10% Happier With Dan Harris

Buddhist advice on taking care of yourself so you can take care of the world, including what to do with your outrage, and why looking for the good on purpose isn't denial. The news is painful right now. And for most of us, the options we reach for — doom-scrolling, rage-posting, or unplugging entirely — don't actually help. Meditation teacher and bestselling author Sharon Salzberg joins Dan to take live questions from the 10% with Dan Harris community on how to find solid ground when the world feels like it's on fire. In this conversation, Sharon Salzberg and Dan Harris discuss: How to feel your anger without being consumed by it — and why that distinction matters What's usually hiding underneath the anger: grief, fear, and sadness Why action is the antidote to despair — and what actually counts as action How civil rights movement leaders sustained their effort in the face of uncertainty How to handle guilt about not doing enough Why "look for the helpers" is more than a platitude Whether meditation can poss

Buddhist advice on the feeling of "I'm not enough," the voice that says "if I don't do it, no one will," and tolerating uncertainty without impatience. Santacitta Bhikkhuni trained as a nun in England & Asia, primarily in the lineage of Ajahn Chah and has also received teachings in the Shechen lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. She is committed to Gaia as a living being and resides at Aloka Earth Room, currently in San Rafael, California. She recently co-authored the book What Are You Waiting For? A Conversation about Buddhism between Two Old Friends. You can find more of Ayya's teachings in audio & video format, as well as ongoing events in-person & online. In this episode we talk about: Why self-improvement might be the wrong goal entirely The upside of having your heart broken Why patience isn't just for old ladies How to actually tolerate uncertainty The difference between reacting and responding What waiting in line can teach you The devotional practice missing from Western Buddhism What it means

Winter is coming. The author of Wintering on weathering the cold, dark seasons, literally and otherwise, with rituals, cold-water swimming, reading in the middle of the night, and a lesson from a hibernating dormouse. Katherine May is the New York Times bestselling author of Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. She is an internationally renowned writer, podcaster and speaker whose work touches on nature, spirituality, slow living, and neurodivergence; her podcast is The Clearing. Katherine lives by the sea in Whitstable, UK, with her husband, son, and pets.  In this episode we talk about: What "wintering" means, and why hard seasons aren't personal failures How trees and a hibernating dormouse model surviving the cold Katherine's year of cascading disasters while writing Wintering The difference between control and agency when the world feels overwhelming How fear spreads online like rabbits fleeing danger signals Why rest isn't selfish, and how caregivers are denied it Rejecting per

Plus: surviving cancer twice, what three divorces taught him, and being a Baptist who owns a bourbon company. Terry Bradshaw is one of America's best-loved sports figures. As quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Hall of Famer led his team to four Super Bowl victories. Since retiring from football, Bradshaw has become a celebrated sportscaster, actor, and entrepreneur. "Pappy" Bradshaw and his wife Tammy live in Texas near daughters Rachel, Lacey, and Erin, and their families. His new book is Looking for Terry: A Memoir. In this episode we talk about: Why Terry spent years not knowing he had clinical depression The day he broke down sobbing on the field mid-game Why men resist asking for help, and what they do instead How his wife naming his depression "Roy" makes it more manageable His lifelong struggle to win his mother's approval What three divorces taught him about himself and marriage Squaring his Christian faith with owning a bourbon company Surviving two cancers in one year Loving life at 78 G

We live as if we'll live forever, then die as if we've never lived. A Zen nun and MD on the daily practices that break that pattern. Sister Dang Nghiem, MD, has a new book called Live Beautifully, Die Beautifully: Field Notes from the Edge of Impermanence. Sister D was born in 1968 in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, the daughter of a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier. She lost her mother at the age of twelve and immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen with her brother. Living in various foster homes, she learned English and went on to earn a medical degree from the University of California – San Francisco. After suffering further tragedy and loss, she quit her practice as a doctor to travel to Plum Village monastery in France, founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, where she was ordained a nun in 2000. Sister D is the author of a memoir, Healing: A Woman's Journey from Doctor to Nun (2010); Mindfulness as Medicine: A Story of Healing and Spirit (2015); Flowers in the Dark: Reclaimi

