Noticing the history and beauty around us can shift how we see ourselves—and our communities. An awe walk through Harlem reveals how the stories embedded in public spaces can spark connection, perspective, and a sense of what’s possible.

Summary: Cities are full of quiet moments of wonder—if we know how to notice them. In this episode of The Science of Happiness we explore the science of awe while taking an awe walk with students at City University of New York in Harlem. We learn  how everyday urban spaces can deepen our sense of connection, belonging, and curiosity. 

How To Do This Practice:

1. Choose a familiar place: Pick a street, park, campus, or neighborhood you move through often—somewhere ordinary.
2. Slow your pace: Walk more slowly than usual and give yourself permission to notice, rather than rush.
3. Look for signs of story: Pay attention to buildings, names, textures, and small details that hint at history, culture, or the people who’ve been there before.
4. Ask yourself: Who stood here before me? What happened here? What journeys passed through this space?
5. Notice your response: Pause when something catches you—a feeling of wonder, curiosity, or even goosebumps—and stay with it for a moment.
6. Reflect on connection: As you finish, consider how this place and the stories within it connect to your own life, sense of belonging, or what feels possible for you.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today’s Guest:

BOB MCKINNON is an author, teacher, and Director of the Social Mobility Lab at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York

Learn more about Bob here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/bob_mckinnon

This episode is supported by The Gambrell Foundation, who believe a great life grows from strong relationships, a sense of belonging, and moments of awe and wonder. Learn more about their work at gambrellfoundation.org

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Cities of Awe Series: https://tinyurl.com/2vyhxvny

How Cities Can Make Space for Awe: https://tinyurl.com/yr7m2zb5

What Humans Can Learn From Trees: https://tinyurl.com/48te84ps

Related Happiness Break episodes:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/mrutudeh

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4j5sveye

In this gentle practice, psychologist Kristin Neff helps us extend loving kindness inward, offering ourselves the same care and goodwill we naturally give to others.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Settle into your body: Sit comfortably, close your eyes if you’d like, and take a few natural breaths while noticing the weight of your body in the chair and your feet on the floor.
2. Bring to mind someone you love easily: Think of a person or pet you care about deeply and picture their face. Notice the natural warmth and goodwill you feel toward them.
3. Offer them wishes for well-being: Silently repeat phrases such as: May you be safe. May you be peaceful. May you be healthy. May you be free from suffering.
4. Include yourself in the circle of kindness: Imagine yourself beside this loved one and extend the same wishes to both of you: May we be safe. May we be peaceful. May we be healthy. May we be free from suffering.
5. Turn the kindness fully toward yourself: Let the image of your loved one fade and focus on yourself. If it feels comfortable, place a hand on your heart or hold your hands together, repeating: May I be safe. May I be peaceful. May I be healthy. May I be free from suffering.
6. Rest in whatever arises: Let the phrases go and sit quietly for a few breaths, noticing any feelings that are present—warmth, discomfort, or neutrality—and meeting them with gentle acceptance.

Scroll down for a transcription of this practice.

Listen to the Full Practice Here: https://self-compassion.org/practices/loving-kindness-meditation-2/

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

Dr. Kristin Neff is an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's department of educational psychology. She's also the co-author of 'Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout,' which offers tools to help individuals heal and recharge from burnout.

More Happiness Breaks like this one:

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/45vpp3f4

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8

Take a Break With Our Loving-Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4uhpf

The Science of Letting Go: https://tinyurl.com/566t8udf

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/3x7w2s5s

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/jc7pk3s4

A simple experiment turning a parking space into a parklet reveals how small changes to public spaces can spark connection, belonging, and awe. 

Summary: What if even the smallest changes to our cities could transform how we feel and connect? In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we visit the site of San Francisco’s first parklet, and explore how reclaiming everyday spaces can invite people to pause, gather, and experience a sense of belonging.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

BLAINE MERKER is an urban designer and public space advocate. He leads Gehl’s Enterprise & Corporations team.

