Live Happy Now

Every day, we're faced with countless decisions, from what to buy at the grocery store to major life choices about work, money, and family. This week, economist Daniel Altman explains how economic thinking can help us cut through decision fatigue, avoid getting stuck in a sea of options, and make choices that lead to greater well-being. Drawing from his new book, The Best Decisions You'll Ever Make, Dan shares practical strategies for simplifying everyday decisions, valuing your time, and making choices that your future self will thank you for.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why having more choices doesn’t always make us happier.
How to use simple decision rules to reduce stress and avoid overload.
How economic thinking can help you make choices that align with long-term well-being.

In this episode of Live Happy Now, therapist and anxiety specialist Natalia Aiza joins Paula to explore why today’s nonstop news cycle is leaving so many of us overwhelmed, triggered, and physically activated. She explains how algorithm‑driven feeds amplify our fears, why distressing headlines can feel disproportionately personal, and how current events often reactivate old trauma pathways. Natalia also shares practical, science‑supported tools — including EMDR and bilateral stimulation — that help calm the nervous system and bring us back into the present moment.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why your newsfeed may be reinforcing your fears and how that affects your nervous system.
How current events can trigger past trauma, even when they’re not directly related to your life.
Simple EMDR‑based techniques you can use anywhere to calm anxiety and regulate your body.

In this episode, therapist, author, and spiritual counselor Nancy Colier joins us to explore one of the most powerful forces shaping our emotional lives: the stories we tell ourselves. In her new book Narratives: Let Go of the Stories That Keep You Stuck, Nancy explains how our minds fill in the blanks of everyday life, often creating meaning that feels true but isn’t grounded in reality. Join Nancy as she shows us how to recognize when we’ve slipped into a “narrative trance,” how to question the assumptions that fuel our suffering, and how dropping our stories can bring us back into the present moment — where clarity, resilience, and new possibilities live.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why our minds create narratives — and how those stories quietly shape our emotional lives.
How to spot a “narrative trance” and step out of it before it hijacks your reactions.
How letting go of old stories helps you meet life with more clarity, compassion, and freedom.

For more than 35 years, Jennifer Buchanan has used music to help others heal. Now, with the release of her new digital platform, Wellplayed, the author and music therapist is helping all of us use music more intentionally for well-being. In this episode, Jennifer explains how reconnecting with our personal soundtrack can strengthen identity, boost resilience, and support emotional health. Join us as she explains how creating a daily music ritual can deepen our relationship with ourselves — and with the music that shaped us.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why intentional music listening can improve mood, memory, and motivation.
How the Wellplayed platform helps you build a personal soundtrack that supports well-being.
How a simple daily practice can reconnect you with the most meaningful music in your life.

Shame is one of the most misunderstood emotions we carry, and Dr. Frank Spinelli wants us to see it not as an enemy but as information that can guide us toward healing. In this episode, Frank shares how childhood trauma shaped his relationship with shame, how it resurfaced decades later, and how learning “shame literacy” helped him reclaim his identity and well-being. He explains why shame is so deeply rooted, how it affects our relationships and self‑worth, and how the COMPASS framework from his new book, The Shame Compass, can help us confront, understand, and integrate shame so we can live more authentically.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The difference between guilt and shame — and why shame is tied to identity.
How the COMPASS framework helps you confront, map, and integrate shame.
Why sharing your story is one of the most powerful antidotes to shame.

Halloween isn’t just costumes and candy — it’s a well-being booster! In this episode, Paula Felps and Live Happy social media manager Michelle Jones dig into new research showing how Halloween decorations, traditions, and playful rituals can lift our mood, strengthen community connection, and even help regulate our nervous system. From the joy‑evoking color orange to the science of anticipatory savoring and permission to play, Paula and Michelle explore why this holiday is such a powerful emotional anchor as we head into fall.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why Halloween decorations — especially orange — boost joy and emotional wellbeing.
How Halloween rituals reduce loneliness and increase neighborhood connection.
The surprising science behind permission to play and why adults need it.

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.

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.

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.

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.