Newsletter

Receive regular updates about forthcoming events and other news from Intelligence Squared

Thanks

You have been added to our mailing list and will now be among the first to hear about events.

Watch

Happy Mind, Happy Life, with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Science &
Technology

Why motivation alone isn't always enough for us to maintain a healthy lifestyle

Happiness is good for your health. That’s the argument of Dr Rangan Chatterjee, one of the most influential doctors in the UK and host of Europe’s biggest health podcast Feel Better, Live More. Throughout his career, Dr Chatterjee has seen first-hand how motivation isn’t always enough for us to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It’s his view that it is only when we learn how to support our own mental well-being and cultivate core happiness that these choices become easy.

In January 2026, Dr Chatterjee came to Intelligence Squared alongside writer Oliver Burkeman to share cutting-edge insights into the science of happiness and to reveal the simple ways to put you back in control of your health. Dr Chatterjee drew from the new and updated edition of his book Happy Mind, Happy Life to reveal real-life case studies and over 20 practical exercises, including lessons on how to:

* Treat yourself with respect

* Improve your relationship with your phone

* Deal with criticism

Speakers for the motion

  • Dr Rangan Chatterjee

    Doctor, podcaster and bestselling author of Happy Mind, Happy Life

Against the motion

  • Oliver Burkeman

    Journalist and author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals 

Speakers

speaker

Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Doctor, podcaster and bestselling author of Happy Mind, Happy Life

One of the most influential doctors in the UK with over two decades of experience as a GP. He now hosts Europe's biggest health podcast, Feel Better, Live More. He is the author of six Sunday Times bestsellers including the bestseller Happy Mind, Happy Life. He regularly appears on BBC television and national radio. His TED talk, How To Make Disease Disappear, has almost six million views.
Host

Oliver Burkeman

Journalist and author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals 

Oliver Burkeman is a feature writer for The Guardian. He is a winner of the Foreign Press Association's Young Journalist of the Year Award and has been shortlisted for the Orwell Prize. He wrote a popular weekly column on psychology, ‘This Column Will Change Your Life,’ and has reported from New York, London, and Washington, D.C. His books include Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals and The Antidote: Happiness for People who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. He lives in New York City.