Media and Talks

• CNBC Make It — “These 3 Meaningful Books Can Change Your Life, CEOs and Career Coaches Say: They’ll Help You Flourish“
• Inside UCR — “Psychology Researcher Wins Tiny Blue Dot Foundation Grant”
• CNBC — “How Can You Capture the Joy of Watching the Olympics in Your Daily Life?“
• CNN — “Do You Want to Be Happier? Here Are 5 Habits to Adopt“
• Los Angeles Times — “Be Grateful For What You Have. It May Help You Live Longer”
• UCR Inside — “Sonja Lyubomirsky Wins Top Faculty Award for 2023-24”
• UCR Inside — “Psychology Researcher Named AAAS Fellow”
• Highlights Magazine — “Why Be Kind”
• CNN — “Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Gratitude? Turns Out Sometimes Less Is More“
• Fortune — “5 Simple Strategies Can Help You Be Happier At Work”
• UCR Magazine — “Tuning in Again to Psychedelics”
• Greater Good Magazine — “What Psychedelics Can Teach Us About Human Connection”
• APS Observer – “Psychedelic Research Reborn: Opening the Doors of Creativity and Social Connection”
• OprahDaily.com – “Our Step-by-Step Guide on How to Find Happiness”
• New York Times – “California Today”
• WebMD – “Ways to Celebrate Without Alcohol”
• GQ – “How to Make Your Post-Pandemic Happiness Last”
• Washington Post – “World Happiness Report Is Out, With a Surprising Picture of Global Resilience”
• CNN.com – “There’s no getting ‘back to normal,’ experts say. The sooner we accept that, the better”
• La Nacion – “Coronavirus. Sonja Lyubomirsky: ‘La conectividad social de las personas es el factor mas relevante para la felicidad, incluso durante la cuarentena”
• Robb Report – “Money Can Buy You a Lot of Things, But Experts Say Happiness Isn’t Necessarily One of Them”
• Washington Post – “Go Ahead and Watch. Cute or Funny Animal Videos Can Be Good For You”
• Washington Post – “A Father Learns the True Reward of Taking a Free Online Happiness Course With His Son”
• VOX – “How to make this winter not totally suck, according to psychologists“
• CNBC.com – “From the ‘Perfect’ Salary to Keeping Up With the Joneses, Here’s How Money Really Affects Your Happiness”
• New York Times – “So You Had a Bad Day...”
• Washington Post – “Extraverts Are Faring Surprisingly Well in Lockdown” (op-ed piece)
• Atlantic, “The Renewal Project” – “How to Embrace Kindness and Gratitude in the Time of COVID-19”
• The Economist – “Immunity From Being Alone: Acts of Kindness Prevent a Downward Spiral From Solitude to Loneliness”
• Atlantic, “The Renewal Project” – “One Easy Way to Be Happier, From a Psychologist Who Studies Human Happiness“
• The New Daily – “How To Solve the World’s Problems? Change Everybody’s Personality”
• Washington Post – “Does Happiness in Your 50s Signal the End of Ambition?”
• Yahoo – “Why Walmart Secret Santas Give–and Why We Love Them For It”
• Forbes – “Research Reveals 3 Reasons  Why Gratitude Is an Important Leadership Quality”
• Scientific American – “Quiet Disadvantage: Study Finds Extroverts Are Happier–Even When They’re Really Introverts”
• Bustle – “3 More Social Outings a Week Can Improve Happiness, Research Says”
• CNBC – “Introverts, Pretending to be an Extrovert Could Make You Happier”
• TODAY – “Acting Like an Extrovert Has a Positive Effect on Happiness, Study Finds”
• The British Psychological Society – “Further Evidence That Acting Like an Extravert Can Boost Well-Being”
• Men’s Health – “6 Easy Ways To Actually Make Yourself  Happier”
• New York Times – “What To Do When You’re Bored With Your Routines”
• Reader’s Digest – “8 Myths of Happiness You’ve Convinced Yourself Are True”
• FiveThirtyEight – “Happy New Year! Your Resolutions Won’t Bring You Joy”
• Thrive Global – “A Charlie Brown Christmas” Is the Perfect Antidote to Forced Holiday Cheer”
• SHAPE – “Five Ways You’re Practicing Gratitude Wrong“
• US News & World Report – “The Hazards of Rumination for Your Mental and Physical Health”
• Bottom Line – “The Life-Altering Power of Gratitude to Make You Happy”
• Greater Good – “The Top 10 Insights from the “Science of a Meaningful Life” in 2017”
• Medium – “Do Happiness Interventions Really Work?”
