How to Make More Joy and Less Stress For the Holidays & Odd Secrets of Evolution

14 snips

Dec 15, 2025

Niro Feliciano, a psychotherapist and author known for her holiday guidance, shares insights on reducing holiday stress by prioritizing connection over perfection. She discusses how to honor both joy and grief during the season, encouraging intentional pauses and presence. David Stipp, a former journalist and science author, explores curious animal behaviors rooted in evolution, including why rats laugh and how children's taste preferences for bitter vegetables evolved as a survival mechanism. Together, they reveal fascinating links between evolution and everyday experiences.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Why Sweet Or Salty Preferences Exist

Genetics and lifetime diet shape whether you prefer sweet or salty flavors.
Brain reward circuits make sweet tastes universally appealing by triggering dopamine responses.

ADVICE

Use Grayscale To Cut Phone Dopamine

Put your phone in grayscale mode to reduce dopamine-driven checking and be more present.
Removing bright colors lowers reward hits so you use your phone less and focus on the moment.

ADVICE

Calm Anxiety With Longer Exhales

Use longer exhalations to activate relaxation and lower holiday anxiety.
Try a 4-count inhale and 6-count exhale repeated six times to stimulate the vagus nerve and calm down.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app