Happiness Researcher: Do These 5 Things to Feel Happier Every Day! Dr. Elizabeth Dunn

More money can make you happier. But what you do with it may matter more than you think.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to stop chasing the things you think will make you happy and start using your money, time, relationships, and technology in ways that actually make your life feel better. Dr. Elizabeth Dunn breaks down the science behind the everyday choices that shape your happiness, why fear and guilt aren’t always the best motivators for climate action, and how making choices that are good for the planet can also make your own life happier.

In this episode:
- The surprising way to spend money that can make you feel happier
- Why buying more of something you love can actually make you enjoy it less
- The simple change that can make everyday experiences feel better
- Why introverts may need connection just as much as extroverts
- What happens to your happiness when your phone is simply sitting beside you
- The real impacts of using AI when you’re feeling lonely
- Why the people around you may matter more to your happiness than what you’re doing
- How to stop wasting money on things that won’t actually make you feel better
- What happiness research says you should spend more of your time and money on

Dr. Elizabeth Dunn is a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia who researches how money, time, technology, and human connection shape happiness. She is the co-author of Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending and Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species.

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Ready to Hack Your Happiness some more? Listen to our interview with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett. We know you'll love it: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠listen + watch now!⁠

(00:00) Why This Conversation Matters For You

(03:49) The Link Between Happiness & Climate Change

(05:12) Do THIS To Fight Climate Change

(09:11) How Can I Use Money To Feel Happier?

(10:31) Can Money Buy Happiness?

(12:16) You Need THIS Much Money?

(13:36) Buying This Won't Make You Happier

(17:05) Behaviour is Contagious

(19:30) The Question To Ask Yourself Before Buying ANYTHING!

(22:07) Your Sign To Do This

(22:42) Things That Feel Productive But Drain Your Happiness

(24:33) I Feel Lonely But I Don't Want To Socialize...

(26:27) How Much Should I Socialize?

(27:44) The Truth About Doing ANYTHING, Alone

(28:48) Differences Between Introverts vs Extroverts

(31:16) What is The Stranger Engagement Model?

(34:57) Wear Your Small Bits of Happiness

(36:05) Send THIS Text Message, Today!

(37:39) Should I Talk To AI ChatBots?

(39:34) AI Research: ChatBots Help With THIS Part of Relationships

(40:47) AI's Role in Climate Change

(42:53) Do Phones Derail Socialization?

(46:15) "I Don't Have Time To Be Happier"

(47:43) Dr. Elizabeth Dunn's Formula For a Good Day

(50:22) Climate Change, Money, Relationships, Time - Start HERE

(52:10) The 'Happiest' Morning

(53:32) Dr. Dunn's Most Important Takeaway

(54:23) Rapid Fire

(58:05) Find Dr. Elizabeth Dunn Here

(58:32) Processing Emotions, Hacks For Emotional Management, and How Your Brain Shapes Your Reality