Live Happy Now

Live Happy LLC

Bringing you scientifically proven tips and ideas to live a happier and more meaningful life through interviews with authors, positive psychology experts, and well-being thought leaders.

Join host Paula Felps as she talks to best-selling authors and happiness gurus who share their knowledge on topics such as wellness, gratitude, well-being and mindfulness. You’ll hear from experts such as Mel Robbins, Gretchen Rubin, Tal Ben-Shahar, Jodi Wellman, Kristin Neff, Rick Hanson, and many more.

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22 episodes
weekly
Avg 25 min
English

Episodes 22

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S12 · E9
Tuesday · 23 min
How to Beat Your Confidence Crisis With Dr. Cindra Kamphoff
Confidence isn’t something you’re born with — it’s something you practice. And this week’s guest is here to walk us through how we all can build this skill. In this episode, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff shares the powerful message behind her bestselling book The Confidence Habit: 7 Core Practices to Transform Self-Doubt to Self-Belief and opens up about a TEDx moment that reshaped her understanding of self‑belief. She explains why women and Gen Z are struggling most with confidence today, and teaches practical tools to silence the inner critic and bounce back from setbacks. Her insights are warm, actionable, and perfect for anyone ready to build confidence as a daily habit. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why confidence fluctuates — and how to rebuild it daily. A simple three‑step tool to recover quickly from mistakes. How to create a “dream team” that strengthens your confidence.
S12 · E8
September 22 · 24 min
Boost Your Well-being in Less Than 30 Seconds With Eli Susman
What if feeling calmer, kinder, and more grounded didn’t require long meditation sessions or major lifestyle changes? This week, psychologist Eli Susman joins us to share the science behind micropractices — tiny, 30‑second well-being tools that can make a real difference. He shares research from his new book that shows how just 20 seconds of self‑compassionate touch can improve stress and emotional wellbeing. Eli also explains how movement, breath, touch, and everyday awareness can help you build habits that actually stick. If you’ve ever felt “time poor,” this episode is your new favorite shortcut to feeling better. In this episode, you'll learn: Why tiny practices work better than long sessions — and why consistency beats duration. How micropractices regulate your nervous system through movement, touch, breath, and everyday awareness. Simple ways to make well-being habits stick, using cues, rewards, and repetition to build practices you’ll actually keep.
S12 · E7
September 15 · 26 min
The Hidden Beliefs That Shape Your Happiness With Nir Eyal
Examining our beliefs can transform the way we see the world — and even change how we relate to the people we care about. This week, bestselling author Nir Eyal talks about his new book, Beyond Belief, and explains how our beliefs quietly shape our behavior, our happiness, and our ability to persist through life’s challenges. He explains how beliefs influence our motivation, our emotional responses, and the suffering we unintentionally create for ourselves. If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated by your own patterns, this episode offers a fresh, science‑backed way forward. In this episode, you'll learn: How examining our beliefs allows us to approach relationships with more clarity and compassion. How to identify limiting beliefs that increase suffering and sabotage motivation. A simple, evidence‑based technique for transforming painful beliefs into empowering ones.
S12 · E6
September 8 · 24 min
Navigating Modern Girlhood with Dr. Suzanne Garfinkle‑Crowell
Teen girls today are navigating a world that’s full of therapy‑speak, social media diagnoses, and labels that often replace real emotional language — and it’s leaving many parents unsure how to truly understand what their daughters are feeling. This week, Dr. Suzanne Garfinkle‑Crowell joins us to break down what’s really going on, why these patterns are showing up, and how simple “small acts of translation” can help families connect beneath all the jargon. In this episode, you'll learn: Why girls are increasingly using diagnostic labels instead of emotional language. How social media influences identity, belonging, and self‑diagnosis. A simple two‑step tool parents can use to translate therapy‑speak into real connection.
S12 · E5
September 1 · 25 min
The Strength of Emotional Sensitivity With Dr. Sasha Hamdani
What if sensitivity was actually your greatest strength? In this episode, psychiatrist and author Dr. Sasha Hamdani explains the often‑misunderstood world of sensitivity — what it is, why it shows up the way it does, and how it can become one of our greatest strengths. Listen as she breaks down the science behind deep feeling and offers a fresh perspective on why sensitive people often thrive once they understand their wiring. In this episode, you’ll learn: How sensitivity enhances perception, intuition, and emotional attunement. Why sensitive individuals often excel at empathy, discernment, and nuanced communication. Practical ways to harness sensitivity as a source of resilience, clarity, and personal power.
