Live Happy Now

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which makes it a great time to remind ourselves of some of the best practices to improve our well-being. Join host Paula Felps as she talks with Live Happy CEO and co-founder Deborah Heisz about some of the new research around happiness, why our mental health is at risk these days, and what we can do about it.  In this episode, you’ll learn: Why our happiness...

We are living in rapidly changing times, and many people feel exhausted by the events that are unfolding. But this week’s guest says that letting go of our attachment to what’s happening could be the best thing for our mental health. Host Paula Felps talks with Dr. Bob Rosen, a bestselling author known for his work on leadership and personal development, about his latest book, Detach: Ditch Your B...

Scott Crabtree founded the company Happy Brain Science to help others discover well-being rooted in positive psychology. And, as a semi-professional musician, he knows firsthand how we can use music as a tool for boosting our mood and regulating our emotions. During difficult times, music can be particularly helpful, and in this episode, Scott sits down with host Paula Felps to talk about why musi...

What if the only thing standing between you and a more fulfilling life was your mindset? This week, host Paula Felps talks with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman — a leading cognitive psychologist, professor at Columbia University, director of the Center for Human Potential, and host of The Psychology Podcast — about how today’s culture has helped foster a victim mindset. His latest book, Rise Above: Overco...

When Sam Simon’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, he used his theatrical experience to chronicle his journey as a caregiver. And when he was diagnosed with cognitive decline in 2022, he turned that into a theatrical experience as well. Today, his one-man play, Dementia Man: An Existential Journey, recounts his journey and reshapes the narrative for families living with dementia and cognitive...

We all have birthdays, but maybe we’re not getting as much out of them as we could! This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming, a birthday aficionado and author of the book and workbook, How to Have a Happy Birthday: Create Meaning, Fulfillment and Joy on Your Special Day. Tamar offers a new spin on how we approach birthdays and explains how we can use it as a yearly chance to...

In tumultuous times, mindset matters more than ever. So this week, host Paula Felps sits down with Michael Pilarczyk, bestselling author of the book Master Your Mindset: Live a Meaningful Life and founder of the Meditation Moments app. Michael shares how we can create a happier life — even in the most challenging times — by changing our mindset.  In this episode, you’ll learn: How to let go of neg...

The release of the World Happiness Report each year offers insight into our global well-being. This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Dr. Felix Cheung, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and a faculty fellow at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. He’s also the Canada Research Chair in Population Well-being at the University of Toronto and one of the co-aut...

March 23 is National Puppy Day, which makes it a great time to talk about how and why we celebrate puppies. But before talking about how and why we celebrate that event, host Brittany Derrenbacher sits down with Paula Felps to dive into some new research on petting your dogs that just might change the way you leave the house. Then, Brittany explains what your dog might be thinking while you’re gon...

Some of our most vital connections are those we make with our romantic partners, but they can also be our most challenging. This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Greg Kettner, relationship expert Dr Gloria Lee, a professor of counselling psychology and clinical director at Brentwood Counselling Centre in Vancouver, Canada, and author of the best-selling book, The Connected Couple: 7 Secrets to...

As we continue exploring the importance of connections, we can’t ignore the growing problem of loneliness in the workplace. This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Greg Kettner, a speaker and workplace happiness expert who founded the Work Happy movement. Greg has studied how loneliness at work affects us all, and in this episode, he shares what he’s learned and what we all can do to become more...

As part of Happiness Month, we’re exploring the theme of Connections, so this week, host Paula Felps is joined by Dr. Nichole Argo, founder and executive director of the TogetherUp Institute, which has launched a national movement of Americans who want to connect and collaborate across our differences. Nichole also co-hosts the Reimagining Us podcast, which looks at how to heal division in our com...

