logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
11m 30s

Why doing good feels great

THE WASHINGTON POST
About this episode

In the third and final episode of our three-part course on cultivating joy, host Cristina Quinn dives into the connection between spreading kindness and experiencing happiness. Steven Petrow, author of “The Joy You Make,” shares compelling research on the “helper’s high” and how you can bring joy to others and yourself — whether it’s through volunteering, helping a neighbor or even sharing a simple moment with a stranger.


Steven also challenges listeners to reconnect with lost traditions, such as handwriting letters, and shows how something as simple as picking up the phone can deepen relationships and spread joy.

For more on spreading joy, read about “kindness contagion” and how to build connections in adult life


Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

Up next
Sep 11
Strength Training – Get stronger to live longer
Just the thought of going to the gym or lifting a dumbbell can feel intimidating. Good news — you don’t need either of these to strength-train! In this episode of “Try This,” host Cristina Quinn chats with Washington Post health columnist Gretchen Reynolds about what strength tra ... Show More
33m 53s
Jul 23
How to find your personal style
If you look at social media these days, there’s any number of fashion influencers and brands telling you what clothes to buy and how to wear them. In this episode of “Try This,” host Cristina Quinn gets real with The Washington Post’s fashion critic, Rachel Tashjian, and Style Me ... Show More
25m 3s
Jul 15
Smarter, cheaper, happier travel
From unpredictable flight prices to record-breaking heat waves and ever-changing rules about passports and Real IDs, travel today is more complicated than ever.This week on “Try This,” host Cristina Quinn sits down with Washington Post travel reporter Natalie Compton, who shares ... Show More
32m 42s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
#258 From Grief to Joy: SC Perot's Inspiring Tale of Rediscovery
In this episode of Heal Your Heartbreak, I'm thrilled to welcome the wonderful SC Perot, the author of "Styles of Joy." We dive into SC's incredible story of discovering joy in the middle of some serious life chaos. Picture this: a pandemic hits, her career takes an unexp ... Show More
46m 26s
Jan 2025
316. How to Heal Yourself Emotionally: Mastering Self-Regulation for a Happier Life
You’ve talked about your past and likely know a lot of the reasons why you’ve got issues (I say with love). The problem is that even though you might know the why (or think you do), you don’t feel better. You continue to repeat unhealthy relationship cycles and you’re still not m ... Show More
59m 42s
Feb 2025
Sunday Pick: How to find connection – and love – in everyday life (w/ Barbara Fredrickson) | How to Be a Better Human
Romantic love isn’t all it’s cracked up to be – at least that’s one way positive psychologist Barbara Fredrickson puts it. Barbara’s decades of research suggest that emotions outside of our narrow definition of love are just as important to our well-being. In this episode, Barbar ... Show More
33m 19s
Sep 2021
How to Flirt
In this episode Kate and Catherine break down the truth about flirting! Learn how to open your heart, flirt with LIFE and how easy it is to create connection everywhere you go.    About the Hosts: Catherine Danieli is a love and relationship educator helping women heal fear-based ... Show More
32m 44s
Apr 2025
Relationships 2.0: The Power of Tiny Interactions + Your Questions Answered: Erica Bailey on Authenticity
As you go about your day, you likely interact with family, friends and coworkers. These relationships can help you feel cared for and connected. But what if there’s a whole category of people in your life whose impact is overlooked? Today, in a favorite episode from our archives, ... Show More
1h 24m
Dec 2024
Why Giving is a Great Daily Habit
It's Giving Tuesday - a time when many people donate to charity (using websites like this: givingmultiplier.org/happiness). Giving money to help people makes them feel good, but it can also make you feel great too. Last year, Happiness Lab listeners gave over $100,000 to raise a ... Show More
42m 45s
Sep 2024
ALAIN DE BOTTON: WE LOOK FOR FAMILIARITY NOT HAPPINESS IN RELATIONSHIPS
Alain de Botton views the world in a way that is profound yet easy to understand; a modern-day philosopher and essayist, he set up the School of Life, which explores self-understanding and aims to educate people on the aspects of life we don’t get taught at school - like relation ... Show More
1h 3m
Oct 2024
Sunday Pick: How to be an adult — and how to raise one | How to Be a Better Human
Each Sunday, TED shares an episode of another podcast we think you'll love, handpicked for you… by us. Whether it’s grades and test scores, cushy jobs or big salaries, our ideas of “success” tend to be incredibly narrow and often start incredibly early. Julie Lythcott-Haims is a ... Show More
35m 22s
Aug 2024
Bonus Episode: Going Deep with Helen Fisher on Love, Sex and Connection
We learned today that one of our favorite guests, Dr. Helen Fisher, passed away recently.   I first heard her name from my daughter Claire.  She and her friends had discovered this 79 year old researcher on sex and relationships and were hooked on her plain spoken insights.  I tu ... Show More
1 h
Aug 2024
Joy Is the Only Strategy
Can you remember times when you’ve experienced pure joy? Martha recalls some key moments that led her to make joy her strategy for living, and she’s talking about it in this episode of The Gathering Room. The dictionary defines a strategy as “a plan of action or policy designed t ... Show More
30m 46s