The Well Festival: Live Interviews About Health and Happiness

New York Times

07-05-2025

The first-ever Well Festival, hosted by the Well desk of The New York Times, runs from 9:30 a.m. Eastern to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. A livestream is available here.
Below is the full schedule and a brief description of each of the 13 panels, covering love and relationships, the quest for joy, facing adversity, protecting mental health, aging well and many other issues that matter to us all.
9:35 a.m.
'Building a Life of Joy'
Tracee Ellis Ross — the former star of 'black-ish,' current owner of PATTERN Beauty and future star of 'Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross' — is known for her joyful demeanor. She speaks with Lori Leibovich, the editor of The Times's Well desk, about what brings her that joy and what the rest of us can do to get more of it in our own lives.
10 a.m.
'Finding Meaning in the Face of Adversity'
Suleika Jaouad burst into the public eye in 2012 with 'Life, Interrupted,' a column in The Times in which she wrote about facing cancer in her 20s. Since then, she has faced two recurrences, most recently last year. Throughout, she has been open about leukemia's impact on her life, including in her memoir 'Between Two Kingdoms.' Patia Braithwaite, an editor on the Well desk, will interview her.
10:30 a.m.
'Protecting Your Happiness in the Age of Social Media'
Dani Blum, a Well reporter, will moderate a conversation between Lisa Damour, a psychologist specializing in children's and teenagers' health, and Gabriela Nguyen, the founder of Appstinence, a student organization at the Harvard Graduate School of Education that encourages people to quit social media — as Ms. Nguyen did herself.
11:15 a.m.
'How to Fix Your Relationships'
Terry Real is a family therapist, author and public speaker who specializes in relationships. Jancee Dunn, the author of Well's newsletter, will interview him about how couples can build more satisfying lives together, avoid common interpersonal mistakes and fix problems in their relationships and sex lives.
11:40 a.m.
'Getting Honest With Ourselves: A Conversation About Mental Health'
Charlamagne Tha God is known for interviewing public figures on his radio show 'The Breakfast Club' — and for his openness about depression, anxiety and addiction. He will talk with Astead Herndon, a national politics reporter for The Times, about how he manages his mental health and what needs to change to reduce stigma, especially in Black communities.
1:25 p.m.
'Food as Nourishment, Community and Happiness'
Samin Nosrat is the author of the cookbook 'Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking,' and Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, who hosts the podcast 'The Science of Happiness.' The Times food writer Kim Severson will investigate how they think about cooking and food as sources of pleasure and community.
1:55 p.m.
'What We've Learned From 80 Years of Happiness Research'
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest-running study of human happiness, and Dr. Robert Waldinger, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is its current director. Susan Dominus, a Times reporter who wrote a recent profile of Dr. Waldinger, will interview him about the study's findings and how we can apply them to our own lives.
2:25 p.m.
'Movement for Joy'
It's easy to see exercise as a chore. But Robin Arzón, an endurance athlete and head instructor for Peloton, and Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist at Stanford University, have found it to be a source of joy. They will discuss revelatory fitness with Danielle Friedman, a frequent Well contributor who wrote a book about women's exercise culture.
3:05 p.m.
'How to Find Joy in an Anxious World'
Dan Harris, a former journalist, began meditating after having a panic attack on national television — and then wrote a book called '10% Happier.' Sara Bareilles is a singer, songwriter and Broadway star who opened up a few years ago about her experiences with depression and anxiety. Along with Dacher Keltner, making a second appearance at the festival, they will discuss how they cope.
3:35 p.m.
'Can You Make Peace With Your Body?'
Jameela Jamil, best known for playing the name-dropping socialite Tahani Al-Jamil in 'The Good Place,' has been outspoken about her struggles with eating disorders and body image. Lisa Miller, a Well reporter, will interview her about her advocacy for body positivity, as well as how she found peace with her body and how others might do the same.
4:05 p.m.
'The Science of Aging Well'
Dr. Peter Attia is a podcast host who promotes an aggressive regimen to prevent chronic disease and maximize health late in life. Kate Lowenstein, the deputy editor of Well, will interview him about his fitness, nutrition and sleep routines, and whether an average person can emulate a program for which his practice charges tens of thousands of dollars a year.
4:35 p.m.
'The Stories We Tell in Love and Relationships'
Orna Guralnik is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who counsels real couples in the docu-series 'Couples Therapy,' a new season of which airs on May 22. In a conversation with Caitlin Roper, the executive producer for scripted film and television at The Times, she will speak about the stories we tell in love and relationships.
5 p.m.
'Being the M.V.P. of Your Own Life'
Dwyane Wade, an N.B.A. Hall of Fame shooting guard, will talk to Marc Lacey, a managing editor at The Times, about masculinity, vulnerability, fatherhood, and how and why he has become healthier since leaving basketball.