The 12 Best Happiness Podcasts (2026)

Hosted by Dacher Keltner, an award-winning psychologist at UC Berkeley, this show comes straight out of the Greater Good Science Center and it shows. Each biweekly episode pairs real research on compassion, gratitude, awe, and mindfulness with actual exercises you can try yourself. What makes it stand apart is the "Happiness Break" segments scattered throughout the catalog. These are short, guided practices (think breathing exercises, gratitude reflections, or body scans) that give you something concrete to walk away with rather than just abstract ideas. Keltner has a warm, curious interview style that puts his guests at ease, and the show regularly features researchers and practitioners who are doing original work on what makes life feel meaningful. Recent seasons have explored the science of love from every angle: romantic partnerships, friendships, grief, and even our connection to the natural world. With 321 episodes and a solid 4.5 rating from over 1,800 reviews, it has built a loyal audience. The production, co-handled by PRX, is clean and professional without feeling overproduced. Episodes typically run 20 to 35 minutes, which makes them easy to fit into a lunch break or commute. This is a great pick if you want practical takeaways backed by peer-reviewed studies, not just feel-good advice.

Gretchen Rubin wrote The Happiness Project and turned it into a podcast with her sister Elizabeth Craft that has been running for over 1,300 episodes. That longevity alone is impressive, but the real draw is the sibling dynamic. Gretchen is the happiness researcher — systematic, evidence-based, slightly Type A. Elizabeth is a TV writer and producer in Los Angeles who tests Gretchen's theories in real life and reports back with often hilarious results. The format mixes full-length episodes with shorter "A Little Happier" segments and bonus "More Happier" installments, giving listeners several entry points per week. Topics tend toward the practical and specific: how to build a nighttime routine, why certain habits stick while others fail, how your tendency type (a framework Gretchen developed) shapes your approach to expectations. The 4.7-star rating from over 12,000 reviews shows consistent quality across a very long run. The advice is manageable by design — small changes, not life overhauls. Some listeners note the ad load has gotten heavy, and the product recommendations can feel frequent. But the core content remains thoughtful and grounded in research. Gretchen's Four Tendencies framework, which categorizes people by how they respond to inner and outer expectations, has become genuinely useful for thousands of listeners trying to understand why they struggle with certain habits.

Dan Harris describes 10% Happier as self-help for smart people, and the show delivers on that promise. Dan is a veteran ABC News journalist who had a panic attack on live television, which led him to meditation and eventually to writing a bestselling book about his experience. The podcast grew out of that book and has become one of the most respected shows at the intersection of mindfulness, science, and practical psychology. With roughly 1,000 episodes in the archive and new episodes releasing twice a week, the show covers anxiety management, happiness research, meditation techniques, stress reduction, and personal philosophy. Episodes range from short 13-minute guided meditation practices to full-length interviews running over an hour. Recent guests include happiness researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky and Harry Reis, Stoic philosopher Ryan Holiday, integrative medicine specialist Dr. Victoria Maizes, and Tim Ferriss. What makes this podcast distinct is Dan's skeptical, journalist-trained mind. He does not accept vague spiritual claims at face value and consistently pushes guests to back up their ideas with evidence. He is also refreshingly honest about his own struggles with anxiety and the limits of meditation as a cure-all. The show carries a 4.6-star rating from over 12,000 reviews. Some listeners note the ad load can be heavy, but the content quality remains consistently high.

On Purpose with Jay Shetty is the flagship show from the former monk turned global motivational figure. Since launching in 2019, Jay has produced over 800 episodes that tackle mental health, relationships, career growth, financial literacy, and personal development. Each episode runs between 45 minutes and 90 minutes, with new installments dropping every Monday and Friday. Jay brings on a wide range of guests — from celebrities like Nick Jonas to neuroscientists and relationship therapists — and uses his background in Vedic philosophy to frame practical conversations about purpose and happiness. His interviewing style is warm but pointed. He asks guests to reflect on turning points and hard lessons, not just accomplishments. The show also features solo episodes where Jay breaks down topics like overcoming anxiety, building healthy habits, and finding meaning during life transitions. What sets On Purpose apart from other self-help shows is Jay's ability to blend Eastern spiritual traditions with modern psychology in a way that feels grounded rather than preachy. He often shares personal anecdotes from his time as a monk in India and connects them to everyday struggles his audience faces. The podcast carries a 4.7-star rating across more than 25,000 reviews on Apple Podcasts, making it one of the most popular mental health shows in the world. A premium subscription tier called On Purpose+ offers bonus content and ad-free listening.

Fearne Cotton is a British TV and radio presenter who has built Happy Place into a full lifestyle brand, complete with books, festivals, and this weekly podcast. The format is simple: Fearne sits down with someone and has a genuine, often quite personal conversation about what happiness actually looks like in their life. Guests range from actors and musicians to therapists and everyday people, and the tone stays warm without tipping into saccharine. Recent episodes have featured Will Poulter talking openly about OCD and intrusive thoughts, and Dannii Minogue on resilience through divorce and her sister's cancer diagnosis. Cotton is good at creating the kind of atmosphere where people say more than they planned to. She mixes in her own reflections on mental health struggles, which keeps the show feeling honest rather than like a polished interview series. With 420 episodes since 2018 and a 4.6-star rating, it has built a dedicated UK and international following. The conversations tend to run 45 minutes to an hour, and the pacing is relaxed. If you are looking for a podcast that treats happiness as something complicated and worth exploring rather than a goal to optimize, this one fits. The lack of heavy advertising compared to similar shows is something listeners regularly praise.

Dr. Robert Puff is a clinical psychologist with over 30 years of practice, and his podcast strips the happiness conversation down to its basics. Each episode is a solo talk, usually around 12 to 15 minutes, where he takes one specific idea and works through it in plain language. No guests, no fancy production, no filler. Recent topics include why boredom drives people to create unnecessary drama, how resentment quietly damages your health, and why private acts of kindness matter more than public ones. The format works because Puff speaks with the kind of directness you get from someone who has sat across from thousands of clients and noticed the same patterns repeating. He started this show back in 2011 and has racked up 575 episodes and over 10 million downloads, which is remarkable for a solo show with minimal marketing. The 4.6-star rating from 820 reviews reflects a loyal audience that keeps coming back. His central argument, that happiness is not accidental but the result of specific choices, runs through every episode without feeling repetitive. These are good episodes for a short walk or a morning routine when you want something thoughtful but not demanding. The trade-off is that the production is bare-bones and the pacing can feel a bit slow if you are used to more dynamic formats.

Jonathan Fields has been hosting Good Life Project since 2013, and with over 1,100 episodes, it is one of the longest-running interview podcasts focused on living well. The guest list reads like a who's who of thought leaders: Brene Brown, Matthew McConaughey, Mel Robbins, Elizabeth Gilbert, Seth Godin, and hundreds more. But Fields is not just a name-dropper — he is a skilled interviewer who steers conversations toward the messy, honest parts of people's stories rather than the polished talking points. Each episode runs 45 to 75 minutes and releases twice a week. The focus stays on happiness, meaning, purpose, health, and resilience. Fields has a gentle, curious style that coaxes revelations out of guests who have told their stories a hundred times before. The 4.5-star rating from over 3,100 reviews reflects a dedicated audience. What makes this show stand out in a crowded self-improvement space is Fields' own vulnerability. He talks openly about his struggles with anxiety, his career pivots, and the moments when his own advice failed him. The New York Times praised the show's approach to fulfillment, and that editorial quality holds up across a decade of episodes. It is not the flashiest podcast in the category, but it might be the most consistently thoughtful one.

The One You Feed takes its name from the old parable about two wolves inside every person — one representing fear and negativity, the other representing hope and growth. Host Eric Zimmer has been exploring that tension since 2014, producing nearly 1,000 episodes that feature conversations with some of the most respected thinkers in psychology, philosophy, spirituality, and personal development. The guest list is remarkable: James Clear, Susan Cain, Michael Pollan, Deepak Chopra, Nicole LaPera, Gabor Mate, Tara Brach, Ryan Holiday, Anne Lamott, Mark Manson, and even Macklemore have appeared on the show. Eric's interviewing style is what sets this podcast apart from louder, more high-energy motivational shows. He is quiet, vulnerable, and genuinely curious. Conversations tend to go deep into topics like trauma recovery, habit formation, finding joy after hardship, and building a life that actually feels meaningful. Eric is open about his own struggles with addiction and recovery, which gives him credibility and empathy when discussing difficult personal topics. New episodes release twice a week and typically run 60 to 90 minutes. The show emphasizes that personal growth is not about perfection but about direction — small, consistent choices that add up over time. It holds a 4.5-star rating from about 2,400 reviews. Listeners who prefer thoughtful, measured conversations over motivational shouting will find this one especially rewarding.

Kristen Truempy started this podcast with a straightforward mission: take the academic research from positive psychology and make it actually enjoyable to listen to. She has a background in the field and was frustrated that so much valuable research about wellbeing, gratitude, meaning, and character strengths was locked behind dry academic writing that nobody outside universities would ever read. The show mixes solo episodes where Truempy breaks down a single concept with interview episodes featuring researchers and practitioners. Topics range from the science of gratitude and savoring positive experiences to body image, emotional first aid, and the role of rituals in everyday happiness. With 134 episodes, the catalog is more focused than some of the bigger shows, which actually works in its favor. You can browse by topic and find targeted, well-researched episodes without wading through hundreds of entries. The show has a 4.3-star rating from 258 reviews and a loyal niche audience. The pace of new episodes has slowed considerably since the show's most active years between 2014 and 2021, so don't expect a packed weekly schedule. But the existing library holds up well, and the content has not aged in the way that trend-chasing wellness shows tend to. If you have any interest in positive psychology as an actual academic discipline rather than just a marketing label, this is one of the few podcasts that treats the subject with real rigor.

Paula Felps hosts this weekly podcast from Live Happy magazine, and the guest roster reads like a who's who of positive psychology: Shawn Achor, Gretchen Rubin, Tal Ben-Shahar, Deepak Chopra, Kristin Neff, Barbara Fredrickson, and Sonja Lyubomirsky have all appeared. Each episode pairs Felps with an author, researcher, or wellbeing expert to discuss scientifically backed strategies for living a more meaningful life. The topics are wide-ranging but always grounded: vagus nerve regulation and the nervous system, adult friendship and why it gets harder with age, seasonal depression, the concept of "mattering" and why feeling significant is a basic human need. Felps is a skilled interviewer who keeps conversations focused and accessible without oversimplifying. With 620 episodes and a strong 4.7-star rating from over 500 reviews, the show has been quietly consistent for years. Episodes run about 25 to 35 minutes, making them easy to fit into a daily routine. The show benefits from its connection to Live Happy's editorial team, which means Felps has access to researchers and authors that smaller independent podcasts often cannot book. Recent 2026 episodes have covered making the most of the new year and using astrology and neuroscience together as tools for finding purpose. If you want a reliable, research-informed happiness podcast without a lot of personality-driven branding, this is a solid, no-nonsense choice.

Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, and her podcast does exactly what the name promises: it distills therapy skills and clinical research into clear, actionable episodes. The format alternates between solo episodes where McAdam teaches specific techniques and interview episodes with guest experts. A recent standout featured Richard Schwartz, the founder of Internal Family Systems therapy, discussing how to access healing without a therapist present. The show covers CBT, IFS, ADHD, depression, anxiety, emotional regulation, and trauma recovery, always with a practical bent. McAdam has a warm but direct teaching style, and she is good at breaking complex therapeutic concepts into steps that listeners can actually use. With 277 episodes and an impressive 4.8-star rating from 567 reviews, it punches above its weight in listener satisfaction. New episodes drop biweekly. What sets this apart from other mental health podcasts is that McAdam genuinely teaches skills rather than just talking about mental health in general terms. She gives you frameworks, exercises, and specific language to try. The episodes are designed to be accessible even for people with attention difficulties, which is a thoughtful touch. If you are interested in the nuts and bolts of how therapy actually works and want to build your own emotional toolkit, this show is one of the best resources available in podcast form.

Dr. Joel Wade is a psychotherapist and life coach with nearly 40 years of clinical experience, and this podcast reflects that depth. Each episode delivers practical tools for building a happier, more fulfilled life, drawn from both contemporary research and decades of real-world practice with clients. The format is mostly solo, with Wade working through a single concept per episode in a thoughtful, measured style. Topics cover relationships, work, emotional regulation, lifestyle choices, and personal development. He has written books on the subject ("The Virtue of Happiness" and "Mastering Happiness"), and the podcast serves as a natural extension of that work. With 43 episodes and a near-perfect 4.9-star rating (from 44 reviews), this is a small but high-quality catalog. The pace of release is slow, roughly bimonthly, so do not expect a packed feed. What you get instead is a show where every episode feels considered and substantial rather than rushed out to meet a weekly deadline. Wade has a professorial delivery that some listeners will find calming and others might find a bit too measured, but the content itself is consistently strong. Recent episodes have explored the biology of human nature, finding spiritual fulfillment through work, and readjusting to normal life after periods of isolation. This is a good pick for listeners who prefer a quieter, more reflective approach to happiness content.