S12 · E4
August 25 · 22 min
Finding Calm in the Back-to-School Shuffle With Robin Hamilton
Back‑to‑school season isn’t just a transition for kids; it’s a major emotional and logistical shift for parents and other caregivers, too. In this episode, therapist Robin Hamilton talks about the invisible mental load caregivers carry, why this time of year feels so overwhelming, and how to create calmer, more intentional routines for yourself and your family. Whether you’re juggling schedules, managing stress, or navigating school‑related challenges, this conversation offers grounded, compassionate guidance to help you breathe easier and feel more supported. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why back‑to‑school transitions feel so stressful — and how to make them smoother. Guilt-free ways to regulate your emotions and communicate your needs. What to do when your child is anxious, overwhelmed, or reluctant to return to school.
S12 · E3
August 18 · 17 min
Back to School: What Kids Need from Us with Dr. Bonnie Mitchell
Back‑to‑school season looks fun in commercials, but for many kids and teens it brings anxiety, uncertainty, and emotional strain. In this episode, Dr. Bonnie Mitchell, clinical director of the Mental Health Treatment and Stabilization Center of Sacramento, explains why the transition is so challenging and what families can do to help children feel grounded and supported. From clinginess and sleep disruptions in younger kids to academic pressure and social fears in teens, she breaks down the signs parents should watch for and offers practical ways to make the shift into a new school year calmer and more connected. In this episode, you’ll learn: How back‑to‑school anxiety shows up differently across age groups. Conversation starters to help children feel seen, supported, and understood. Simple grounding habits that make the transition smoother for the whole family.
S12 · E2
August 11 · 27 min
How Nature Helps Us Navigate a Divided World With Michael Schauch
This week, Live Happy Now visits the mountains — not to climb them, but to learn from them. Alpinist and award-winning author Michael Schauch joins us to explore how nature, intuition, and the practice of “non‑self” can help us navigate a world that feels increasingly fast, loud, and divided. His stories from the Himalaya and his new book Anatta: Heart of Wisdom offer a grounded, hopeful way to move through troubled times with more clarity and compassion. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why understanding “non‑self” helps us reduce conflict and polarization. How nature reveals our true patterns — and helps us reconnect with others. Practical ways to quiet the mind, dissolve reactive habits, and respond with compassion.
S12 · E1
August 4 · 35 min
Keeping Your Cool in a Heated World With Dr. Jeremy Pollack
Even in a world overflowing with tension, we are biologically wired for cooperation and connection. This week, Dr. Jeremy Pollack, a leader in conflict resolution and author of Wired for Peace, shares how we can keep disagreements from escalating and learn to regulate our nervous systems even during the most challenging discussions. Listen in to discover his practical tools for regulating our nervous system, staying curious, and building trust even in difficult relationships. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why your brain reacts to social conflict the same way it reacts to physical danger. How curiosity and cognitive empathy open the door to real conflict resolution. A five‑step, 60‑second brain hack to regulate yourself during an argument.
S11 · E51
July 28 · 16 min
What’s Coming in Season 12 With Michelle Jones
In this season‑closing episode, Paula Felps and Michelle Jones recap one of the busiest seasons yet for Live Happy Now and look at what’s coming. Tune in to learn about our new content offerings, including research‑based reports launching this fall, and an upcoming Substack. You’ll also learn about the Wake Up Happy weekly text series designed to help you start the week with humor and encouragement, and get a look ahead to Season 12, which will explore how to maintain well-being in chaotic times. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Live Happy is expanding its content offerings and store. Why Season 12 will focus on thriving during turbulent times. New ways to connect with Live Happy.
S11 · E50
July 21 · 32 min
Mindfulness for Messy Lives With Oneika Mays
