10% Happier with Dan Harris

Jay Michaelson, a meditation teacher, journalist, rabbi, and author, shares his unconventional 25-year path into practice. He talks about balancing activism with contemplative life. He explains 'micro-moments'—five-second practices for busy people. He describes using spaciousness between stimulus and response and why he’s both cynical and hopeful about meditation’s role in society.

George Saunders, award-winning novelist and storyteller behind Lincoln in the Bardo, discusses his new novel Vigil and why he keeps writing about ghosts. He explores warm metacognition, handling stuckness with curiosity, the lavish practice of empathy toward difficult people, and how art and mortality shape creative stretch and tenderness.

Maya Shankar, cognitive scientist and former Obama White House advisor, explores how change shapes identity. She discusses formative losses that led her research. Short practical tools include affect labeling, psychological distancing, adaptive distraction, and reframing. Conversations cover biases like the end-of-history illusion and how awe or community can loosen rumination.

Daniel Pink, bestselling author on motivation and timing, explores the surprising upside of regret. He discusses why regret matters, the four universal regret types, tools like failure resumes and regret optimization, and practices such as writing, self-compassion, and self-distancing. Short, provocative takes on how regret reveals values and sharpens future choices.

Bart van Melik, a Dharma teacher and guiding teacher at NYC’s Community Meditation Center who calls himself a 'worry warrior.' He shares practical tools for when the mind spirals at 4 AM. Short practices like pausing, asking "what is this?", and saying "this wants to be seen right now." He also stresses the power of kindness, investigating aversion, and leaning on community.

Tim Ferriss, bestselling author and podcaster known for The 4-Hour Workweek, discusses navigating anxiety and the challenges of self-optimization. He shares insights on the importance of nurturing relationships to combat isolation and the perils of pursuing vanity metrics. Tim highlights his daily meditation and innovative treatments like Accelerated TMS for mental health. He also introduces his 'No Book' project, emphasizing the power of saying no to reclaim your time and energy, alongside practical tactics to reduce social media overwhelm.

Claudia Hammond, an award-winning writer and a Visiting Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology, discusses the complexities of overwhelm. She shares her insights on the futility of perfectionism and how it fuels anxiety. Listeners learn practical strategies like gratitude lists, self-compassion exercises, and the importance of scheduled worry time. The conversation also touches on the power of nostalgia and techniques to achieve a flow state. Ultimately, Hammond provides a roadmap to manage overwhelm using evidence-based solutions.

Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a neuroscientist and entrepreneur at Ness Labs, explores the harm of our obsession with 'finding purpose.' She advocates for a mindful approach to productivity and shares her mini-protocol for experimentation. Discover how cognitive scripts shape our lives and learn to embrace procrastination as a helpful signal. Anne-Laure also emphasizes the importance of community learning and suggests dials for balancing ambition while accepting imperfection. Her insights encourage a shift from chasing legacy to making a local impact.

In this engaging discussion, meditation teacher and psychotherapist Bart van Melik shares his insights on the importance of self-kindness during times of exhaustion and physical discomfort. He guides listeners through a gentle body scan meditation, encouraging the discovery of a single 'okay' spot in the body to focus on. Bart emphasizes a non-fixative approach, promoting curiosity and appreciation for our physical sensations. His reflective questions inspire kindness toward ourselves, fostering a deeper connection to our bodies amidst stress and anxiety.

Seth Meyers, acclaimed host of Late Night and former SNL star, shares insights into juggling the chaos of current events with humor and joy. He reflects on overcoming imposter syndrome during his early career, revealing how friendship and loyalty bolster his creativity. Parenting, he claims, is even tougher than hosting a talk show, and he discusses using meditation to manage anxiety. By embracing nerves as motivation, Seth highlights the importance of listening in interviews and creating a supportive workplace culture. Expect laughter and wisdom!