Live Happy Now

Maintaining Mental Health During the Winter Months With Dr. Michele

The cold, gray days of winter can have a direct effect on our mental health, so this week, host Paula Felps sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Michele Leno to learn more about how we can make the next few weeks a little brighter — regardless of what’s going on outside our window. Michele offers insight into how seasonal changes affect our brains and what we can do for ourselves and those around us.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What causes physiological changes during winter months and how that affects our brain’s neurotransmitters.
How these changes may affect children and older adults – and what to look for.
What changes to look for in yourself and those around you — and when to get help.

Rewire Your Brain for Health and Happiness With Tom Rosshirt

It's a common belief that achieving our goals and reaching success equates to peace and happiness. But what happens when it doesn’t? This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Tom Rosshirt, a former Capitol Hill press secretary and White House speechwriter who reached the pinnacle of his career only to find himself battling anxiety, depression, and illness. In his new book, Chasing Peace: A Story of Breakdowns, Breakthroughs, and the Spiritual Power of Neuroscience, Tom reveals how his relentless pursuit of success led to a physical and emotional breakdown. He shares how he used neuroplasticity to address ailments rooted in the brain's neural circuits, ultimately reversing the patterns that kept him unwell and opening the door to the life he was seeking.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Why so much illness and chronic pain begins in the neural circuits of the brain – and why mainstream medicine can’t cure it.
How reducing fear can help us heal from chronic conditions.
How retraining your brain will change every area of your life.

Finding Common Ground With Kurt Gray

As we grapple with the challenges of living in a polarized society, psychologist Kurt Gray returns to talk about how we can find common ground. In the second part of this two-part episode, Kurt, author of the new book, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground, guides us through the steps to foster more civil dialogue. He also delves into the role that empathy plays in overcoming our outrage and explains why we need people who don’t think like we do.  
 
In this episode you’ll learn:
The three-part framework you can use to bridge divides (and where to start).
How storytelling can foster greater understanding of each other's perspective — and how that leads to respect.
Steps we all can take to start coming together.

Overcoming Outrage in a Polarized World With Kurt Gray

We have entered a time of unprecedented polarization that’s creating division among friends, family members, and co-workers. Understanding what’s driving our outrage is the first step in discovering what we can do about it, and in this first of two episodes, host Paula Felps sits down with Kurt Gray, author of the new book, Outrage: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground. This week Kurt – a professor in psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of its Center for the Science of Moral Understanding – unpacks how our perceptions of harm shape our outrage and then explains how our concerns and differences can foster hope for the future.
 
In this episode you’ll learn:
How our perceptions of harm drive our outrage and create moral divides.
Why facts aren’t effective in bridging our divides.
How we can use political and moral disagreements to strengthen our relationships.

Ignite Your Creative Power with Rochelle Seltzer

This is the perfect time to think about what we’d like to accomplish in the new year, and starting a creativity practice is one way to discover new strengths and reach new goals. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with Rochelle Seltzer, a leadership coach, speaker, and author of Live Big: A Manifesto for a Creative Life. She explains why creativity is a natural boost for our mental health and tells us how we can use it to navigate uncertain times and how it can give us direction for the new year.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What “creative power” means – and how to connect to it.
How the “Discovery Dozen” can help us discover our intuition.
How to start a daily creativity practice – and why it matters.

The Importance of Reflection with Deborah K. Heisz

As we wrap up 2024 and head into the new year, many of us start thinking about what we’d like to accomplish in 2025. But it’s important to pause for a moment and look at what we’ve done over the past 12 months. This week, host Paula Felps is joined by Live Happy CEO and co-founder Deborah Heisz to talk about the power of reflection. Find out why taking time to celebrate what you’ve done and review what you’d like to do better can have a profound impact on the way you approach the new year.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How reflecting on the past year can help shape what you’d like to accomplish in 2025.
Using a year-end review to remind you of what went well in 2024.
Different types of reflection practices and why they’re useful.

SNAP Out of Holiday Stress with Julie Potiker

It may be called the most wonderful time of the year, but for many people, it’s the most stressful. Nine out of 10 Americans report feeling stressed out right now, so this week host Paula Felps talks with author and mindfulness expert Julie Potiker about how her SNAP mindfulness method can help lower your stress level throughout the holiday season — and beyond.  
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why mindfulness is such an effective tool for managing stress.
What the SNAP method is and how to use it.
The importance of gratitude in a mindfulness practice.

Keeping the Peace at Family Holiday Gatherings with Dr. Andrea Goeglein

With holiday gatherings just around the corner, many of us are experiencing a familiar feeling of anxiety. Annual gatherings can often unearth familiar arguments, so this week, host Paula Felps talks with author and success coach Dr. Andrea Goeglein to learn how to navigate those gatherings with less stress and greater success.  
 
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What drives anxiety around family holiday gatherings.
How to set guidelines ahead of time to avoid common arguments.
Tips for creating a more peaceful environment during the holiday season.

Follow Your Breath to Find Your Purpose with Francesca Sipma

As we move toward the new year, it’s common to think about what we’d like to see unfold in the coming months. This week, host Paula Felps talks with Francesca Sipma, an international speaker, trainer, and author who created a process called hypnobreathwork to help people connect with their state of flow and discover their purpose. In her powerful new book, Unblock Your Purpose: Breathwork, Intuition and Flow, she walks readers through the methodology to tap into their unique purpose and find clarity for the future.
 
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why breathwork is such a powerful tool for releasing your intuition.
How to identify the blocks that often keep us from reaching our true potential.
The power of intuitive action and why it is so essential to our spiritual and emotional growth.

Navigating Estrangement During the Holiday Season with Gina Moffa

During this time of year, there’s a lot of talk about gathering with loved ones, but what does that mean for those who are estranged from their families? This week, host Paula Felps sits down with Gina Moffa, a licensed clinical social worker and author of Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss. Gina, who specializes in grief and loss, trauma, and painful life transitions, discusses estrangement during the holidays and offers tips for self-care as well as advice for those who know someone struggling with estrangement. 
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What it means to be estranged from family and some of the most common reasons for it.
Why estrangement has become more prevalent in current times.
Healthy ways to manage estrangement and how friends can offer support.