Learn more about Blaine here: https://www.gehlpeople.com/people/blaine-merker/

SETHA LOW is an anthropologist and Professor at City University of New York. She’s also the author of the book Why Public Space Matters, as well as many other books examining the social life of cities.

Learn more about Setha here: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/people/setha-low

This episode is supported by The Gambrell Foundation, who believe a great life grows from strong relationships, a sense of belonging, and moments of awe and wonder. Learn more about their work at gambrellfoundation.org

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

What Humans Can Learn From Trees: https://tinyurl.com/48te84ps

How to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself): https://tinyurl.com/5b26zwkx

Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/483bkk2h

Related Happiness Break episodes:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/mrutudeh

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yr7m2zb5

Through poetic reflection, Yrsa Daley-Ward helps us embrace the in-between moments, reminding us that the unknown can be the very terrain where real change begins.

1. Settle into Stillness: Find a quiet space, get comfortable, and take a few slow breaths to arrive in the moment.
2. Acknowledge the Unknown: Gently notice and name any uncertainty, confusion, or emotional fog you’re feeling without needing to fix it.
3. Welcome the Silence: Allow the silence and stillness to be here, trusting it holds meaning even if it feels uncomfortable.
4. Reflect with Gentle Words: Repeat silently or write: “To love yourself through the darkness is to plant gardens at night.”
5. Feel Your Connection: Remember that many others are also sitting with uncertainty, and you are not alone in this experience.
6. Close with Compassion: Offer yourself kindness through touch or words and affirm that this pause is part of your growth.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

YRSA DALEY-WARD is an award-winning poet and author of the novel, The Catch.
Learn more about Yrsa here: https://yrsadaleyward.squarespace.com/

Order her book here: https://tinyurl.com/yanw6bb5

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Using Art As Medicine Series: https://tinyurl.com/k3mneupx

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

How To Awaken Your Creative Energy: https://tinyurl.com/4fknd8ev

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/yc77fkzu

Our Brains on Poetry: https://tinyurl.com/y9r9dyzd

Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yckxhbja

What happens in your brain when you read or write a poem? We listen to powerful poetry from you, our listeners, and uncover the neuroscience of why it helps us feel, process, and recover.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today’s Happiness Break Guest:

SUSAN MAGSAMEN is a Neurology professor at John Hopkins, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Your Brain On Art: How the Arts Transform Us. 

Find Susan’s book here: https://www.yourbrainonart.com/

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Using Art As Medicine Series: https://tinyurl.com/k3mneupx

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

How To Awaken Your Creative Energy: https://tinyurl.com/4fknd8ev

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/yc77fkzu

Our Brains on Poetry: https://tinyurl.com/y9r9dyzd

Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/43p9jtny

From a worker-owned restaurant in Oakland to a nonprofit built on shared leadership, we explore how collective work models can help people feel heard, valued, and more invested in their work.

Summary: In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we examine how people can build cultures of care, accountability, and belonging together. Through stories from a worker-owned restaurant and insights from a leader in collective nonprofits, we share what research reveals about why collective decision-making can help teams thrive and organizations succeed.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

NINO SERRANO AND JENABI PAREJA are the co-founders of Understory, a worker-owned and community-built restaurant in Oakland.

Learn more about Understory here: https://understoryoakland.com/

NILOUFAR KHONSARI is the co-founder of Pangea Legal Services, a nonprofit that defends immigrants facing deportation and the author of the book, Future is Collective: Effective Workplace Strategies for Building a Culture of Care. 

Read the book here: https://www.niloukhonsari.com/thebook

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

How to Talk to People You Disagree With: https://tinyurl.com/4cpm8m3a

When It’s Hard to Connect, Try Being Curious: https://tinyurl.com/bde6wyu7

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4uhpf

Related Happiness Breaks:

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

5 Minutes of Gratitude: https://tinyurl.com/r6pkw2xx

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/ya9vuy4n

Does your to-do list feel endless? Try this short, guided practice to help you reflect, reconnect, and release the pressure to do it all perfectly.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Find a Comfortable Posture: Sit or stand tall with a sense of dignity, grounded, yet relaxed.
2. Take Three Cleansing Breaths: Inhale twice through the nose, then exhale slowly through the mouth. Repeat this three times to settle into the moment.
3. Scan Your Body from Head to Toe: Gently bring your attention to each part of your body, noticing sensations and letting go of any tension as you move downward.
4. Visualize Your To-Do List as Floating Bubbles: Imagine each task as a bubble above you. Observe them without judgment, simply noticing their presence.
5. Ask Reflective Questions: Is it the number of tasks that’s overwhelming, or is it fear of forgetting, failing, or letting someone down? What’s truly fueling your stress?
6. Recenter with Gratitude and Self-Compassion: Acknowledge that being needed is a form of purpose. Remind yourself that even if not everything gets done, you are still enough and already whole.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Explore more talks, workshops, and resources atggsc.berkeley.edu/speaking.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

KIA AFCARI is the director of Greater Good Workplaces at GGSC. Kia grounds his work in the science of well-being, prosociality, and contemplative practices and uses creative methods like “instant dance parties” and Boal-informed theater techniques to achieve results.

Watch Kia’s TED Talk on reshaping diversity, equity, and inclusion here: https://tinyurl.com/483tdjp5

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

Who Takes Care of You: https://tinyurl.com/5xmfkf73

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/mrxa8bp8

Explore the neuroscience behind musical improvisation—and what it reveals about our natural capacity for creativity.

Summary: Creativity may be more natural than we think. Research on musicians and children improvising at the piano suggests that improvisation can quiet the brain’s inner critic while engaging networks linked to exploration, play, and reward. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we look at the neuroscience of improvisation—and what a “beginner’s mind” can teach us about opening up creativity in everyday life.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Choose a simple starting point: Begin with something familiar—a simple melody, rhythm, phrase, movement, or creative prompt. It could be notes on a keyboard, a beat you tap on the table, a few lines of writing, or even a movement with your body.
2. Change one small thing: Experiment by altering a single element, like the speed, mood, rhythm, or key. Small changes help spark creativity without feeling overwhelming.
3. Let go of judgment: Remind yourself there are no mistakes in improvisation, only possibilities. If something sounds unexpected, treat it as part of the exploration rather than something to fix.
4. Follow your curiosity: Notice what sounds, patterns, or ideas interest you and build on them. Let each moment guide the next instead of planning too far ahead.
5. Treat it like play: Approach improvisation with a playful mindset, the way kids experiment and explore. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s discovery and enjoyment.
6. Reflect on how it felt: Afterward, take a moment to notice how the experience affected your mood or mindset. Many people find that improvising helps them feel more relaxed, creative, and open.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

DR. KAREN CHAN BARRETT is an Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in the Institute for Health & Aging at the UCSF School of Nursing.

Learn more about Dr. Karen Chan Barrett here: https://karenchanbarrett.com/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

The Science of Singing Along: https://tinyurl.com/4nbb3v76

The Science of Humming: https://tinyurl.com/4esyy6nd

How Music Can Hold and Heal Us: https://tinyurl.com/49svzn4v

Related Happiness Breaks:

Music to Inspire Kindness in Kids: https://tinyurl.com/yjk344rd

A Humming Technique to Calm Your Nerves: https://tinyurl.com/mr42rzad

A Walking Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/mwbsen7a

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/hux7v5ma

Having a curious approach to life can improve our mood, creativity and relationships. Scott Shigeoka leads a visualization exercise to help you approach someone you might disagree with with an open and curious mind.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Ground Yourself: Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take three slow, deep breaths, noticing the sensation of each inhale and exhale. Let your body begin to settle.
2. Picture the Conversation: Bring to mind an upcoming interaction that may feel challenging and visualize where it’s happening and what the setting looks like. See yourself arriving there.
3. Lead with Curiosity: Imagine yourself speaking with a calm, open tone and asking thoughtful, genuine questions. Picture your body language expressing interest and care.
4. See It Going Well: Visualize the other person responding positively—softening, engaging, or opening up. Notice how connection feels in your body.
5. Rehearse the Hard Moment: Imagine a tense moment arising and observe what happens inside you without reacting. See yourself choosing a curious question instead of a defensive response.
6. Close with Intention: Picture the conversation ending with appreciation and mutual respect. Take three more slow breaths, then gently open your eyes.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

SCOTT SHIGEOKA is an author and storyteller who focuses on themes of curiosity and well-being.