• Entrepreneur – “5 Actions You Can Take to Increase Your Happiness Quotient”
• Vocativ – “The Science of Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Won’t Make You Happier”
  
• Press-Enterprise – “President Obama–Our Positive Psychologist-in-Chief” (op-ed piece)
• USA Today – “Key to Money Happiness May Be In How You Spend It“
• TODAY – “12 Life Lessons to Increase Your Happiness in Your 30s–Or Any Age“
• Livemint – “The Pursuit of Workplace Happiness”
• TIME – “Turns Out an ‘Emotional Vacation’ Was Just the Vacation I Needed”
• AARP Bulletin – “A Conversation With Sonja Lyubomirsky“
• Los Angeles Times – “Can 1 Million Women Be Wrong About Happiness and Health?” (op-ed piece)
• Inc. – “Today’s Top 50 Leadership Innovators Changing How We Lead“
  
• Los Angeles Times – “Will an Optimist or a Pessimist Win in 2006?” (op-ed piece)
• Entrepreneur – “3 Strategies for Hacking Happiness”
• TIME – “4 Books That Will Make You Happy and Successful”
• Business Insider – “Here Are the Nation’s Top Thinkers on How to Be Happy, Improve Our Sex Lives, and More”
• Business Insider – “2 Ways to Achieve a Lifetime of Happiness”
• Business Insider – “The 15 Most Amazing Women in Science Today”
• Business Insider – “50 Groundbreaking Scientists Who Are Changing the Way We See the World“
  
• New York Times – “Pursue Happiness, But in Moderation” (opinion piece)
• The Washington Post – “Skip the McBurger and Other Simple Ways to Boost Your Mood”
• Yo Dona – “Los Beneficios de la Bondad“
• Bloomberg Businessweek – “What I Wear To Work: Psychology Professor Sonja Lyubomirsky”
• Lufthansa Magazine – “Interview mit Sonja Lyubomirsky”
• New York Times – “How to Gladden a Wealthy Mind”
• The American Scholar – “Thanks for the Gratitude: But What’s the Upside for the Curmudgeon?”
• Vanidades – “Construe Tu Felicidad”
• TIME – “The 8 Things the Happiest People Do Every Day”
• Live Happy – “Breaking the Happiness Myths”
• NBC.com – “Why People in Louisiana Are So Happy (and How You Can Be Too)”
• Rewire Me – “Fascinating Findings at the ‘Leading to Well-Being’ Conference”
• The Huffington Post – “9 Ridiculously Simply Ways to Feel Happier Today”
• Enterpreneur – “Smile! 5 Books to Celebrate International Day of Happiness”
• La Jolla Light – “Don’t Worry, Be Happy! Psychologist Offers Insights on the Joy of Living at UC San Diego’s Stein Institute for Research on Aging in La Jolla”
• Kansas City Star – “5 Books To Help You Reach Your Goals For 2014”
• Greater Good Magazine – “The Top 10 Insights from the ‘Science of a Meaningful Life” in 2013”
• GEO Magazine – “Nach Glück zu Streben? Sinnlos!”
• Stanford Report – “Stanford 2013 Roundtable Panelists Demystify the Secrets of Happiness”
• Yahoo! – “Four Ways to Get Happy Right Now”
• SUCCESS – “Six Happiness Myths”
• The Coloradoan – “A Life Not Lived Might Bring the Most Regret of All”
• WorldLifestyle – “10 Zen Blogs You’ll Love”
• New York Magazine – “Scientists Still Searching for Proof That Kids Make Us Happy“
• Revista Claudia – “5 Mitos Que Sabotam A Sua Felicidade”
• TIME – “Do Children Bring Happiness–Or Misery?” (op-ed piece)
• Toronto Star – “A Meditation on Happiness in the Wake of Fear”
• New York Times – “Happiness Inc.”
