Discover how our sense of smell can transport us back to meaningful memories, shape our emotions, and influence the brain systems involved in memory and mood.

Summary: Smell is one of our most powerful and underappreciated senses, with a unique ability to evoke memories and emotions. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we look at the science behind smell’s close relationship with memory, emotion, and our environment and we explore how paying attention to the scents around us can bring us back into our bodies and help us feel more connected to the present moment. 

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Step outside: Spend 10–15 minutes somewhere you can notice natural scents, such as a park, garden, or neighborhood.
2. Breathe through your nose: Take a few slow breaths in through your nose and notice the scents carried in the air.
3. Pay attention: Notice what catches your attention; don’t be concerned with trying to identify smells
4. Follow your curiosity: Move toward different plants, trees, flowers, or other natural elements and see how their scents change.
5. Notice what comes up: Pay attention to any memories, emotions, or sense of place that a particular scent evokes.
6. Stay present: Take a moment to appreciate the experience and notice how you feel after giving your sense of smell your full attention.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

SAMIN NOSRAT is a chef, TV Host, and best selling author of the book "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat."

ciaosamin.com

LUCIA JACOBS is a Professor Emerita of Psychology at UC Berkeley. psychology.berkeley.edu/people/lucia-f-jacobs

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

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

Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/ysbwrnr4

An Awe Walk Through History and Possibility: https://tinyurl.com/mr3arrbc

Related Happiness Break episodes:

How to Be in Harmony in Nature—Wherever You Are, With Yuria Celidwen: https://tinyurl.com/5n6pfsn2

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

The Unexpected Joy of Slow Looking: https://tinyurl.com/4uudwwc2

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/368p4u5v

In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, embrace the beauty of your accent in this self-compassion meditation. Mindfulness and meditation teacher Criss Cuervo invites you to reflect on your history, heritage, and connection to your ancestors.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Find a Comfortable Position: Sit in a relaxed yet alert posture, either on a cushion or chair. Gently lower your gaze or close your eyes if that feels comfortable.
2. Focus on Your Breath: Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale. Allow yourself to transition from your daily activities into this moment of reflection.
3. Acknowledge Your Accent: Bring awareness to the way you speak, recognizing that your voice carries your history, culture, and personal journey.
4. Repeat Self-Compassion Phrases: Silently or aloud, repeat affirmations such as, “my accent makes me unique,” “my accent carries my story,” “my accent connects me to my ancestors.”
5. Place a Hand on Your Heart: If it feels right, gently place a hand on your heart, offering yourself warmth and kindness as you continue to breathe deeply.
6. Close with Gratitude: Take a final deep breath, sending appreciation to yourself, your ancestors, and the uniqueness of your voice before gently opening your eyes.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

CRISS CUERVO is a mindfulness and meditation teacher, Bridging Differences Coordinator at the Greater Good Science Center, and author of PERTENÆCER: Eight-Week Mindfulness and Meditation Training and Practices for Latinx Immigrants in the United. 

Learn more about Criss Cuervo here: https://tinyurl.com/4npjwn6m

Read her book here: https://tinyurl.com/3byby84b

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Meditation on Original Love: https://tinyurl.com/5u298cv4

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

Where Did You Come From: https://tinyurl.com/2y9uyjj6

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

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

How to Tune Out The Noise: https://tinyurl.com/4hhekjuh 

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

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/5fdce47a

What if getting older doesn’t have to mean losing your memory? Learn how neuroplasticity, healthy habits, and simple memory exercises can help keep your brain strong at any age.

Summary: We often assume that getting older means our memory and brain function will inevitably decline—but emerging science tells a more hopeful story. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we’ll explore how neuroplasticity, along with practices like memory exercises, stress reduction, sleep, exercise, and finding a sense of purpose, can support brain health as we age. 

How to Remember Where You Parked:

1. Pause before you walk away: Take a moment to look at your car and notice your surroundings.
2. Identify your location: Pay attention to the floor, row, section, level, or nearby landmarks.
3. Create a funny image: Turn the location into a memorable mental picture. For example, if you’re parked in section 4B, imagine four bears sitting inside your car.
4. Make it vivid: The sillier, stranger, or more ridiculous the image, the better. Let yourself have fun with it.
5. Take a mental snapshot: As you walk away, look back at your car and surroundings and imagine the funny scene there.
6. Use the image to find your car: When it’s time to leave, bring the funny image back to mind and use it to recall your section, floor, or location.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

CRYSTAL LEWIS works with high school students in Washington State, supporting them both in and out of the classroom. 

DR. MAJID FOTUHI is a neuroscientist, author, and professor at the Johns Hopkins Mind Brain Institute. 

Learn more about Dr. Majid Fotuhi: https://drfotuhi.com/

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

What To Do When Stress Takes Over: https://tinyurl.com/yxf3jawn

Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/ysbwrnr4

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5

Related Happiness Break episodes:

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x

A Meditation on the Uniqueness of Your Own Voice: https://tinyurl.com/36x3fbk7

The Unexpected Joy of Slow Looking: https://tinyurl.com/4uudwwc2

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/547b3ax4

Buddhist meditation teacher, Anushka Fernandopulle, guides us through a practice of Mudita, or appreciative joy, to help us share in the happiness of others.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Get comfortable and ground yourself: Sit comfortably, close your eyes if you’d like, and take a few deep breaths.
2. Relax your body: As you exhale, release tension in your face, jaw, shoulders, and anywhere else you feel it.
3. Think of someone whose happiness is easy to celebrate: Bring to mind a friend, child, pet, or anyone who is experiencing joy.
4. Connect with their happiness: Imagine their joy and allow yourself to feel uplifted by their happiness.
5. Offer them joyful wishes: Silently repeat: “May you always be happy. May your happiness increase. May your happiness continue. I’m happy for your happiness.”
6. Expand your joy outward: Think of a group of people experiencing happiness, and practice sharing in their joy. Carry this mindset with you, noticing others’ happiness throughout your day instead of comparing or feeling jealous.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

Anushka Fernandopulle is a Buddhist meditation teacher and leadership coach. 

Learn More about Anushka: https://www.anushkaf.org

Related Happiness Break episodes:

How to Awaken Joy, with Spring Washam: https://tinyurl.com/ybpuvuj6

The Unexpected Joy of Slow Looking: https://tinyurl.com/4uudwwc2

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How Joy Helps Save the Planet: https://tinyurl.com/2d5hjz9s

Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/ysbwrnr4

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5

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/mu72mna9

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

From the time we are old enough to hold a crayon, it feels instinctive to draw on the wall. But for MISS CHELOVE—also known as Cita Sadeli—this instinct became a calling. Through bold color and layered symbolism, she transforms everyday public spaces into deeply personal statements, inspiring some passers-by to wonder: what is the role of the public artist? And how can public art both reflect and shape a community's identity?

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yn8pfnve

We often underestimate how much small talk can impact our wellbeing. Research shows that even brief conversations with strangers can boost our happiness and sense of connection, but fear and anxiety often keep us from reaching out.

Summary: We often avoid talking to strangers because we assume they’d rather be left alone, or worry the interaction will be awkward. But research shows that our expectations about these interactions are often wrong. Even brief conversations can make us happier and more connected. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, learn how small choices like saying hello, asking a question, or offering a compliment can help us overcome our hesitation and create meaningful moments of connection.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Notice an opportunity: Throughout your day, look for moments when you’re near someone you don’t know—a person on public transit, in line at a coffee shop, or walking through your neighborhood.
2. Put away your phone: Create a little more space for connection by taking out your earbuds or putting your phone away, rather than using it to avoid interacting with the people around you.
3. Take the first step: When you notice an opportunity, say hello, introduce yourself, or ask a simple question. You don’t need the perfect opening—just get the conversation started.
4. Ask a follow-up question: Show genuine curiosity about the other person. Ask about something they’ve mentioned and let the conversation unfold naturally.
5. Share something about yourself: Connection goes both ways. Offer a little about your own experiences, interests, or perspective so the conversation becomes a two-way exchange.
6. Try it again: Pay attention to how you feel afterward, then look for another opportunity to connect. Treat it as an experiment and practice making small choices that bring you closer to the people around you.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

CHRIS FUJINAKA HEIN is a community organizer in the Bay Area and a coordinator at a Japanese cultural senior center.

