PBS has an excellent 3 part series called This Emotional Life  narrated by Daniel Gilbert who is a psychology professor at Harvard University – here is a link to his website: http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~dtg/gilbert.htm

Dan Gilbert, PhD,
Professor Harvard University

The program is available on NetFlix or possibly at some of the links I have provided below. One of the enduring observations that is made by this series is the power that we have to modify our emotional template over our lifetime despite, tragedy, grief, anger, loss, and abandonment, by discovering the strengths that exist within us and around us that can help us to foster a ‘happier existence’ – not happy as a permanent state – but a relatively more stable presence in the moments that make us happier. The program looks at some of the struggles that individuals with depression, anxiety, impulse control, and addiction must confront in their pain and in the recovery from that pain, and gives an approachable overview of current science (from neurons to neighborhoods), and what you might do personally to change your own experience of happiness. (Not avoid pain – but accept that despite it being present at times for all of us – that you can move through grief and still have a meaningful life).

This link provides access to as many as 42 videos: The series This Emotional Life 1, 2, 3 is what I am referring to here however there are many others to choose from.

This Emotional Life Trailer (sorry about the pre-program ad)

http://video.pbs.org/video/1274855067

Access to more of the programs:

http://video.pbs.org/program/this-emotional-life/

An interesting clip about the relationship between excitement/stress response and attraction:

http://video.pbs.org/video/1373962223

Main page:

http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/