1KHO 914: The More We Pursue Happiness, The More We Suffer | Dr. Russ Harris, The Happiness Trap

1KHO 914: The More We Pursue Happiness, The More We Suffer | Dr. Russ Harris, The Happiness Trap

From The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast by 1000 Hours Outside

September 9, 2026 · 1h 0m

About this episode

Ginny Yurich discusses with Dr. Russ Harris how the pursuit of happiness can lead to suffering and offers alternative approaches to emotional well-being.

Ginny Yurich sits down with Dr. Russ Harris, physician, therapist, and bestselling author of The Happiness Trap, for a powerful conversation about why our pursuit of happiness can actually make us miserable—and what to do instead. Drawing on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Russ explains why a meaningful life isn’t one without anxiety, sadness, frustration, or fear. Instead of constantly trying to suppress uncomfortable emotions or distract ourselves from them, he shares practical tools for allowing difficult feelings to exist without letting them dictate our actions. Russ walks Ginny through his “dropping anchor” technique using the simple ACE framework: acknowledge your thoughts and feelings, connect with your body, and engage with the world around you. They also explore urge surfing, self-compassion, breaking free from harsh self-judgment, and why there’s no “delete button” in the brain. For parents especially, this conversation offers a freeing alternative to the pressure to create perfectly happy, successful lives—for ourselves or our children. A rich life, Russ reminds us, includes the full range of human emotion while staying connected to what truly matters. Get…

People in this episode

Host: Ginny Yurich

Guest: Dr. Russ Harris

Topics covered

Keywords

Sponsors

My Green Mattress, BetterHelp

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Happiness Trap

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