Episode Details

"Almost all of the interventions that make us happier work because they make us feel more connected and more loved,’ says Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D.

Lyubomirsky is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the bestselling author of The How of Happiness and The Myths of Happiness—and her latest, How to Feel Loved (Harper Collins, 2026), paired with a mainstage TED talk. A Harvard and Stanford-trained scientist whose research has been featured in the New York Times, on podcasts, and in documentaries worldwide, she is one of the world's leading experts on the science of happiness

00:00 - What connects every happiness practice

03:24 - Why you should talk to strangers

04:41 - Kindness changes your DNA

08:32 - Money, power, & fame are overrated

10:36 - The case for reaching out to old friends

13:49 - Why 70% don't feel loved enough

17:03 - The walls we walk around with

18:52 - The radical curiosity mindset

23:55 - How to really listen 

28:19 - AI as a companion

31:05 - The relationship SEAsaw

39:00 - When introverts act extroverted

43:40 - The conversation to have tomorrow

Referenced in the episode: 

For more about Lyubomirsky & her research, visit her website: https://sonjalyubomirsky.com/ 

Buy her new book: https://a.co/d/04sCyQSj 

Listen to her mainstage TED talk: https://youtu.be/pdRWeK9f02w?si=1vV8cwwsSHeCMZ3y 

For more about Nicholas Epley’s research & upcoming book, visit his website: https://www.nicholasepley.com/ 
We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: podcast@mindbodygreen.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices