Dealing with Feeling How Awe Can Help Anxiety: Dr. Dacher Keltner on Emotional Well-Being
Dr. Dacher Keltner joins Dr. Marc Brackett on Dealing with Feeling to explore a surprising question: What if awe—not control—is one of our most powerful tools for easing anxiety?
They unpack how everyday moments of wonder can soften stress, reconnect us to others, and reshape how we relate to difficult emotions. From micro-practices you can try immediately to deeper reflections on moral beauty, community, and meaning, this conversation rethinks what emotional well-being actually looks like in a busy, overwhelmed world.
In this conversation:
- How awe interrupts anxiety and creates perspective
- Why small "micro-practices" can have outsized emotional impact
- What it really means to give yourself permission to feel
- How movement, music, and shared experiences regulate emotions
- Why recognizing everyday goodness can restore hope and connection
About the guest: Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley, founding director of the Greater Good Science Center, and a leading researcher on awe, compassion, and emotional expression. He is the author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life and a scientific advisor for Pixar's Inside Out.
Connect with Marc Brackett:
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Dr. Marc Brackett's Books
Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates.
A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support: https://ojilifelab.com. Oji Life Lab is the leader in mastery-centered learning for the workplace. To develop your skills in leadership, emotional intelligence and more, visit oji life lab dot com or click the link in the description of this video and use the promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.