time? Our guest, chef and author Bryant Terry, pauses to be present with the ones who matter most.

Comedian Paula Poundstone tries to take on a messy and daunting task, one small step at a time.

Anna Sale, host of Death, Sex, and Money, practices awe as an antidote to her anxiety.

They were childhood best friends until one came out as queer. Now, two college students reconnect and try to see the world through one another's eyes.

For our 100th episode, host Dacher Keltner sits in the guest chair and tries one of the most popular happiness practices. 

When was the last time you went down a slide? Our guest tries a practice to bring more play into his life and explores what that means as a Black man in the U.S.

What would life be like without the people you care most about? Our guest tries a practice to help appreciate loved ones.

Our guest uses her breath to find calm in some of Los Angeles' noisiest neighborhoods.

What happens when we suppress our anger? And what if we tried to work with it instead? Our guest tries a practice to harness her inner fierceness to care for herself.

Michael Pollan tries to get more out of life by temporarily giving up one of his pleasure.

When the world around you changes, so can your goals. This week's guest tries a practice to tap into a new sense of purpose.

Trees don't just compete with one another for resources, they also cooperate. Scientist and author Suzanne Simard explains the surprising science of trees.

A doctor who serves communities in dire need shares how gratitude helps him find light in the darkness.

Focusing on funny things can reduce stress, anxiety, and make us feel more connected to others. Our guests, who were high school sweethearts, learn how humor can also strengthen relationships.

Have you ever been moved by music sung in a language you don't understand? We speak with Gambian musician Sona Jobarteh about how music can connect us across cultures.

What is it about certain melodies that can relax our nerves and rock us to sleep? We explore the science of calming music with pianist Rosey Chan.

Music helped former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne come out of his shell. Hear Byrne's story and learn how music creates social bonds in part one of our series, The Science of Music and Happiness.

Feeling awe can boost your mood and make you feel more connected with others. Comedian Chris Duffy learns how to tap into that sense.

What happens when we spend time outdoors? We explore how getting out in nature can restore peace of mind—and make us more creative.

Setting goals can sometimes feel like setting ourselves up for failure. But journalist Monica Campbell finds there's something magical that happens with certain kinds of goals.

A stranger helped her through the hardest day of her life. When she expresses her gratitude, our guest encounters the power of true connection.

The way we interact with people who come in and out of our lives has changed since COVID-19. Our guest tries a practice to connect with strangers while keeping a social distance.

Are you unable to be with your friends and family during the holiday season this year? These 36 questions can bring you closer to loved ones, even if you're separated.

Connecting across generations is one of the oldest happiness practices there is. We explore why to honor your elders, along with other practices from indigenous cultures often overlooked by Western science.

Can practicing mindfulness make us wiser? Judge Jeremy Fogel explores how being present in the moment helps him keep a clear mind and stay connected to his true values.

What does it really take to forgive someone? And why should we do it? Our guest, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, tries a practice to let go of anger.

Why do we vote? We explore the science behind what drives us to the polls, and the benefits we reap for ourselves and communities when we cast our ballots.

It's easy to be anxious and uncertain about the future—especially if you're eight months pregnant. Our guest tries practices to help her deal with whatever life throws her way.

Feeling hard on yourself? Pinterest co-founder Evan Sharp learns to quiet his inner critic and tap into his highest potential.

Feeling lonely? Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy learns why focusing on the quality of our relationships, not the quantity, can be an antidote. 

Why should you be nice? Our guest explores how small, daily acts of kindness can produce meaningful life changes.

Do you obsess over negative feedback? Shereen Marisol Meraji, of NPR’s Code Switch, tries a better way to cope.

A couple try a practice to bring more excitement and passion into their relationship, even while sheltering-in-place.

We can be at our worst with the people we love best. Our guests try ways to be more calm and present with those closest to them.

Our guest tries a practice to help her feel compassion toward others — even those she disagrees with.

Adrian Michael Green asks big questions designed to help teens — and adults — find more meaning and purpose in their lives.

We speak with john a. powell, director of the Othering & Belonging Institute, about racial justice, well-being, and widening our circles of human connection and concern.

When our world is turned upside down, how do we keep moving forward? Our guest, award-winning author Christine Day, sets a new path for herself.

Do you want to be famous? What's a favorite memory? These 36 questions can bring you closer to loved ones, even if you're separated.

Want to calm your inner critic? Our guest tries a practice to find more self-compassion during uncertain times.

Sheltering-at-home with kids? These questions can help them, and us, focus on the good things in life.

How a doctor stays calm and centered during times of uncertainty, one breath at a time.

Our guest tries a practice to feel more connected to loved ones, and herself, while sheltering at home.

