The Happier Life Project

Cyclical living is the practice of aligning with the natural cycles and rhythms present in our lives, whether it’s the seasons, the Moon, your menstrual cycle, or your circadian rhythm. It can also apply to how we approach projects, meetings, or plan activities at work.  Everything in our environment and bodies operates in cycles—our sleep patterns, hormonal shifts, breathing, and heartbeat. The e...

Our approach to managing time deeply impacts productivity and emotional well-being, shaping the levels of guilt, stress, and satisfaction we experience throughout the day. For those struggling with anxiety and stress, managing time can be particularly challenging. The constant sense of never having enough hours to accomplish goals or complete tasks often leading to feelings of overwhelm and frustr...

Writing provides a safe space to delve into our thoughts and emotions, explore our relationships, and reflect on our life stories, dreams, and aspirations. It serves as a powerful tool for making sense of our experiences, allowing us to navigate and overcome trauma while facilitating personal growth and change. Writing therapy, often referred to as journal therapy, is exactly what it sounds like:...

In the first of two episodes with best-selling author Michelle Thomas, host Gabby Sanderson explores how small, everyday moments can bring joy, healing, and comfort. From the soothing ambiance of coffee shops to the therapeutic calm of spending time with animals, this episode highlights some subtle yet powerful ways to nurture mental wellness. Michelle Thomas’ first book, 'My S**t Therapist and Ot...

Burnout is a deep state of emotional, physical, and mental depletion that stems from prolonged stress, often related to work or overwhelming personal demands. This exhaustion deeply impacts your overall well-being, leading to chronic fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, emotional numbness and feeling unable to cope.  Too many of us soldier on, operating on high levels of stress, pressure...

In this episode of The Happier Life Project, we explore the powerful connection between climate and mental health, examining how the climate crisis impacts our emotional well-being and the vital role a healthy planet plays in maintaining our mental health. Terms like ‘eco-anxiety,’ ‘environmental doom,’ ‘ecological grief,’ and ‘eco-guilt’ capture the psychological toll that environmental degradati...

Season 3 of The Happier Life Project kicks off with the return of renowned psychotherapist and best-selling author, Owen O’Kane. Known for his transformative books, including ‘Ten to Zen’, ‘Ten Times Happier’, and ‘How to Be Your Own Therapist', Owen shares practical strategies for managing anxiety, stress, and other mental health challenges. In this episode, Owen delves into the powerful role of...

Emotional memories imprinted in our bodies can persist for years, impacting our physical and psychological well-being. Emotion tracking allows us to measure and assess our emotional states over time, serving as a valuable tool for both individuals and therapists to monitor mood and feelings. However, when difficult emotions repeatedly resurface, the challenge becomes breaking this cycle, freeing o...

Mindfulness is the natural human ability to be completely present, fully aware of our location and actions, and not excessively reactive or overwhelmed by what’s happening around us.  We all understand mindfulness can result in better mental health, but it can be challenging with the distractions of modern life. The human mind tends to wander and frequently gets lost in thoughts about the past or...

Sometimes it can be difficult to admit we are lonely. Experiencing loneliness from time to time is a normal part of life; but when loneliness is severe, or persists over an extended period, it can have a detrimental impact on our mental health.  Some ways loneliness can be experienced are: emotional loneliness – a lack of emotional attachment to someone like a close friend or partner social loneli...

Long COVID, refers to a range of symptoms that persist for weeks or months after the acute phase of a COVID-19 infection has been resolved. At least 2 million people in England and Scotland say they are experiencing long COVID, with many reporting their symptoms have lasted two years or longer. The figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) cover the period from November 2023 to...

The gut-brain connection is a two-way communication system between your gut and brain. It’s an intricate network of nerve cells, chemicals, and microbes and explains why your stomach produces juices when you think about food, and why stress can cause stomach cramps or a churning feeling. This connection links your central nervous system (CNS), including the brain, with the enteric nervous system (...

