Rick Hanson Ph.D.

About

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, a Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and a New York Times best-selling author. His seven books have been published in 33 languages and include Making Great Relationships, Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Just One Thing, Buddha’s Brain, and Mother Nurture – with over a million copies in English alone. He's the founder of the Global Compassion Coalition and the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, as well as the co-host of the Being Well Podcast – which has been downloaded over 15 million times. His free newsletters have over 260,000 subscribers and his online programs have scholarships available for those with financial needs. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on CBS, NPR, the BBC, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and has taught in meditation centers worldwide.

Books by Rick Hanson Ph.D.

Recent Posts

Your Brain Development

Each brain function is served by a brain region that first evolved to handle it. This fact has significant implications.

Use Good as Your Guide

We are constructed each moment by currents. We have no choice but to live by these currents. But we can choose to give ourselves over to the good ones.

Enjoying Space and the Emptiness It Holds

Enjoy emptiness in the forms, the space between thoughts, as your mind calms and becomes still when you have no plans.

What Are the Most Important Things to Remember?

It's good advice not to sweat the small stuff, but to nurture the large stuff. Center yourself with what’s truly important to you.

Why We Should Encourage Our Minds to Rest

Tell the truth to yourself about how much time you truly come to rest — the time when you don't do anything at all, with a sense of relaxation and ease.

Know Your Accomplishments and Don't Just Focus on "Getting Somewhere"

To survive, animals — including us — have to be goal-directed, leaning into the future. This focus can get confusing and stressful.

Don't Focus on What Others Have Done

Acknowledging one's own part in a difficult situation is one of the hardest—and I think most honorable—things a person can do.

What to Do When You Feel Mistreated

Many of us have a "case," or a grievance against another person who has mistreated us. Dropping our case could bring more benefits than we realize.

Life Is Full of Tradeoffs Between Benefits and Costs

Sometimes the rewards of going for a run, getting fresh air, and improving health may be worth the cost of losing half an hour of work time while gaining a pair of achy legs.

What's in a Facial Expression?

Understanding facial expressions gives us a chance to feel connected to others.