The Happier Life Project

Every June is Pride Month where the world celebrates the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or questioning (LGBTQ) community. And although since the 1969 Stonewall Riots, huge progress has been made, we must not ignore the stats. LGBTQ adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition, and transgender individuals are nearly four times...

When someone you love is struggling with addiction, it doesn’t just impact that person. It impacts the whole friends and family network. Your life becomes filled with worry, stress, frustration and anticipation, which can chip away at your physical, mental and emotional health. Strained relationships, financial difficulties, and increased risk of abuse are only the tip of the iceberg as your life...

Your body's "biological clock," or 24-hour cycle (circadian rhythm) can be disrupted by a number of factors from too much technology time, not getting enough natural light, working night shifts, a partner who snores, jetlag, children, external sound distractions… the list goes on. Interrupted, or not long enough sleep, can cause a negative impact on our health, happiness and wellbeing; with varyin...

When we look at a female’s reproductive health (the health of an individual's reproductive system during all stages of their life), there is a lot going on! And while we have made great progress in openly discussing topics that have historically been conducted in hushed tones, or not spoken about at all, there is still a lot of confusion and embarrassment around certain areas. Good sexual and repr...

Surveys from around the world find that males everywhere are reluctant to talk about their mental health. Could the dangerous effects of toxic masculinity, the way men are culturally trained and socially pressured to behave, be the main underlying reason why?  In a world heavily influenced by the projections of film, the media and social media, what does it mean to be ‘a real man’? And if you don’...

Grief and Loss affects nearly all people at some point in their life. Not only do we have to go through it, we have to experience loved ones go through it too. The pain and suffering can be excruciating and highly traumatic. And we can grieve in different ways, presenting a variety of symptoms and emotions including: shock and numbness, overwhelming sadness (with lots of crying), tiredness or exha...

We see it on TV, in movies, read about it in books, listen to it in songs… the kind of friendships that stand the test of time, weather all of life's challenges and have each other’s back to the bitter end. But in reality not everyone is lucky enough to have a 'bff' or a circle of close friends, especially as we get older. According to mind.org.uk research suggests that loneliness is associated wi...

How do you cope mentally with ‘being on a diet’? Especially when most diets fail most of the time? “Chronic dieters consistently report guilt and self-blame, irritability, anxiety and depression, difficulty concentrating and fatigue. Their self-esteem is decreased by continuous feelings of failure related to ‘messing my diet up again’, leading to feelings of lack of control over one’s food choices...

Sleep, or lack of, disturbs the whole family. Parents that are struggling to get, or keep, their child asleep can feel confused, stressed and exhausted … which inevitably the child picks up on. And for children, the effects of sleep deprivation can lead to lifelong problems. Studies have shown that kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behavior, learning, memo...

An Anxiety Disorder is one of, if not the, biggest mental health problem in the world. Every human has feelings of anxiety during their life. But when our anxiety gets hyperactive, this anxiety can turn into a disorder and make it a lot more difficult to get through the day.  Leading anxiety expert Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in Anxiety, OCD (a...

According to the school of life.com “Many of us spend a large part of our lives, in one way or another, feeling stuck - that is in a state where a strong desire to move forward on an issue meets with an equally strong compulsion to stay fixed where one is.” Whether that’s in our career, relationships, friendships, family, ambitions, struggles, addictions, we hit a wall and can’t see past it. Feeli...

Have you ever wondered what a yoga retreat is like? Maybe it’s something you’ve always quite fancied but haven’t got round to? Perhaps you’re curious, but with so many to choose from unsure where to start? Or if you’re new to yoga, you might find yourself a little intimidated even though you think it sounds fun!? In this episode of The Happier Life Project we are peeling back the curtain and takin...

Astrology is one of the branches of science that helps a person to go inwards and evaluate the life they are leading. Via the influence from the stars and planets, Astrology guides you in a positive direction by helping you to understand and recognize your moods, temperament, emotions and even lifestyle preferences, according to your birth chart. Your birth chart is a map of the sky documenting wh...

To mark 2023’s International Women’s Day, host Gabby chats to Rhonda Vetere, globally recognized as one of the Most Powerful Women in Tech, and according to Forbes, 'a role model for business owners everywhere'. Whether Rhonda is spearheading corporate initiatives around the world, competing in another IRONMAN 70.3 mile triathlon, or in her philanthropy work mentoring students & athletes around th...

This Self Love Therapy conversation is in session! To conclude The Happier Life Project’s trilogy of podcasts exploring self love and how we can take practical, compassionate steps to treat ourselves more kindly, accept ourselves fully and put our health and happiness in higher regard, self love therapist Tasha Bailey joins host Gabby. Tasha is a qualified & accredited psychotherapist (UKCP) and a...

Self Love by name, Self Love by nature. Liv is a social media influencer and content creator with over 200,000 followers who educates her audience on all things mental health, self-care, body positivity and acceptance. So for episode 2 of our self love mini series, The Happier Life Project could think of no better guest! Why have we dedicated 3 episodes to studying self love? Because when the My P...

Self-love means to have a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. It means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your own mental, physical, or emotional health to please others. But why do so many of us not see ourselves as a priority? And feel guilty, ashamed, or undeserving to treat ourselves nicely? Why do we consider self-love to be a dirty word? To mark this year’s Vale...

Clinically speaking, emotional baggage is unprocessed trauma which often has a negative effect on a person’s behaviour and attitude. Emotional baggage can also be viewed as a metaphor; referring to negative, unprocessed emotions and unresolved issues from past experiences, that impact and influence how you show up and behave to others. Natalie Lue is a writer, speaker, podcaster, artist, and found...

When we are feeling confident, we have a more positive outlook on life, increasing our mental and emotional wellbeing. But when our confidence is low, it undermines our faith in our abilities to be successful and competent. When we are confident, we're more likely to move forward with people and opportunities. Whereas to experience a lack of confidence, holds us back from living our life to the fu...

Problems experienced in childhood can impact our quality of life as adults. Growing up in an unhealthy or toxic family can contribute to a number of emotional, interpersonal, and mental health challenges. A toxic childhood could include any of the following experiences; your emotional needs weren't met by caretakers, your parents were controlling, neglectful, or overprotective, you experienced abu...

When it comes to money and mental health, we might not immediately join the dots, but it’s an important aspect of our wellness. Financial health, the current state of our monetary situation, is something we may not need a doctor for, but it affects our everyday life and future in many ways. Laura Turner is the the founder of Thrifty Londoner, a personal finance website who helps people to feel fin...

"Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” – The World Health Organization. After indulging during the festive period, January can often be a month of restriction and grueling fitness plans... but can we tip the scale too far in the wrong direction and end up less healthy and more miserable? And are we paying enoug...

Many studies have found that having a clean and tidy house can help you feel relaxed, accomplished, and much less stressed. Whereas when everything is on top of each other, it’s like a metaphor for life. If your space is messy and cluttered, this could trigger feelings of anxiety, low mood, agitation, depression and tension. How we construct our environment is therefore, imperative to not only how...

The holiday season (the period between Thanksgiving until the New Year) is supposed to be a joyous time, full of celebrations with family and friends. But for many people, "the most wonderful time of year"... tis’ the season to feel stressed and anxious. It's normal to feel stressed or lower than usual at Christmas, especially if it's a time of year that brings back difficult memories or heightens...

Building and maintaining a happy, healthy, long lasting relationship takes work. And sometimes we can close ourselves off from something that could blossom into a beautiful, satisfying union, by giving up too early when faced with challenges with our partner. To conclude the Happier Life Project’s relationship episodes, now we have looked at the areas that we struggle with the most when it comes t...