The Art of Living Happy Podcast with Gina Haines

This week I moved my orange tree. It had been in the wrong spot for too long. Surviving. Not thriving. And on one ordinary Tuesday, with ten months of quiet work behind me, I finally had the strength to move it. Episode 26 of The Art of Living Happy Podcast is about what happens when you finally move the thing that's been stuck. Is there something in your life that's been surviving — but not reall...

When did you last feel like yourself? Really, truly yourself? In this episode, Gina asks the question that many women are carrying quietly - and explores what she's discovered after ten months of living it herself. This isn't about doing more. It isn't about a mindset shift. It's about something quieter and more fundamental - the order in which we place the things that matter most. Honest, persona...

The pivot isn't always dramatic. Sometimes it's just the quiet, unmistakable feeling of something in you turning toward something new. And learning to recognise that feeling - and trust it - is one of the most important skills of an authentic life. In this episode, Gina Haines explores the pivot — not the calculated, strategic kind, but the organic, internal moment when your energy starts moving i...

In this deeply personal episode, Gina Haines reflects on grief — not as an abstract concept, but as the real, lived, circular experience of loss that doesn't follow a straight line or a tidy checklist. This episode was inspired by the passing of a very dear friend, who faced motor neuron disease with extraordinary grace and courage, and who lived as fully as she could right until the end. She...

Quick question: When was the last time you let yourself be proud of yourself - without the resume, without the proof, without needing someone else to tell you, you did a good job? I have achievements and awards coming out of my ears. And I'm proud of them. But you know what I still catch myself doing? Listing them. Like I'm building a case. Like I need to prove I'm enough. Until recent...

Today is International Women's Day. And I want to tell you about a woman. Her name was Mary Dora Ballantyne. She was my great-great-grandmother. And she was a right-hand woman to Kate Sheppard - the woman who led the suffrage movement in New Zealand, making us the first country in the world to give women the vote in 1893. Mary Dora fought for women's rights. For women's voices. For the right to BE...

This is Episode 20 - a milestone. So I'm taking a moment to reflect on what's stayed the same in my work over 20+ years, what's evolved, and what I've finally come to understand. My grandfather used to say, "The greatest word in the English language is understanding." And maybe he was right. In this episode, I share: What's remained constant (You-phoria, BE-DO-LOVE, positive psychology foundations...

Last week I talked about being your own Valentine - about self-love as the foundation. And I got this question: "Okay, but HOW? What does this look like in real life?" So today, I'm getting really practical (and vulnerable) about the daily practice of choosing yourself. I share: What choosing yourself actually means (putting yourself first and trusting yourself) My real morning pract...

Today is Valentine's Day, and while the world celebrates romantic love with roses and chocolates, there's a giant pink elephant in the room. From the moment you beat 400 trillion other contenders for fertilisation to this very moment, you've been in the most sacred relationship of all: the one with yourself. In this episode, I explore what it means to truly love yourself - not bubble baths and cho...

What does it mean to live a life that matters? This week I explore legacy (both material and impact), Viktor Frankl's three ways to find meaning, and a revolutionary idea: you don't find yourself by just looking inward. You find yourself by forgetting yourself and giving yourself to something beyond you. Featuring Emerson's definition of success, my time at my mum and dad's house b...

I recorded this episode from my late dad's favourite place - my parents' holiday house by the sea. This week, instead of being at home working, generating income, selling books, promoting courses - doing all the things I "should" be doing - I'm here. Cleaning. Water-blasting. Giving this house some fresh energy and love. For it. And for me too. My mum didn't come with me...

It's mid-January 2026. And everywhere you look, people are talking about:→ New goals to achieve→ New habits to build → New you to become Add, add, add. More, more, more. What if this year was different? What if 2026 was the year of SUBTRACTION, not addition? Not because you're giving up. But because you're already carrying so much that was never yours to begin with. The shoulds from yo...

