How Can We Learn to Be Happier?

In the widely beloved and well known podcast, Tedx Radio Hour, host Guy Raz interviews a number of Ted Talk speakers to learn more about their talks, who they are, and their lessons on life.

The episode “Simply Happy” is one of Tedx Radio Hour’s most popular releases–and with good reason. In this hour, we learn from presenters of various backgrounds who share their research and philosophies on the simplicity of happiness. Here is a breakdown of this episode and its overarching ideas on happiness:

1. Mind Wandering (Matt Killingsworth):

UC San Francisco researcher Matt Killingsworth suggests that our minds wander and focus on things that aren’t particularly helpful to us. He explains that we tend to lose our attention to thoughts that are not “productive, useful, and adding to experience.” Moreover, he suggests that mind wandering may be a cause of unhappiness and not just a symptom. Speaking from experience, I feel a lot happier when I am in the moment with things and feel more connected and accepting of myself when I can enjoy my time, actively doing something without distractions, which may be reading, listening to podcasts, etc.

See his Matt Killingsworth’s app on tracking happiness/ mind wandering tendencies here.

2. Culture of speed (Carl Honore):

Speaking on the culture of speed, journalist Carl Honore suggests we refrain from the idea that slowness equates to laziness and unhappiness. Honore raises a valuable point in explaining how slowing down can help us ask meaningful questions about the quality and wellness of our lives.

3. Simplicity and Happiness (Graham Hill):

Designer Graham Hill recalls his life after selling a website designing company he founded for ten million dollars at barely thirty years old. After acquiring so much money, he talks about how he purchased many luxuries, including a new and expensive home, a car, furniture, and more, but concludes that these luxuries began to overwhelm him and make him more unhappy. The big change for him? Experiencing the joys of simplicity. He got rid of these luxuries and looked to things that were space efficient, that were decluttering and could “nest, stack and digitize.”

4. Misfortune and Long Term Happiness (Dan Gilbert)

Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert explains the relationship between misfortune and long term happiness. He emphasizes the “impact bias” in all of us: our tendency to overthink the severity of outcomes. At the same time, Gilbert notes we are built with processes that make us resilient to adversity–processes that we are many times unaware of. We can frame things in more positive light to help us overcome life’s most troubling tribulations.

5. Gratefulness and Happiness (David Rast)

Monk and interfaith scholar David Rast defines living gratefully by way of appreciating gifts that are both given and valuable to us. Moreover, he notes that every moment can be considered a given opportunity that we can avail in. Through gratefulness, we can act out a sense of enough instead of scarcity and thereby, change our perspectives on fulfillment and life’s meaning.

His method for noticing when we are being grateful in life?

“Stop, look and go.”

Listen to the full podcast here.

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The Podcast You Didn't Know You Needed

Podcasts are my favorite way to decompress after a day of readings, psets, and the other grueling parts of UChicago life. Normally, I stay in my comfort zone and stick with my personal favorites like This American Life or Jake and Amir's If I Were You. 

Recently, I came across a Facebook post from none other than UChicago's Tobi Gbile about the launch of her new podcast: The Weekly Baecay (and if you haven't checked out our Quad Style profile on Tobi, direct yourself here first).

Tobi, along with her best friends Sophie and Jasmin, are dedicating their time to debriefing the world every week on pop culture, navigating us through the realms of Dark Twitter, and giving us the edutainment we desperately need. This triumvirate of Kansas ladies has raised the bar for podcasts. 

Meet the Team

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After the first episode, I'm hooked. Not only do these women offer an insightful take on pop culture and its implications, they also do it without pedantic weight. It's the perfect balance of gossip and information, never steering itself the wrong way. This podcast will definitely help you gain a perspective on dynamic yet nuanced changes in music culture and branch out past superficial listening of your favorite artists.

Image Via Tobi Gbile

Listen to the first episode of The Weekly Baecay below and appreciate this gem for yourself.

This episode touches on the tragic passing on Avicii, the return of King Kanye, and the valuation of music and its ability to revolutionize the American Dream. You don't want to miss it. Check them out here.

Feature Image Via Tobi Gbile

How Podcasts are Reshaping our Culture

Nowadays, podcasts do more than relay news and updates; through broadcasting personal accounts and stories about real, relatable people, they have become a popular medium used to combat stigma and shame on mental health and debunk assumptions about gender, race and sexuality.

Recently, two of my favorites include “Sincerely X”, hosted by June Cohen, one of the curators for the popular Tedx Radio podcast and “Girlboss Radio,” hosted by Sophia Amoruso, who is also the founder of clothing line, Nasty Gal.

The aim of Sincerely, X works to openly share ideas and stories while concealing the identities of its speakers. This podcast gives “victims, perpetrators, investigators, activists, empaths and more” an outlet to share their experiences without the worry of public judgement following them. Two of my favorite episodes from season one of this podcast were ‘Sad in Silicon Valley’ (episode four) and ‘Pepper Spray’ (episode 2). In both, the subject of mental health is put into perspective and is put in relation to technology and everyday life. We hear the anonymous stories of a CEO and an average working woman, one affected by sudden depression and another, by anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder.

By interviewing different, successful women who come from equally humbling beginnings, ‘Girlboss Radio’ brings forth a platform that initiates conversations and discusses issues specific to women, people of color and other marginalized groups. Two episodes worth checking out are interviews with authors and activists, Roxane Gay and Janet Mock. Gay openly shares her experiences on sexual assault and body image while Mock unpacks her journey as a transgender black woman. The two dive into deep rooted issues, showing their vulnerable but empowering selves. Throughout 'Girlboss Radio,' Sophia Amoruso and her guest speakers gradually change the narrative about how we view and attain success. As a whole, this podcast constantly motivates its listeners to be better, more genuine forms of themselves.

These podcasts have become cultural catalysts and a vehicle to propel new ideas and social reform. As noted, they are more than just entertainment— they are stepping stones for learning new lessons and reshaping our culture.

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