May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which makes it a great time to remind ourselves of some of the best practices to improve our well-being. Join host Paula Felps as she talks with Live Happy CEO and co-founder Deborah Heisz about some of the new research around happiness, why our mental health is at risk these days, and what we can do about it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why our happiness is declining and how the lack of civil discourse is exacerbating it.
• The dangers of toxic positivity.
• Tips for preserving your mental health in trying times.

We are living in rapidly changing times, and many people feel exhausted by the events that are unfolding. But this week’s guest says that letting go of our attachment to what’s happening could be the best thing for our mental health. Host Paula Felps talks with Dr. Bob Rosen, a bestselling author known for his work on leadership and personal development, about his latest book, Detach: Ditch Your Baggage to Live a More Fulfilling Life. He explains how we sabotage our happiness with unhealthy emotional attachments to events we can’t control and how his strategies can help us detach from the political whiplash we’re experiencing right now.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The 10 attachments that hold us back and block our joy/fulfillment.
• The role that fear plays in our attachments – and how to confront that fear.
• How looking at world events objectively changes our response to them.

Scott Crabtree founded the company Happy Brain Science to help others discover well-being rooted in positive psychology. And, as a semi-professional musician, he knows firsthand how we can use music as a tool for boosting our mood and regulating our emotions. During difficult times, music can be particularly helpful, and in this episode, Scott sits down with host Paula Felps to talk about why music is so good for your brain, how it can help us find a state of flow, and how songwriting is a great tool for releasing emotions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What the science says about music and well-being.
• How Scott uses music to boost his mood.
• Scott’s top three tips for improving happiness during hard times.

What if the only thing standing between you and a more fulfilling life was your mindset? This week, host Paula Felps talks with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman — a leading cognitive psychologist, professor at Columbia University, director of the Center for Human Potential, and host of The Psychology Podcast — about how today’s culture has helped foster a victim mindset. His latest book, Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself & Realize Your Full Potential, explains what is driving a rise in victim mindset and how it impedes our development. He also tells us how we can start changing this mindset and take control of their lives.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How social media reinforces and rewards the victim mindset.
• The payoffs that keep us in a victim mindset.
• How overcoming the victim mindset creates full aliveness and cultivates a richer life.

When Sam Simon’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, he used his theatrical experience to chronicle his journey as a caregiver. And when he was diagnosed with cognitive decline in 2022, he turned that into a theatrical experience as well. Today, his one-man play, Dementia Man: An Existential Journey, recounts his journey and reshapes the narrative for families living with dementia and cognitive decline, offering hope and encouragement along the way.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Sam discovered the power of theater.
• How being on stage and talking about his journey has helped him see his condition differently.
• What others can learn about living with a terminal condition.

We all have birthdays, but maybe we’re not getting as much out of them as we could! This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming, a birthday aficionado and author of the book and workbook, How to Have a Happy Birthday: Create Meaning, Fulfillment and Joy on Your Special Day. Tamar offers a new spin on how we approach birthdays and explains how we can use it as a yearly chance to drive lasting growth and change.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Tamar discovered the transformational power of birthdays.
• What happens when you make your birthday an opportunity for growth.
• Simple ways to change how you celebrate birthdays.

In tumultuous times, mindset matters more than ever. So this week, host Paula Felps sits down with Michael Pilarczyk, bestselling author of the book Master Your Mindset: Live a Meaningful Life and founder of the Meditation Moments app. Michael shares how we can create a happier life — even in the most challenging times — by changing our mindset.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to let go of negative thinking patterns.
• Why meditation can be done anywhere — and doesn’t have to take a lot of time.
• Simple ways to start mastering your mindset.

The release of the World Happiness Report each year offers insight into our global well-being. This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Dr. Felix Cheung, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and a faculty fellow at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. He’s also the Canada Research Chair in Population Well-being at the University of Toronto and one of the co-authors of this year’s report. Felix shares what the report tells us about social connections – and where the U.S. stands on this year’s list of Happiest Countries.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What a wallet taught researchers about well-being.
• The role that sharing meals with others plays in our happiness.
• Where the U.S. stands on this year’s list of happiest countries.