In this episode, we re-visit a conversation with Dr. Laurie Santos, professor of Yale University’s famed “happiness” course (which has been adapted into a free online course taken by 4+ million people). As we address a youth mental health crisis, the U.S. Surgeon General and Dr. Santos talk about ways college students can find greater happiness through simple changes in behavior and mindset. In a world in which we believe our happiness hinges on material or external things, creating our own happiness is within us, says Dr. Santos. Tune in and see if you can figure out where your happiness lies. The answer might surprise you. 

(02:04)    How did Laurie Santos begin teaching about happiness? 
(04:28)    What is Laurie Santos seeing on campuses in terms of mental health? 
(06:49)    Why have we reached a point of crisis with youth mental health? 
(10:27)    What do we know about external reward, achievement, and happiness? 
(12:14)    What’s driving our culture of achievement? 
(16:16)    Can we actually make ourselves happier? 
(22:49)    When we make changes, how can we make them last? 
(26:55)    How can technology impact our happiness? 
(29:34)    Can we create a culture shift toward happiness for young people? 
(32:29)    What was Laurie Santos’ “Funtervention?” 
(33:32)    What can humans learn from monkeys? 

For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.  

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. 

Dr. Laurie Santos, Professor and Podcast Host  

Twitter: @lauriesantos 

Instagram: @lauriesantosofficial 

Facebook: @DrLaurieSantos 

About Dr. Laurie Santos 

Dr. Laurie Santos is Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of the podcast “The Happiness Lab”. Dr. Santos is an expert on human cognition and the cognitive biases that impede better choices. Her course, “Psychology and the Good Life,” teaches students what the science of psychology says about how to make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling. The class is Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years and has been adapted into a free Coursera program that has been taken by over 3.9 million people to date.  

Dr. Santos has been featured in numerous news outlets including the New York Times, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, NPR, GQ Magazine, Slate, CNN and O, The Oprah Magazine. Dr. Santos is a winner of numerous awards both for her science and teaching from institutions such as Yale and the American Psychological Association. She has been featured as one of Popular Science’s “Brilliant 10” young minds and was named TIME's “Leading Campus Celebrity.”