Cultivate compassion and find happiness | Emiliana Simon-Thomas (science-backed strategies)

In this episode of 'Compassion in a T-Shirt', I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, a leading expert in the neuroscience and psychology of compassion. Dr. Simon-Thomas discusses her extensive research at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, where she examines the biological, psychological, and social facets of compassion. With insights on how compassion improves our health, happiness, and relationships, we delve into discussions on empathy, the evolutionary origins of compassion, and practical strategies to cultivate compassion in our daily lives. Don't miss our conversation about her contributions to the Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science and the Science of Happiness courses. Tune in for an enlightening and inspiring dialogue on how to cultivate compassion and find happiness.TIME STAMPS:00:00 Introduction to Compassion in a T-Shirt00:11 Meet Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas02:57 Defining Compassion05:47 The Evolution of Compassion13:50 The Science of Happiness22:57 Compassion Practices and Well-being34:17 The Power of Empathy and Joy34:50 Cultural Adaptations in Positive Psychology36:51 Community Embedded Research38:09 Global Impact and Data Collection44:40 Compassion Fatigue vs. Empathic Distress51:02 Compassion in a Divided World01:00:03 Enhancing Engagement in Wellbeing Programs01:07:25 Final Thoughts and AppreciationTARGETED PLAYLIST LINK:Compassion in a T-Shirt: In SessionLINKS:Greater Good Science Centerhttps://ggsc.berkeley.edu/Science of Happiness Coursehttps://ggsc.berkeley.edu/what_we_do/online_courses_tools/the_science_of_happinessFour Week Pathway to Happinesshttps://ggia.berkeley.edu/onboarding/startThe Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science (Seppälä , Simon-Thomas et al., 2017) https://www.amazon.com.au/Handbook-Compassion-Science-Library-Psychology-ebook/dp/B075TBH87F/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OS1XFWO9568Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.erbXZK9Kvm5T1KOelgMFh7XouBTrTP15pGJZPNUXvS0.WyrzAo0gmh5FmxDK4LhDgV9bR6g-I9-UQD1MiKezozg&dib_tag=se&keywords=oxford+handbook+of+compassion+science&qid=1734068773&s=digital-text&sprefix=oxford+handbook+of+compassion+science%2Cdigital-text%2C244&sr=1-1Recent article: Who engages in well-being interventions? An analysis of a global digital intervention study (Park et al., 2024) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439760.2024.2417098#abstractIf you would like to learn more about compassion focused therapy, you can find Dr Stan Steindl's book The Gifts of Compassion here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Gifts-Compassion-understand-overcome-suffering/dp/1925644480Say hi on social:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drstansteindlTwitter: https://twitter.com/StanSteindlInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_stan_steindl/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stan-steindl-150a5264/Website: https://www.stansteindl.com/YouTube Video URL: https://youtu.be/N7SXaUHpZsg*Affiliate Disclaimer:Note this description contains affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this video and support the channel at no cost to you. While this channel may earn minimal sums when the viewer uses the links, the viewer is in no way obligated to use these links. Thank you for your support!Video hashtagsCompassion, awe, gratitude, awareness, appreciation, authenticity, love, prosocial emotions, neuroscience, psychology