Hey there. We're taking a little bit of time off this week, so we went through the

archives and decided to bring you my favorite episode we made all year. This one's

personal. It's about some really special people in my life. So I hope you enjoy it and we'll be back with new episodes in the new year.

This is in conversation from Apple News.

I'm Shemeita Basso.

Today, what does and doesn't work

in the pursuit of happiness.

I consider myself a generally happy.

I consider myself a generally happy person, but these past two years have really tested me.

The pandemic, serious health issues in my family, losing people that I loved. That's why earlier this year I joined

the millions of people who've signed up to take Yale's happiness course.

It's an online class taught by Dr. Lori Santos.

I think we have this misconception that people are either happy or they're not,

but the evidence really suggests that through your behaviors and your mindsets,

there are lots of simple things you can do to feel better that we often don't even expect.

Over the course of 10 weeks, you're assigned to do a bunch of practices that are aimed at boosting your mood and well-being.

One week you're supposed to savor one experience every day.

Could be a nice shower, it could be a cup of tea. The next week you're supposed to

perform seven acts of kindness. Another week meditate for 10 minutes every day.

Lori's class has become so popular. She now also hosts a podcast called The

Happiness Lab, which covers many of the same topics as her course.

When I invited Lori to come on this show, I felt like I needed to admit something to her.

...