If you like your mindfulness served without BS, you’re going to love this week’s episode! Join us as mindfulness coach and yoga teacher Oneika Mays shares insights from her book, Sit with Me: A No-BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation. Oneika explains how yoga helped her reclaim her sense of self; why teaching mindfulness inside Rikers Island transformed her understanding of compassion, justice, and human connection; and how loving‑kindness (or metta) can help us navigate a world that feels heavy and chaotic. In this episode, you’ll learn: How mindfulness helped Oneika move from reactivity to response — and why that shift changed her life. Why loving‑kindness (metta) is a powerful antidote to fear, hate, and overwhelm in difficult times. What meditation is really for — and why it’s not about feeling good.
S11 · E49
July 14 · 32 min
Cracking the Dopamine Code With Dr. Sydney Ceruto
As we close out our Summer Reading Program, host Paula Felps sits down with cognitive and behavioral neuroscientist Dr. Sydney Ceruto to walk through her book, The Dopamine Code: How to Rewire Your Brain for Happiness and Productivity, which explores one of the most misunderstood forces shaping our motivation, mood, and modern wellbeing. Sydney explains why today’s overstimulated world leaves so many of us feeling restless, stuck, or burned out — and how understanding the true role of dopamine can help us reclaim clarity, satisfaction, and forward momentum. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why dopamine isn’t the “pleasure chemical” but is the “molecule of motivation” that shapes everything from restlessness to burnout. How modern life overstimulates your reward system, making everyday joys feel flat and pushing you toward unhealthy dopamine defaults. How to build your own “dopamine menu” to help you shift from cheap dopamine spikes to meaningful, sustaining rewards.
S11 · E48
July 7 · 23 min
Walk into Healing With Angelica Glass
In this week’s episode of Live Happy Now, Paula Felps sits down with author Angelica Glass to explore her remarkable book, Scavenging Beauty: A Memoir in Walks, which chronicles her decision to walk every street in Santa Cruz County. What began as a stress‑relief habit unfolded into a profound journey of awe, healing, forgiveness, and rediscovery. Angelica shares how intentionally seeking beauty — one photograph, one street, one quiet moment at a time — opened the door to long‑buried memories, deeper self‑understanding, and renewed connection with her siblings. Through nature, silence, and curiosity, she learned to reframe her past with tenderness and compassion, ultimately transforming her internal landscape and her relationships. In this episode, you’ll learn: How awe, silence, and slow travel can unlock emotional healing and neuroplasticity. Why seeking beauty — even in life’s “wreckage” — reshapes how we see ourselves and our past. How sharing personal stories with loved ones can strengthen connection, change perspectives, and open new conversations.
S11 · E47
June 30 · 24 min
The Hidden Power of Musical Daydreaming With Elizabeth Margulis
This week, as part of the Live Happy Summer Reading Program, host Paula Felps sits down with Elizabeth Margulis, a professor of music at Princeton University and director of the Music Cognition Lab, to talk about her book, Transported: The Everyday Magic of Musical Daydreams. Elizabeth explains why our minds naturally wander when we listen to music, how those imaginative journeys shape our sense of self, and why these experiences are far more meaningful — and scientifically important — than we realize. Listen as she reveals how reconnecting with this simple, often overlooked way of listening can deepen our relationships, boost our mental health, and bring us back to the joy that first made us fall in love with music. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why unfamiliar songs can trigger similar imagery across listeners. How music helps us process memories. Why daydreaming to music may be essential for creativity and emotional well‑being.
S11 · E46
June 23 · 25 min
Walking Through the Fire With Deborah Santana
The Live Happy Summer Reading Program continues this week as host Paula Felps sits down with author and activist Deborah Santana to talk about Loving the Fire: Choosing Me, Finding Freedom, her powerful memoir about identity, courage, reinvention, and choosing a life aligned with your spirit. In this episode, Deborah candidly shares how she found the strength to leave a life that no longer reflected who she was, the spiritual practices that guided her, and the generational resilience that shaped her path. Listen as Deborah shares how stepping into your truth can transform not only your life, but the lives of those around you. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Deborah found the courage to leave a life that no longer aligned with her spirit. The role generational strength, family history, and activism built her identity — and continue guiding her work today. What it means to “walk through the fire” in your own life, and how to recognize misalignment, reclaim your voice, and choose a path rooted in integrity and self‑reflection.
S11 · E45
June 16 · 27 min
