Dr. Laurie Santos: How to Break Free from the Mental Traps Stealing Your Happiness | Mental Health | E372
Young and Profiting with Hala Taha (Entrepreneurship, Sales, Marketing)
Evolutionary Biases That Undermine Happiness
Laurie explains hedonic adaptation and social comparison as evolved tendencies that reduce satisfaction over time.
As a psychology professor at Yale University, Dr. Laurie Santos witnessed a severe mental health crisis among her students. One in four were too depressed to function on most days, and over 60% felt overwhelmingly anxious. This experience inspired her to create Yale’s most popular course, Psychology and the Good Life, which teaches evidence-based strategies to rewire one’s mindset and find true fulfillment. In this episode, Dr. Laurie dives into the science of happiness and shares practical, research-based techniques to break free from common happiness myths and mental traps that keep us from experiencing true joy.
In this episode, Hala and Dr. Laurie will discuss:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:10) The College Mental Health Crisis
(05:37) The Scientific Definitions of Happiness
(07:34) How Culture and Mindset Shape Happiness
(12:13) Debunking Common Happiness Myths
(25:25) Savoring Relationships and Valuing Health
(29:08) Turning What We Know Into Everyday Positivity
(38:20) Overcoming the Social Comparison Bias Trap
(41:43) Rewiring Your Mindset for Lasting Fulfillment
(49:24) Expert Takes on Modern Happiness Concepts
Dr. Laurie Santos is a cognitive scientist, psychology professor at Yale University, and host of The Happiness Lab podcast. Her Yale course, Psychology and the Good Life, became the most popular class in the university’s history and has reached millions worldwide. As a leading expert in the science of happiness, Dr. Laurie helps people understand why our brains mislead us and how to rewire our minds for overall wellness and genuine joy.
Sponsored By:
Indeed - Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com/PROFITING
Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/profiting.
Mercury streamlines your banking and finances in one place. Learn more at mercury.com/profiting. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.
Quo - Get 20% off your first 6 months at Quo.com/PROFITING
Revolve - Head to REVOLVE.com/PROFITING and take 15% off your first order with code PROFITING
Framer- Go to Framer.com and use code PROFITING to launch your site for free.
Merit Beauty - Go to meritbeauty.com to get your free signature makeup bag with your first order.
Pipedrive - Get a 30-day free trial at pipedrive.com/profiting
Airbnb - Find yourself a cohost at airbnb.com/host
Resources Mentioned:
Dr. Laurie's Podcast, The Happiness Lab: bit.ly/THL-apple
Dr. Laurie's Website: drlauriesantos.com/
YAP E197 with Scott Galloway: youngandprofiting.co/StrugglngGen
YAP E247 with Arthur Brooks: youngandprofiting.co/Happiness
YAP E342 with Mark Manson: youngandprofiting.co/HardTruth
YAP E29 with Gretchen Rubin: youngandprofiting.co/Secret
Active Deals - youngandprofiting.com/deals
Key YAP Links
Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap
YouTube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting
Newsletter - youngandprofiting.co/newsletter
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/
Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/
Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com
Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new
Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Startup, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Biohacking, Motivation, Manifestation, Brain Health, Life Balance, Self-Healing, Sleep, Diet
The AI-powered Podcast Player