This week, as we move toward our Happiness Month, we’re bringing you what you might call a happiness double header. In this episode, host Paula Felps is joined by two influencers of the global happiness movement: Deborah Heisz, co-founder of Live Happy, and Karen Guggenheim, founder of the World Happiness Summit (WOHASU). Tune in to find out how connections and community are taking center stage in...

We’ve all seen service dogs in action, but most of us don’t know just what heroes they are.  Today’s guest is here to tell us all about the secret lives of service dogs. Shannon Walker is the CEO & Founder of Northwest Battle Buddies, a nonprofit providing service dogs to combat veterans with PTSD. Inspired by her father, who was a veteran, she also founded Man’s Best Friend Dog Training and h...

From childhood, we’re taught that helping others is the right thing to do. But what happens when it goes too far? This week, host Paula Felps sits down with author and podcast host Amy Wilson to talk about her entertaining new book, Happy to Help: Adventures of a People Pleaser, to learn more about what turns us into people pleasers, when to know it’s a problem, and what to do about it. In this ep...

This is a time of year when we celebrate love, but we sometimes take for granted the special love that our friendships offer. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with professor and research psychologist Dr. Kimberly Horn to learn more about just how important friendships are for our health and happiness — and what we can do to make them stronger and more fulfilling. In this episode, you’ll learn...

The cold, gray days of winter can have a direct effect on our mental health, so this week, host Paula Felps sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Michele Leno to learn more about how we can make the next few weeks a little brighter — regardless of what’s going on outside our window. Michele offers insight into how seasonal changes affect our brains and what we can do for ourselves and those aro...

It's a common belief that achieving our goals and reaching success equates to peace and happiness. But what happens when it doesn’t? This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Tom Rosshirt, a former Capitol Hill press secretary and White House speechwriter who reached the pinnacle of his career only to find himself battling anxiety, depression, and illness. In his new book, Chasing Peace: A Story of...

As we grapple with the challenges of living in a polarized society, psychologist Kurt Gray returns to talk about how we can find common ground. In the second part of this two-part episode, Kurt, author of the new book, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground, guides us through the steps to foster more civil dialogue. He also delves into the role that empath...

We have entered a time of unprecedented polarization that’s creating division among friends, family members, and co-workers. Understanding what’s driving our outrage is the first step in discovering what we can do about it, and in this first of two episodes, host Paula Felps sits down with Kurt Gray, author of the new book, Outrage: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common G...

This is the perfect time to think about what we’d like to accomplish in the new year, and starting a creativity practice is one way to discover new strengths and reach new goals. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with Rochelle Seltzer, a leadership coach, speaker, and author of Live Big: A Manifesto for a Creative Life. She explains why creativity is a natural boost for our mental health and t...

As we wrap up 2024 and head into the new year, many of us start thinking about what we’d like to accomplish in 2025. But it’s important to pause for a moment and look at what we’ve done over the past 12 months. This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Live Happy CEO and co-founder Deborah Heisz to talk about the power of reflection. Find out why taking time to celebrate what you’ve done and review...

It may be called the most wonderful time of the year, but for many people, it’s the most stressful. Nine out of 10 Americans report feeling stressed out right now, so this week host Paula Felps talks with author and mindfulness expert Julie Potiker about how her SNAP mindfulness method can help lower your stress level throughout the holiday season — and beyond.   In this episode, you’ll learn: Why...

With holiday gatherings just around the corner, many of us are experiencing a familiar feeling of anxiety. Annual gatherings can often unearth familiar arguments, so this week, host Paula Felps talks with author and success coach Dr. Andrea Goeglein to learn how to navigate those gatherings with less stress and greater success.     In this episode, you’ll learn: What drives anxiety around family h...

As we move toward the new year, it’s common to think about what we’d like to see unfold in the coming months. This week, host Paula Felps talks with Francesca Sipma, an international speaker, trainer, and author who created a process called hypnobreathwork to help people connect with their state of flow and discover their purpose. In her powerful new book, Unblock Your Purpose: Breathwork, Intuiti...