Learn More About Scott’s work here: https://tinyurl.com/y5xyxky7

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Loving Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5

Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/46383mhx

A Meditation for When You Feel Uneasy: https://tinyurl.com/4utrkyh5

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/s5atfjm7

Finding ways to bend tasks toward your strengths and passions can make you happier, more productive and find more meaning in your life—no matter your job.

Summary: On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we explore a research-backed practice in Job Crafting, where you take stock of the tasks that fill your day, how much time and energy they require, what really lights you up, and what changes you can make to better align your efforts at work with your genuine strengths and passions. We learn how Job Crafting doesn’t just benefit your own well-being and help to guard against burnout, it can also boost your whole team’s productivity and morale.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Take a “Before” Snapshot: Write down everything you regularly do in a typical week, from major responsibilities to small recurring tasks.
2. Label Time and Energy: Next to each activity, mark whether it requires low, medium, or high time and energy so you can see where your resources are going.
3. Notice How It Feels: Pay attention to what drains, stresses, or creates guilt—and what energizes or uplifts you.
4. Reconnect with What Matters: Ask yourself what you most care about right now and what activities make you feel most alive.
5. Sketch an “After” Version: Imagine how you’d ideally spend your time and where you might reduce, release, or expand commitments.
6. Make One Small Change: Choose one realistic shift you can try this week to better align your days with what brings meaning and joy.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today’s Guests:

SUSAN GLASS is a retired English professor and visually impaired, Bay Area-based poet. She’s the author of the poetry book “The Wild Language of Deer.”

Read Susan’s book here: https://tinyurl.com/2jn3jutt

MARIA TIMS is a professor of Management and Organization at the University of Amsterdam School of Business and Economics. 

Learn more about her work here: https://tinyurl.com/mtp7tpy3

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

How To Feel Better About Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/42fn62a2

How to Feel More Hopeful: https://tinyurl.com/4tfwhbpb

Related Happiness Breaks:

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

5 Minutes of Gratitude: https://tinyurl.com/r6pkw2xx

A Meditation to Connect With Your Roots: https://tinyurl.com/ycy9xazc

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at [email protected] or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/568punx8

Research shows that reflecting on our shared humanity can increase self-compassion and life satisfaction while reducing feelings of isolation. In this practice, Dacher Keltner guides us to look beneath our differences and connect with the qualities that make us human together.

This guided exercise draws on a meditation by Sean Fargo, a mindfulness teacher and former Buddhist monk.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Settle your body: Sit comfortably and take a few slow, steady breaths. Let your shoulders drop, soften your jaw, and allow your body to feel supported by the ground or chair beneath you.
2. Notice what’s here: Briefly scan your body and emotions. Whatever you’re feeling—calm, tense, distracted, open—simply acknowledge it without trying to change it.
3. Bring someone to mind: Think of someone you don’t know well, feel distant from, or have mild tension with. Picture them as if they were in front of you.
4. Reflect on your similarities: Silently repeat phrases like: This person has a body and mind, just like me; this person has felt sadness, joy, and pain, just like me; this person wants to be safe, loved, and understood, just like me.
5. Gently extend kind intentions toward them: May you be well. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease.
6. Return and reflect: Bring your attention back to your breath and body. Notice if anything has shifted—perhaps a softening, a little more space, or a sense of connection—and carry that awareness into your day.

This episode was supported by a grant from The John Templeton Foundation on Spreading Love Through the Media.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Meditation for When You Feel Uneasy: https://tinyurl.com/4x27ut3p

A Meditation to Connect With Your Roots: https://tinyurl.com/ycy9xazc

A Mindful Breath Meditation, With Dacher Keltner: https://tinyurl.com/mr9d22kr

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4uhpf

How to Feel More Hopeful: https://tinyurl.com/4tfwhbpb

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4ju7rmtd