“Try This” from The Washington Post is a series of audio courses designed to jump-start the parts of life where we can all use a few pointers — with pithy, snac...
Many of us are caught in a loop of instant gratification, driven by the brain’s reward system. In this episode, host Cristina Quinn talks with psychiatrist and addiction expert Anna Lembke about how to break free from compulsive digital habits and reset our dopamine levels.Anna explains how our brains become desensitized to pleasure over time, making us crave more and more stimulation. The good news? A 30-day “abstinence trial” can help reset our baseline and bring our dopamine levels back into balance. But quitting isn’t easy — temporary withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, irritability and boredom often surface before things improve.Through her own experience overcoming an unexpected addiction, Anna shares strategies to resist temptation, set up barriers to consumption and replace addictive behaviors with more fulfilling activities.Reclaiming our attention isn’t just about cutting back — it’s about learning to be present, engage with the world around us and rediscover what truly brings us joy.Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.
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15:45
This is your brain on dopamine
Ever wonder why you can’t stop scrolling, even when you know you should? It probably comes down to dopamine, a key neurotransmitter that drives pleasure and motivation. In this episode, host Cristina Quinn talks to psychiatrist Anna Lembke, author of “Dopamine Nation,” about the neuroscience behind digital addiction.Anna explains how our devices keep us hooked by triggering dopamine surges — and why, over time, this actually leaves us feeling worse. She breaks down the “plenty paradox,” the idea that having unlimited access to pleasure might be making us more anxious and less happy.But the good news? We can reset our dopamine levels and regain control of our attention. This episode lays the groundwork for understanding the science behind our tech habits — so we can start making intentional changes.Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.
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9:39
Why doing good feels great
In the third and final episode of our three-part course on cultivating joy, host Cristina Quinn dives into the connection between spreading kindness and experiencing happiness. Steven Petrow, author of “The Joy You Make,” shares compelling research on the “helper’s high” and how you can bring joy to others and yourself — whether it’s through volunteering, helping a neighbor or even sharing a simple moment with a stranger.Steven also challenges listeners to reconnect with lost traditions, such as handwriting letters, and shows how something as simple as picking up the phone can deepen relationships and spread joy.For more on spreading joy, read about “kindness contagion” and how to build connections in adult life. Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.
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11:30
Get lost. And play a little.
In this second class in our course on finding joy, host Cristina Quinn explores practical exercises to help you embrace joy in everyday life. Steven Petrow, author of “The Joy You Make” and a contributing columnist for The Post, shares how things like wandering without a destination and rediscovering play can open the door to more joy, even during life’s toughest moments.Steven helps you learn how to cultivate joy through presence and curiosity, the transformative power of “getting lost” to create unexpected moments of connection, and how to embrace play — without the pressure to win.For more of Steven’s work on joy, read about how he found joy during the most difficult times in his life and how he learned to build play into his life. Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.
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9:29
Some happiness is predetermined. The rest is up to you.
Happiness, it turns out, comes down to a science — even though what makes each of us happy can vary pretty widely. Host Cristina Quinn talks to happiness scientist Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director at UC-Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, about exactly what makes us happy and how much of our sense of joy is within our control. Drawing from the science of happiness, Emiliana explains that happiness isn’t about chasing fleeting positive emotions, but rather it’s about fostering an overarching sense of contentment, belonging and resilience. She also lays out how much of happiness is influenced by genetics, external circumstances and the choices we make.This course reminds us that happiness isn’t out of reach — it’s something we can cultivate every day. Emiliana and her colleagues at the Greater Good Science Center have been collecting data on happiness through the Big Joy Project, a seven-day online study where participants are assigned a micro-act of joy every day. Learn more about the project here. For some extra happiness tips, read about trying new things for joy and embracing “joy snacks.”Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.
“Try This” from The Washington Post is a series of audio courses designed to jump-start the parts of life where we can all use a few pointers — with pithy, snackable solutions you can easily use. Host Cristina Quinn brings exactly the right amount of motivation with her endearing enthusiasm and the curiosity to learn along with you. Each course is a quick and practical guide that provides new perspectives on the kinds of hurdles we all share. If you’ve been searching for the right place to start, Try This.
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