People drink for various reasons: to celebrate, socialize, commiserate, feel more courageous, alleviate boredom, or escape their troubles. Some people may also drink in an attempt to relieve the symptoms of mental ill-health. The interplay between alcohol and mental health is intricate. But depending on alcohol as temporary relief for your mental well-being, can lead to additional problems and res...

Shadow work refers to the psychological and emotional process of exploring and integrating the unconscious parts of the self, often referred to as the "shadow." At its core, shadow work is about discovering what annoys, irritates, saddens, provokes, triggers or puts you on edge, and identifying the underlying causes for why they provoke such strong emotional reactions. It’s also about self-accepta...

In the second episode dedicated to exploring the complexities of modern dating and the ramifications negative experiences can have on our mental and emotional health, The Happier Life Project host Gabby Sanderson has lots more to share from a variety of psychologists and leading dating and relationship experts. In the previous episode, Gabby discussed the emotional turmoil created by love bombers...

The complexities of modern dating can be challenging, and can significantly affect our mental and emotional health... Particularly if we have been on the receiving end of behaviour that is not kind. Terms like ‘love bombing’, ‘breadcrumbs', ‘ghosting' and ‘situationships’ have become so common, they are almost considered as acceptable codes of conduct. But the psychological effects can cause much...

Emotions play a crucial role in our overall mental health, acting as both messengers and influencers of our psychological well-being. Positive emotions like joy, gratitude, and love can enhance mental resilience, foster strong social connections, and improve our ability to cope with stress. But on the flip side, the more challenging emotions such as sadness, anger, jealousy or anxiety, if persiste...

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you’re not alone. According to sleepfoundation.org adults need seven or more hours of sleep per night. However more than one-third of adults sleep less than seven hours per night on average, and up to two-thirds of adults occasionally experience insomnia symptoms. We know that sleep is critical not just for our physical health, but our mental a...

To mark this year's Mental Health Awareness Week theme, ‘Movement: Moving more for our mental health’, The Happier Life project went back into the archives to repurpose an interview host Gabby did with mental health and exercise coach Dan Hancock. Dan, who goes by ‘The Mental Health PT’ online, passionately believes in doing what works for you and you enjoy; is the key to a healthy, long lasting r...

Have you ever felt detached from your own life? Disconnected from yourself? Like you were an outsider looking in at your own existence? Going through the motions, emotionally numb, emotionally disconnected from people you care about? Or maybe you've looked at your environment and everything appears foggy? You feel unable to see your surroundings accurately, they lack vividness and coloring? Things...

When it comes to improving our mental well-being, practising calm is one of the best places to start. Clarity of mind is extremely important when you are dealing with stress, problems and emotional turmoil. And remaining calm in times of turbulence and chaos, allows us to think more logically and make decisions accordingly. Rebekah Ballagh is the bestselling author and illustrator of 'Note to Self...

Hormones are essential for life and your health. They affect everything from blood sugar to blood pressure, growth, fertility, your sex drive, metabolism, and even sleep. Hormones are so important they influence the way we think and act day to day. The menstrual cycle is regulated by hormones. So if we are having irregular periods, bleed between periods, bleed more heavily than usual, or develop s...

None of us had a perfect childhood; we are all carrying around wounds and behaviours that don’t serve us. But what if we could break free from unhealthy family patterns to liberate the way we live and love?  As children we observe and absorb everything around us. And we teach ourselves to behave in a way that helps to make us feel safe. But at what cost? Have we developed coping mechanisms and str...

Health anxiety is a common condition, diagnosed in 4% to 5% of people. But experts believe that the disorder often goes undiagnosed and may affect more than 10% of the entire population. In this Ask The Expert episode host Gabby puts your questions to ex-health anxiety sufferer.. now relatable health anxiety therapist and social media influencer Cherelle Roberts.  To follow Cherelle on Instagram:...

This episode is dedicated to hearing the powerful story of the previous episode's guest.  Victoria Niamh is a female confidence coach, mentor, social media Influencer and the Founder of ‘The Glow Up Project’ which aims to inspire women to understand that the real glow up is an inside job. Vic advocates for body confidence and breaking stigma around mental health and is passionate about empowering...