Dr. Laurie Santos on May 7, 2025 | UCSB Arts & Lectures

“One easy thing we can all do right now is to shut off that fight-or-flight system through our breath… it’s built to get out of threats quickly, but we run it constantly.” – Dr. Laurie Santos

A psychologist and an expert on human cognition, its origins and the evolutionary biases that influence our all-too-imperfect life choices, Dr. Laurie Santos’ work centers around how behavioral change through positive psychology can lead to a happier and more fulfilling life. Host of the The Happiness Lab podcast and professor of Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years – Psychology and the Good Life – Santos will discuss the tools that science provides for managing stress and building a life of happiness, even when crisis looms large. Whether it’s the toll of environmental disasters and wildfires, the challenges of political instability or the anxiety that pervades modern life, Santos offers actionable insights for creating lasting positive change and provides practical habits to reduce stress, foster resilience and improve overall well-being, regardless of external pressures.