NICHOLAS EPLEY is the John Templeton Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Faculty Director of the Roman Family Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Learn more about Nicholas Epley here: https://www.nicholasepley.com/

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/mrxsad33

When It's Hard To Connect, Try Being Curious: https://tinyurl.com/mr32nwtv

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Meditation on Original Love and Interconnectedness:https://tinyurl.com/mu2uzs2c

Our Deep Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/y2epxyxn

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/2z8ftstd

Join yoga and meditation teacher Jonathan Relucio for a trauma-informed practice combining mindful movement and breathing to reduce tension and build resilience to stress.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Get comfortable: Sit or lie down and notice the support beneath your body, keeping your eyes open or closed—whichever feels comfortable.
2. Connect with your body: Bring your attention inward and notice how your body, mind, and heart feel in the present moment.
3. Release tension: Inhale as you gently shrug your shoulders toward your ears, then exhale as you relax and release them.
4. Move with your breath: Inhale as you reach your arms overhead, then exhale as you gently bend from side to side, noticing the sensations in your body.
5. Breathe into your belly: Place one hand on your belly and notice it expand as you inhale and relax as you exhale, following the natural rhythm of your breath.
6. Pause and notice: Return to your natural breathing and take a moment to notice how your body and mind feel before continuing with your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

JONATHAN RELUCIO is a trauma-informed yoga and meditation teacher with 20 years of experience in community organizing, social services, training, and leadership development.

Learn more about Jonathan here: https://www.jonathanrelucio.com/

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/3d2ma8tw

Visualizing Your Purpose: https://tinyurl.com/mwze59jx

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How To Feel Better About Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/3jave7h2

What To Do When Stress Takes Over: https://tinyurl.com/yxf3jawn

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5

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/3v9rapra

How can we feel more moments of joy? Explore how joy is rooted in connection, gratitude, and paying attention to the people and moments that bring meaning to our lives.

Summary: Did you know that joy isn’t just something we feel, but something we practice? On this episode of The Science of Happiness, poet Ross Gay shares how connection and attention can help us cultivate more joy, while psychologist Philip Watkins explains how gratitude can amplify that feeling. Learn how hanging out, noticing moments of connection, and reflecting on joyful experiences can help bring more joy into your life.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Notice connection: Pay attention to the people, places, animals, and natural world that make you feel connected.
2. Make time to be together: Look for opportunities to hang out, share experiences, and spend time with others without an agenda.
3. Pay attention to the small moments: Notice everyday interactions and moments of goodness that you might otherwise overlook.
4. Share your joy: Tell someone about something that delights you, celebrate good moments together, or help someone else carry their joy.
5. Savor what feels good: When you experience joy, pause and let yourself fully appreciate and celebrate the moment.
6. Reflect with gratitude: Think or write about a joyful experience and what it meant to you or how it made you feel connected.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. 

Today’s Guests:

ROSS GAY is an award-winning American poet and author. His latest book explores the complexities of joy and its connection to feelings like gratitude and sorrow.

Learn more about Ross: https://www.rossgay.net/about

PHILIP WATKINS is a psychology professor at Eastern Washington University. He conducts research on different aspects of well-being including gratitude, happiness, and joy.

Learn more about Philip and his work: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/phil_watkins

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How Joy Helps Save the Planet: https://tinyurl.com/2d5hjz9s

Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/ysbwrnr4

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Tap Into the Joy That Surrounds You: https://tinyurl.com/ykuz28za

How to Awaken Joy, with Spring Washam: https://tinyurl.com/ybpuvuj6

The Unexpected Joy of Slow Looking: https://tinyurl.com/4uudwwc2

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/2aext75x

Meditation teacher Spring Washam guides us in a practice of embodied awareness, helping us use the body as an anchor during stressful or overwhelming moments.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Find a comfortable position: Sit upright in a relaxed position where you can comfortably notice the flow of your breath.
2. Begin at the top of your body: Close your eyes and bring your attention to your head, neck, face, and jaw. Notice any tightness and allow those areas to soften.
3. Move your awareness downward: Slowly scan through your shoulders, arms, hands, chest, and belly, noticing any sensations, emotions, or areas where you may be holding tension.
4. Breathe into your belly: Place a hand below your belly button if it feels comfortable. Let your belly expand with each in-breath, and imagine releasing tension with every out-breath.
5. Feel your connection to the ground: Bring your attention to your sitting bones, legs, knees, and feet. Notice where your body makes contact with the chair, floor, or other surface, using those sensations to anchor yourself in the present moment.
6. Take in your whole body: Become aware of your body as a whole, returning to the breath whenever your mind wanders. To close, place a hand on your heart and offer yourself a wish for peace, happiness, and ease.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

SPRING WASHAM is a meditation teacher based in Oakland, California. She is also the author of the book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. 