Plus: how to actually change a habit, how to get distance from negative thoughts, why the spark fades, and whether what doesn't kill you really makes you stronger. Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist at New York University's Stern School of Business and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Anxious Generation. He is also the author of the recently re-released The Happiness Hypothesis, and of The New York Times bestsellers The Righteous Mind, and The Coddling of the American Mind (with Greg Lukianoff). He has given four TED talks and been named a TIME100 Health leader. In this episode we talk about: A two-word Stoic mantra that keeps you from suffering twice Why willpower alone won't change your habits, and what will Tricks for getting distance from negative thoughts Why the spark fades, and what actually makes love last Whether Buddhist non-attachment can be squared with loving your family The growing bipartisan backlash against smartphones, social media and AI Whether what doesn't kill you

Plan for the worst without spiraling, catch trouble early, and turn bad news into fuel. Dr. Raj Panjabi, MD is the author of Safer: A Playbook—Turning Fear into Action and Crisis into Community. He served as Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense at the White House National Security Council (2022-2023) where he co-led the largest vaccination campaign in history against COVID-19 and U.S. responses to other public health crises, including mpox, influenza and Ebola. A Harvard Medical School physician, Dr. Panjabi is the co-founder and former CEO of Last Mile Health, which has trained thousands of community health workers to bring care to communities beyond the reach of any health system. One of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in the World and TIME's 50 Most Influential People in Healthcare, twice named to the FORTUNE World's 50 Greatest Leaders list, and to FORBES 250 Most Successful Immigrants, Raj has received the TED Prize, Clinton Global Citizen Award, and World Economic Forum's Social

Why it's OK to go to bed angry, be awkward, and not like your coworkers. Plus, the three kinds of friends you need and the one-line script that makes hard feedback land. Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School, where he has been the top-rated professor for seven straight years. His new book is Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World. Adam's books have sold millions of copies, he's one of TED's most popular speakers, and his podcast Re:Thinking has over 100 million downloads. He's been recognized as the world's second-most influential management thinker and one of Fortune's 40 Under 40. In this episode we talk about: The four kinds of relationships, and which ones most people are missing How to stop replaying awkward conversations in your head Why men struggle to make friends Turning a pal into a companion, including the haunted house trick How to give feedback without putting people on the defensive Why "agree to disagree" keeps relationships from handling frictio

Plus: the only two things you really take with you when you leave a job, why following a great boss beats chasing a hot company, and why she thinks "I've missed the boat" on AI is a lie. Molly Graham is the host of TED's WorkLife podcast, co-founder of the leadership communities Glue Club and the Guild, and writer of Lessons on Substack. In this episode we talk about: What a flock of starlings can teach you about your career Why not having a long-term plan might be your secret advantage How to navigate your career when you don't have a map Why joy at work might not be a luxury after all The simple calendar exercise that reveals what's quietly draining you Why being great at something doesn't mean you should keep doing it The career currency most of us chronically undervalue Why you should follow people instead of rocket ships How to spot a "LinkedIn crush" before it steers your next move The kind of fear that's actually a green light Why your calendar is a war zone of unfortunate yeses Molly's antidote to th

A tongue-in-cheek jaw release, a 30-second shake-off, and a two-finger trick that tells your body it's safe. Plus: why scrolling feels relaxing but isn't. Nadia Narain and Katia Narain Phillips are the authors of the international bestsellers Self-Care for The Real World and Rituals for Every Day. Their most recent book, Glimmers: Tiny Moments to Transform Your Life, was published in January 2026. In this episode we talk about: Why staying calm all the time isn't actually the goal The sneaky state that masquerades as rest How to find glimmers in even the most ordinary moments Why glimmers turn out to be contagious The odd little trick for releasing tension you didn't know you carried What animals know about stress that we've forgotten How your field of vision talks to your nervous system Why your chores might be a secret meditation practice What rushing does to even the best of intentions Why leaving dishes in the sink can be a sign of progress The overlooked basics behind so much everyday stress Why rest

