Sonja Lyubomirsky

At a glance

• Russian-born American psychologist and professor in the psychology department at the University of California, Riverside.
• Has spent over twenty years studying what makes people lastingly happier, testing simple ‘positive activities’ such as gratitude letters, acts of kindness and self-compassion in controlled studies.
• Wrote ‘The How of Happiness’ (2007), an accessible book based on that research, and ‘The Myths of Happiness’ (2013) on our expectations around major life events.
• Recent studies cover self-compassion, who benefits most from writing a gratitude letter, the effects of cutting back on smartphone use, and how AI may affect wellbeing and connection.
• She stresses that happiness exercises do not work equally well for everyone: the fit between person and activity, and the motivation to keep going, make the difference.
• Relevant because social connection and wellbeing are linked to long-term health; she offers evidence-based exercises rather than vague self-help. Recently a guest of Rangan Chatterjee.