Welcome to the inaugural episode of Office Hours with Arthur Brooks . I’m thrilled to start this podcast with a topic I’ve devoted much of my life to: how we can be truly happier. This episode draws from my new book, The Happiness Files , a collection of essays from my How to Build a Life column in The Atlantic . But more importantly, it’s grounded in science, drawing on a 2020 study where top researchers ranked the most practical and effective ways to get happier. Today I discuss: • The top 5 research-backed ways to improve your well-being • Why investing in your close relationships is the single most powerful thing you can do to be happier • How joining a club or values-based community can restore your sense of belonging • The link between lifelong learning and growing happiness over time • Why transcending your ego through faith, philosophy, or awe brings clarity and peace • How physical exercise reduces unhappiness (and why that matters more than you think) • Why self-esteem alone won’t make you happy—but understanding your emotions might • The three elements of a real happiness strategy (and how to build your own) • How to move on from heartbreak (and why sad music really does help) • And much more! Since it’s the very first episode, we’d love to hear any feedback you have. Please email us at
[email protected] . And please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening! — Where to find Arthur Brooks: • Website: https://arthurbrooks.com/ • X: https://x.com/arthurbrooks • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/ • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/ • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/ • Email:
[email protected] — Timestamps (00:00) Intro (02:25) Introducing The Happiness Files and “10 Practical Ways to Increase Your Happiness” (07:16) Principle #1: Invest in your relationships (12:20) Principle #2: Join a club (16:26) Principle #3: Be a lifelong learner (20:11) Principle #4: Focus on something bigger than yourself (26:03) Principle #5: Get more physical exercise (29:35) Recap of principles 1–5 (30:22) How to craft your own happiness plan (31:44) Strategy #1: Deepen your understanding (32:30) Strategy #2: Practice regularly (32:42) Strategy #3: Crystallize your learning by teaching others (35:06) Q&A: Getting over a breakup and Arthur’s most surprising research finding — Referenced: • The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life : https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Brooks/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN • Leadership and Happiness course: https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/1885.html • How to Build a Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/ • What the Longest Study on Human Happiness Found Is the Key to a Good Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/harvard-happiness-study-relationships/672753/ • Ways to Greater Happiness: A Delphi Study: https://link.springer.com/journal/10902 • The Harvard Study of Adult Development: https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.org/ • The Drive with Peter Attia: https://peterattiamd.com/podcast/ • Huberman Lab: https://www.hubermanlab.com/podcast • America’s Declining Social Capital : https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1981-25768-001 • The Best Friends Can Do Nothing for You: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/04/deep-friendships-aristotle/618529/ • Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community : https://www.amazon.com/Bowling-Alone-Collapse-American-Community/dp/0743203046 • Daily Stoic : https://dailystoic.com/podcast/ • Johann Sebastian Bach: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach • Vipassana Meditation: https://www.dhamma.org/ • Insight Meditation: https://www.insightmeditation.org/ — Production and marketing by https://penname.co/ . Production provided by www.thebluewave.net. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email
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