10% Happier with Dan Harris

Sam Sanders, a journalist and culture interviewer behind The Sam Sanders Show, joins for a lively conversation about “modern scriptures” and the art people return to for comfort. They dig into Ferris Bueller, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, warm sitcoms, emotional catharsis, watching with kids, and why going back to what nourishes you can matter more than reinvention.

John Green, bestselling author and YouTuber behind The Fault in Our Stars and Crash Course, talks about managing anxiety, depression, OCD, and intrusive thoughts. He gets into writing through despair, why tuberculosis became an obsession, how naming shame changes its grip, what chaplaincy taught him about faith, and how he keeps hope alive in a chaotic world.

Shankar Vedantam, journalist, author, and mind-behavior explorer behind Hidden Brain, dives into handling difficult people, breakups, and talking to strangers. He gets into why trying to fix a partner backfires, how conflict patterns take over, why closure is often a solo job, and how tiny chats with strangers can quietly change your day.

Sebene Selassie, a meditation teacher and writer focused on accessible mindfulness, leads a walking meditation for restless minds. She explores grounding before the first step, noticing the lift and placement of each foot, widening awareness to the body and surroundings, and letting thoughts drift by while returning to motion. A practical option for anyone who hates sitting still.

Ajahn Nisabho, a Theravada monk focused on purpose and mental well-being, and Ajahn Kovilo, a Theravada monk who teaches meditation and ethics, explore confession without self-punishment. They get into giving and receiving criticism, surviving the news without losing your mind, and why misery is not the best response to a messy world.

Marc Brackett, Yale psychologist and founder of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, explores how to handle stress, anxiety, anger, and social comparison. He talks about accepting feelings without judgment. He shares how to respond to other people’s big emotions. Plus: gratitude, self-talk, mindfulness, reappraisal, and the meta-moment.

Anderson Cooper, veteran journalist who created a grief-focused podcast, discusses losing loved ones and why he launched a project to explore mourning. He talks about recording conversations with his mother, how unprocessed loss shapes relationships, the role of rituals and stories, and practical ways to hold space for others facing grief.

Shaila Catherine, a dharma teacher and meditation author with decades of retreat experience, offers practical Buddhist ways to tame a wandering mind. She outlines five short strategies from ancient suttas. Topics include replacing harmful thoughts, examining their danger, purposeful avoidance, deep investigation of causes, and using determination to steady attention.

Eric Garland, a UCSD professor who created Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), explains practical mindfulness tools. He covers how MORE targets chronic pain and everyday addictive habits. Short practices like STOP, mindful zooming, savoring, and cognitive reappraisal get attention. The conversation highlights de-automatization, self-transcendent states, and clinical evidence for these methods.

Sebene Selassie, a meditation teacher and three-time cancer survivor, shares practical mindfulness guidance. She explains what mindfulness really means and why the body and breath make reliable anchors. Hear why meditation is not a magic cure, how to find practices that fit your life, and why intention helps you stick with practice.