Escaping the productivity trap, silencing the inner nihilist, and finding awe in the most ordinary places.

Lili Taylor is an award-winning movie, television, and theater actor. In the birding world, Lili is a board member of the National Audubon Society, the American Birding Association, and the New York City Bird Alliance.

In this episode we talk about:

• Why humans are hardwired to connect with nature
• What it means to "pay attention"
• The role of listening and investigation
• Antidotes to hopelessness
• How to overcome obstacles in your meditation practice
• Practical nature tips for city dwellers
• The liberating concept of "autotelic" activities

Related Episodes:

• This Scientist Says One Emotion Might Be the Key to Happiness. Can You Guess What It Is?
• The Science Of How Nature Changes Your Brain—From Sleep To Cognition To Your Nervous System
• The Science Of Walking

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Additional Resources:

• Turning to Birds
• Turning to Birds on Substack
• A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching
• The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here! This episode is sponsored by:

Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/HAPPIER.

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Manoush Zomorodi is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and host of NPR's "TED Radio Hour," where she explores fascinating ideas with the world's greatest thinkers. She is the author of a new book called BODY ELECTRIC: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being. You can also subscribe to her newsletter, Manoush Minutes.

In this episode we talk about:

• What constant screen time is doing to your brain and body
• Why feeling tired all the time might not be what you think
• A simple shift that could boost your energy and focus
• The hidden ways tech is messing with your physical health
• What you're missing when you ignore your body's signals
• Why more productivity hacks might actually backfire
• Small changes that could make a big difference in how you feel

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!

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This episode is sponsored by:

BetterHelp: Find support and have someone with you in therapy. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/happier.

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Fatty15: You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription starter kit by going to fatty15.com/happier and using the code HAPPIER at checkout.

A Harvard professor on the nine evidence-based tools for acting decisively when fear and uncertainty are telling you to do nothing.

Ranjay Gulati is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. His pioneering work focuses on unlocking organizational and individual potential—embracing courage, nurturing purpose-driven leaders, driving growth, and transforming businesses. He is the author of Deep Purpose and How to be Bold.

In this episode we talk about:

• The difference between courage and recklessness
• How to accept your fears without being controlled by them
• Tools for remaining calm in the face of a disaster
• How to find your moral anchors
• The importance of having a support squad
• How to inculcate courage into your family, workplace, and friend group

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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!

This episode is sponsored by:

LinkedIn: Spend $250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get a $250 credit for the next one. Just go to LinkedIn.com/happier.

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Practical advice for handling anxiety, envy, and that feeling that you're a bad person. What happens when a deck of cards controls the conversation? On Wild Card, hosted by Rachel Martin, that's the whole idea — and when Dan sat down as a guest, the cards led somewhere genuinely interesting.

In this episode: why Dan keeps going on silent meditation retreats even though loneliness is the hardest part; what finally made him delete Instagram; the "good-ish" concept that unlocked a new relationship with self-criticism; and a deep dive into the Buddhist take on the soul — which turns out to be a lot more useful than it sounds.

Wild Card is produced by NPR.

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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!

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Most people hesitate before answering. This episode is about what to do with that hesitation.

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and has written more than 200 novels since 1976.

Patrick Leddin, PhD, is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The 5‑Week Leadership Challenge: 35 Action Steps to Become the Leader You Were Meant to Be.

In this episode we talk about:

• Why we're living in an "age of disruption"
• The five-step positive disruptor loop
• The one question to ask yourself when trying to identify your purpose
• And how disruption can improve your work, your relationships, and your family

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Additional Resources:

• Disrupt Everything—and Win: Take Control of Your Future
• Judge Stone: A Novel (with Viola Davis)

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

This episode is sponsored by:

BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier

Wix — Build a fully functional website with AI in minutes at https://www.wix.com/harmony

Plus: How to increase vagal tone, improve heart health, and reduce inflammation.

Kevin J. Tracey, MD, is president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, a pioneer of vagus nerve research and author of the recent book, The Great Nerve: The New Science of the VagusNerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes.

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!

This episode is sponsored by:

BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier

Spark — Clean energy and focus with zero sugar. Get 30% off and free shipping with code HAPPIER at https://www.drinksparkcom

Why forcing the breath backfires and how to use the four elements to get out of your head. Breath meditation sounds simple in theory. In practice, many meditators find that the moment they pay attention to their breathing, it starts to feel forced, shallow, or just plain weird. In this live session, Dan and Sebene Selassie dig into why that happens — and what to do about it.

They also answer subscriber questions on shame and how to work with it skillfully, the RAIN technique, breaking the cycle of rumination, and Sebene's beloved elements practice as a tool for embodiment. Plus: an unexpectedly lively digression on colonoscopy prep and the nature of being with discomfort.

If you want to go deeper with Dan and Sebene, check out their Audible Original, Even You Can Meditate, available now.

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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here!

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Plus: Navigating the "dark night of the soul," the power of saying "no," and how to be more present.

Rosa Lewis is a mystic, awakening guide, artist and writer. She is the author of many books, most recently Unlocking the Depths of Being: Wholehearted Presence for a Mystical Reality. The last two meditations on this playlist are related to her book.

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.

This episode is sponsored by:

Function Health — 160+ lab tests a year for $365. Check your health the way Dan does at https://www.functionhealth.com/happier — use code HAPPIER25 for a $25 credit

Quo — The modern business phone system. Try free and get 20% off your first six months at https://www.quo.com/happier

Samsara — AI-powered fleet safety and operations platform. Request a free demo at https://www.samsara.com/happier

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Using your senses to reduce overthinking, turn down the voice in your head, and get out of what these scientists call "the house of habit."

Dr. Zindel Segal is Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto Scarborough and a cofounder of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Professor Norman Farb, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he directs the Regulatory and Affective Dynamics laboratory. Together, they are the co-authors of Better In Every Sense: How the New Science of Sensation Can Help You Reclaim Your Life.

In this episode we talk about:

• How the brain's default mode network is essential to our survival but also can keep us stuck in rumination and overthinking

• Segal and Farb's simple practice of "sense foraging" and why they say it can help break patterns and thoughts that aren't serving us

• The differences and the similarities between sense foraging and mindfulness

Related Episodes:

• Depression and Anxiety: Your Old Enemies, Your Best Friends | Zindel Segal — Ten Percent Happier

• Gretchen Rubin on: How To Use Your Five Senses To Reduce Anxiety, Increase Creativity, and Improve Your Relationships

• Why You Can't Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again | Johann Hari — Ten Percent Happier

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How to do your best work, reframe life's bullshit, and stop making your happiness hostage to outcomes.

Maria Semple is the bestselling author of Today Will Be Different, Where'd You Go, Bernadette, and This One Is Mine. Before writing fiction, Maria wrote for TV. Her newest book is called Go Gentle.

In this episode we talk about:

• Cognitive reframing tools to shift your mindset
• Maria's daily Stoic routine
• The limits of Stoicism
• What to do when mediating gives you anxiety
• The danger of "baited bounties"
• How to "get shit done" with non-attachment
• Using fantasy as a coping mechanism

Related Episodes:

• Stoic Practices for Getting Rid of Mental Junk, Your Morning Routine, and Talking to the Dead | Ryan Holiday
• Stoic Advice for Handling Setbacks, Insults, and Death | William Irvine

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Additional Resources:

• William Irvine's "A Guide to the Good Life"

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.

This episode is sponsored by: Rosetta Stone — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Start your journey at https://www.rosettastone.com/happier

ButcherBox — 100% grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, and wild-caught seafood delivered to your door. New listeners get chicken breasts or top sirloin for a year, or ground beef for life, plus $20 off at https://www.butcherbox.com/happier

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Plus: maximizing the benefits of sleep, exercise, and meditation.

To celebrate the show's 10th anniversary, we're producing episodes that share top 10 lists of practices, strategies and more from our favorite experts. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has listened and supported the show over the years. None of this would be possible without you.

Amishi Jha, PhD is the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and a Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. She is also the author of the bestselling book Peak Mind and the creator of the app Pushups for the Mind.

Wendy Suzuki, PhD is the Dean of New York University College of Arts & Science and a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University. She is the author of the books Healthy Brain, Happy Life and Good Anxiety. In this episode:

• What neuroplasticity is, and why your brain is not fixed
• How exercise changes your brain, including mood, memory, and attention
• Reframing the burden of optimization
• The minimum effective dose for meditation to improve attention
• Why sleep is essential for memory, brain cleanup, and long-term brain health
• The myth of multitasking
• How anxiety can be used as a tool instead of just something to avoid
• How your daily habits are shaping the brain you'll have tomorrow

Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.

This episode is sponsored by: Gainbridge — Guaranteed-rate financial products with no hidden fees. Learn more at https://www.gainbridge.com Warby Parker — Prescription glasses, contacts, and sunglasses with virtual try-on. Buy one prescription pair and get 20% off additional pairs at https://www.warbyparker.com/happier BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris