468: The secret sauce of happiness | Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, M.D.

Order a copy of my new book The Joy Of Well-Being at thejoyofwellbeing.com ! Robert Waldinger, M.D.: “People who are more concerned about others are happier.” Robert, a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and Zen practitioner, joins us to discuss how to live a life full of purpose, happiness, and health, plus: - Robert’s professional background and research (~00:13) - What makes up a “good” life? (~01:15) - The longest study every done on adult life (~02:01) - What happiness looked like 80 years ago versus today (~03:21) - Why we’re more unhappy than ever (~06:27) - Why strong relationships are crucial for well-being (~07:39) - How happiness changes as you age (~10:03) - The biggest takeaways from the Harvard Study of Adult Development (~11:42) - How casual relationships impact your health (~12:54) - How technology & social media really affects happiness (~14:33) - Why wealth & fame makes some people happy but not others (~17:26) - A meditation practice for genuine happiness (~21:04) - Why loneliness is a huge health issue (~22:33) - How to make genuine connects with others (~23:33) - The role of purpose & community in happiness (~30:16) - The biggest happiness myths (~34:37) - Why not every friendship has to last (~37:02) - The keys to maintaining happiness from generation to generation (~39:21) - The future of happiness research (~43:11) - How to start a social fitness routine (~45:32) Referenced in the episode: - Robert's book, The Good Life . - The Harvard Study of Adult Development . - Watch Robert's TED Talk . - Huberman Lab Podcast episode on happiness . - A survey revealing 1 in 4 Gen Z-ers plan to become influencers . - Bowling Alone , by Robert Putnam. - Read more about Erik Erikson's theory of generativity . - Sign up for The Long Game . We hope you enjoy this episode sponsored by NerdWallet , 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: podcast@mindbodygreen.com . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices