The Science of Happiness

What if getting older doesn’t have to mean losing your memory? Learn how neuroplasticity, healthy habits, and simple memory exercises can help keep your brain strong at any age.
Summary: We often assume that getting older means our memory and brain function will inevitably decline—but emerging science tells a more hopeful story. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, we’ll explore how neuroplasticity, along with practices like memory exercises, stress reduction, sleep, exercise, and finding a sense of purpose, can support brain health as we age. 
How to Remember Where You Parked:

Pause before you walk away: Take a moment to look at your car and notice your surroundings.

Identify your location: Pay attention to the floor, row, section, level, or nearby landmarks.

Create a funny image: Turn the location into a memorable mental picture. For example, if you’re parked in section 4B, imagine four bears sitting inside your car.

Make it vivid: The sillier, stranger, or more ridiculous the image, the better. Let yourself have fun with it.

Take a mental snapshot: As you walk away, look back at your car and surroundings and imagine the funny scene there.

Use the image to find your car: When it’s time to leave, bring the funny image back to mind and use it to recall your section, floor, or location.

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Today’s Guests:
CRYSTAL LEWIS works with high school students in Washington State, supporting them both in and out of the classroom. 
DR. MAJID FOTUHI is a neuroscientist, author, and professor at the Johns Hopkins Mind Brain Institute. 
Learn more about Dr. Majid Fotuhi: https://drfotuhi.com/
Related Science of Happiness episodes:
What To Do When Stress Takes Over: https://tinyurl.com/yxf3jawn
Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/ysbwrnr4
The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5
Related Happiness Break episodes:
The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x
A Meditation on the Uniqueness of Your Own Voice: https://tinyurl.com/36x3fbk7
The Unexpected Joy of Slow Looking: https://tinyurl.com/4uudwwc2
Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at 
happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/547b3ax4

Buddhist meditation teacher, Anushka Fernandopulle, guides us through a practice of Mudita, or appreciative joy, to help us share in the happiness of others.
How To Do This Practice:

Get comfortable and ground yourself: Sit comfortably, close your eyes if you’d like, and take a few deep breaths.

Relax your body: As you exhale, release tension in your face, jaw, shoulders, and anywhere else you feel it.

Think of someone whose happiness is easy to celebrate: Bring to mind a friend, child, pet, or anyone who is experiencing joy.

Connect with their happiness: Imagine their joy and allow yourself to feel uplifted by their happiness.

Offer them joyful wishes: Silently repeat: “May you always be happy. May your happiness increase. May your happiness continue. I’m happy for your happiness.”

Expand your joy outward: Think of a group of people experiencing happiness, and practice sharing in their joy. Carry this mindset with you, noticing others’ happiness throughout your day instead of comparing or feeling jealous.

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Today’s Happiness Break Guide:
Anushka Fernandopulle is a Buddhist meditation teacher and leadership coach. 
Learn More about Anushka: https://www.anushkaf.org
Related Happiness Break episodes:
How to Awaken Joy, with Spring Washam: https://tinyurl.com/ybpuvuj6
The Unexpected Joy of Slow Looking: https://tinyurl.com/4uudwwc2
The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x
Related Science of Happiness episodes:
How Joy Helps Save the Planet: https://tinyurl.com/2d5hjz9s
Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/ysbwrnr4
The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5
We’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/2p9h5aap
Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/mu72mna9

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From the time we are old enough to hold a crayon, it feels instinctive to draw on the wall. But for MISS CHELOVE—also known as Cita Sadeli—this instinct became a calling. Through bold color and layered symbolism, she transforms everyday public spaces into deeply personal statements, inspiring some passers-by to wonder: what is the role of the public artist? And how can public art both reflect and shape a community's identity?
Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yn8pfnve

We often underestimate how much small talk can impact our wellbeing. Research shows that even brief conversations with strangers can boost our happiness and sense of connection, but fear and anxiety often keep us from reaching out.
Summary: We often avoid talking to strangers because we assume they’d rather be left alone, or worry the interaction will be awkward. But research shows that our expectations about these interactions are often wrong. Even brief conversations can make us happier and more connected. On this episode of The Science of Happiness, learn how small choices like saying hello, asking a question, or offering a compliment can help us overcome our hesitation and create meaningful moments of connection.
How To Do This Practice:

Notice an opportunity: Throughout your day, look for moments when you’re near someone you don’t know—a person on public transit, in line at a coffee shop, or walking through your neighborhood.

Put away your phone: Create a little more space for connection by taking out your earbuds or putting your phone away, rather than using it to avoid interacting with the people around you.

Take the first step: When you notice an opportunity, say hello, introduce yourself, or ask a simple question. You don’t need the perfect opening—just get the conversation started.

Ask a follow-up question: Show genuine curiosity about the other person. Ask about something they’ve mentioned and let the conversation unfold naturally.

Share something about yourself: Connection goes both ways. Offer a little about your own experiences, interests, or perspective so the conversation becomes a two-way exchange.

Try it again: Pay attention to how you feel afterward, then look for another opportunity to connect. Treat it as an experiment and practice making small choices that bring you closer to the people around you.

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Today’s Guests:
CHRIS FUJINAKA HEIN is a community organizer in the Bay Area and a coordinator at a Japanese cultural senior center.
NICHOLAS EPLEY is the John Templeton Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Faculty Director of the Roman Family Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Learn more about Nicholas Epley here: https://www.nicholasepley.com/
Related Science of Happiness episodes:
Why Compassion Requires Vulnerability: https://tinyurl.com/mrxsad33
When It's Hard To Connect, Try Being Curious: https://tinyurl.com/mr32nwtv
Related Happiness Break episodes:
A Meditation on Original Love and Interconnectedness:https://tinyurl.com/mu2uzs2c
Our Deep Interconnectedness: https://tinyurl.com/y2epxyxn
Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2z8ftstd

Join yoga and meditation teacher Jonathan Relucio for a trauma-informed practice combining mindful movement and breathing to reduce tension and build resilience to stress.
How To Do This Practice: 

Get comfortable: Sit or lie down and notice the support beneath your body, keeping your eyes open or closed—whichever feels comfortable.

Connect with your body: Bring your attention inward and notice how your body, mind, and heart feel in the present moment.

Release tension: Inhale as you gently shrug your shoulders toward your ears, then exhale as you relax and release them.

Move with your breath: Inhale as you reach your arms overhead, then exhale as you gently bend from side to side, noticing the sensations in your body.

Breathe into your belly: Place one hand on your belly and notice it expand as you inhale and relax as you exhale, following the natural rhythm of your breath.

Pause and notice: Return to your natural breathing and take a moment to notice how your body and mind feel before continuing with your day.

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Today’s Happiness Break Guide:
JONATHAN RELUCIO is a trauma-informed yoga and meditation teacher with 20 years of experience in community organizing, social services, training, and leadership development.
Learn more about Jonathan here: https://www.jonathanrelucio.com/
Related Happiness Break episodes:
Embodying Resilience: https://tinyurl.com/3d2ma8tw
Visualizing Your Purpose: https://tinyurl.com/mwze59jx
The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/rrtpje2x
Related Science of Happiness episodes:
How To Feel Better About Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/3jave7h2
What To Do When Stress Takes Over: https://tinyurl.com/yxf3jawn
The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/y6bpvbv5
We’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/2p9h5aap
Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/3v9rapra