Eli Susman, PhD

From the Lab to Real Life—and Back Again

What if well-being didn’t require stepping away from life—but could live inside it?

That single question has guided my career, my research, and ultimately this book.

I trained as a psychologist, earning my Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, after completing my B.A. at Middlebury College. My research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Greater Good Science Center, and the Mind & Life Institute.

But the question didn’t stay in the lab.

I spent months living in monasteries. Sat long meditation retreats. Taught yoga—from the US to rural Madagascar. Trained in contemplative traditions within the cultures, communities, and lineages that sustain them.

What mattered most wasn’t accumulating experiences or insight—it was bringing those insights back into daily life and testing them rigorously.

Could they work for everyday people with packed schedules? Could they survive stress, distraction, and modern life?

Back at Berkeley and Harvard, I led peer-reviewed research on brief, science-based practices—often just 20 or 30 seconds long—that can meaningfully improve how people feel in the middle of everyday life.

The focus was always practical: small actions—how we breathe, move, touch, or speak to ourselves—and how to help those actions become habits that last.

Micropractice: A Name I Created for What I Couldn’t Find Elsewhere

Micropractice is my term for brief, research-backed well-being tools you can use in 30 seconds or less.

It’s not about squeezing self-care into your life. It’s about weaving well-being into how you already live.

These aren’t watered-down hacks.

They’re distilled practices—grounded in science, rooted in contemplative wisdom, and designed to work in the actual rhythm of your day.

Built to be consistent, not long.
Gentle, not guilt-inducing.
Real, not idealized.

This work isn’t about squeezing calm into the cracks of an overloaded schedule.

It’s about rethinking how we relate to time, awareness, and ourselves.

Micropractices don’t just help you survive busy days—they invite a new way of being: one breath, one gesture, one moment at a time.

I developed Micropractice during my Ph.D. at Berkeley and have led the research behind it from day one—especially the part most approaches skip: how practices become habits that actually stick.

Where You Might Have Seen the Work

Since publishing the first peer-reviewed study on micropractices, my work has been featured in over 100 media outlets in more than 30 languages, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, CNN, BBC, CBS News, ABC News, Daily Mail, Hidden Brain on NPR, Forbes, Inc., Psychology Today, CNBC, New York Post, FOX News, Ten Percent Happier, The Science of Happiness Podcast, Mindful, The Telegraph, and more.

The work’s influence continues to grow, including recognition from Greater Good Magazine as The Top 10 Insights from the “Science of a Meaningful Life” in 2024, selected from nominations by nearly 400 researchers worldwide.

The Book

Micropractice (Avery | Penguin Random House, Fall 2026), distills time-honored wisdom and cutting-edge science into practical tools you can use anytime, anywhere.

It’s set to be published in 16 languages (and counting), reflecting how universal the need is for calm, clarity, and joy in fast-paced lives.

This book goes beyond what most resources offer.
It doesn’t just tell you what to do—it helps you make it stick.
Not through grit or guilt. Through evidence-backed strategies my research shows actually work.

Why I Made This

If you’ve ever felt like you don’t have time for self-care, this is for you.

I’ve been there too. That’s why I built something grounded, flexible, and kind—something that can fit inside a single breath, and stay with you long after.

Not another thing to keep up with.
A way of being you can return to—again and again—right where you are.