What happens when the world sees you as a hero, but you feel lost inside? Abby Wambach, a trailblazer in women’s soccer, shares how facing life’s challenges after retirement helped her discover truth, healing, and self-love.

Summary: Abby Wambach spent years chasing excellence as a world-class athlete, only to find that winning gold didn’t bring the inner fulfillment she craved. In this powerful conversation, she reflects on addiction, shame, identity, and the hard-earned lessons of self-love. Her honesty reveals a new kind of strength. One rooted in vulnerability and the courage to be fully seen.

This episode was supported by a grant from The John Templeton Foundation on Spreading Love Through The media.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Acknowledge the belief that achievement or perfection will make you feel whole.
2. Notice when success doesn’t bring lasting happiness, and let yourself feel that disappointment.
3. Share your struggles honestly, even the ones you're ashamed of.
4. Choose to live openly instead of hiding parts of yourself to fit others’ expectations.
5. Ask yourself where your beliefs about worthiness and shame come from.
6. Keep coming back to love and accept yourself, especially the parts you were taught to hide.

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Today’s Guests:

ABBY WAMBACH is a two time World Olympic gold medalist, FIFA world champion, and bestselling author. She is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and a six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award.

Follow Abby on Instagram here: @abbywambach

Order her book We Can Do Hard Things here: https://treatmedia.com/

Listen to Abby’s podcast here: https://wecandohardthingspodcast.com/

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:

Why Going Offline Might Save Us: https://tinyurl.com/e7rhsakj

The Contagious Power of Compassion: https://tinyurl.com/3x7w2s5s

How Awe Helps You Navigate Life’s Challenges: https://tinyurl.com/2466rnm4

Related Happiness Breaks:

Take a Break With Our Loving-Kindness Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/2kr4fjz5

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

Message us or leave a comment on Instagram @scienceofhappinesspod. E-mail us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/25p25ctd

Through poetic reflection, Yrsa Daley-Ward helps us embrace the in-between moments, reminding us that the unknown can be the very terrain where real change begins.

1. Settle into Stillness: Find a quiet space, get comfortable, and take a few slow breaths to arrive in the moment.
2. Acknowledge the Unknown: Gently notice and name any uncertainty, confusion, or emotional fog you’re feeling without needing to fix it.
3. Welcome the Silence: Allow the silence and stillness to be here, trusting it holds meaning even if it feels uncomfortable.
4. Reflect with Gentle Words: Repeat silently or write: “To love yourself through the darkness is to plant gardens at night.”
5. Feel Your Connection: Remember that many others are also sitting with uncertainty, and you are not alone in this experience.
6. Close with Compassion: Offer yourself kindness through touch or words and affirm that this pause is part of your growth.

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Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

YRSA DALEY-WARD is an award-winning poet and author. Her debut novel, The Catch, comes out June 3rd.
Learn more about Yrsa here: https://yrsadaleyward.squarespace.com/

Pre-order her book here: https://tinyurl.com/yanw6bb5

Related Happiness Break episodes:

Using Art As Medicine Series: https://tinyurl.com/k3mneupx

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

How To Awaken Your Creative Energy: https://tinyurl.com/4fknd8ev

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

Our Brains on Poetry: https://tinyurl.com/y9r9dyzd

How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/yc77fkzu

Are You Following Your Inner Compass: https://tinyurl.com/y2bh8vvj

Follow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/234u5ds7

Learn how poetry can help your brain handle stress, process feelings, and spark insight.

Summary: This episode of The Science of Happiness is part of our series Using Art As Medicine. We explore poetry, one of the oldest artforms, powers our brains, calms our nervous systems, and reduces anxiety by opening doors into our psyche. Whether you're reading or writing it, elements like rhythm, metaphor and rhyme improve memory, cognition and even self-esteem.

This episode is made possible through the generous support of the John Templeton Foundation.

How To Do This Practice:

1. Find Your Moment: Notice the time of day when you feel closest to yourself. It might be early morning before the world wakes up, or another quiet pocket of time when your thoughts are unfiltered and your heart is open.
2. Set the Scene: Create an atmosphere that supports you. Play music that matches your mood or inspires imagination. Let it be soft and inviting, not distracting, just enough to signal to your body that this is a sacred moment.
3. Choose Your Tools: Use what feels natural. Journal, laptop, scrap paper, napkin, the format doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re ready to begin.
4. Write Without Interruption: Set a timer for 5 to 10 minutes. Let your pen or fingers move freely. Don’t stop, don’t edit, and don’t worry about making sense, just see what comes.
5. Welcome the Unsaid: Allow what’s hidden, half-formed, or surprising to emerge.
6. Let It Be What It Is: When the timer ends, pause. Don’t rush to interpret or fix your words. You’ve just made contact with something real, let that be enough.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

YRSA DALEY-WARD is an award-winning poet and author. Her debut novel, The Catch, comes out June 3rd.
Learn more about Yrsa here: https://yrsadaleyward.squarespace.com/

Pre-order her book here: https://tinyurl.com/yanw6bb5

DR. SUSAN MAGSAMEN is a Professor of Neurology at John Hopkins, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Your Brain On Art: How the Arts Transform Us.
Learn more about Dr. Magsamen here: https://tinyurl.com/33v8m5md

Read Dr. Magsamen’s book here: https://tinyurl.com/426k87f2

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:

Using Art As Medicine Series: https://tinyurl.com/k3mneupx

How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/yc77fkzu

How Awe Helps You Navigate Life’s Challenges: https://tinyurl.com/2466rnm4

Related Happiness Breaks:

How To Awaken Your Creative Energy: https://tinyurl.com/4fknd8ev

Making Space For You: https://tinyurl.com/yk6nfnfv

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

Tell us about your experience with poetry. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/y9r9dyzd