Breaking the Rumination Loop With Donna Jackson Nakazawa
For Week 2 of the Live Happy Summer Reading Program, award‑winning journalist and author Donna Jackson Nakazawa sits down with host Paula Felps to discuss her groundbreaking new book, Mind Drama: The Science of Rumination and How to Outwit Your Inner Defeatist. Donna explains that rumination is an evolution‑wired survival response that has gone rogue in modern life, trapping us in negative “mental movie reels” fueled by the brain’s default mode network. Using neuroscience, personal insight, and research‑backed tools, she shares how we can transform rumination into clarity, creativity, and a renewed sense of belonging. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why rumination happens and how the brain creates vivid “movie reels” of old stories, future fears, and intense emotional and physical reactions. How the MIST framework works — and how to use it to interrupt rumination and reduce stress chemistry. How to turn rumination into insight, using neuroscience‑based strategies that help you rewrite outdated beliefs, reclaim your voice, and use your mental energy for more meaningful, joyful pursuits.
S11 · E44
June 9 · 26 min
Thinking About Death for a Better Life With Jodi Wellman
This week on Live Happy Now, we launch our Summer Reading Program with Jodi Wellman, whose book You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets invites us to rethink how we spend our days and start living with fewer regrets. Jodi joins host Paula Felps to explain how embracing the reality of our limited time can actually make life feel richer, more vibrant, and more meaningful. Drawing from personal experience, positive psychology research, and her signature humor, she explains why we’re so prone to postponing our lives — and how small, intentional choices can help us feel more “astonishingly alive” every day. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the concept of memento mori can be a powerful motivator for living more fully. How Jodi’s personal wake‑up call shaped her mission to help others stop postponing their lives. Simple, accessible ways to feel more alive — without a dramatic life overhaul.
S11 · E43
June 2 · 14 min
Introducing Live Happy’s Summer Reading Program With Chris Libby and Paula Felps
Summer is here, and so is our very first Live Happy Summer Reading Program. In this episode, Live Happy Now Host Paula teams up with Senior Happiness Editor Chris Libby to unveil six weeks of books designed to inspire, uplift, and spark real‑world joy. From science‑backed guides to deeply personal memoirs, they walk through each pick, explain why it made the cut, and tell you how to join the fun. In this episode, you’ll learn: How the Live Happy Summer Reading Program works — and how to follow along each week What’s on this year’s reading list and why these books were chosen The new book‑lover goodies coming to Live Happy, including Shelf Care and Shelf Care for Kids
S11 · E42
May 26 · 27 min
You’re More Resilient Than You Realize with Dr. Sherry Hamby
This week on Live Happy Now, host Paula Felps sits down with Dr. Sherry Hamby, a leading researcher on trauma and resilience and author of Stronger Than You Think: Building Lifelong Resilience. Drawing from more than three decades of studying violence, healing, and human strengths, Dr. Hamby explains why our biggest misconception about trauma recovery is believing we must “push through” alone — and why resilience is not a trait but a multidimensional journey. She introduces her four-part resilience portfolio, shows how nature and supportive relationships can accelerate healing, and shares why even those with heavy trauma histories can still move toward thriving. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why resilience isn’t about toughness but about building a diverse portfolio of strengths. The four domains that shape your resilience — and how to use the ones you already have. How nature, meaning-making, and connection can support healing just as powerfully as regulation strategies.
S11 · E41
May 19 · 26 min
Why Telling the Truth Is Harder (and More Important) Than Ever with Christian B. Miller
In a world where fake news and misinformation is rampant, what role does honestly play? This week, Wake Forest philosopher Christian B. Miller dives into the ideas behind his new book The Honesty Crisis, revealing why honesty is far more complex — and essential — than simply telling the truth. In this thoughtful conversation with host Paula Felps, Christian explores why honesty feels harder in today’s world and what’s at stake for our relationships, our well-being, and our society when we abandon it. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why honesty means more than just telling the truth. How modern technology makes dishonesty easier, more tempting, and harder to detect — especially in classrooms and workplaces. How honesty supports trust, reduces stress, and allows for genuine connection.

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