Think of an important person in your life. Now imagine you never met. Our guest practices counting his blessings by picturing his life without a special person from his past.

Do you have a hard time calming your nerves? Author Raina Telgemeier tries a practice to get out of her head, one step at a time.

He survived the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, two years ago and has been a student mental health advocate ever since. Now Kai Koerber finds a way to thank the person who helped him find his voice.

Are you actually listening when someone is talking to you, or just waiting for your turn to talk? Our guest, a veteran of the Iraq War, practices how to truly listen to others.

How can people from different groups get on the same page? Our guest, an educator and football coach, tries a strategy for building stronger, more inclusive teams.

Her New Year's resolution was to have more joyful and fulfilling experiences in her daily life. Our guest tried a practice to help make that happen.

There are millions of YouTube channels with people crinkling bubble wrap or whispering about folding laundry. Our guests talks about why autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) makes her, and many others, feel more calm and happy.

Do you beat yourself up over every mistake? A high school senior tries to be kinder to himself during an especially stressful time.

Comedian Maz Jobrani tries to be more thankful for the good things in his life by writing them down — and encourages his kids to do the same.

When was the last time you felt connected to something bigger than yourself? Award-winning cellist Yumi Kendall looks, and listens, for moments of awe.

It's easy to lose sight of what matters most. Our guest finds a way to reconnect with her values during stressful times.

Doctors are often trained to be emotionally detached. But our guest finds greater meaning in his work as a physician when he tries to connect more deeply with his patients, co-workers, and family.

A tree next to a bus stop, a flower poking through the sidewalk. Our guest, a veteran of the Iraq War, discovers how awe and wonder can be found anywhere —  if you just pay attention.

Do you fixate on what's going wrong in your life? Poet and "recovering pessimist" Maggie Smith practices looking on the bright side.

She's one of the most accomplished comedians of her generation. But Margaret Cho wants to find a different kind of happiness.

Should we try to find common ground with the villains in our lives? Comedian Zahra Noorbahksh tries to understand a "zombie" from her past.

We gave our Happiness Guinea Pig a mission: Do five random acts of kindness in one day.

Heights. Public speaking. Death. Our Happiness Guinea Pig explains how she overcomes her fears, one small step at a time.

How can you unearth humor in everyday life? Best-selling author Michael Lewis goes looking for laughs.

After more than a decade together, our Happiness Guinea Pig tries to bring the spark back into her marriage.

Our Happiness Guinea Pig, the creator of Cartoon Network's We Bare Bears, finds a way to feel close to a loved one he recently lost.

Try this week’s happiness practice: Feeling Connected

Her husband has been in prison for 23 years. Our Happiness Guinea Pig tries a new approach to stay strong while working to get him released.

The loss of a job, the pain of a breakup -- it's easy to get down on ourselves when things aren't going well. Find out how our Happiness Guinea Pig tuned down the self-critic in her head.

A high-five from a stranger, a hummingbird on a busy city street. Poet Ross Gay shares his own happiness practice: savoring the everyday delights in life.

~ Try one of UC Berkeley's Greater Good in Action happiness practices.

Are you still mad at someone who hurt you in the past? That can eat away at your health and well-being. Our Happiness Guinea Pig tries a new approach to giving up a grudge.

What kinds of objects, images, and words surround your home or office? Our Happiness Guinea Pig surveys her apartment for items that spark connection and kindness.

Do you have trouble slowing down enough to actually enjoy your life? Our Happiness Guinea Pig, comedian and radio host Luke Burbank, finds a way to break free from his over-scheduled lifestyle. 

Try this week’s happiness practice: Raisin Meditation

How can we feel connected to the world around us? Singer Diana Gameros tries to cultivate a sense of awe in the most unlikely of places.

Try this episode’s happiness practice: Awe Walk

Do you fixate on your flaws and shortcomings? Our happiness guinea pig tries the opposite: focusing on her personal strengths.

~ Try this episode’s happiness practice: Use Your Strengths

Can you extend compassion toward a difficult person in your life? Congressman Tim Ryan tries a practice to help him reach across the aisle.

A junior high school teacher spent his life defying stereotypes about how men should express their emotions. Here he takes on a new challenge: getting his students to express gratitude.

Comedian Maz Jobrani tries to pay more attention to the good things in his life by writing them down -- and encourages his kids to do the same.

Try this episodes happiness practice: Three Good Things

He started Afghanistan's first post-Taliban rock band when he was 18 years old. A decade later, our Happiness Guinea Pig takes on another challenge: writing about his emotions.

How do you build feelings of trust and security? Our Happiness Guinea Pig learns some truths about what it takes to feel supported.