• Zócalo Public Square – “Squaring Off: Happiness is a Big Fat Lie”
• TIME – “How to Keep Up With Your Kids: Tips for Older Dads”
• Los Angeles Review of Books – “Getting Happier: Three Books on Happiness”
• Oakland Tribune – “Author Dispels ‘Myths of Happiness” in Berkeley Talk”
• Oprah.com – “Self-Help Advice You Haven’t Heard Before”
• US News & World Report – “Acts of Kindness Can Make You Happier”
• The Star – Review of The Myths of Happiness
• Business Week – “A 30 Rock Guide to Workplace Happiness”
• USA Today – “Are Parents Happier? Dads May Be, But Not Moms, Singles”
• New York Times – “That Loving Feeling Takes a Lot of Work”
• The Week – “Sonja Lyubomirsky’s 6 Favorite Books”
• US News & World Report – “How to Turn Life’s Challenges into Positive Outcomes”
• New York Times – “Why Aren’t People Happier During the Holidays?: Fantasy vs. Reality” (opinion piece)
• Publisher’s Weekly – “Pay Attention: Be Happy: PW Talks with Sonja Lyubomirsky”
• Zola – “Zola Q & A: The Myths of Happiness”
• BookPage – “Making Choices for a Happier You”; click here to download PDF
• People Magazine – “I’ll Be Happy When…”; click here to download PDF
• Spirituality & Health – “Two New Books on Finding Real Joy in Relationships”
• FoxNews.com – “7 Secrets to a Super-Happy Winter”
• New York Times – “New Love: A Short Shelf Life” (op-ed piece)
• Aquarius – “7 Ways to Lasting Happiness”
• TIME – “Parents (Especially Dads) Are Happier Than Their Childless Pals”
• Live Science – “Parents Are Happier Than Non-Parents”
• Economist – “The Joys of Parenthood”
• US News & World Report – “With Depression, Helping Others May In Turn Help You”
• Reform Judaism – “Happiness Rx: What Science Says” (cover story)
• Forbes – “Do You Know How to Mix Happiness and Business?”
• EverydayHealth.com – “Finding the Road to Happiness”
• The Observer (Guardian) – “The 10 Best Self-Help Gurus”
• Christian Science Monitor – “You Bought It. Are You Happy?”
• The Press-Enterprise – “UCR Researchers To Study Generosity”
• The Ottawa Citizen – “The Tao of Happy Kids”
• The Jerusalem Post – “Moving Forward: Thanks For Your Gratitude”
• The Plain Dealer – “Look in the Mirror and Summon Forth a New You”
• Calgary Herald – “Cranky or Content: Wealthier Canadians Happier”
• US News & World Report – “The Science of Workplace Happiness”
• RachaelRay.com –”Hey Grumpy Parents! You Can Learn Happiness”
• Cincinnati Enquirer –”Key to Happiness? Check Your Genes”
• Riverside Press Enterprise — “Happy, Despite It All” (op-ed piece)
• NRC Handelsblad – “Geluk is…je geld uitgeven aan fijne dingen”
• Redlands Daily Facts – “UCR Professor Creates Happiness App for the iPhone”
• Forbes – “Why Positive Thinking May Be Overrated”
• Saturday Evening Post – “Know Your Wants From Your Needs”
• The Guardian – “How to Feel Up in a Downturn”
• The Chronicle of Higher Education – “An Intellectual Movement for the Masses”
• TIME  – “20 Ways To Get and Stay Happy”
• TIME  – “The Science of Happiness Turns 10. What Has It Taught?”
• beliefnet.com – “5 Ways to Practice Gratitude: An Interview with Sonja Lyubomirsky”
• US News & World Report – “How Positive Psychology Can Increase Your Happiness”
• CNN.com – “Learning To Be Happy in Tough Economic Times”
• Realtor Magazine – “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
• US News & World Report – “10 Secrets to Finding Happiness During the Recession”
• CBS MoneyWatch.com – “Feeling Up When the Economy’s Down”
• Womansday.com – “How Facebook Can Boost Your Well-Being”
• MSN Money – “Little Things That Make You Feel Rich”
• US News & World Report – “5 Ways To Be Happy in a Recession”
• San Francisco Chronicle – “Cheer Up – You Can Learn To Be Happy”
• Yahoo! Finance — “Fight Off Your Financial Demons”
• Forbes – “Ten Ways To Be Happier Now”
• The Hamilton Spectator — “Happy New Year! If…”
• Riverside Press Enterprise — “Smiles Give Leadership Clues” (op-ed piece)
• Science Today — “How Often Do You Count Your Blessings?”
