10% Happier with Dan Harris

What if the most meaningful thing you did for your mental health wasn't something new — but a return to what already brings you joy?
Dan recently sat down with journalist and broadcaster Sam Sanders on the Sam Sanders Show to explore exactly that idea. Sam has a concept he calls "modern scriptures": the movies, albums, and TV shows you return to again and again because they ground you, center you, and remind you what matters. Dan shares the pop culture that never fails to lift his spirits — and along the way, the two get into why beauty and art are actually central to human flourishing, why Ferris Bueller is more Buddhist than you might think, and what the research says about making resolutions stick — including the one upstream habit that makes everything else easier.
The Sam Sanders Show is a co-production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions. Sign up for Sam's newsletter for behind-the-scenes extras from every episode.



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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.

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Plus, how the bestselling author writes his way out of despair.
 
John Green is the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of books including Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down, and The Anthropocene Reviewed. With his brother, Hank, John has co-created many online video projects, including Vlogbrothers and the educational channel Crash Course. His most recent book is Everything Is Tuberculosis.

 
In this episode we talk about:
John's toolkit for managing thought spirals and dispair
Why he wrote a whole book about the thing that terrifies him 
How he maintains hope in a chaotic and unfair world
Finding the "self"
 Shame reduction through naming
What John learned from his time as a chaplain in a pediatric hospital 
His current view of God
And the question of how much––or how little––we should be sharing about ourselves with other people
 
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Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
 
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.
This episode is sponsored by:
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Practical strategies for navigating difficult relationships and building new connections.
 
Shankar Vedantam is host of the Hidden Brain podcast and radio show, where he explores the hidden patterns that drive human behavior. He is the author of the books, The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Wage Wars, Control Markets and Save Our Lives, and Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self- Deceiving Brain.
 
In this episode we talk about:
How to stop trying to change your partner
Useful tools for overcoming conflict
The challenging practice of "eating the blame" 
The concept of "useful delusions"
How to manage a breakup (of any kind)
The real secret to finding closure
The value of micro interactions with strangers
And more
 
Related Episodes:
The Surprising Upsides of Self-Deception

 
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Additional Resources: 
Shankar's TED Talks
Hidden Brain Live Tour



Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.
Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.

To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Let go of your thoughts, stop getting caught in your stories, and try the ancient practice of walking meditation.

Walking meditation is one of the most practical and underrated tools in mindfulness — and in this episode, Dan shares a guided practice from his new audiobook, Even You Can Meditate (co-authored with Sebene Selassie), out now on Audible.
The practice is led by Sebene herself. The premise is simple: walk slowly and deliberately, pay attention to the sensations of each step, and when your mind wanders — just start again. It bridges the gap between formal sitting practice and everyday life, and it's a genuine game-changer for fidgeters, restless types, and anyone who finds stillness unbearable.
In this guided practice, Sebene leads you through:
Grounding yourself before you take your first step

Tuning into the physical sensations of lifting, moving, and placing each foot

Expanding awareness to include your whole body and your surroundings

Letting thoughts come and go — without getting caught in them

Closing with a moment of gratitude for your body and this moment of awareness

The Even You Can Meditate (audiobook) by Dan Harris and Sebene Selassie is available now at audible.com/danharris. And mark your calendar for the Even You Can Meditate 5-Day Challenge — running March 23–27 on the 10% with Dan Harris app. Each day features a different guided practice, plus two live online events with Dan and Sebene. Download the app at danharris.com




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This episode is sponsored by:
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Plus, staying sane in a crazy world, giving tough feedback, and how to orient to the dumpster fire of the news.
Ajahn Kovilo Bhikkhu and Ajahn Nisabho are North American-born, Theravada monks who founded Clear Mountain Monastery in Seattle, Washington. 
In this episode we talk about:
How to get stuff off your chest
How to live with less shame and regret
How to give feedback without pissing people off too much
How to accept feedback without getting pissed off or getting defensive
How to stay sane in a crazy news cycle
Why being miserable about the state of the world doesn't actually help anything
How to cultivate the opposite of depression
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This episode is sponsored by: 


LinkedIn Ads — Reach the right professionals with precision targeting. Spend $250 and get a $250 credit at http://www.linkedin.com/happier
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