Learn more about Spring Washam here: https://www.springwasham.com/

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Meditation to Find Grounding in the New Year, With Spring Washam: https://tinyurl.com/3tpasst9

How to Awaken Joy, with Spring Washam: https://tinyurl.com/ybpuvuj6

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How To Feel Better About Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/3jave7h2

What To Do When Stress Takes Over: https://tinyurl.com/yxf3jawn

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5

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/2223k9b7

Can anyone truly succeed alone? We explore how role models, mentors, and strong social support make upward mobility far more possible than grit alone.

Summary: What role do the people around us play in shaping our success? Brothers Danny and Gilbert Murillo share how education, mentorship, and their evolving relationship helped them overcome incarceration and systemic barriers to build lives of purpose. Then, Social Mobility Lab founder Bob McKinnon explains why success is never a solo journey and how recognizing our own "dream team" can expand what's possible for ourselves and others.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Reflect on your journey: Think about where you are today and the moments that shaped your path. Consider both the opportunities you had and the challenges you overcame.
2. Identify your dream team: Write down the people who have encouraged, protected, guided, or inspired you throughout your life. They might be family members, teachers, friends, mentors, coaches, or colleagues.
3. Recognize their impact: For each person, note one way they helped you grow or see new possibilities. Notice how your achievements are connected not only to your own efforts, but also to the support you received.
4. Look ahead with intention: Ask yourself what kind of support you need right now. Is there someone you could learn from, ask for advice, or build a stronger relationship with as you work toward your next goal?
5. Move forward with self-compassion: As you pursue your goals, remember that success and setbacks are never yours alone. Focus on what you can control, ask for help when you need it, and offer yourself the same grace you'd extend to someone you care about.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

DANNY MURILLO is the co-founder of Underground Scholars, a program that creates pathways to higher education for incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and system-impacted people. 

Learn more about Danny here: https://undergroundscholars.berkeley.edu/members

GILBERT MURILLO is a policy advocate and researcher who draws on his own  experience with incarceration to reform California's criminal justice system.

Learn more about Gilbert here: https://capolicylab.org/staff/gilbert-murillo/

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

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/mrxsad33

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Science-Backed Path to Self-Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/2js59anm

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/3j352txy

Take a moment to connect with your body and make space for difficult emotions with compassion and care. This embodiment practice is guided by Lyla June Johnston, a Diné musician, scholar of Indigenous land management, and community organizer.

How To Do This Practice: 

1. Ground yourself in the present: Find a comfortable seated position and take four slow, deep breaths. Notice the feeling of your body supported by the chair or the floor, bringing your attention fully into the present moment.
2. Reflect on a difficult truth: Gently bring to mind a challenging truth—such as the lasting impacts of colonization or another painful reality. Approach it with curiosity rather than judgment, allowing yourself to stay present instead of becoming overwhelmed.
3. Notice where your emotions live in your body: As you reflect, pay attention to your physical sensations. You might notice tightness in your chest, heaviness in your stomach, warmth in your heart, or another sensation. Simply observe where your emotions show up.
4. Hold your feelings with compassion: Rather than pushing difficult emotions away or getting lost in them, imagine holding them with the same care you would offer a crying child. Let each feeling be seen, heard, and acknowledged without trying to fix it.
5. Replace shame with love and solidarity: If guilt or shame arises, gently set it down. Instead, invite feelings of compassion, hope, and connection. Consider one way you can move toward repair, understanding, or solidarity—even if it's simply bearing witness with an open heart.
6. Return to the present with intention: Bring your awareness back to your breath, your body, and your surroundings. Relax your shoulders, soften your muscles, and take four more deep breaths. As you finish, carry forward an intention to meet difficult truths with courage, love, and compassionate action.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

LYLA JUNE JOHNSTON is the founder and Dean of Instruction at The Rehuman School.

Learn about Lyla June Johnston's work: https://www.lylajune.com/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

How to Feel Less Lonely and More Connected: https://tinyurl.com/2s3tbchd

When It's Hard To Connect, Try Being Curious: https://tinyurl.com/mr32nwtv

An Awe Walk Through History and Possibility: https://tinyurl.com/mr3arrbc

Related Happiness Breaks:

A Meditation on the Uniqueness of Your Own Voice: https://tinyurl.com/36x3fbk7

A Meditation on Original Love and Interconnectedness:https://tinyurl.com/mu2uzs2c

Our Deep Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/y2epxyxn

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/3v76jcs8