Why tensing against pain makes it worse, the difference between acceptance and passivity, and how to plan for the future while staying present—from two of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh's senior students.   Brother Thích Chân Pháp Dung is a Vietnamese American Buddhist monk ordained in 1998 and a Dharma Teacher in the Plum Village tradition, founded by Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh. He currently practices and teaches at Deer Park Monastery in California and is the founder of the Thích Nhất Hạnh School of Interbeing. Kaira Jewel Lingo is a senior Dharma teacher in Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village Zen lineage who also teaches Vipassana in the Insight tradition. After 15 years as an ordained nun in Thich Nhat Hanh's monastic community, she now teaches internationally, integrating mindfulness with creative expression, social and racial justice, and care for the Earth. She is the author of We Were Made for These Times and co-author of Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy, and Liberation. You can

The liberation that comes from realizing that you're never going to get everything done. Oliver Burkeman is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Four Thousand Weeks, The Antidote, and most recently, Meditations for Mortals. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Psychologies and New Philosopher. He has a devoted following for his writing on productivity, mortality, the power of limits, and building a meaningful life in an age of bewilderment.  This episode originally appeared in April 2024.  In this episode we talk about: What the term "imperfectionism" means The illusion of reaching a point where "everything's done" Why there's liberation in seeing how finite we are  Why small, imperfect actions are more valuable than perfect plans Why overplanning is a kind of avoidance How to make decisions  The importance of finishing things Who you should develop a taste for problems Why effort doesn't always equal value Why we need to stop protecting other people's feelings And

You don't get to choose what's thrown at you — only how you respond. Karma as a tool for agency, attention sovereignty as a political act, and what to do when you feel completely helpless. The news is a lot right now. And for most of us, the usual options — doom scroll until midnight, or unplug entirely — don't actually help. Meditation teacher Pascal Auclair joins Dan for a live community conversation on how to stay engaged with what's happening in the world without letting it wreck your nervous system, your relationships, or your sleep. In this conversation, Pascal Auclair and Dan Harris discuss: Why reading the news can be reframed as an act of love — and why that changes everything What Buddhism actually says about karma, and whether the bad guys get theirs How to balance staying informed with protecting your mental health The difference between passive equanimity and wise, engaged action How much news is too much — and why the answer is different for everyone Why attention itself has become a battlegrou

Which conflict style are you? Plus: avoiding the "trance of nice," walking the high wire, and an uber-hack for getting over irritation. devon + nico hase serve as guiding teachers of the online dharma community Refuge of Belonging. They teach at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, and other centers, offer online and in-person retreats, and speak with students in one-on-one sessions. They are the co-authors of How Not to Be a Hot Mess and the new This Messy, Gorgeous Love: A Buddhist Guide to Lasting Partnership.  In this episode we talk about: Why friction in relationships is a feature, not a bug The three directions of listening Why joy isn't a nice-to-have How contemplating death can dissolve everyday irritation Whether you're a volcano, a diplomat, or a dodger How to rupture like a pro Why real patience has teeth What it means to walk the high wire in a conflict Related Episodes: The Sex Episode Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here Follow Dan on social

Six archetypes: Which one are you? Plus, a simple question to help you distinguish real, current fears from old, outdated ones. Dr. Galit Atlas is an internationally renowned psychoanalyst and leader in relational psychoanalysis. She teaches at NYU and Columbia University and lectures internationally on sexuality, desire, and emotional inheritance. Her latest book is Come Closer. You can also read her essays on Substack, Wild Analysis with Dr. Galit Atlas. In this episode we talk about: The six childhood archetypes that quietly run your adult relationships Why the version of you that felt too big or too small never actually grew up A simple question to ask yourself the moment old fear takes over The surprising link between blame and a feeling you'd rather not name What separates jealousy from envy — and why it matters more than you think The phrases people use when they're secretly telling you the opposite Why setting boundaries feels like betrayal if you were raised a certain way The real reason acceptance

