About Sero Boost: The Happiness Science Insights Podcast
Sero Boost: The happiness science insights podcast is where we discuss all key aspects of happiness with insightful guests, drawing on science, knowledge and experience. Each topic addresses an element from the comprehensive framework of several domains and elements created by the Center for Happiness Science. With us, happiness is a journey, not a destination, and we’re excited to be with you on it.
Sean Chew: Anxiety Explained — What's Normal and What's Not | Sero Boost #83
In this episode of Sero Boost, Sarah sits down with psychotherapist and trauma specialist Sean Chew to unpack the topic of anxiety—how it shows up, how it differs from stress, and the impact it can have on daily life and wellbeing.
Sean Chew shares why anxiety is the body’s natural alert system, but can become disruptive if it lingers too long. He also introduces practical strategies to help manage it, including the 54321 grounding method, a simple tool to calm morning and bedtime anxiety.
Together, Sarah and Sean Chew discuss how mindfulness techniques, though often challenging, can be practiced consistently to become powerful habits for easing anxiety and reconnecting with joy and meaning.
With years of clinical and counselling experience, Sean Chew also emphasizes the importance of knowing when to seek professional support—reminding listeners that help is available and recovery is possible.
Connect with Sean Chew via the following platforms:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-chew-ccts-i-cmemip-1-msps-58a34531/ Holistic psychotherapy: https://www.holisticpsychotherapy.sg/sean-chew
Resources recommended by Sean Chew:Mindfulness Course at the Centre for Mindfulness (Singapore): https://www.centreformindfulness.sg/mindfulness-based-wellbeing-enhancement
Books (from Amazon): "Rewire your anxious brain" by Catherine Pittman and
Elizabeth Karle: https://www.amazon.com.au/Rewire-Your-Anxious-Brain-Neuroscience-ebook/dp/B00QG5SW58/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0
"The body keeps the score" by Bessel Van Der Kolk (Amazon E-book): https://www.amazon.com.au/Body-Keeps-Score-Transformation-Trauma-ebook/dp/B00IICN1F8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Y484UJFYAZCI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._VpMRnS2Way8-D3kP-9YuNhByPihlnf8uz-nYNoNkFRkbxxTbby8yu9QMFfgXnG9I8MzfMhxhwTmYnKui_4Rh1jx6mxXoztoVDGj-DRpfIkNQlJHbpMBiWa4iFF7yq_bcYUCGc82qKAkxfx2uNMiRksd5y47EtZkV1WKqlbzJSTOWMxXz3hCztwSoFlL24BLPU2zWV1gAD-LV0b0iBZ0kujlCVVQyfU0jUyz2mi5H-A.1EXlighPkL9sSzExkC04S_hOE54D6RspxGHRAwI2QHU&dib_tag=se&keywords=%22The+body+keep+the+score%22+by+Bessel+Van+Der+Kolk&qid=1748842692&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+body+keep+the+score%22+by+bessel+van+der+kolk%2Cdigital-text%2C218&sr=1-1
"What happened to you" by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey (Amazon E-book): https://www.amazon.com.au/What-Happened-You-Conversations-Resilience-ebook/dp/B08VVWW192/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0
Recommended apps: Insight Timer, Calm, Headspace and Mindfulness App
Produced by the Happiness Science Labs, a division of LMSL, the Life Management Science Labs.
Explore LMSL at https://lifemanagementsciencelabs.com/ and visit http://ha.lmsl.net/ for additional information about Happiness Science Labs.
Follow us on Social Media to stay updated:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC557HWCcYOBcuTzg-ZbTpuwFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Happiness.Science.Labs.1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happiness.science_labs/LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/showcase/happiness-science-labsTwitter: https://twitter.com/HaScienceLabsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happiness.science.labs
You can also subscribe and listen to the show on your preferred podcasting platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sero-boost-the-happiness-science-insights-podcast/id1648514660 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4tAnnsetgCxHVig1HZDE7E Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9010428a-46cd-44c2-a253-699a3586c156/sero-boost-the-happiness-science-insights-podcast iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/338-sero-boost-the-happiness-s-102890037/ Podbean: https://happinessinsights.podbean.com/ PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/3402528 Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/sero-boost-the-happiness-scien-4914858
15 Aug 2025
Kimberly Wade-Benzoni: Why Confronting Death Can Actually Make Us Happier | Sero Boost #82
Contemplating death is often seen as grim, but emerging research reveals that it can actually enhance our happiness and well-being! So, in this episode of Sero Boost: The Happiness Science Insights Podcast, host Marie Stella consults social scientist Kimberly Wade-Benzoni on the psychological benefits of facing our mortality, in a world that often evades the topic.
An internationally recognized leading scholar on the topic of intergenerational decisions and the psychology of legacies, Kimberly Wade-Benzoni is a Professor of Management & Organizations and Center of Leadership and Ethics Scholar at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Impressively, Kimberly Wade-Benzoni’s research has been widely published in prominent management and psychology journals.
In this episode, Kimberly Wade-Benzoni emphasizes the importance of discussing and understanding mortality awareness, revealing the psychological benefits of confronting mortality. Additionally, she reveals that life-threatening events have shown to instill gratitude and contribute to happiness.
