36 years of happiness research points to this

"Almost all of the interventions that make us happier work because they make us feel more connected and more loved,’ says Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D. Lyubomirsky is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the bestselling author of The How of Happiness and The Myths of Happiness—and her latest, How to Feel Loved (Harper Collins, 2026), paired with a mainstage TED talk. A Harvard and Stanford-trained scientist whose research has been featured in the New York Times, on podcasts, and in documentaries worldwide, she is one of the world's leading experts on the science of happiness 00:00 - What connects every happiness practice 02:05 - Why you should talk to strangers 03:46 - Kindness changes your DNA 07:04 - Money, power, & fame are overrated 8:50 - The case for reaching out to old friends 11:11 - Why 70% don't feel loved enough 15:42 - The walls we walk around with 17:06 - The radical curiosity mindset 19:31 - How to really listen  23:39 - AI as a companion 26:50 - The relationship SEAsaw 34:40 - When introverts act extroverted 39:40 - The conversation to have tomorrow Referenced in the episode:  For more about Lyubomirsky & her research, visit her website: https://sonjalyubomirsky.com/  Buy her new book: https://a.co/d/04sCyQSj  Listen to her mainstage TED talk:    • 1 Thing You Can Do Today to Be Happier | S...   For more about Nicholas Epley’s research & upcoming book, visit his website: https://www.nicholasepley.com/  We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: [email protected].