What kids can teach you about how to handle anger, being uptight, and rejection, according to the creator of Recess Therapy. Julian Shapiro-Barnum is a comedian, writer, and interviewer known for Recess Therapy, Celebrity Substitute, and Outside Tonight. He's won seven Webby Awards, was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30, and received a Family Entertainment Award from Variety. His first book is How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up. In this episode we talk about: The playground question kids ask that adults are too scared to say out loud Why Julian stopped calling it your "inner child" — and what he calls it instead The trick for making feelings pass in minutes instead of weeks How breaking a rule on purpose can loosen something bigger in you The childhood habit that makes rejection sting so much less What growing up with five parents taught Julian about talking to anyone A tiny physical habit that can snowball into real change Why the most viral moment of his career wasn't about wisdom at all Get the 10

The famed exoneree on making life worth living every day, flipping the narrative on the bad things, and the ancient Japanese practice of kintsugi. Amanda Knox is an exoneree, journalist, comedian, and bestselling author of Waiting to Be Heard and FREE: My Search for Meaning. She hosts the podcast Hard Knox and advocates for criminal justice reform and media ethics. In this episode we talk about: The one question Amanda Knox asks herself whenever something bad happens Why understanding someone who wronged you can matter more than forgiving them What a centuries-old Japanese art form taught Amanda about coming back from being broken The mindset shift that got her through years in prison, one day at a time Why accepting your life exactly as it is might be the first step to changing it The hidden trap inside feeling like a victim Why other people's version of you was never actually yours to carry   Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, Tik

Plus: why being your 'best self' isn't about being nice or passive, why regulation starts before things go wrong, and how 'polyregulation' can help you up your game. Marc Brackett, Ph.D. is the author of Dealing with Feeling: Use Your Emotions to Create the Life You Want and the bestselling Permission to Feel. He is the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a professor in the Child Study Center at Yale University. You can watch Marc's podcast interviews here.  In this episode we talk about: Why your "true self" might be the worst version of you The five-step process for catching yourself before you explode What to tell yourself in the doorway before you walk into a hard moment Why breathwork alone won't fix everything you're feeling The simple fix for total disengagement in your next Zoom meeting Why your best self should never be a doormat How to repair after you say the nastiest thing you've ever said How to build a go-to strategy before you even need it Related Episodes:

Plus: Why acceptance isn't the same as resignation, a trick for gaining perspective, and the role faith plays in his life. Josh Johnson is an Emmy-nominated writer, stand-up comedian, actor, and NAACP award-winner from Louisiana by way of Chicago. He was just named as the newest correspondent on Comedy Central's Emmy & Peabody Award-winning program The Daily Show, where he was previously a writer for the past six years. Johnson is also a former writer and performer on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he made his late-night debut in 2017. In addition, he is Comedy Central's 'most watched comedian ever' with 40M+ views to date across their platforms.  In this episode we talk about: The difference between accepting a problem and simply giving up Why some anxiety is a rational response, not overthinking How he manages anxiety while covering the news every day on The Daily Show A simple trick for judging whether something is actually worth your worry What it's like growing up in ch

A simple daily check-in you can do anywhere, a four-part practice for handling hard emotions, and a new way to relate to negative judgments. Plus, why transcendence is more accessible than you think. Diana Winston is the Director of UCLA Mindful, with three decades of experience teaching mindfulness for health and well-being. She has authored three books, including The Little Book of Being, and has taught at Spirit Rock Meditation Center for 25 years. A founder of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association, she continues to guide individuals and organizations in cultivating awareness and presence. In this episode we talk about: Why we keep making the same mistakes even after years of practice and therapy Four different ways to understand what "awakening" actually means A three-part check-in for resetting into the present moment A four-step practice for working with a difficult emotion in real time How judgment can become a doorway to deeper self-understanding Why self-compassion is the foundation of