Recently, someone very close to me went through three rounds of interviews for a job they really wanted. And then... they didn't get it. I watched them sit with the disappointment. Really feel it. And then I watched something beautiful: I watched them pivot. Not immediately. Not dismissively. Not with 'ick' positivity. But after feeling the feelings, they refocused on what's next. It got me thinki...

The other morning, I sat outside with my daughter. The sun was warm. The world was quiet. And we started talking about the meaning of life. Not small talk. Deep talk. And something became really clear: We need to be connected to something bigger than ourselves. In this episode, I share what emerged in that conversation, Viktor Frankl's profound insight from surviving concentration camps ("Those wh...

It's Boxing Day. The big day is done. The build-up is over. And now? Most people rush to cleanup, sales, resolutions. But what if you just... exhaled? In this episode, I share why rest isn't something you earn - it's sacred. I talk about my afternoon nap in the sun (my own stay-cation), where the Perfection and People-Pleasing Chains show up after big events, and why the most radical t...

It's that time of year - the lead up to Christmas - it's busy and fractured at times and it seems that everyone's doing year-end reviews, tallying up goals achieved/goals missed and there's a feeling of doom and gloom, overwhelm, and "not enoughness" What if we did year-end reflection differently? Well... I'm suggesting approaching it differently this year, and focusi...

Feeling a bit "blah"? Unmotivated? Directionless? You're not alone - and you're not broken. In this episode, I share what it feels like when things "go west" in my life and work, and three simple practices for finding your way back: The One Thing Rule - Simplifying to what still lights you up Rest and recalibration - The Monet story that will change how you think about rest The Mini Experiment - T...

In this episode, I share how going back to my own teaching in 'You-phoria: The Art of Authenticity' helped me break through, why vulnerability creates connection, and what I'm doing differently now. It refers to my creative processes, why they matter and how they affect the way I am in the world. I know I paint to process emotions. I write and talk to share understanding. I move to fee...

You have the career. The family. The security. So why aren't you happy? This episode is about the "something's missing" feeling - and why closing that gap isn't about achieving more. It's about being TRUE to yourself. Featuring LL's story of finding courage at 55, and what I learned this week about visibility, validation, and the joy of simply BEING. Flash sale ends S...

Happiness is optional AND it's a choice - both are true. In this episode, I explore how these two ideas work together, the unconscious choices keeping you stuck, and how to start choosing consciously. Featuring a story about my friend who's lost some choices but still chooses joy - and what that teaches me about the privilege of choosing. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Happiness is optional - you're n...

Life is short. We're only here for a blink. So why are we sitting on dreams we had as kids? The rockstar, the astronaut, the [fill in your dream here]? In this episode, recorded spontaneously in my car, I share my teenage rockstar dream and how I finally fulfilled it at my 60th birthday party. Not because I wanted to BE a rockstar full-time, but because I wanted to meet that daydream face-to-f...

What felt absolutely true on Friday - that I needed to lower my prices, that maybe I wasn't qualified enough, that I should just play it safe - felt completely different by Sunday. Not because the facts changed, but because I moved through the overwhelm and found clarity. This episode is about finding your way out of the forest when you can't see the path. About why "just find your pu...

Knowing who you are helps you understand why you do the things you do. Character Strengths are one way to develop your awareness. In today's episode I share my top 5 character strengths and how they help and sometimes chain me too. The classification I am referring to here is the Values in Action or 'via' Character Strengths Classification and is available free at https://www.viacharac...

In this episode of The Art of Living Happy Podcast with Gina Haines , I talk authentically about what happens when I procrastinate and also what happens when I get on and do the things I am putting off as well! Let's face it - everyone procrastinates - me too! In this episode I break down into small steps what I am dealing with and how I am going to overcome it... no more "I'll do it...

In today's episode of The Art of Living Happy Podcast with Gina Haines , I speak from the heart about the idea of 'Living Happy'; what that means, why it's important and ways to raise your happiness levels. Leave a comment if you want to, as I'd love to hear your ideas on how you raise your happiness levels or if my suggestions resonate with you ;) Big Love and have a wonder-fi...