Live Happy Now

Positivity is a great thing—unless it becomes toxic. And this week, host Paula Felps sits down with psychotherapist Whitney Goodman, author of the new book, Toxic Positivity: Keeping it Real in a World Obsessed with Being Happy. Whitney explains what toxic positivity is, what it does to us, and how to manage it in ourselves and others. In this episode, you’ll learn: The difference between toxic positivity and healthy positivity. What the shame cycle is and how to avoid it. The benefits of complaining—and how to do it effectively.

If you’re looking to lead a healthier life this year, it’s important to make sure you’re getting your recommended daily allowance of fun. And this week, host Paula Felps talks with Scott Novis, a former Disney executive and founder of Bravous, a company that helps businesses improve employee experiences through live and virtual games. He shares how he uses fun and games to create happier workplaces — and how you can use those same ideas to deepen connections and create more fun at home. In this episode, you'll learn: Why it’s important to carve out time for fun. How to start a fun committee — and why it matters. Tips for creating better connections through fun.

It’s the start of a brand-new year, and many of us use this time to set new goals. This week’s guest tells us how we can use neuroscience to coach our brains for happiness. Joseph O’Connor is co-founder of the International Coaching Community and author of 19 books on coaching, training, and neuroscience. His newest book, Coaching the Brain, offers insights into how you use brain coaching techniques and emotional intelligence to create a happier, more fulfilling life. In this episode, you’ll learn: The difference between brain coaching and therapy. The importance of memories in being happy. What it means to become “well-stressed.”

Making the world a better place and helping those around us begins with change from within. And this week’s guest, Shelly Tygielski, gives us the blueprint on how to do that. Shelly is the author of the new book, Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the Community. She joins host Paula Felps to talk about how each of us can create profound change in the world if we first turn inward and care for ourselves. In this episode, you’ll learn: How each of us can become an agent for social change. The power of showing up and making incremental change. Why a commitment to self-care is the best way to help others.

When the pandemic began last year, traditional ways of volunteering and helping others disappeared. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with Shelly Tygielski to learn how this Florida mom and meditation teacher brought people together by creating a pandemic of her own. Shelly came up with a plan to connect people who needed help with people who were eager to give help. Her efforts went viral, kicking off what became known as Pandemic of Love — a global, grassroots, mutual aid organization that, within one year, had matched more than 1.5 million people and had allowed donors to directly give $54 million to those in need.  In this episode, you’ll learn: Where the idea to create the Pandemic of Love came from. The profound benefits of helping others in your community. How you can be involved in this viral movement.

Breathing is something we do every day, but have you thought about the way your breath is affecting your health? This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Josh Trent, founder of Wellness Force Media, host of the Wellness Force podcast and the creator of the BREATHE: Breath & Wellness Program. Josh has spent the past 19 years as a trainer, researcher, and facilitator discovering the physical and emotional intelligence we need to thrive in our modern world. In this episode, he talks about how our breath affects our physical and mental well-being — and gives us timely tips for using our breath to get through a hectic holiday season. In this episode, you’ll learn: What deep breathing does for your overall well-being. How to use breath to lower your anxiety. What “type” of breather you are — and how it affects you.

It’s time for celebrating the holidays, and for many people, that means walking through the minefield of social gatherings. But this week’s guest has the map to navigate them. Relationship expert Rachel DeAlto, author of the new book, Relatable: How to Connect With Anyone, Anywhere (Even if it Scares You), joins host Paula Felps to talk about why social gatherings may seem more daunting right now and how to ease social anxiety during the holidays (and into the new year). In this episode, you’ll learn: What it means to become relatable—and why it can be difficult for so many. How to lower your anxiety in social settings. Why it’s important to share good news or discuss positive topics.

With the holiday season now officially in full swing, there are a lot of emotions swirling around. And one that often isn’t discussed during this time of year is grief. This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Gina Moffa, a therapist who specializes in mindfulness-based therapies and focuses heavily on grief counseling and trauma studies. She talks about why it’s important to honor your grief and how to manage it – in yourself or others – through this holiday season and beyond. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why grief feels so much more consuming during the holidays and special occasions. How grief may trigger other emotions — and how to identify and manage them. What you can do this holiday season to honor your losses.

This week we’re celebrating Thanksgiving, and of course, that makes it a fantastic time to talk about one of our favorite subjects here at Live Happy Now: Gratitude. In this episode, Dr. Greg Hammer, a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, pediatric intensive care physician and author talks about how practicing gratitude can help improve your physical and mental well-being. Then Live Happy’s own Casey Johnson joins us to talk about our ongoing Gratitude Challenge and what’s new in the Live Happy Store! In this episode, you’ll learn: What the GAIN approach is and how it improves wellbeing. Examples of gratitude practices you can do in less than 5 minutes. How to be part of Live Happy’s ongoing Gratitude Challenge.

