Dr. Robert Waldinger on the Science of Happiness and What Makes a Good Life

01/11/23 • 56 min

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The Wellness Mama Podcast

Episode Highlights With Dr. Waldinger

How he became a zen master who teaches meditation around the world
The science of meditation and the science of why it is beneficial
What the Harvard study of adult development is- the longest study on the same group of people since 1938
Key takeaways from this extremely long study
The surprising key to happiness and why human connection and relationships are so important
Helpful questions for checking in on your own relationships
How childhood experiences shape mental health later in life and what children really need to feel safe and secure in life
What the data says about things that extend lifespan and things that shorten it
How human connection correlates to a longer lifespan
Strong relationships are natural stress reducers - the science of how this works
Why happiness is not something we can “achieve” past our basic human needs
How to build a safety net of well-being to help increase happiness and calm even in tough times
Ways to use our feelings as signals but exercise choice in how we act and respond
How to increase “social fitness” and nurture relationships in your life
A rule of thumb when it comes to relationships
Why kids need to see us model prioritizing relationships and taking care of ourselves
What empathetic accuracy is and how to get better at it
The W.I.S.E.R method for handling emotionally challenging situations
The best investment you can make in your own well-being (it might surprise you)
Health and lifestyle trends that stood out from the data in this study

Resources We Mention

Robert Waldinger: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness | TED Talk
The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger, MD
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

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"If the path before you is clear, you're probably on somebody else's path." - Joseph Campbell

Episode Highlights With Dr. Waldinger

How he became a zen master who teaches meditation around the world
The science of meditation and the science of why it is beneficial
What the Harvard study of adult development is- the longest study on the same group of people since 1938
Key takeaways from this extremely long study
The surprising key to happiness and why human connection and relationships are so important
Helpful questions for checking in on your own relationships
How childhood experiences shape mental health later in life and what children really need to feel safe and secure in life
What the data says about things that extend lifespan and things that shorten it
How human connection correlates to a longer lifespan
Strong relationships are natural stress reducers - the science of how this works
Why happiness is not something we can “achieve” past our basic human needs
How to build a safety net of well-being to help increase happiness and calm even in tough times
Ways to use our feelings as signals but exercise choice in how we act and respond
How to increase “social fitness” and nurture relationships in your life
A rule of thumb when it comes to relationships
Why kids need to see us model prioritizing relationships and taking care of ourselves
What empathetic accuracy is and how to get better at it
The W.I.S.E.R method for handling emotionally challenging situations
The best investment you can make in your own well-being (it might surprise you)
Health and lifestyle trends that stood out from the data in this study

Resources We Mention

Robert Waldinger: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness | TED Talk
The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger, MD
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Hiya Children's Vitamins - A clean line of children's vitamins that provides growing kids with all the essential nutrients that might be missing from their diet.

Wellnesse - My line of clean, non-toxic personal care products such as toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and much more!

"If the path before you is clear, you're probably on somebody else's path." - Joseph Campbell

Previous Episode

Morley Robbins on Thyroid Health, Retinol, Magnesium, and the Real Story of Aging

Episode Highlights With Morley Robbins

What might be going on if you are told you have low iron or low ferritin
Why what’s going on in the blood isn’t always indicative of whats going on in the tissue and what to know when looking at blood tests
The three things to understand when measuring iron: hemoglobin (70% of body’s iron), ferritin (storage protein inside cells- 10% of body’s iron), serum iron (less than a tenth of a percent which actually means copper isn’t doing its job)
What hepcidin is (peptide)
Katherine Philpott MD PhD paper on how ferritin is storing excess iron in the body
Why the amount of iron you need is lower than you think..
The important part of this equation that is almost never tested by doctors and that can be shut down by Vitamin D
Why low ferritin is not an indication of iron deficiency and actually shows low copper and affects hepcidin
Dietary iron vs. recycling iron and why copper is important
What to know about Vitamin D and its relationship to retinol
The thyroid connection and why it is just a symptom of what’s going on in the body
Why low thyroid function can just be a symptom of low retinol
The thyroid doesn't run the body - it responds to the body
What you don’t know about aging that is aging you much more rapidly
Why copper, magnesium, and retinol are the big players in the real story of aging
How hair testing shows us some things that blood tests don’t
12 minerals and 8 metals that show up in hair tests (electrolytes, oxidation patterns, metals, etc)
Things we can take that mess up the way copper is used in the body (birth control, antibiotics, artificial vitamin C)

Resources We Mention

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BON CHARGE - A holistic wellness brand with a huge range of evidence-based products to optimize your life, such as blue light glasses, EMF protection products and circadian friendly lighting. Use code wellnessmama to save.

Wellnesse - My line of clean and non-toxic personal care products such as toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and much more!

Next Episode

The One About Magnesium - Short Series

Episode Highlights From Katie

What is magnesium and why is it important
Why are so many people deficient in this important mineral
What are the many benefits of magnesium
How magnesium plays a role in workouts, power, and recovery
Other benefits of optimal levels include: better mood, lower inflammation, better sleep, and stronger bones
Some easy sources of magnesium: Leafy green vegetables, sea vegetables, kelp, and nettle
How I am getting enough magnesium and what I am using

Resources Mentioned

Thanks to Our Sponsor:

Joovv - Red light therapy can be an important part of any health routine and I use mine daily to support cellular function and for my skin and thyroid. Use code wellnessmama for a discount.