• Mente & Cerebro (Brazil) — “A Pesquisador da Felicidade”
• New York Times — “Why We’re Still Happy” (op-ed piece)
• Readers Digest (Australia) — “Why Kindness is Good For You”
• USA Today – “Researcher: Techniques Can Boost Happiness”
• Los Angeles Times – “After the Tragedy: Vent? Not Necessarily”
• The News-Press – “Stress for Success”
• The National – “Living in the Laps of Luxury”
• Greater Good –“No Quick Fix for Happiness”
• The Coloradoan – “Not Optimistic? Actions a Gateway to Happiness”
• The News & Advance – “Measuring Your Life’s Happiness”
• AOL Life & Style – “How To Be Happy”
• Monitor on Psychology – “The happiness diet”
• The New York Review of Books – “Are You Happy?”
• New York Daily News – “Taking Control of Your Half of Happiness”
• The Korea Times – “How to be Happy, the Scientific Way”
• Forbes – “Happiness Is in the Genes”
• New Scientist – “Give Away Your Money and Be Happy”
• The Boston Globe – “Money Makes You Happy — If You Spend It On Others”
• The Guardian – column on happiness
• Reader’s Digest – “The Way to Happiness”
• Sunday Express – “Seven Steps to New Year Happiness”
• Psychology Today – “Bookshelf: Money, Happiness, and Sex”
• The Press-Enterprise – “UCR Professor Takes Scientific Approach to Happiness”
• Newsweek – “The ‘How To’ of Leading a Happy Life”
• US News & World Report – Q & A with Sonja Lyubomirsky
• Parade Magazine – included in “Parade Picks” under “Dare to be great”
• Good Housekeeping – article on finding happiness
• San Francisco Chronicle Magazine – article on happiness and parenting
• Chicago Tribune – reviewed in “5 Things We Learned From…” column
• The New York Times – article on gratitude journals
• New York Daily News – article on the “classic” self-help books
• The Wall Street Journal – “The Pursuit of Happiness”
• Santa Monica Daily Press – Book review
• The Globe & Mail – Book review
• The Toronto Star – “Research Shows Gratitude a Positive Force”
• The Star-Ledger – “How to Be Happy: Research Shows People Have Power to Change Emotions”
• Fashion – “Glee Club”
• Los Angeles Times – “How a ‘Happiness’ Guide Helped One Topanga Canyon Family”
• Los Angeles Times – “Recent Self-Help Books on Happiness”
• Los Angeles Times – “A Guide to Enhancing Happiness”
• Los Angeles Times – “The Science of Happiness”
• Money Magazine – “21 Ways to Stomach a Sour Market”
• Self – “Create your own happy-life list!“

• Oct 18, 2025:  Keynote Speaker, Ningde China Forum Workshop, Fujian Province, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
• Oct 15, 2024:  Keynote Speaker, Happiness@Work Conference, Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC
• Sep 14, 2024:  Speaker, Ngee Ann Kongsi Lecture, Singapore Management University, Virtual
• Aug 30, 2024:  Invited Speaker, International Forum on Consciousness, Usona Institute,  Madison, WI
• Jun 19, 2024:  Keynote Speaker, Tugboat Institute Summit, Sun Valley, Idaho
• May 31, 2024:  Keynote Speaker, International Society of Schema Therapy,  Virtual
• May 29, 2024:  Keynote Speaker, Presidents Summit, Copenhagen, DENMARK
• May 23, 2024:  Keynote Speaker, Annual Conference of the Western Positive Psychology Association,  University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
• May 16, 2024:  Invited Speaker, International Forum on Consciousness, Usona Institute,  Madison, WI
• Nov 27, 2023:  Casey Fellow, Upper Canada College Casey Fellow Speaker Series,  Toronto, CANADA
• Sep 15, 2023:  Invited Speaker, Physician Well-Being Grand Rounds, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center,  New York, New York
• Sep 06, 2023:  Invited Speaker, Resilience Lecture Series,  Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX (virtual)
• Aug 30, 2023:  Invited Speaker, Colloquium Speaker Series,  Institute for Personality and Social Research, Berkeley, CA
• Aug 29, 2023:  Invited Speaker, Management of Organizations Talk Series,  Walter A. Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley
• Aug 28, 2023:  Keynote Speaker, Executive Leadership Retreat on Convening, American Leadership Forum,  Sacramento, CA
• Aug 09, 2023:  Invited Speaker, Spirituality and Wellness Summit, The National Jewish Retreat,  Desert Springs, CA
• Jul 23, 2023:  Panelist, International Positive Psychology Association, 8th World Congress,  Vancouver, BC CANADA
• Jun 20, 2023:  Invited Speaker, Leadership & Happiness Symposium,  Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA
• Jun 07, 2023:  Invited Speaker, Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services,  Brooklyn, NY (virtual)
• May 26, 2023:  Keynote Speaker, R’PSYC Undergraduate Research Conference,  University of California, Riverside
• Apr 13, 2023:  Keynote Speaker, URJ Camp Newman Women’s Weekend,  Santa Rosa, CA
• Mar 15, 2023:  Invited Speaker, Glenbard Parent Series,  Glen Ellyn, IL (virtual)
• Mar 07, 2023:  Invited Speaker, Uplift by BetterUp,  San Francisco, CA
• Feb 14, 2023:  Invited Speaker, “Coffee and Science” series, Center for Health and Community,  UCSF, San Francisco, CA
• Jan 27, 2023:  Invited Speaker, Jamie Pennebaker Jamboree,  Department of Psychology, UT Austin, Austin, TX
• Dec 05, 2022:  Invited Speaker, Behavioral Sciences Colloquium, McCombs School of Business & Department of Psychology,  University of Texas, Austin, TX
• Nov 17, 2022:  Invited Speaker, Colloquium Series in Honor of Robert Cialdini, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University,  Tempe, AZ
• Nov 11, 2022:  Invited Speaker, Education Summit, Fundación Trilema,  Madrid, SPAIN
• Nov 07, 2022:  Invited Speaker, Social Psychology Brown Bag Series,  Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
• Nov 06, 2022:  Invited Speaker, American Dental Education Association Dean’s Conference,  Scottsdale, AZ
• Oct 28, 2022:  Invited Speaker, MAPP Summit,  Philadelphia, PA
• Jul 14, 2022:  Keynote Speaker, 21st European Conference on Personality,  Madrid, SPAIN
• Jun 02, 2022:  Invited Speaker, YPO Los Angeles President’s Retreat 2022,  Del Mar, CA
• May 20, 2022:  Invited Speaker, Limmud FSU New York,  Parsippany, NJ
• May 16, 2022:  Invited Speaker, Mental Health Awareness Week,  German International School of Silicon Valley, San Francisco, CA (virtual)
• May 02, 2022:  Invited Speaker, Engineering for Social Change, Center for Engineering Concepts Development in Mechanical Engineering,  University of Maryland, College Park
• Apr 28, 2022:  Invited Speaker, Young President’s Association, Silicon Valley Chapter,  Woodside, CA
• Apr 04, 2022:  Keynote Speaker, Counseling Series, Goucher College,  Townson, MD
• Mar 30, 2022:  Invited Speaker, UCR Palm Desert Speaker Series, UCR Aging Initiative,  virtual
• Mar 30, 2022:  Keynote Speaker, Positive Emotions Preconference, Ninth Annual Conference of the Society for Affective Science,  Virtual
• Feb 19, 2022:  Speaker, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Symposium Titled “Antidotes to Loneliness”,  San Francisco, CA
• Dec 10, 2021:  Invited Speaker, Symposium, Department of Emergency Medicine, Cedars-Sinai,  Los Angeles, CA
• Nov 25, 2021:  Plenary Speaker,  University of Basel, SWITZERLAND
• Nov 17, 2021:  Grand Rounds, University of Massachusetts Memorial Health & University of Massachusetts Medical School,  virtual
• Nov 04, 2021:  “Read 2 Succeed” Featured Author Lecture,  Norco College, Norco, CA
• Nov 03, 2021:  Invited Speaker, Princeton Common Ground,  Virtual
• Oct 25, 2021:  Opening Keynote Speaker, 2021 P&I West Coast Defined Contribution Conference,  San Diego, CA
• Oct 11, 2021:  Luminary Speaker, Heroic 2022,  Austin, TX
• Sep 21, 2021:  Invited Speaker, Annual Speakers Series,  The Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor, CT
• Jul 22, 2021:  Plenary Speaker, Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy,  Virtual
• Jul 21, 2021:  Invited Speaker, Jane Street Europe, Summer Speakers Series,  Virtual
• May 28, 2021:  Arnold Gilberg Wellness Lecturer, Cedars-Sinai Health System,  Virtual
• May 12, 2021:  60-Second Keynote, Speaker’s Corner Night at the Owl Bar,  Virtual
• Apr 29, 2021:  Invited Speaker, Center Seminar Series,  Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
• Apr 23, 2021:  Invited Speaker, Social/Personality Brown Bag Series, Department of Psychological Sciences,  University of Missouri-Columbia
• Mar 23, 2021:  Grand Rounds, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School,  Virtual
• Mar 04, 2021:  Keynote Speaker, Mental Health Asia Conference,  Virtual
• Feb 01, 2021:  Invited Speaker, Monta Vista PTSA,  Virtual
• Jan 26, 2021:  Invited Speaker, Latham & Watkins, Women Lawyers Group,  Virtual
• Jan 24, 2021:  Invited Speaker, Leverage & Growth Accelerator, Physicians Group,  Virtual
• Dec 11, 2020:  Keynote Speaker, Google Ireland,  Virtual
• Dec 09, 2020:  Keynote Speaker, 51st Annual Scientific Meeting of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback,  Virtual
• Dec 03, 2020:  Keynote Speaker, Nordic Webinar for Student Well-Being,  Virtual
• Nov 16, 2020:  Invited Speaker, Google UX,  Virtual
• Oct 28, 2020:  Keynote Speaker, VESTED Magazine & CAPTRUST,  Virtual
• Sep 21, 2020:  Invited Speaker, Marion Minor Cook Athenaeum,  Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA
• Sep 11, 2020:  Invited Speaker, Psych Congress,  Nashville, TN
• Jul 23, 2020:  Invited Speaker, CHRO Council,  San Francisco, CA
• Jul 18, 2020:  Invited Speaker, Silver Tip Ranch,  Slough Creek, MT
• Jun 03, 2020:  Invited Speaker, Women’s Virtual Forum, Cornerstone Research,  Santa Monica, CA
• May 07, 2020:  Brown Bag Speaker, Social/Personality Brown Bag,  Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside
• Feb 27, 2020:  Keynote Speaker, Happiness & Well-Being Preconference of the Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology,  New Orleans, LA
• Dec 09, 2019:  Invited Speaker, Titan Summit 2019,  Toronto, CANADA
• Nov 18, 2019:  Panelist, The New York Academy of Sciences and the Critical Care & Resuscitation Research Program at NYU Langone Health,  New York, NY
• Nov 16, 2019:  Speaker & Panelist, Back to Class presentation, UCR Homecoming, UCR Foundation Stewardship Committee,  University of California, Riverside, CA
• Nov 06, 2019:  Plenary Speaker, Global Human Resources Forum 2019,  Seoul, SOUTH KOREA
• Oct 19, 2019:  Symposium Speaker, Annual Meeting of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology,  Toronto, CANADA
• Sep 21, 2019:  Closing Keynote Speaker, Annual Women’s Leadership Conference,  Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles, CA
• Jul 20, 2019:  Invited Plenary Speaker, 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology,  Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
• Jul 20, 2019:  Invited Symposium Speaker, 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology,  Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
• Jul 11, 2019:  Plenary Speaker, The Educator Summit,  Philadelphia, PA
• Jun 12, 2019:  Invited Speaker, Boston Women’s Forum,  Boston, MA
• May 14, 2019:  Invited Speaker, Distinguished Research Lecturer Award,  University of California, Riverside, CA
• May 02, 2019:  Invited Speaker, Positive Fridays, Division of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, Claremont Graduate University,  Claremont, CA
• Apr 25, 2019:  Invited Speaker, Colloquium Series, Teachers College,  Columbia University, New York, NY
• Apr 15, 2019:  Plenary Speaker, Integrative Mental Health Conference,  San Francisco, CA
• Apr 11, 2019:  Keynote Speaker, Positive Education Schools Association Conference,  Gold Coast, Queensland, AUSTRALIA
• Apr 09, 2019:  Invited Speaker, Ravenswood School for Girls,  Sydney, AUSTRALIA
• Mar 16, 2019:  Invited Speaker, World Happiness Summit,  Miami, FL
• Mar 14, 2019:  Invited Speaker, 9th Annual Wellness Summit, Stanford Health Promotion Network,  Stanford, CA
• Mar 09, 2019:  Invited Speaker, The Happiness Puzzle: Science, the Arts, and Psychoanalysis, New Center for Psychoanalysis,  Beverly Hill, CA
