# Happiness Break: How Poetry Helps Us Feel and Heal

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-science-of-happiness-439105/happiness-break-how-poetry-helps-us-feel-and-heal
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-science-of-happiness-439105/happiness-break-how-poetry-helps-us-feel-and-heal.md
Podcast: [The Science of Happiness](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-science-of-happiness-439105)
Published: 2026-03-31T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://play.prx.org/listen?ge=prx_192_ba901cd7-bd82-4707-bf94-fed3235392f9&uf=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2FTheScienceOfHappiness
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/mgln.ai/e/48/dovetail.prxu.org/192/ba901cd7-bd82-4707-bf94-fed3235392f9/Segment_A_LongHB_Poetry.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-science-of-happiness-439105/episodes/happiness-break-how-poetry-helps-us-feel-and-heal
Duration seconds: 1035

## Resource

What happens in your brain when you read or write a poem? We listen to powerful poetry from you, our listeners, and uncover the neuroscience of why it helps us feel, process, and recover. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode. Today’s Happiness Break Guest: SUSAN MAGSAMEN is a Neurology professor at John Hopkins, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Y our Brain On Art: How the Arts Transform Us . Find Susan’s book here: https://www.yourbrainonart.com/ 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: How Art Heals Us: https://tinyurl.com/yc77fkzu Our Brains on Poetry: https://tinyurl.com/y9r9dyzd 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 Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/43p9jtny

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## Transcript

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