The Happier Life Project

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...

The role of love in mental health is significant.  When people think of love, they usually think of the positive feelings associated with a deep connection. However, love can encompass more than just happiness and radiate in many different ways. We experience love when we interact with others and ourselves. Science shows that love involves multiple neurotransmitters and hormones that affect our ph...

'What if I die before I have the chance to exist?' An existential crisis, or existential dread, can be described as persistent negative feelings and emotions linked to questioning the value of your life and how you are spending it. An existential crisis may result from intense feelings of despair as you consider questions like, "What is the point?” or “Why does any of this matter?” And these stron...

Stress is a natural part of our lives. Bills, work, relationships, life events, health issues… A little bit of stress is inevitable, and sometimes that’s a good thing. Stress helps you meet your daily challenges and motivates you to reach your goals, ultimately making you a smarter, happier and healthier person. But on the flip side. They say stress is the number one killer for a reason. It’s a si...

Let’s get curious about our drinking habits! In this episode of The Happier Life Project we are looking at the role alcohol plays in our life; as a comforter, socializing tool, way to relax, blow off steam, or avoid uncomfortable emotions.   Guest Amanda E. White is a licensed therapist and the creator of the popular Instagram account @therapyforwomen Amanda also hosts the podcast “Recovered-ish”...

Part two of our exploration into orthorexia sees host Gabby Sanderson breakdown with guest Renee McGregor the most common elimination food groups in orthorexia, and how and why doing this can be dangerous on the body. Renee busts more food myths when it comes to things like sugar and refined sugar, pasta made from vegetables or lentils, and the ongoing white versus brown or wholemeal debate. Renee...

January is traditionally a time for many when we look at improving our diet. But In our current culture, to which cutting out entire food groups like sugar, fats, carbohydrates and dairy are encouraged and commended, we must stop to question where these recommendations and messages have come from. And should we believe them? Although being aware of and concerned with the nutritional quality of the...

Welcome to the first episode of The Happier Life Project 2024!  January is often associated with cold weather and short, dreary days. And there are many reasons why we might struggle. The financial aftermath of all the Christmas costs, if you're self-employed the dreaded tax return, trying to set New Year's resolutions when you're not sure what you want the new year to have in store, the pressure...

It’s meant to be a time of good cheer, relaxation and celebration, but for many, Christmas is the opposite. Stressful, depressing, lonely… Many people are unhappy at Christmas and according to the National Institute of Health, they can experience mental health problems. And for those who already struggle with their mental health, they may find these problems worsen.  Dr Claire Plumbly is a clinica...

We’re all familiar with the old saying ‘laughter is the best form of medicine’. Dig a little deeper and scientists and doctors are discovering more and more this to be true - laughter is a strong medicine - for our physical and mental health. When we are highly amused, this has physiological effects; it changes our body chemistry and brain function.  Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts...

Many of us feel uncomfortable in our bodies and skin. A negative body image can cause us to struggle in many ways such as; with depressive and anxiety symptoms, increased risk of suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem, Interpersonal problems, alcohol and drug use and abuse, reduced physical activity, loss of sex drive, stress, social isolation, decreased motivation to seek help, perfectionistic tenden...

Britt Frank, LSCSW, SEP is a human behavior expert, licensed neuropsychotherapist and author of 'The Science of Stuck'. In The Happier Life Project's first Ask The Expert (a new monthly episode dedicated to answering listeners inquiry's on a certain topic), host Gabby puts your questions to Britt on how we can get unstuck from any area's in our life we might be struggling with. Britt answers quest...

Face yoga is a gentle form of strength training that targets working the 57 muscles in the head, shoulders and neck. Benefits include better circulation, stronger facial muscles, firmer skin and fewer fine lines and wrinkles.  Face yoga exercises aim to tone and lift features, soften fine lines, and even reduce facial asymmetry… all the things we might spend a lot of money getting frequent cosmeti...

The importance of setting boundaries and saying no, is crucial to good mental health and wellness. It’s all too easy to say yes to everything, neglecting your own needs, especially if you are a people pleaser, and sometimes it feels like the easier option in the moment. However, setting and maintaining healthy boundaries will help you conserve your emotional energy and will put you in a far better...

Generosity is turning away from self-centered actions and turning our time and attention to the needs of others. It does not have to be monetary, or material and can come in the form of simply giving someone your full undivided attention during a conversation, offering a smile to a stranger passing by, or helping someone with a task they are struggling with.  Generosity is the last of the nine mai...

Contentment means to be happy with who you are, where you are, and what you have. We live in a world that continuously throws us curveballs and send us messages on why we shouldn’t be content. Mindfulness can help us cultivate a sense of inner well-being and self satisfaction, which allows us to feel content without needing validation from the outside world. Try this mindful exercise to aid you in...

The practice of mindfulness includes nine key pillars or attitudes, these are: non judging, gratitude, patience, a beginner's mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, letting go, and generosity. The attitudes support each other and are deeply interconnected. Throughout the month of mindfulness challenge we have been making our way through these pillars and today we are practicing letting go. When we...