As we enter May — which is Mental Health Awareness Month — it’s the perfect time to talk about recent findings about Gen Z. Multiple recent studies show that Gen Z has unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.  In this episode, host Paula Felps sits down with Live Happy CEO and co-founder Deborah Heisz to talk about what’s causing this mental health crisis among young people and what we all can do about it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What recent research shows us about Gen Z’s mental health.
• How social media and traditional media are contributing to the problem.
• Why it’s important to be aware of this mental health crisis. 

In a time when we are increasingly distracted and overwhelmed, many people are rethinking what’s important and how to achieve it.  In this episode, host Paula Felps talks with acclaimed psychologist Emma Seppälä, author of the new book, Sovereign, who explains how our we can overcome the chaos around us and take steps to live a more vibrant, courageous life that aligns with our true desires and potential.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The danger of self-criticism and how to overcome it.
• The importance of becoming more aware of the information you’re exposing yourself to.
• How self-care improves every area of your life — and where to start.

As we get ready to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, it’s the perfect time to talk about how we can better care for our planet. In this episode, host Paula Felps talks with Live Happy Marketing Manager Casey Johnson, who created the Earth Day Happy Acts campaign and is a fierce advocate for the planet. She talks about the daily practices she uses to help preserve and protect Mother Earth.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Millennials and Gen Z are so passionate about environmental issues.
• Small steps we all can take to help improve the health of the planet.
• The importance of being in nature and learning to appreciate it.

What if thinking about death could give more meaning to your life? In this episode, host Paula Felps talks with Jodi Wellman, who founded Four Thousand Mondays to help people make the most of the time they have left on this planet. Her new book, You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets furthers that mission by providing readers with a roadmap to live each day to the fullest. Find out how and why Jodi started this mission and how we all can live better by counting the Mondays we have left.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to prevent deathbed regrets.
• Why reflecting on death can help us start living the life of our dreams.
• How counting down the Mondays you have left can make them more valuable.

We know that a positive mindset is good for your health, but did you realize it can change how you age? In this episode, host Paula Felps talks with lifelong adventurer and New York Times bestselling author Caroline Paul about her new book, Tough Broad: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking — How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age. In Caroline’s book, you’ll meet inspiring women in their 70s, 80s and beyond who combine a positive mindset with outdoor adventure to defy common beliefs about aging. Caroline also shares the science and psychology of how outdoor adventure affects both your brain and your body — and can help you become more active, joyous, and adventurous later in life.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How a negative view of aging changes your brain.
• Why outdoor adventure isn’t usually encouraged for older women—and why it should be.
• The five pillars for fulfilling aging and the role going outside plays in them.

Each year, the release of the World Happiness Report gives new insight into global well-being. On this episode, host Paula Felps talks with Dr. Lara Aknin, a distinguished professor of psychology at Simon Fraser University and one of the editors of the report. Lara explains why the U.S. fell out of the top 20 happiest countries for the first time in the report’s history, which age group is thriving in the U.S., and shares some encouraging findings about how benevolence is changing worldwide.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What age group is happiest around the world — and how it differs in the U.S.
• What is driving unhappiness among America’s young people.
• Good news about well-being and dementia.

Plenty of research shows that pets can help us heal, and now even hospitals are warming up to the idea. On this episode, host Brittany Derrenbacher sits down with Heather Stohr, a certified child life specialist at Norton Children’s in Louisville, KY.  Heather manages the facility dog program at Norton Healthcare, which allows animals to play a very important role in the healing process for patients, families, and caregivers. Find out how they are changing lives one hospital bed at a time.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What a facility dog does in a hospital — and how it changes the way patients heal.
• How dogs are trained to become facility dogs.
• How dogs are also changing the lives of prisoners as they are being trained.

March 20 is the International Day of Happiness, and that makes it the perfect time to meet Will Thomas, a Happy Activist who founded Good News magazine during the pandemic to give people a break from the steady stream of negative news. What was supposed to be a one-off publication has grown into a thriving media brand with magazines in eight communities. In this episode, Will joins host Paula Felps to explain how it evolved and why it’s so important to spread positivity in your own community.

Then, Live Happy’s Casey Johnson and Laura Coppedge talk about how you can celebrate the International Day of Happiness and share some of their favorite ways to make the most of the day. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How sharing positive stories can change the way people see their community.
• Why it’s important to celebrate the International Day of Happiness.
• How to spread happiness on Live Happy’s Digital Happiness Wall.

If you feel like you’re stuck in survival mode, this week’s episode is just what the doula ordered! Host Paula Felps sits down with life doula and author Brandi Sellerz-Jackson to talk about her new book, On Thriving: Harnessing Joy Through Life’s Great Labors, which is part memoir, part roadmap to leading a happier, healthier life. She’s here to offer tips on how each of us can go from surviving to thriving and discovering true joy.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why we should treat ourselves like a houseplant.
• The four labors of life that everyone experiences.
• Brandi’s three tips for cultivating joy.

This week, we celebrate International Women’s Day, which makes it the perfect time to talk about how women can help empower and support each other. In this episode, host Paula Felps talks with Amber Olson Rourke, an award-winning marketing executive, mom, co-founder of the direct sales company Neora, and co-host of the Built to Win podcast. Amber is passionate about empowering women to step into their full potential and reach for more than they think is possible, and she’s here to talk about how we can look for opportunities to support one another — and how that can change the world.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance and value of women supporting each other.
• How raising girls to support one another can change their future.
• How to create your own community of supportive women. 

To hear more from Amber follow her on Instagram and subscribe to the Built to Win podcast.

Throughout March, Live Happy celebrates Happiness Month with 31 days of happy actions that we call #HappyActs. This week, host Paula Felps talks with Live Happy CEO and co-founder Deborah Heisz about how we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary of #HappyActs and how you can share happiness with our new digital wall on the International Day of Happiness on March 20.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why practicing happiness with intention is so good for you.
• What a #HappyAct is — and how you can practice them.
• New ways to celebrate the International Day of Happiness.