How Exploring New Places Can Make You Feel Happier

Jul 4, 2024

Ike Sriskandarajah, a producer for This American Life, shares how exploring new places in New York City can boost happiness. He discusses the benefits of variety, novelty, and awe in daily life for well-being. Neuroscientist Aaron Heller explains how exposure to novel places can make us happier. Break out of your routine and explore new environments for a happier life.

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ANECDOTE

Washington Square Park Adventure

Ike Sriskandarajah took his toddler to Washington Square Park instead of the usual playground.
The lively and diverse environment sparked curiosity and joy in his child.

INSIGHT

Novelty Shakes Up The Brain

Novel experiences provide the brain with diverse sensory input that breaks routine thinking.
This mental shake-up allows for new thoughts and feelings to emerge, boosting emotional well-being.

ANECDOTE

Paddling Bronx River With Sons

Ike took his sons paddling down the Bronx River, a rare serene experience amidst NYC's urban density.
The trip inspired awe and curiosity, highlighting nature's hidden surprises in the city.

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Exploring novel places and having diverse experiences is important to our well-being and can make us feel happier. This week, Ike Sriskandarajah, a producer for This American Life, takes us with him as he explores new parts of New York City.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/seystc6c

Episode summary:

Shaking yourself out of your normal routine can be hard–but studies show it’s worth it. Creating space for variety, novelty, and awe in our lives is essential for our well-being. Exploring new and diverse environments in our daily life can lead to better stress resilience and can make us feel better. In this episode, investigative journalist Ike Sriskandarajah, shares his experience exploring new places with his family in New York City. Then, we hear from Aaron Heller, a neuroscientist and assistant professor at the University of Miami's Department of Psychology, who studies how exposure to novel places can make us happier.

This episode is made possible through the generous support of the John Templeton Foundation.

Practice:

Break out of your usual daily routine–take a route to work you have never taken before, or visit a park you’ve never gone to. Explore a place you have never been to.

Today’s guests: Ike Sriskandarajah is an investigative journalist and Producer at This American Life.

Aaron Heller is a neuroscientist and assistant professor at the University of Miami's Department of Psychology.

Learn more about Ike’s work: https://tinyurl.com/4auuk7pd
Learn about Ike’s work at Reveal: https://tinyurl.com/serhuyt5
Follow Ike on X: https://tinyurl.com/ycxz6xbr
Connect with Ike on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/ydwztavw
Learn more about Aaron’s research: https://tinyurl.com/yxrpm944
Follow Aaron on X: https://tinyurl.com/rr3ac6jw
Connect with Aaron on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/36trsaux

Science of Happiness Episodes like this one

How Awe Brings Us Together: https://tinyurl.com/bddavvbv
Can You Find Wonder in the Ordinary? https://tinyurl.com/4j8h4dzk

Happiness Break Related Episodes

Feeling the Awe of Nature From Anywhere, With Dacher: https://tinyurl.com/y4mm4wu9
Feeling the Awe of Nature From Anywhere, With Dacher https://tinyurl.com/y4mm4wu9

Tell us about your experience exploring new places!

Leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod, or e-mail us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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