Shows / Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joy
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joy
Joy Lab isn't your typical happiness podcast. We focus on strengthening your mental health with the science of joy, recognizing that joy can be tapped into even amidst experiences like depression, anxiety, stress, grief, and burnout. You can expect a blend of the best cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, positive psychology practices, stress management techniques, and mindfulness skills. Each month we focus on building one Element of Joy such as gratitude, self-compassion, confidence…
Episodes
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyLetting Go of the Stories You Tell Yourself: Is It True? Is It Helpful? Is It Kind? [291]
It's great that us humans are storytellers... except when we tell rigid, oversimplified stories about who we are, what happened to us, and what's possible…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyLetting Go of Intrusive Thoughts & Rumination: The Pink Elephant Paradox, The Whac-A-Mole Problem, & Skills That Actually Help [290]
Intrusive thoughts, rumination, worrying... these are nearly universal experiences and the most important thing, particularly when it comes to intrusive…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyWhat Are You Holding On To? The Science & Skill of Letting Go [289]
We define "Letting Go" as the skill of loosening your grip on the thoughts and behaviors that keep you anchored to the past, resisting the present, or anxious…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyA Mental Health Podcast With No Ads? Why We Refuse Ads & How Joy Lab Keeps Going [288]
If you've listened to a wellness or health podcast lately, you've probably heard loads of advertisements. We've decided that ads are not a good fit for Joy Lab…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyWho Are You Trying to Be Enough For? The Psychology of Being Enough & Building Self-Worth [287]
Are you struggling with not feeling like "enough?" This is actually a common feeling that can get wrapped up or conflated with stress, burnout, depression…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyIt's OK to Be Wrong: Releasing Perfectionism & Building the Skill of Knowing Enough [286]
What does it means to know enough, and why do so many of us have our sense of self-worth tangled up with the need to appear certain, informed, and never wrong?…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyWhy Doing Enough Is Enough + Why Perfectionism Predicts Burnout, Depression, & Anxiety, Not Performance [285]
Do you feel like you have to prove your worth through the shear amount of work you do or prove your value by making sure you're seen as busy, always hustling…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyHaving Enough: Why Acquiring More Will Never Fill the Hole in Your Self-Worth [284]
It's easy to feel like you don't have enough; it's the message we constantly receive through media and advertisements. It's the message that once you have this…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyYou Are Enough: The Science and Practices of Enoughness [283]
Experiences with stress, depression, and anxiety are often paired with feelings of not measuring up or that you're not enough. However, feeling that you're…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyManage Energy, Not Time for Better Mood and Mental Health (encore) [282]
Rest and recreation are essential tools for resilience and good mental health as they help support the biological rhythms your body is already running. We'll…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyRest Isn't the Opposite of Productivity (stress management tips & burnout recovery for us busy-busy humans) (encore) [281]
We're constantly swamped by messages like rest or idleness leads to laziness or that if you rest, then you'll fall behind — it's been repeated by so many…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyHealing Doesn't Have to Feel as Heavy As Hurting: Supporting Mental Health With More Play (encore) [280]
We're digging into a reframe that can change the way a lot of us think about depression, anxiety, stress, and mental health treatment. The reframe has to do…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyThe Power of Play for Depression, Anxiety, & Stress (encore) [279]
Is the opposite of depression happiness and the opposite of anxiety just calm? Some researchers have actually played with the idea that the opposite of…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyStop Optimizing & Exhausting Yourself and Start Re-Creating [278]
A big chunk of the self-help and wellness industry runs on some core messages: you are not good enough and you need to be fixed, improved, and optimized. We…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joySelf-Focused vs. Task-Focused Attention & How Great Things Are Done by a Series of Small Things [277]
This final episode of our Confidence series ties everything together: the inner work of accepting discomfort and self-doubt, defusing from self-critical…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyConfidence, Motivation, & Values: Focusing on Direction, Not Perfection [276]
When confidence is built on external approval, performance, and outcomes, it's fragile. It's also a fragile support for motivation that depends on getting the…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyYou Are Not Your Thoughts: Cognitive Defusion for Confidence & to Change Your Relationship With Self-Critical Thoughts [275]
You've likely had a situation where you wish you had confidence, but instead felt full of self-criticism, self-judgement, imposter feelings, and anxiety. The…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyBuilding Confidence with Mindful Acceptance (even when anxiety, self-doubt, & the harsh inner-critic show up) [274]
One of the most essential coping skills for building real confidence is mindful acceptance. This is the practice of noticing that fear, self-doubt, and…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyHow to Build Confidence (When You Don't Feel Confident Yet) [273]
Are you not feeling confident and curious how to increase confidence in yourself? If so, know that you are not alone, you are not suffering from imposter…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyFrom Rumination and Defending to Right-Sizing: Recapping the Science & Tips to Build Humility for Mental Health & Wellbeing [272]
Humility is one of the most quietly powerful practices for positive psychology and mental health. It's also one of the most misunderstood. Here's the heart of…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyGoing Beyond Yourself: How Humility Fights Loneliness, Builds Connection, & Protects Mental Health [271]
Humility is a powerful mental health tool we have. The science of happiness is clear: genuine connection and belonging are among the strongest predictors of…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyCheck Yourself: Ego Threat, Stress Relief, & Needing to Prove Yourself [270]
Humility and mental health are more connected than you might think. And if you add self-compassion to the humility-ego mix, then you have a recipe that can…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyKnow Yourself: The Humility Practice That Quiets Rumination and Builds Emotional Resilience [269]
Humility is a powerful (and mostly misunderstood) mental health skill that's grounded by self-knowledge and self-compassion. Humility is also a powerful…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyHumility Can Be Stressful... And Worth it for Mental Health [268]
Humility is not a weakness or a sign you're a pushover, instead it's a mental health tool that just might be exactly what our loneliness epidemic and anxiety…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyYou Can't Do Life Alone: Deep Connection is a Key to True Resilience [267]
Spoiler: you were never meant to do this alone. In the final episode of Joy Lab's Resilience series, Dr. Aimee Prasek and Dr. Henry Emmons explore the most…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyThe Resilience Shortcut That Beats Any Morning TikTok Routine [266]
We're in our Element of Resilience and we're going somewhere most mental health conversations completely skip: the heart. Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyThe Art & Science (+ Shoveling) of Letting Emotions Move Through You [265]
In this episode of the Joy Lab Podcast, Dr. Aimee Prasek and Dr. Henry Emmons dig into one of the most counterintuitive resilience skills we can build: turning…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyHow to Calm the Mind & Not Feed the ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) [264]
Calming the mind sounds simple, right? And yet most of us would rather do almost anything other than sitting quietly with our thoughts. In this episode, Dr…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyFrom Surviving to Thriving: The Science and Soul of Resilience [263]
What does it actually mean to be resilient? Spoiler: it's not about white-knuckling through hard times or being the type of person who just 'endures'…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyWhat Are You Doing This For? Breaking Free From Burnout and Joyless Urgency [encore]
We're in our new "month of renewal" format. We're essentially exploring this question throughout the month... what if growth required less effort? This is an…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyBusyness, Time Poverty, & Why You Feel Like You Never Have Enough Time (And What to Do About It) (encore) [261]
We're in our new "month of renewal" format. We're essentially exploring this question throughout the month... what if growth required less effort? This is an…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyPerfectionism Is Stealing Your Balance — Here's How to Take It Back (encore) [260]
We're in our new "month of renewal" format. We're essentially exploring this question throughout the month... what if growth required less effort? This is an…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyGive Your Brain A Break: Solitude & Mindfulness Skills for Stress & Overwhelm [encore] [259]
We're in our new "month of renewal" format. We're essentially exploring this question throughout the month... what if growth required less effort? This is an…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joySelf-Improvement Remixed: Renewal Without the Hustle & How to Let Growth Happen [258]
We're doing something a little different this month — and a little more of nothing. This is our new "month of renewal" format (happening three times a year in…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyYour Grief Is Valid, Even If It Doesn't Fit a Category or Stage (Grief Recovery & Healing Series part 10) [257]
This is it — the finale of our 10-part series on grief, and we're closing with a Gate that might be the most quietly powerful one yet: Other. That's right, the…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyAnticipatory Grief: How to Love Fully When You Know Loss Is Coming (Grief Recovery & Healing Series part 9) [256]
Grief doesn't wait for loss to arrive. Sometimes it shows up early — sitting beside you while someone you love is still right there. That's anticipatory grief…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyYou Don't Have to Be There to Feel It: Collective Trauma, Secondary Trauma, & Your Nervous System (Grief Recovery & Healing Series part 8) [255]
Grief doesn't only come from what happens to us directly. In this episode of our Grief Series, we'll look through the Seventh Gate: Trauma — specifically…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyHow Facing the Harm You've Done Can Set You Free [254]
In this episode of Joy Lab, we'll explore the Sixth Gate of Grief: the grief we carry for harm done to ourselves and others. We'll draw on the expanded…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyAncestral Grief, Epigenetics, and Your Mind-Body Connection (Grief Recovery & Healing Series part 6) [253]
What if some of the grief you carry isn't entirely yours? In this episode we'll open what Francis Weller identified as the Fifth Gate of Grief: ancestral…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyThe Grief of What Should Have Been & The Loss of Not Being Truly Seen (Grief Recovery & Healing Series part 5) [252]
What if the loss you're carrying doesn't have a name — no death, no disaster, just a quiet, persistent ache that something was always missing? In this episode…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyWe're Wired to Grieve Together: Why Collective Grief Affects Your Mental Health & the Coping Skill of Gathering (Grief Recovery & Healing Series part 4) [251]
We're diving deep into Francis Weller's third gate of grief: the sorrows of the world. This gate reminds us that collective losses like wars, violence…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyGrieving the Parts of You That Have Not Known Love & Welcoming Them Back With Self-Acceptance & Self-Love (Grief Recovery & Healing Series part 3) [250]
We're exploring the second gate of grief from Francis Weller's framework: The Places That Have Not Known Love. Unlike the first gate (episode #249)—which dealt…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyEverything We Love, We Will Lose (Grief Recovery & Healing Series part 2) [249]
"Everything we love, we will lose" is a truth about grief that can challenge our emotional resilience. However, facing this truth of impermanence can actually…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyGrief, Growth & The Wholeness of Being Human (Holistic Grief Series p.1) [248]
Grief and joy are not opposites. This is the start of our holistic, ten-part series on grief, and we'll make the case for why that belongs in a joy-focused…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyThe Science of Goal Setting: Fit (with self-connection) and Grit (with harmonious passion) [247]
Why do most New Year's resolutions fail by week three? Often because we don't really connect with those resolutions. In this episode, we'll build on our…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyThe Power of Self-Alignment & Reclaiming Your True Self [246]
We're talking about self-alignment today—the final piece of our self-connection series and perhaps the most challenging. What does it really mean to be…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyStop Waiting to Accept Yourself: The Truth About Unconditional Self-Acceptance [245]
Most of us are wait to accept ourselves after we achieve our goals—after we get that award, land the job, or fix that flaw. But this approach keeps us trapped…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyThe Practice of Self-Awareness: Why You're Worth Knowing [244]
Are you self-aware? Thankfully, it's not a yes or no question. Self-awareness is the practice of knowing yourself without judgment and it isn't a one-and-done…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyMaking Self-Connection Your Superpower in 2026 [243]
Happy New Year! Welcome to a special Thursday episode of Joy Lab as we kick off 2026 with our Element of Inspiration. We'll explore why inspiration is so much…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyJoy vs. Happiness: Why Joy Is Your Birthright (And How to Find It in 2026) [242]
It's been an interesting year (and honestly, we're still searching for the right adjective). But one thing is crystal clear: we desperately need to prioritize…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyFrom Depression to Joy: Why We Created Joy Lab (And How You Can Help) [241]
Our work at Joy Lab is both deeply personal and fully universal. In this episode, we're sharing more about why we do this work and why it's so needed. And this…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyThe Power of Gathering: Science-Backed Ways to Combat Loneliness Through Group Connection [240]
Ever felt that electric energy ripple through a crowd at a concert, sports game, or peaceful protest? That's not just your imagination—it's collective…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyCaring What Others Think Isn't Your Weakness [239]
Have you been told (or told yourself) not to care what others think? Spoiler alert—caring what others think isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's completely natural…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joySympathetic Fear vs. Sympathetic Joy: What Are You Tuning Into? [238]
In this episode, Henry and Aimee explore the fascinating science behind emotional contagion and how we're constantly picking up signals from those around us…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyWe're Wired to Give, But Are You Giving Too Much? [237]
'Tis the season of giving! Or maybe the season of giving too much? In this episode, we'll talk about the positive effects of giving, such as the release of…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyThe Power of Good Enough Parenting & Calling Out Our Moms [236]
How's In this episode of the Joy Lab podcast, Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek explore the theme of gratitude, specifically focusing on the nurturing…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyReducing Negative Self-Talk With Illeism (it's a thing!) [235]
How's your self-talk? If you're like most folks, it's probably not as kind as you'd like. In this episode, we'll talk about the power of positive self-talk and…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyGratitude: Beyond the Hashtags and Eye Rolls [234]
Do you feel like you *should* be more grateful? Yeah, we get it. Gratitude is funny like that. Of all our Elements of Joy, gratitude likely has the strongest…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyThere's More Right With Us Than Wrong With Us (encore) [233]
In this episode, we're exploring Dr. Gabor Maté's fifth and final level of compassion: The compassion of possibility. We'll dig into how we can see beyond…
Joy Lab | strengthen your mental health with the science of joyFacing Pain and Finding Freedom (encore) [232]
The poet Rumi shared this wisdom: "Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, Your pain can become your greatest…