The Science of Happiness

Happiness Break: An Affirmation Practice for the New Year

This New Year, affirm the wonderful qualities you already possess with this meditative writing practice with Chris Murchison called "I Am."How To Do This Practice: Settle your body and breath: Find a comfortable seat. Close your eyes or soften your gaze. Take a few slow, deep breaths. Feeling your belly and lungs expand. Bringing your attention into the present moment. Notice what’s here: Briefly tune in to what’s moving through you right now: thoughts, emotions, sensations in your body, and the space around you. There’s nothing to change—just notice. Begin with “I am…”: Open your eyes and place your pen at the top of the page. Write the words “I am…” and complete the sentence with whatever feels true at this moment. Keep writing continuously for one minute: On each new line, write “I am…” again and complete it. Keep your pen moving for a full minute. Don’t edit, judge, or overthink. Just let the words come. Pause and reflect: Put your pen down. Read what you’ve written. Notice where you started, how your responses shifted, and where you ended. Look for patterns, themes, or surprises. Carry it forward: Take a few mindful breaths. Consider how this clearer sense of your present self might shape how you move into the next moment with more awareness and care. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today’s Happiness Break Guide:CHRIS MURCHISON is an artist and meditation teacher.Check out Chris’s website: https://chrismurchison.com/Follow Chris on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4nyjahj4Related Happiness Break episodes:The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4yHow to Be Your Own Best Friend: https://tinyurl.com/y5kbecejRelated Science of Happiness episodes:How to Stick to Your Resolutions in 2024: https://tinyurl.com/mub9z9z4How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xcFollow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPodWe’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapHelp us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/2d595rz3

How Stories Shape Belonging

Learn how the stories we tell and hear shape our relationships, values, and sense of belonging.Summary: Storytelling is more than entertainment. It shapes how we think, feel, and relate to others. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we dive into how immersive narratives calm stress, inspire reflection, and foster compassion across differences. We also explore how stories of resilience, joy, and tradition leave lasting impressions that influence our relationships and sense of self.How To Do This Practice: Choose a meaningful story: Bring to mind a personal memory, family tradition, or moment that carries emotion, care, or learning. Settle the body first: Take a few slow breaths and notice your posture, helping your nervous system feel steady and present. Recall sensory details: Gently remember what you saw, heard, smelled, or felt in the moment, letting the story come alive without forcing it. Notice what matters: As the story unfolds, pay attention to themes of connection, care, resilience, or joy that stand out to you. Reflect on its meaning: Ask yourself what this story has shaped in you—how it influences your values, relationships, or sense of belonging. Share or carry it forward: If it feels right, share the story with someone you trust, write it down, or hold it quietly as a reminder of connection and continuity. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today’s Guests:SAFA SULEIMAN is an elementary school teacher and author of the new children’s book Hilwa’s Gifts. Learn more about Safa here: https://www.safasuleiman.com/MELANIE GREEN is a social psychologist at the University at Buffalo who has published widely on narrative persuasion and the power of storytelling.See more on Melanie’s work here: https://tinyurl.com/e5fd8bu5Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  How Thinking About Your Ancestors Can Help You Thrive: https://tinyurl.com/4u6vzs2wAre You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvjHow To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xcRelated Happiness Breaks:A Meditation on Love and Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/ye6baxv3Our Deep Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/jthxkpjdPause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/2tkvdyr8

Happiness Break: Una meditación para enraizar, con Diana Parra (español)

También tenemos esta meditación en Español.Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4rjmambm

Happiness Break: A Meditation to Inspire a Sense of Purpose

Take a few minutes to reflect on someone who inspires you, and how you can embody the values you admire in them.You can also listen to this episode in Spanish here: https://tinyurl.com/4rjmambmHow To Do This Practice: Find a quiet moment and settle your body: Sit or stand somewhere you feel safe and comfortable. Take a few slow breaths and let your body soften, releasing the noise of the day. Bring to mind someone who embodies “moral beauty”: Think of a person whose kindness, courage, humility, or integrity has genuinely inspired you. Choose one specific moment when their character moved you. Visualize an act that inspired you: Recall exactly what the person did. Picture the scene, their actions, their choices. Notice why this moment stood out as meaningful or brave or good. Notice how your body responds: As you hold this image, tune into your body: warmth, openness, tenderness, or even tears. Allow yourself to feel the emotional impact of their moral beauty. Reflect on why this matters to you: Ask yourself: What does this moment reveal about the values that matter most to me? What purpose does it awaken? What did this person teach me about how I want to live? Choose one small aligned action for today: Identify one thing you can do—big or small—that expresses the value or purpose this person embodies. Carry that intention with you into the rest of your day. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today’s Happiness Break Guide:DIANA PARRA is professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She is also a registered mindfulness and yoga teacher who focuses on sharing these practices with the Latino immigrant community in St Louis.Learn more about Diana Parra’s work: https://tinyurl.com/4acc7nsvRelated Happiness Break episodes:Loving Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5How to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself): https://tinyurl.com/5b26zwkxRelated Science of Happiness episodes:Why We Should Seek Beauty: https://tinyurl.com/yn7ry59jWe want to hear from you! Take our quick 5-minute survey to tell us what you love, what you want more of, and how we can make the show even more inspiring and useful. Everyone who completes the survey can enter a drawing to win a copy of The Science of Happiness Workbook: 10 Practices for a Meaningful Life. Click the survey link in the show notes wherever you’re listening, or go directly to: https://tinyurl.com/happyhappysurvey. Thank you for helping us make the podcast even better!Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPodWe’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapHelp us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/4945b59w

The Power of a Collective Pause

Explore how students are using simple mindful breathing practices to navigate stress, stay grounded, and support their classmates.Summary: Classrooms often are confronted with difficult topics that can leave students overwhelmed and anxious. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we highlight how college student Evelyn Mata brought calm to herself and peers during an Immigration Studies class through simple collective breathing practices. How to Do Box Breathing: Sit comfortably: Find a quiet spot and focus on your breath, keeping a relaxed posture.  Inhale (4 counts): Breathe in slowly through your nose, letting the air fill your belly and chest. Keep the pace steady, not strained for a count of four.  Hold (4 counts): Pause gently at the top of the inhale. This isn’t a tense hold, just a moment of stillness to let the body register calm. Hold your breath for four slow counts.  Exhale (4 counts): Release the breath through your nose or mouth in a smooth, even flow. Imagine tension leaving the body as the breath moves out for a count of four, emptying your lungs.  Hold (4 counts): Let yourself rest briefly in the empty space before the next inhale. This completes the “box.” Repeat: Continue this cycle for several minutes, or for 3-4 rounds, until you feel calmer. Stop sooner if you feel lightheaded; return to natural breathing when you’re done. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today’s Guests: EVELYN MATA is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, studying Psychology and Public Policy.DR. PABLO GONZALEZ is a professor in the Ethnic Studies department at UC Berkeley.Learn more about Pablo here: https://ethnicstudies.berkeley.edu/people/pablo-gonzalezRelated The Science of Happiness episodes:  Breathe Away Anxiety (Cyclic Sighing): https://tinyurl.com/3u7vsrr5How To Tune Out The Noise: https://tinyurl.com/4hhekjuh What To Do When Stress Takes Over: https://tinyurl.com/mskvfmv4Related Happiness Breaks:Make Uncertainty Part of the Process: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7A Meditation for When You Feel Uneasy: https://tinyurl.com/4x27ut3pA Mindful Breath Meditation, With Dacher Keltner: https://tinyurl.com/mr9d22krTell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/4wz4vbc3