Even just a few minutes of dancing can shift energy, release emotions, and remind us to care for ourselves while we care for others.

Summary: Dance isn’t just fun—it’s scientifically shown to make us happier, ease stress, and strengthen social bonds. From swaying in the kitchen to joining a community class, movement helps us regulate our nervous systems and reconnect with joy. In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we explore what the science says about how dancing supports well-being for parents, caregivers, and families.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Pick a Song You Love: Choose music that makes you want to move. Even if it’s just a little sway. It could be something upbeat or a song from your childhood that feels comforting.
2. Start Small: Give yourself permission to move for just five minutes. No pressure to “work out”—the goal is to shift your energy and lift your mood.
3. Follow Your Body: Sway, step, shake, or spin. There’s no right or wrong way. Let your body lead instead of worrying about looking a certain way.
4. Play with Pausing: Try stopping mid-song for a “freeze” moment, then move again. Pausing helps build awareness, self-control, and a sense of play.
5. Invite Connection: If you have kids, family, or friends around, pull them into the movement. Science shows that dancing together strengthens bonds and amplifies joy.
6. Release and Reset: Notice how you feel after moving— lighter, calmer, maybe more grounded. Let dance be a way to release tension and return to your day with more energy.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

MAGDALENE MARTINEZ is a licensed clinical social worker who works with children, teens and adults.

Learn more about Magdalene here: https://www.oceandustwellness.com/

DR. ÖZGE UGURLU is a behavioral scientist in the social interaction lab at UC Berkeley. Her research centers on emotions, self-control, and child development.

Add Dr. Ugurlu on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozge-ugurlu

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:

Caring for Caregivers Series: https://tinyurl.com/4k2hv47j

Our Caring for Caregivers series is supported by the Van Leer Foundation, an independent Dutch organization working globally to foster inclusive societies where all children and communities can flourish.

To discover more insights from Van Leer Foundation and others on this topic, visit Early Childhood Matters, the leading platform for advancing topics on early childhood development and connecting diverse voices and ideas across disciplines that support the wellbeing of babies, toddlers and caregivers around the globe.

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription to come.

Through breath, compassion, and kind words to yourself, this guided meditation helps you forgive yourself, let go, and move forward with love.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Get Comfortable: Sit upright but relaxed. Close your eyes or soften your gaze, and take a few slow, deep breaths. Inhale gently through your nose and slowly, twice as long, through your mouth.
2. Bring Something to Mind: Think of a mistake, harsh word, or regret you’re holding against yourself. Notice how it feels in your body, without judging it.
3. Acknowledge What Happened: Silently say to yourself: “I acknowledge that I made this mistake.” Take a breath.
4. Remember Your Humanity: Remind yourself: “I am human. Being human means I will sometimes fall short.”
5. Offer Forgiveness: Place a hand over your heart (or somewhere comforting) and repeat: “I forgive myself for this. May I learn from it and move forward.”
6. Close with Kindness: Breathe deeply. Once more, say: “I forgive myself. May I treat myself with kindness.”
7. Check In with Your Body Again: Notice if anything feels lighter or softer—maybe your breath, your shoulders, or your chest. Allow yourself to rest in that shift, however small.
8. Take one final deep breath: When you feel ready, gently open your eyes and return to your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

DACHER KELTNER is the host of The Science of Happiness podcast and is a co-instructor of the Greater Good Science Center’s popular online course of the same name. He’s also a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Related Happiness Break episodes:

A Meditation on Original Love: https://tinyurl.com/5u298cv4

Who Takes Care of You: https://tinyurl.com/5xmfkf73

A Note to Self on Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/y53tkn87

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Nine Steps to Forgiveness: https://tinyurl.com/vb7kk5ky

How to Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

This episode is part of "Putting the Science of Forgiveness into Practice," a multiyear project run by the Greater Good Science Center and supported by the Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF). Learn more about forgiveness on TWCF's Discover Forgiveness website.

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yh2a5urt

Research shows that simple practices such as self-hugs, soothing touch, and hand-to-heart can calm the nervous system, supporting caregivers and the children in their care.

Summary: From parents to teachers, caregiving can be overwhelming and exhausting. This episode of The Science of Happiness dives into simple touch-based strategies that promote calm, reduce stress, and foster stronger connections. Researchers share how even brief moments of self-soothing or supportive touch can improve mental and physical health for caregivers and children.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Sit or stand comfortably and take a moment to notice your body. Soften your jaw and shoulders. If it feels safe, close your eyes or lower your gaze.
2. Place one hand on your belly, both hands over your heart, or give yourself a self-hug— whatever feels most comfortable and natural. Let the weight of your hands feel steady and supportive.
3. Take a slow inhale through your nose and a longer exhale through your mouth.
4. Silently repeat a kind phrase to yourself, like “How can I be a friend to myself today?” and “It’s okay to make mistakes.”
5. Feel the warmth and weight of your hands. On each exhale, invite a little ease into your face, shoulders, belly, and back. Notice any tiny shift toward calm.
6. Wrap your arms around your torso and apply comfortable pressure, finishing with a gentle self-hug before returning to your day.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests:

THERESA ALEXANDER is a pre-K teacher based in Arlington, Virginia, with nearly 20 years of teaching experience. She’s also a new mother.

MICHAEL BANISSY is a psychology professor at University of Bristol and the author of “Touch Matters: Handshakes, Hugs, and the New Science on How Touch Can Enhance Your Well-Being.”

Learn more about Michael here: https://www.banissy.com/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:

Caring for Caregivers Series: https://tinyurl.com/4k2hv47j

Related Happiness Breaks:

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8

Our Caring for Caregivers series is supported by the Van Leer Foundation, an independent Dutch organization working globally to foster inclusive societies where all children and communities can flourish.

To discover more insights from Van Leer Foundation and others on this topic, visit Early Childhood Matters, the leading platform for advancing topics on early childhood development and connecting diverse voices and ideas across disciplines that support the wellbeing of babies, toddlers and caregivers around the globe.

Tell us about your experience with this practice. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/4ppzs8kw