When you’re helping others cope with stress and anxiety, how do you deal with your own? Psychiatrist Elizabeth Guinto tries a practice to be kinder to herself.

Comedian W. Kamau Bell discusses the challenges of finding common ground, even with people in your own family.

International megastar Daniel Wu tries a practice that brings him calm amidst the chaos. 

Did you know that you have the power to spark happiness in someone else's brain with just a few simple words? College student Eva Dickerson shares how she spread happiness across her campus, equipped with just her iPhone and some compliments.

Our Happiness Guinea Pig, children's author Joanne Rocklin, shares her happiness practice: bringing people together to share a meal. It took on a deeper meaning for her after a recent tragedy.

Why does a bath or swim feel so relaxing? Our guest shares her own happiness practice--spending time in water--which science is finding can make us happier and healthier. 

"I'm sorry you feel that way."

Some apologies can actually make things worse. Our Happiness Guinea Pigs, Jolenta Greenburg and Kristin Meinzer of the By the Book podcast, try a more effective way of saying sorry. 

How do you respond when you feel threatened or defensive? Our Happiness Guinea Pig, writer Wajahat Ali, discovers a way to keep himself centered amidst the challenges and chaos of life.

What would make you happier at work? Featuring some of our happiness guinea pigs, we share the latest insights and research on well-being and happiness in the workplace.

Do you take your partner for granted? Our Happiness Guinea Pig, cartoonist Gene Luen Yang, imagines a life in which he never met his wife.

Are you stuck ruminating about the past? Legendary skater Tommy Guerrero tries looking at negative events from a different perspective.

Do you find yourself looking at your phone when you're supposed to be paying attention to a friend? Our Happiness Guinea Pig, The Takeaway's Tanzina Vega trades in her technology for some old school listening. 

Many of us avoid chatting with strangers – isn't small talk tedious and dull? Listen as our happiness guinea pig discovers its surprising benefits.

Author Michael Pollan, shares his experiences on being a guinea pig for his new book, How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence.

Did you know what you wanted when you were in high school? Our teen guinea pig takes on the challenge of figuring out her purpose in life.

Would you rather swim with sharks or give a speech before thousands of people? Discover how our happiness guinea pig tackled one of his many fears--and lived to talk about it.

Holding on to a grudge? Hear how our happiness guinea pig tried to let go of deep-seated anger and resentment.

For years, Dan Harris of ABC News was plagued by anxiety, depression, and streaks of anger. Here's how he learned to tame the voices in his head and get 10 percent happier.   

In hard times, do you seek comfort from others or turn inwards? Find out how our Happiness Guinea Pig emerged from trauma by accepting others' support. 

Thank you for your emails, calls, and letters! We think your stories will inspire others and we’ll be sharing some of them on the show. So call us at (510) 519-4903 and let us know how doing the Feeling Supported practice went for you!

Support for this podcast comes from Sun Basket. We all know that every part of our life is enhanced when we eat nourishing, healthy meals but always eating right can be hard to do. Sun Basket makes it easy. Go to SunBasket.com/SOH today to learn more and get $35 off your first order!

Is there someone important you've never properly thanked? Award-winning children's book author, Yuyi Morales, discovers the power of writing a "gratitude letter" to the librarian who changed her life. 

Do memories of your past affect your happiness today? Susannah Cahalan was young and healthy when she was stricken with a mysterious illness. Learn how writing about her “month of madness” in the bestselling book Brain on Fire helped her reclaim her life.

Does imagining your future make you more happy--or more anxious?  Our happiness guinea pig looks ahead for inspiration to improve her life now.

Can you train your brain to be more grateful? Todd Zwillich of The Takeaway takes on the challenge.

Are you so stressed that it wears you down physically as well as mentally? Discover how award-winning radio host Krista Tippett brought relief to her mind and body.  

Do you dwell on the negative and let moments of joy just pass you by? Discover how the Academy Award-winning director of Inside Out got out of his head and savored the good in his life.

What should you do when you thought you had it all -- but learn you've had it all wrong? Discover what our happiness guinea pig did to bring more joy and humor into his life.

Can 36 questions help you fall in love--and stay in love? Best-selling author Kelly Corrigan tries a research-proven technique to feel closer to her husband. Plus, we learn how the same technique can actually reduce racism and prejudice.

Are you too hard on yourself? Our Happiness Guinea Pig spent most of his life behind bars. Discover the research-tested practice that helped him quiet his inner critic.

Do you take the good things in life for granted? You’re not alone, and studies show it's very human. But here’s a way to find more joy in the everyday. 

What does it take to live a happier life? Learn research-tested strategies that you can put into practice today. Hosted by award-winning psychologist Dacher Keltner. Co-produced by PRX and UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.