Thread by @TheAtlantic

1/ Our journey to happier living starts with the question “How do I feel right now?” In the first episode of "How To Build a Happy Life," @arthurbrooks and @danbharris explore the neuroscience of emotional management—and the first small step you can take.
cms.megaphone.fm/channel/howto?…

2/ Pop culture tells us that we should get in touch with our feelings, Arthur says, but there's a danger in being too reactive to them. Our feelings are often out of balance. Meditation is one way to manage them—not eradicate them completely.

3/ @danharris, a former broadcast journalist who now hosts @10percent, was once skeptical of the value of meditation. "But then I saw the science that really strongly suggests that it can lower your blood pressure, boost your immune system, rewire key parts of your brain."

4/ Here are Dan's tips to practice mindfulness meditation:
1⃣Sit quietly: spine straight, eyes shut.
2⃣ Bring your full attention to the feeling of your breath coming in and going out. Focus on one spot.
3⃣Your mind will go into mutiny mode. That's OK. Simply start again.

5/5 “The goal of meditation is not to stop all thoughts, but just to change your relationship to these thoughts,” Dan says.

🎧 This week on “How to Build a Happy Life”: Manage your feelings so they don’t manage you. Listen and subscribe:
theatlantic.com/podcasts/how-t…