10% Happier with Dan Harris

Self-help for smart people. World-class insights and practices from experts in modern science and ancient wisdom. Hosted by veteran journalist and best-selling author, Dan Harris.

Three Buddhist Practices For Getting Your Sh*t Together | Vinny Ferraro 02/04/2026

How a Simple Mindset Shift Can Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease and Improve Overall Health | Dr. Tara Narula 02/02/2026

How To Create Micro-Moments of Sanity No Matter What’s Happening Today | Jay Michaelson 02/01/2026

George Saunders On: Getting Un-Stuck, Calming the Inner Critic, and Building Empathy Without Becoming a Chump 01/30/2026

George Saunders On: Getting Un-Stuck, Calming the Inner Critic, and Building Empathy Without Becoming a Chump A conversation with celebrated author George Saunders about his new novel, Vigil, and what fiction can teach us about empathy, self-awareness, and mortality. George Saunders is the bestselling, award-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, Tenth of December, and many other books. His new novel, Vigil, tells the story of a woman who died in 1976 and has spent the decades since comforting the dying—until she encounters a former oil executive responsible for early climate change denial. In this conversation, Dan and George talk about: Why George keeps writing about ghosts and the afterlife (hint: it's not just about mortality dread) The lavish empathy at the heart of Vigil—and whether we should extend that empathy even to people doing civilizational damage What George calls "warm metacognition"—the practice of dropping back out of your thought loops to examine what kind of goggles you're wearing How fiction can turn your mind into a "reconsideration machine" (and why that matters in real life) The difference between kindness and niceness George's relationship with death anxiety, which he's had since childhood and which has only intensified with age What George has learned about listening from teaching and hosting his Substack, Story Club Why the older he gets, the more important it is to stretch himself creatively His advice for dealing with stuckness (in writing and in life): curiosity over self-accusation George's new novel Vigil is out January 27th from Random House. Check out his Substack, , where he discusses classic short stories with an incredibly thoughtful community. Related Episodes: Get the 10% with Dan Harris app Sign up for Dan's free newsletter Follow Dan on social: , Subscribe to our To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit /episode/index/show/05620661-2103-4fe0-9ab9-92bfc4d9cf22/id/39039950

How to Regulate Your Emotions and Mental Chatter When Bad Things Happen | Maya Shankar 01/28/2026

A Counterintuitive Strategy for Sharper Decision-Making, Stronger Performance, and a More Meaningful Life. | Daniel Pink 01/26/2026

How To Handle 4 AM Worry Spirals | Bart van Melik 01/25/2026

Tim Ferriss On: Recovering From Anxiety and Compulsive Thinking, Rethinking Self-Optimization, and the Power of Saying "No." 01/23/2026

Overwhelm Is Reversible. Here Are the Best Strategies From Psychology and Neuroscience | Claudia Hammond 01/21/2026

How To Succeed, Sanely—Without Toxic Productivity, Preconceived Notions, or Fear of Change | Anne-Laure Le Cunff 01/19/2026

How To Handle Exhaustion, Disconnection, and Physical Pain | Meditation with Bart van Melik 01/18/2026

Seth Meyers On: Handling Performance Anxiety, Managing the Inner Critic, Hacks for Better Conversation, and Staying Joyful in Dark Times 01/16/2026

The "Wellness" Industry Sells Us On Rigid Optimization. It Doesn't Work–But This Might. | Nidhi Bhanshali Pandya 01/14/2026

Why You Don’t Exercise Even Though You Know You Should. And Strategies To Get Over the Hump. | Katy Bowman 01/12/2026

Buddhist Strategies for Protecting Yourself from Everyday Chaos | Bart van Melik 01/11/2026

How To Rewrite Your Story, Make Peace with the Past, and Break Old Patterns | Melissa Febos 01/09/2026

How To Use Psychology and Buddhism To Handle Your Inner Critic | Amita Schmidt 01/07/2026

Esther Perel: The Modern World Can Sap Your Life Force. Here’s How To Recapture It. 01/05/2026

Esther Perel: The Modern World Can Sap Your Life Force. Here’s How To Recapture It. The legendary psychotherapist unpacks the concept of “hostile dependency” and explains why cutting people off doesn’t always work. Psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author is a leading voice on modern relationships, known for her widely viewed TED Talks, bestselling books and the hit podcast. She runs a New York–based therapy practice and advises global organizations and platforms on the complexities of contemporary relationships. Follow Esther Perel's podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and subscribe to on Substack for exclusive bonus content. In this episode we talk about: What Esther Perel really means by eros How modern life quietly depletes our sense of feeling alive Why aliveness can coexist with grief, pain, and difficulty The danger of numbness Introverts, extroverts, and the many non-social ways we experience vitality Vital sources of connection and meaning Co-regulation, touch, presence, and why words alone aren’t enough “Hostile dependency” and the paradoxes of long-term relationships Why loneliness has become normalized, and why it shouldn’t be How to rebuild community through small, practical acts Rituals as a way to mark time, create meaning, and feel grounded The tension between individualism, belonging, and responsibility to others Get the 10% with Dan Harris app Sign up for Dan's free newsletter Follow Dan on social: , Subscribe to our To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit Thanks to our sponsors: HomeServe: Plans start at just $4.99 a month. Go to to find a plan that's right for you. LinkedIn: Spend $250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get a $250 credit for the next one. Just go to . NOCD: Head over to and book a free 15‑minute call with their team, to learn more and start getting help with OCD. OneSkin: Get up to 30% off your first three subscription orders when you use the code “happier” at . /episode/index/show/05620661-2103-4fe0-9ab9-92bfc4d9cf22/id/39039655

