The Science of Happiness

It can be difficult to figure out where to start or what needs to change when we seek to increase the happiness in our lives. There are lots of people with ideas and plans, but what does science have to say?
The UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center has drawn on its popular “The Science of Happiness” course and podcast to produce a book called The Science of Happiness Workbook. It includes short, step-by-step practices people can incorporate into their lives—many that can take only 5 or 10 minutes to do. It’s about cultivating the skills and traits that research demonstrates could help people feel happier and more connected to others, from self-compassion to awe to empathy to purpose. It also includes quizzes, tips for overcoming obstacles, and inspiring stories.
Join us at Commonwealth World Affairs to hear from Workbook authors Kira M. Newman, Jill Suttie and Shuka Kalantari about cultivating greater well-being and stronger relationships.
About the Speakers

Shuka Kalantari is the executive producer of the award-winning podcast "The Science of Happiness," which shares narrative stories and research-backed practices to support personal growth, stronger communities, and a healthier environment. Before this, Kalantari worked as a journalist reporting on health disparities in marginalized communities around the world. Her work has appeared on NPR, "The World" from PRX, WNYC’s "The Takeaway," KQED Public Radio, HuffPost, Vice, and more.

Kira M. Newman is the managing editor of Greater Good magazine at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. Her work has been published in a variety of outlets, including The Washington Post, HuffPost, Mindful magazine, and TED Ideas, and she is co-editor of The Gratitude Project(New Harbinger, 2020). She has created large communities around the science of happiness, including the online course "The Year of Happy" and the CaféHappy meetup in Toronto, Canada. Newman is also a personal trainer at New Element Training and was previously a technology journalist and editor for Tech.Co.

Jill Suttie, Psy.D., is a staff writer and contributing editor for Greater Good magazine, where she translates scientific findings on compassion, altruism, forgiveness, mindfulness, awe, and more, providing tips for personal and social well-being. She also writes about the impacts of bias, technology, nature, music, and social policy on individual mental health, relationships, and society. Outside of Greater Good, her writing has appeared in the Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Mindful, and Yes! magazine, among others, and she’s been a featured podcast speaker. A musician in her spare time, she has two CDs of original songs that can be found at jillsuttie.com.

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Photos courtesy the speakers.

Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a public forum. Any views expressed in our programs are those of the speakers and not of Commonwealth Club World Affairs.

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