The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos22 Okt 2019

Why It's So Hard to Stop Intrusive Thoughts—And What Actually Helps

How many times have you tried to suppress an unwanted thought, only to ruminate on it even more? Research shows that the brain reacts to attempts at thought suppression by repeatedly checking for the thought, making it stronger and increasing our distress. Dr. Laurie explains why our minds work in this paradoxical way—and explores the science behind intrusive thoughts, bad memories, and mental control. Through stories of real people who have confronted and overcome disruptive thoughts, she shares how acceptance, attention shifts, and self-compassion can lead to less stress and greater happiness.

Experts Mentioned:
- Daniel Wegner, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University
- Eve Ekman, Senior Fellow, Greater Good Science Center
- James Pennebaker, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of Texas Austin
- James Gross, Ernest R. Hilgard Professor of Psychology, Stanford University

Resources Mentioned
- "When the Antidote is the Poison: Ironic Mental Control Processes," (Psychological Science, 1997)
- "Paradoxical Effects of Thought Suppression," (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1987)
- "The Putt and the Pendulum: Ironic Effects of the Mental Control of Action" (Psychological Science, 1998)
- The Eichmann Trial
- "Disclosure of Traumas and Health Among Holocaust Survivors," (Psychosomatic Medicine, 1989)
- Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions by James Pennebaker (1997)
- "Antecedent- and Response-Focused Emotion Regulation: Divergent Consequences for Experience, Expression, and Physiology," (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1998)
- "Delayed Costs of Suppressed Pain," (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1993)
- "Not in Front of the Kids: Effects of Parental Suppression on Socialization Behaviors During Cooperative Parent–Child Interactions," (Emotion, 2019)
- "The Four Noble Truths," (BBC, 2009)

Related episodes of "The Happiness Lab":
- "Q: 'How Do I Stop Negative Self-Talk?' (with Ethan Kross)"
- "Emotions Are Data…So Listen to Them"
- "Hack Your Emotions (with Ethan Kross)"
- "How to Handle Change"
- "How to Fight Perfectionism"

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(266)

What We Still Get Wrong About Happiness (Live at Dartmouth)

In this special live episode, Dr. Laurie takes the stage at Dartmouth College for a conversation with happiness historian Darrin McMahon. Together, they break down some of the biggest misconceptions a...

6 Jul 50min

Why the “Pursuit of Happiness” Is a Bad Idea

The “pursuit of happiness” is one of America’s founding ideals. But what if chasing happiness is actually making us feel worse? In honor of the 250th anniversary of American independence, Dr. Laurie t...

29 Jun 46min

Why “No Regrets” Is Bad Advice

We’ve all had moments we wish we could do over: the relationship we stayed in too long, the opportunity we didn’t take, the thing we said that we can’t unsay. Regret can feel awful. So it’s no surpris...

22 Jun 30min

Are Kids Today Really Worse Off?

We hear a lot about rising rates of anxiety, depression, and fragility among kids today. But when Harvard researcher Alexis Redding uncovered a forgotten trove of interviews with college students from...

15 Jun 43min

The Surprising Case for Oversharing

We’re kicking off a new season of The Happiness Lab with some happiness hot takes — bold claims that challenge conventional wisdom about what it really takes to feel happier. Today's hot take is all a...

8 Jun 39min

How to Feel Happier in Your Body with Jessamyn Stanley

As summer begins, many of us are bombarded with messages about how our bodies aren't good enough. But what if we embraced movement not out of self-criticism or shame, but self-compassion? To close out...

1 Jun 34min

What Your Negative Emotions Are Trying to Tell You

Negative emotions like sadness, anger, guilt, and anxiety can feel overwhelming. But what if those uncomfortable feelings aren’t problems to fix, but signals worth listening to? As part of our series ...

25 Mai 45min

The Hidden Beliefs That Shape Your Happiness with Shawn Achor

Our beliefs shape more than we realize. They influence what we notice, how we respond to setbacks, how connected we feel to others, and whether we take action to improve our lives. As part of our ser...

18 Mai 43min