Buddhist Hacks for Anxiety and Overthinking | Joseph Goldstein 01/04/2026

Buddhist Hacks for Anxiety and Overthinking | Joseph Goldstein Today we're gonna talk about some Buddhist hacks for two deeply related and all too common ailments: anxiety and overthinking. Most of us have struggled with one or both of these, and one of the people who has helped Dan the most is Joseph Goldstein. Regular listeners to this podcast will be familiar with Joseph and his very direct, very down-to-earth style, but if you don’t know – let us introduce you. He’s one of the foremost Buddhist teachers in the west, he’s been Dan’s teacher for about 15 years, and Dan’s recently convinced him to write a book together, using a collection of these little phrases that he’s cooked up over the years. Dan’s been keeping a list of around a hundred or so tiny, useful phrases – bite-sized wisdom for meditation practice and for daily life. The book won’t be out for a few years, but we’re conducting a series of interviews with him, each one covering a few phrases, and we’ll be releasing those here on the podcast. The first installment of these interviews about Joseph’s phrases just came out on Thursday, Jan. 1, and you don’t have to listen to that episode for this episode to make sense, but they are useful together. Today, we’ll be covering: The practice assessment tapes Whatever works Cowboy Dharma Dead end Is this useful And a quartet about walking meditation: sensations moving through space, walking through space, walking in a dream, walking through the mind Don’t worry if those don’t make sense right now – stick with us and you’ll get a thorough explanation of where those phrases all come from and how they can help. Get the 10% with Dan Harris app Sign up for Dan's free newsletter Follow Dan on social: , Subscribe to our Thanks to our sponsor: LinkedIn: Spend $250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get a $250 credit for the next one. Just go to . To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit /episode/index/show/05620661-2103-4fe0-9ab9-92bfc4d9cf22/id/39039630

Joseph Goldstein On How To Train Your Runaway Brain 01/01/2026

Joseph Goldstein On How To Train Your Runaway Brain You may have noticed that your mind is out of control. It's filled with racing thoughts, ancient neuroses and grudges, revenge fantasies… So why are we like this and what can be done about it? Today, we’re talking to one of our favorite people and also one of the most prominent meditation teachers in the West, Joseph Goldstein, about how “ridiculous” our minds are – that’s a word he uses a lot to describe the mind – and some really compelling ways to train the mind. Spoiler: having a sense of humor is crucial here. Just by way of context: this is the first in a series of episodes with Joseph, focusing on the phrases he uses while he’s teaching Buddhism and meditation. Dan and Joseph are collaborating on a book that will be a compilation of these phrases and how to use them. This book won't be out for several years, but as Dan conducts a series of interviews with Joseph, we’ll release them here on the podcast. There’s another part coming out this Sunday, January 4th. Just to give you a little taste, here are the phrases we’ll be covering in today’s episode: Just begin again Sit and know you’re sitting Relaxed, not casual More or less mindful Thieves of meditation Mara, I see you. Ridiculous The mind has no pride Soundtrack The mind is the forerunner of all things. These might not make any sense right now, but you’ll hear Joseph explain each of these, where they came from, and how to use them in your meditation practice AND in your daily life. Incredibly practical, bite-sized wisdom. Get the 10% with Dan Harris app Sign up for Dan's free newsletter Follow Dan on social: , Subscribe to our Thanks to our sponsor: LinkedIn: Spend $250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get a $250 credit for the next one. Just go to . To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit /episode/index/show/05620661-2103-4fe0-9ab9-92bfc4d9cf22/id/39039615

Rewire How You Talk To Yourself | Ofosu Jones-Quartey 12/31/2025

Rewire How You Talk To Yourself | Ofosu Jones-Quartey Buddhist strategies for taming that nagging voice in your head. , a meditation teacher, author, and musician hailing from the Washington DC area, brings over 17 years of experience in sharing mindfulness, meditation and self-compassion practices with the world. Holding a bachelor’s degree from American University and certified by the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, Ofosu is a graduate of the Teleos Coaching Institute and is the male voice on the Balance meditation app, reaching over 10 million subscribers. Ofosu leads meditation classes and retreats nationwide, having taught and led retreats at the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, The Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, Brooklyn Zen Center, Cleveland Insight, Inward Bound Mindfulness and more. As an accomplished hip hop artist under the name “Born I,” Ofosu released the mindfulness-themed album “In This Moment” in 2021. Born I’s most recent album, “Komorebi” (2025), has been hailed by listeners as “a missing piece in hip-hop,” praised for its meditative flow and spiritual depth. The companion book, “Lyrical Dharma: Hip-Hop as Mindfulness” (Parallax Press), arrives with a foreword by Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker, further cementing Born I as a unique voice at the intersection of art and contemplative practice. Beyond music, Ofosu is an author, releasing his self-published children’s book “You Are Enough” in 2020 and “Love Your Amazing Self” via Storey Publishing in 2022. He lives in Rockville, Maryland, with his wife and four children. In this episode we talk about: The relationship between self-compassion and a successful meditation practice All the reasons people resist self-compassion, and his rebuttals Whether self-compassion is selfish How to do self-compassion off the cushion, including practices like journaling, written reminders, establishing accountability partners, and simple questions you can drop into your mind when all else fails How to do self-compassion on the cushion, including practices like body scans, metta, and a check-in practice you can use at the very start of your sits And how to teach self-compassion to children This episode was first aired in April 2024. Related Episodes: Get the 10% with Dan Harris app Sign up for Dan's free newsletter Follow Dan on social: , Subscribe to our To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit /episode/index/show/05620661-2103-4fe0-9ab9-92bfc4d9cf22/id/39039600