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:
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:
These days, most of us are taking a more hands-on approach to our health. And this week’s guest is going to explain why both physical and mental health are all in the gut. Dr. Sabine Hazan is a leading researcher and practitioner in the field of the gut microbiome. She’s here to talk about what a gut microbiome is, how it affects our overall well-being, and how to improve your own gut microbiome.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Pets bring us a tremendous amount of joy, but their loss creates a deep sense of grief. This week, as we honor National Dog Day on August 26 and Grief Awareness Day on August 30, we’re looking at the complicated journey of pet loss. This week’s guest, Brittany Derrenbacher, has focused her mental health studies on the complicated journey of pet loss and is here to tell us more about how to navigate this journey.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Singer songwriter Mary Gauthier has been changing the world one song at a time for the past 20 years. This week, Mary joins host Paula Felps to talk about her new book, Saved by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting, which is a fascinating look at the healing power of music both for those who create it and those who listen to it. She also talks with us about her work with SongwritingWith:Soldiers and Frontline Songs, and how those organizations are using music to help individuals heal from the trauma they’ve experienced.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The International Positive Psychology Association holds its World Congress to bring together the leading researchers and practitioners every other year. This week, host Paula Felps and Live Happy editor Chris Libby talk about some of the programs we enjoyed during this year’s virtual IPPA World Congress and discuss what research most intrigued and surprised us — and what we’re excited to learn more about. Here’s how that conversation went.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Health and happiness go hand in hand, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to start creating a healthier home. This week’s guest has been there, and she brought along a roadmap! Tonya Harris, a board-certified holistic nutritionist and author of The Slightly Greener Method, shows us how little adjustments can have a big impact on your family’s health. She shares how to create a cleaner, greener and healthier home.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Last year, poet Maggie Smith gave us the book we needed with the bestseller Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity and Change. This year, she’s back with a new book that helps us rediscover the magic of living in the moment. In this episode, Maggie talks about her new book, Goldenrod, which explores such common themes as parenthood, gratitude, solitude, love and loss. Then she explains how she has learned to live in the moment.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
As the song says, ya gotta have friends. But do you know just how good they are for you? This week’s guest, Hal Urban, is a lifelong teacher and author whose positive outlook has earned him the nickname, “The Good News Guy.” With his new book, The Power of Good News: Feeding Your Mind With What’s Good for Your Heart, he looks at the importance of positivity in our lives. In this episode, he explains what friendships do for us and how we can better understand and tap into their benefits.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Summertime is a great time to catch up on your reading, and this week, we’re going to give you some tips on great positive psychology reads for the rest of your summer. Andrea Goeglein is an author, business consultant and co-founder of the Hey, Boss Lady! podcast. She also has advanced training in positive psychology and incorporates its elements into her work as a success coach for business leaders. This week, she talks about five groundbreaking positive psychology books that can make your summer happier and improve your well-being.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Stress and anxiety are something we’re all familiar with, but this week’s guest uses the science of epigenetics to discover how stress and trauma from previous generations are affecting us today. Dr. Valerie Rein’s book, Patriarchy Stress Disorder: The invisible Inner Barrier to Women’s Happiness and Fulfillment, looks at the research behind this reality and provides tools for identifying and managing intergenerational stress. Today, she’s here to talk about how this works in our lives and how we can identify and overcome it.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Our world has become increasingly divided, but this week’s guest tells us how we can begin to close that divide. Peter Montoya is a thought leader, speaker and author who promotes civility and self-leadership as tools for change. His new book, The Second Civil War: A citizen’s guide to healing our fractured nation, looks at the challenges we’re facing as a society, how technology and media consumption increases our anxiety, and what each of us can do to help stop the conflict.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Today’s technology-driven world allows us to connect with others and stay informed like never before. But it’s no secret that living in the information age is also keeping us distracted and drained. In this episode, host Paula Felps talks with Dr. Charles Chaffin, a researcher, educator and the author of Numb: How the Information Age Dulls Our Senses and How We Can Get Them Back. His research looks at how our attention is being affected by everything from social media and cable news to dating apps and pornography.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
For almost 20 years, Dr. Kristin Neff has been teaching us about how to improve our well-being through self-compassion. Now, she’s teaching us how to get fierce. Kristin is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion and her newest book, Fierce Self-Compassion, looks at an often-overlooked aspect of self-compassion. But fierce self-compassion is just as important to our well-being as tender self-compassion, and she’s here to tell us why.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Creativity is something that often gets put on the back burner in our busy lives filled with obligations and deadlines. But Jill Allison Bryan believes that saying “yes” to your creative dreams can help make you a happier, healthier and more fulfilled human being—while making the world a better place. Jill is the founder of Creative Oasis Coaching and she has devoted her life to helping people identify their creative desires and helps them lose their creative blocks to discover freedom, purpose and joy.
In this episode, you’ll learn: