Podcasts Science The Science of Happiness Happiness Break: Visualizing Your Best Self in Relationships, With Dacher Keltner

Happiness Break: Visualizing Your Best Self in Relationships, With Dacher Keltner

Published: Dec. 28, 2023, 11 a.m.

\xa0When we imagine our best possible selves in our relationships, we feel more motivated to achieve our goals and a greater sense of control over our lives. This week, Dacher leads a visualization exercise in preparation for the new year.

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Join our limited newsletter The Science of Habits to get curated, science-backed tips to help make your New Years resolution stick in 2024.

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https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/podcasts/habits

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Link to episode transcript: http://tinyurl.com/yj43srye

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How to Do This Practice:

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  1. Find a comfortable place to begin the practice. Take deep breaths.

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  2. Focus on the person you are in a romantic relationship with, or a dear friend. Bring an image of them to mind, like how they look and their mannerisms.

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  3. Imagine your life in the future, and how you would like to be the best version of yourself in your relationship with them. Picture yourself interacting with them \u2014 what is happening? What are you doing and saying? What is the tone of the interaction?

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  4. Repeat this exercise by focusing on friendships and familial relationships. Take note of any common actions across all relationships that you would like to take. Set an intention about how you will interact within your relationships in the new year.

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  5. When you\u2019re done, reground yourself in the present moment, focusing on the sensations in your body.\xa0

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Today\u2019s Happiness Break host:

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Dacher Keltner is the host of the award-winning podcast, The Science of Happiness and is a co-instructor of the GGSC\u2019s popular online course of the same name. He\u2019s also the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the UC, Berkeley.

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Check out Dacher\u2019s most recent book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/4j4hcvyt

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More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

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How to Find Your Best Possible Self (The Science of Happiness Podcast): https://tinyurl.com/265b34pj

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How Thinking About the Future Makes Life More Meaningful: https://tinyurl.com/24mex4by

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10 Pillars of a Strong Relationship:https://tinyurl.com/3zffc8x4

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For the New Year, Try Imagining Your Best Possible Life: https://tinyurl.com/4carr6kv

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We love hearing from you! How do you plan to be your best possible self in the new year? Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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Find us on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus

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Help us share Happiness Break! Rate us and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus

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We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout \u2014 we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more \u2014 what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.