Harvesting Happiness

Harvesting Happiness is proud to partner with the researchers and scholars at the Mental Immunity Project (MIP) and Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE) . This episode is part of a series exploring disinformation, media literacy, and the emerging science of cognitive immunology. In the US, as the election season approaches many people will have the opportunity to have conversations...

Harvesting Happiness is proud to partner with the researchers and scholars at the Mental Immunity Project (MIP) and Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE). This episode is part of a series exploring disinformation, media literacy, and the emerging science of cognitive immunology. Fear and doubt serve as powerful tools in the political landscape, allowing politicians to manipulate publ...

Harvesting Happiness is proud to partner with the researchers and scholars at the Mental Immunity Project (MIP) and Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE). This episode is part of a series exploring disinformation, media literacy, and the emerging science of cognitive immunology. The primary goal of most media sources is to make money by pushing an agenda. They may create false storie...

Harvesting Happiness is proud to partner with the researchers and scholars at the Mental Immunity Project (MIP) and Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE). This episode is part of a series exploring disinformation, media literacy, and the emerging science of cognitive immunology. Social isolation, technology, and environmental changes are responsible for many of today’s mental health...

Harvesting Happiness is proud to partner with the researchers and scholars at the Mental Immunity Project (MIP) and Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE). This episode is part of a series exploring disinformation, media literacy, and the emerging science of cognitive immunology. The media has already begun priming the pump for the 2024 election cycle in the US. Swaying the average Am...

When you look around your space, what do you see? Is there a corner that seems a bit overcrowded? Is there a pile you’ve been meaning to tackle but can’t find the right time? Would you perhaps enjoy parking your car in the garage for extra comfort on cold, rainy days? To discover how we can all make space for joy, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with declutter queen, Trac...

What drives some people to take on circumstances they wouldn't choose for themselves to help those in need, speak for those who don't have a voice, or follow integrity toward the righteous path? Where does the spark of courage come from? To illuminate what gives us inner grit, grace, and the power of courage, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with the bishop and spiritual...

The fast pace of today’s world can make us feel frantic and disconnected from our experiences. It has become too easy to focus on the expectations of others and succumb to fear-based motivations. Do simple tools exist to bring us back to peace-of-mind? Or, does everything have to be a struggle? To understand how we can reclaim calm in this tumultuous world, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa C...

Benjamin Franklin famously said, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today”. But, for some people, it is not that easy. Despite their best intentions, projects and tasks may have a perpetual completion date. Is it a lack of motivation, or sheer laziness that keeps some in a state of inaction? Neither. It is something much deeper. To better understand what lies at the core of procrastinat...

Study after study suggests that human brain development is greatly diminished by the use of digital media. One such study shows that for every hour of media a child consumes per day under the age of three, the risk of ADHD at age seven goes up by 10%. As new technologies, including AI, emerge, what can be done to protect mental health and brain development against them? For insights about the effe...

The practice of meditation was developed in Asia by monks over two and a half thousand years ago. Their practices offered them an understanding of their own consciousness en route to enlightenment. Today amidst a barrage of technological distractions and uncertainty about the practice, meditation is elusive for many. If there was a streamlined process for the practice of meditation that took peopl...

Long-term partnerships can be one of life’s greatest achievements. But couples who have been together for many years, may succumb to bad habits that inhibit the growth of a healthy relationship. These bad habits, with some awareness and problem resolution skills, can alter the trajectory of a relationship and increase the joy derived from it for both partners. To discover the do’s and don’ts of me...

Psychedelic compounds have been used for thousands of years in spiritual and healing rituals. Today, the experiences induced by the compounds produce an opportunity for modern healers to guide patients into releasing trauma and building a new mindset. But how qualified are the current shamans and guides to lead trauma therapy sessions with non-regulated psychedelic drugs? And are the drugs essenti...

Happiness is a by-product of our life journey, not a destination. When we are able to acknowledge happiness in simple moments, we release life’s pressure valve and allow ourselves to be the best we can be without self-judgment. But how much of our true nature gets lost as we fabricate our amalgamated identities? Our value lies not in our ability to achieve goals or quotas. Our value is inherent. W...

When we are truly curious about why things happen and why others do what they do, our judgment is suspended. We begin to gain empathy for the plight of others which opens our own lives up to deeper experiences, textured understandings, and richer lives. But paying attention in a world full of distractions is becoming a lost art. To discover the many ways expanding our observation can serve humanit...

Many women have succumbed to the belief that they need to be everything to everybody. Being the best parent, the best spouse and the best corporate employee is how many of us keep score with ourselves. But how much of our true nature gets lost as we fabricate our amalgamated identities? How much of our self-worth depends on the approval and judgment of others? To get an honest take from someone wh...

We are all vulnerable to the irrational beliefs or misbeliefs that permeate social networks, our social circles, and family dinner tables. Even the most level-headed skeptics can get drawn into baseless claims and alternative facts due to compounded stress, fear of not belonging, and the human need to tell a good story. To discover the social and cultural elements that form the funnel of misbelief...

In the US, people are exposed to hundreds of product advertisements each day. Advertisers know how to trigger us into buying things we don’t need using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model. With many houses already bursting with clutter, how can we get rid of what no longer serves us and curb our buying of things we don’t need? To discover how to declutter the nooks and crannies of our lives, Harvest...

*This conversation includes mature content that may not be suitable for all audiences. It is a common misconception that older adults are no longer interested in or capable of having sex. But sexual activity is a primary drive that offers connection and intimacy to those of any age. Sex can offer older adults comfort and enhance well-being, so why isn’t everyone talking about it? To discover how t...

In the world today, happiness is more elusive than ever. It may be that our understanding of happiness is based on the belief that happiness is sustainable, but it is not. Happiness is a fleeting emotion. Our ability to bounce back after adversity and to complete mundane tasks may be the true measure of contentment. To discover the secrets to achieving life satisfaction, Harvesting Happiness Podca...

Unexpected events can seem insurmountable at the onset, but as time passes those events may change our lives for the better. Maintaining an understanding that what happens to us is out of our control may help us appreciate the love, and humor, hiding under the surface of a situation. To discover how one family adapted to one of life’s unexpected curveballs, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa C...

The extraordinary amount of control we have over our well-being is proven again and again in mindfulness research. Studies that include placebos are a prime example of this phenomenon. Why do some people experience pain relief after taking placebo medication? What is truly at play when people have the will to live? To delve deeper into the mind-body connection, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Li...

For many people, life can be a bit overwhelming at times. Yet, isn’t it surprising how many people seem to have it all together? With depression and suicide rates rising in almost every age group, it may be that more people are hiding their mental health issues behind a mask of perfection. To identify the connection between perfectionism and depression, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cyper...

Trauma is defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. When we are unable to meet a difficult situation effectively we create protective strategies to keep ourselves separated from our wounded places. But in doing so, we are actually holding on to our trauma as part of our identity. And while it’s a normal part of the human condition to experience trauma, how we process trauma can lea...

When we put down our digital devices and engage with others through personal interactions and conversations, our brains sync up, we build rapport and form relationships. The human voice transmits a plethora of information, including our emotional state, which assists the people interested in our well-being to respond accordingly. To explore how we can become more conversationally connected, Harves...