Together, Marie and Kimberly Wade-Benzoni discuss the potential struggles individuals face when confronting mortality, and exchange effective practices and habits for reflecting on mortality. So, tune in this week for an incredibly insightful episode on how confronting mortality can contribute to happiness!
Follow Kimberly Wade-Benzoni’s work via the following platforms:Duke University: https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/faculty/kimberly-wade-benzoniThe Hot and Cool of Death Awareness at Work: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/211386783_The_hot_and_cool_of_death_awareness_at_work_Mortality_cues_aging_and_self-protective_and_prosocial_motivations
Produced by the Happiness Science Labs, a division of LMSL, the Life Management Science Labs.
Explore LMSL at https://lifemanagementsciencelabs.com/ and visit http://ha.lmsl.net/ for additional information about Happiness Science Labs.
Follow us on Social Media to stay updated:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC557HWCcYOBcuTzg-ZbTpuwFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Happiness.Science.Labs.1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happiness.science_labs/LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/showcase/happiness-science-labsTwitter: https://twitter.com/HaScienceLabsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happiness.science.labs
You can also subscribe and listen to the show on your preferred podcasting platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sero-boost-the-happiness-science-insights-podcast/id1648514660Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4tAnnsetgCxHVig1HZDE7EAmazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9010428a-46cd-44c2-a253-699a3586c156/sero-boost-the-happiness-science-insights-podcastiHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/338-sero-boost-the-happiness-s-102890037/Podbean: https://happinessinsights.podbean.com/PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/3402528Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/sero-boost-the-happiness-scien-4914858
1 Aug 2025
Mohsen Joshanloo: Fear of Happiness, Explained with Cultural Influences | Sero Boost #81
In this episode of Sero Boost, host Sarah Stancombe is joined by guest Mohsen Joshanloo to discover how the fear of happiness is present in every society, and it is more normalized in some than others. Thanks to Mohsen Joshanloo’s culture-based research, we are able to identify the reasons for this fear, and how deeply they are connected to culture.
Mohsen Joshanloo is a personality and cross-cultural psychologist. His research focuses on mental well-being, optimal aging, and culture. He contributes to the internationalization of psychological science by collaborating with researchers worldwide, and incorporating data from countries across six continents - his research on this topic has been published in over 150 articles and book chapters. He obtained his PhD in 2013 from Victoria University of Wellington. He is currently an Associate Professor at Keimyoung University and holds honorary positions at the University of Melbourne and the University of Pretoria.
Mohsen Joshanloo explains that many religions have a fear of happiness built into them, for example, beliefs that sadness will naturally come after happiness, that happiness is sinful if it involved forgetting the deity of the religion, or that others will be jealous of your happiness and try to make life worse for you out of envy. In these cases, upbringing and religion, so heavily built into culture, are the main causes for a normalized fear of happiness in a society.
Together, Sarah and Mohsen Joshanloo discuss a step by step guide to recognizing and tackling a fear of happiness (if that is what is desired by the person suffering from it). From recognizing the problem, to remembering it is normal, and seeking help or resources if needed, there are ways to discover more about the fear of happiness and uncover how it may affect you and your life.
Find out more about Mohsen Joshanloo’s work via the following links:Website: https://mohsenjoshanloo.weebly.com/ UniMelb: https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/855444-mohsen-joshanlooResearch: https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/1015-5759/a000834
Connect with Mohsen Joshanloo via the following links:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohsen-joshanloo-61068349/ Twitter: https://x.com/MohsenJoshanlooEmail: mjoshanloo@gmail.com
Produced by the Happiness Science Labs, a division of LMSL, the Life Management Science Labs.
Explore LMSL at https://lifemanagementsciencelabs.com/ and visit http://ha.lmsl.net/ for additional information about Happiness Science Labs.
Follow us on Social Media to stay updated:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC557HWCcYOBcuTzg-ZbTpuwFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Happiness.Science.Labs.1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happiness.science_labs/LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/showcase/happiness-science-labsTwitter: https://twitter.com/HaScienceLabsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happiness.science.labs
You can also subscribe and listen to the show on your preferred podcasting platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sero-boost-the-happiness-science-insights-podcast/id1648514660 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4tAnnsetgCxHVig1HZDE7E Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9010428a-46cd-44c2-a253-699a3586c156/sero-boost-the-happiness-science-insights-podcast iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/338-sero-boost-the-happiness-s-102890037/ Podbean: https://happinessinsights.podbean.com/ PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/3402528 Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/sero-boost-the-happiness-scien-4914858
[…] And that if you're not happy all the time, that you're failing at life. And so everyone walks around feeling incredibly inadequate because they're not super happy every minute. So one of the things that I do with clients is we have to reframe what happy means. Happy is really more a state of well-being, of wellness. You know, we use these words in so many distorted ways, but there's this idea that we're supposed to be happy and, you know, sort of sparkly. And the truth is life contains all of it. It contains moments that we get what we want, contains moments we don't get what we want. And what we want to find really for equanimity is a state of happiness that can include all of it. […]
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