How well do you balance your ideas of success with your happiness? And do you really understand what makes you happy?
In Part Two of their conversation about stress, the Surgeon General and Dr. Rangan Chatterjee talk about how our culture of striving for more can undermine our happiness. But if we can identify a few simple things that bring us joy, we can develop the skill of happiness. As an example, Dr. Chatterjee leads Dr. Murthy through a simple “core happiness” exercise we can all practice.
This episode of House Calls gets deeply personal, as both doctors talk about personal challenges in their lives relating to family, love, and loss. This conversation is a powerful example of how connecting human-to-human can help us through hard moments.
We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas.
(02:05) Why really listening, instead of problem-solving, matters.
(06:10) How can we develop the skill of happiness?
(10:22) Does success equate to happiness?
(12:28) The quest for success: the story of Dr. Chatterjee’s father.
(17:14) Want to try the exercise “Write Your Happy Ending?”
(20:20) Look back…what makes you happy?
(23:41) Dr. Murthy shares an internal struggle.
(27:42) And what Dr. Chatterjee reveals in return.
(30:50) Love, loss, and beauty as emotional companions.
(33:57) As parents age, finding new appreciation for life.
(37:41) Want to alleviate stress? Reach out, connect, and be vulnerable.
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, Physician & Podcast Host
Twitter: @drchatterjeeuk
Instagram: @drchatterjee
Facebook: @drchatterjee
About Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is regarded as one of the most influential medical doctors in the UK and wants to change how medicine will be practiced for years to come. His mission is to help 100 million people around the globe live better lives.
He hosts the most listened to health podcast in the UK and Europe, "Feel Better, Live More" – which regularly tops the Apple Podcast charts. The podcast has received 125 million audio downloads to date and is listened to and watched by over 8 million people every month. Chris Evans calls “Feel Better Live More” ‘One of the best podcasts on the planet.’
Dr Chatterjee is known for his ability to simplify complex health advice and find the root cause of people's health problems - he highlighted his methods in the ground-breaking BBC One television show, “Doctor in the House,” which has been shown in over 70 countries around the world. He has recently been awarded the title of Professor of Health Communication and Education at The University of Chester.
He is the Number 1 selling health author in the UK; each of his 5 books are Sunday Times Bestsellers in the UK and international bestsellers across the globe. His latest book “Happy Mind, Happy Life” was published on March 31st 2022 and was an instant No.1 Sunday Times Bestseller. Dr. Chatterjee hosts his own Amazon Original daily podcast “Built to Thrive,” regularly appears on BBC Television and has been featured in numerous international publications including The New York Times, Forbes, The Guardian and Vogue. His TED talk, How To Make Disease Disappear, has been viewed more than 5.5 million times.