The holiday season is upon us, and we want to help you have a healthier, happier season! This week, Tonya Harris — a  board-certified holistic nutritionist and author of The Slightly Greener Method — is back to talk about some of the surprising dangers and toxins that are hidden in our favorite holiday decorations and traditions. Then, she’ll tell us how to trade them in for healthier choices. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why your holiday decorations might not be as safe as you thought. How to make your home healthier this season (and still have fun!). How to apply the 80/20 Rule to your holiday traditions.

How well do you know yourself — and do you want to know more? In this episode, we talk with Erin Claire Jones, a leadership coach who uses the principles of human design to help people understand their individual behavior. In this episode, you’ll learn: The spiritual principles behind human design. How to discover your personal “type”. How understanding your type could change the way you make decisions.

November is National Gratitude Month and of course, there’s no way we’d let it pass without a celebration! This week, Live Happy’s own Casey Johnson sits down with Paula Felps to talk about a new gratitude challenge we’re launching and to announce some exciting new things happening with Live Happy. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why it’s so important to practice gratitude How to be part of the Live Happy Gratitude Challenge What’s new on the Live Happy site

What if you could change your entire day—every day—with a high five? This week’s guest is going to tell you how! Mel Robbins is an international bestselling author who specializes in personal transformation. Her latest book, The High 5 Habit, introduces a fascinating, scientifically proven new way to become your own biggest cheerleader. She’s here today to tell you how a simple high five is about to change your life. In this episode, you’ll learn: What happens to your brain when you give yourself a high five. Why this simple practice can reset your outlook on life. How to join the High 5 Challenge.

Most of us think of yoga as a physical practice, but today’s guest shows us how it can help us develop our intuition and encourage us to follow our dreams. Kori Hahn is a yogi who promotes soul growth through practices like yoga and meditation. Her new book, Rituals of the Soul: Using the 8 Ancient Principles of Yoga to Create a Modern & Meaningful Life, explores yoga through the ancient text called the Yoga Sutras. Kori has translated and simplified that ancient text to create a modern, actionable way to use meditation, breathwork and other practices to develop intuition and cultivate greater focus and joy in our daily lives. In this episode, you’ll learn: The importance of learning to listen to our intuition. Why mindfulness is an important part of a daily practice. How to create your own rituals to inspire change in your life.

We all know that love is important, but why is it sometimes so hard to love ourselves? This week, host  Paula Felps talks Dr. Shainna Ali, a mental health clinician and author who promotes a strengths-based approach to the journey of self-love. Her new children’s book, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, is designed to help children explore the principles of self-love in their own lives. She explains why this book is so valuable for families and why this was the right time to write it. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why self-love is critical in mental well-being. Why it’s so important to teach self-love to children. Simple ways to practice self-love — at any age.

This week, we’re celebrating the 8th anniversary of Live Happy, which published its first magazine issue in October 2013. For this episode, Science Editor and Live Happy Now Host Paula Felps strolls down memory lane with Live Happy Editor Chris Libby to talk about 8 important principles we’ve learned over these 8 years.

Music can help heal our emotional wounds, but it heals us physically, too. This week’s guest, recording artist Paul Cardall, was born with a congenital heart defect that doctors believed he could not survive. But he proved them wrong, and as part of his healing journey, he discovered the power of music. Today, he is a classical pianist who not only creates healing music but shares with others how it can soothe the heart — literally and figuratively. In this episode, you’ll learn: What made Paul turn to music for healing. Why it is beneficial to both the mind and the body. How he uses what he’s learned about music to help others heal.

A Grumble-Free Life with Amy Parker & Tricia Goyer As moms, Amy Parker and Tricia Goyer were no strangers to “the grumbles.” As writers, that led them to team up on the children’s book, The Grumbles: A Story About Gratitude. Find out what inspired this book, how it changed their families and how it can help your family learn to live in gratitude. In this episode, you’ll learn: How (and why) to identify your “grumble style”. What you can do to adopt a more grateful mindset. Why it’s important to teach children a gratitude practice.

Anxiety is at an all-time high these days, but this week’s guest says that might not be such a bad thing! Dr. Wendy Suzuki is a professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. Her new book, GOOD ANXIETY: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion looks at anxiety in a whole new way and explains how we can use the gift of anxiety to improve our focus, productivity, communication skills and so much more. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why anxiety can become our best ally. What languishing is and what we can do about it. How anxiety can help us build empathy.

Stanford professor and psychologist William Damon didn’t learn the truth about his missing father until he became an adult. That surprising discovery led him on a journey to make peace with his past, and he talks about that journey in his fascinating new book, A Round of Golf with My Father: The New Psychology of Exploring Your Past to Make Peace with Your Present. In this episode, you'll learn: The importance of finding your purpose. What a life review is — and how it can change your future. Why it’s never too late to reevaluate your past.