• Feb 20, 2019:  Invited Speaker, Berkeley Forum,  University of California, Berkeley, CA
• Jan 29, 2019:  Invited Speaker, Mountain View/Los Altos Parent Education Series,  Mountain View High School, Mountain View, CA
• Jan 11, 2019:  Invited Speaker, Behavioral Decision Making Seminar,  UCLA Anderson School of Management, Los Angeles, CA

Sonja Lyubomirsky’s Speaking Topics

• The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want

Happiness not only feels good; it is good. Happy employees are more productive, creative, and resilient; they have more friends and more stable marriages; and they show superior physical health and less turnover. Furthermore, it appears that feeling socially connected is the key to happiness. Fortunately, experiments have shown that people can intentionally increase their happiness and connectedness. In this presentation, Sonja Lyubomirsky will describe both classic and brand new research revealing when and why such practices as expressing gratitude, doing acts of kindness, and engaging in more social interactions work “best” and how small and simple activities can transform us into happier and more flourishing individuals.

• The Myths of Happiness: When, How, and Why Might Positive Activities Boost vs. Undermine Well-Being

Most people around the world report wanting to be happy. One reason is that happiness not only feels good; it is good. Relative to their less happy peers, happy people are more creative, productive, and helpful; have more stable marriages and higher incomes:, and boast stronger immune systems. In this session, Sonja Lyubomirsky will first discuss how happiness is measured and defined. She will then describe decades of research illuminating the benefits of happiness for careers, relationships, and health. Finally, she will demystify several myths about what life changes (e.g., getting married, having kids, losing a spouse) will make us truly miserable or truly happy. Growing research has illuminated when practices such as gratitude, optimism, and kindness are successful at increasing happiness. In this session, Sonja Lyubomirsky will discuss when and how the same practices might backfire and actually undermine (as opposed to increase) happiness. For example, in what situations might expressing gratitude lead people to feel guilty, inferior, or uncomfortable, and in what situations might doing kind acts lead people to feel incompetent, resentful, or taken advantage of? Finally, she will discuss how pursuing happiness can have benefits—beyond happiness—in other domains of our lives—for example, for our motivation levels, health, and popularity.

• Toward a New Science of Psychedelic Social Psychology: The Effects of MDMA (Ecstasy) on Social Connection

In this talk, I aim to propose a new field called psychedelic social psychology. I argue that psychological scientists have much to learn from psychedelic science, and that psychopharmacological methods can be a useful approach to illuminate processes like connectedness, prejudice, self, as well as inform interventions to directly improve people’s lives. I use (±)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as an example because of its documented ability in experiments and clinical trials to promote bonding, love, and warmth. Social connection is a fundamental human need, yet researchers still possess few tools to effectively and durably boost it. MDMA allows investigators to isolate the psychological mechanisms—as well as brain pathways—underlying the experience of social connection and thus reveal what should be targeted in future (nondrug) studies. I will show a conceptual model that presents the proximal psychological mechanisms stimulated by MDMA, as well as its potential long-term impacts on relationships. I will also give a sneak preview of some hot-off-the-presses data from a recent experiment in which participants had conversations while under the influence of MDMA (or meth) or a control substance.