The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos Folgen

We tend to think having more options is better, but the science shows too many choices can drain mental energy, increase anxiety, and make us feel worse about making decisions, even when those decisions seem trivial. Dr. Laurie explores the psychology of choice overload and decision fatigue—including why we wrongly prioritize more choices over greater well-being and how constant decision making can undermine long-term happiness. She also speaks with a woman who radically simplified her life just by cleaning out her wardrobe.Experts Mentioned:- Dr. Sheena Iyengar, S.T. Lee Professor of Business, Columbia Univesirty - Barry Schwartz, Dorwin P. Cartwright Professor Emeritus in Social Theory and Social Action, Swarthmore College and Visiting Professor, University of California, Berkeley - Mark Lepper, Albert Ray Lang Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, Stanford University - Peter Ubel, Madge and Dennis T. McLawhorn University Distinguished ProfessorProfessor of Business Administration, Professor of Medicine, Professor in Population Health Sciences Duke University Resources Mentioned:- "When Choice is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?" (Personality Process and Individual Differences, 2000)- The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz (2004)- Karen Quinlan Supreme Court Case - Courtney Carver and Project 333Related episodes of "The Happiness Lab":- "Reconnect with the Moment"- "You Only Live Once...So Commit"- "How to Make Better Choices (with Barry Schwartz)"- "You Can Change"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We often think positive thinking is the best way to achieve our ambitions - but the science shows it holds us all back. Dr Laurie Santos hears how champion swimmer Michael Phelps imagined the worst to help make his Olympic dreams come true. It's a mental habit that you can learn too.For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How many times have you tried to suppress an unwanted thought, only to ruminate on it even more? Research shows that the brain reacts to attempts at thought suppression by repeatedly checking for the thought, making it stronger and increasing our distress. Dr. Laurie explains why our minds work in this paradoxical way—and explores the science behind intrusive thoughts, bad memories, and mental control. Through stories of real people who have confronted and overcome disruptive thoughts, she shares how acceptance, attention shifts, and self-compassion can lead to less stress and greater happiness. Experts Mentioned:- Daniel Wegner, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University- Eve Ekman, Senior Fellow, Greater Good Science Center - James Pennebaker, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of Texas Austin- James Gross, Ernest R. Hilgard Professor of Psychology, Stanford UniversityResources Mentioned- "When the Antidote is the Poison: Ironic Mental Control Processes," (Psychological Science, 1997)- "Paradoxical Effects of Thought Suppression," (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1987)- "The Putt and the Pendulum: Ironic Effects of the Mental Control of Action" (Psychological Science, 1998)- The Eichmann Trial- "Disclosure of Traumas and Health Among Holocaust Survivors," (Psychosomatic Medicine, 1989)- Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions by James Pennebaker (1997)- "Antecedent- and Response-Focused Emotion Regulation: Divergent Consequences for Experience, Expression, and Physiology," (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1998)- "Delayed Costs of Suppressed Pain," (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1993) - "Not in Front of the Kids: Effects of Parental Suppression on Socialization Behaviors During Cooperative Parent–Child Interactions," (Emotion, 2019)- "The Four Noble Truths," (BBC, 2009) Related episodes of "The Happiness Lab":- "Q: 'How Do I Stop Negative Self-Talk?' (with Ethan Kross)"- "Emotions Are Data…So Listen to Them"- "Hack Your Emotions (with Ethan Kross)"- "How to Handle Change"- "How to Fight Perfectionism"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.