Live Happy Now

Turn Stress Into Your Springboard to Success with Dr. Rebecca Heiss

If you’re looking to lose the stress in your life, this week’s guest has a spoiler alert: The only people without stress are dead. But the good news is, you can learn to turn that stress into a powerful ally for change and growth. This week, host Paula Felps talks with stress physiologist Dr. Rebecca Heiss, whose new book, Springboard: Transform Stress to Work For You, explains how to make the most of it. She offers tips on how to harness stress and look at it in a whole new way to help you change your relationship with it.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why self-help practices often fall short in managing stress and what to do instead.
How transforming your physiology allows stress to serve you rather than causing you to spiral into fear.
What the FEAR(less) Stress Formula is and how it can help you manage stress effectively.

How Mental Clutter is Hurting Your Heart with Dr. Alan Rozanski

Many people today feel unfocused or overwhelmed, and that’s not just a challenge for our heads; it could be harming our hearts. Join us as host Paula Felps talks with cardiologist and health psychologist Dr. Alan Rozanski, who offers a groundbreaking look at how our mindset influences our heart and overall well-being. He explains how chronic stress, emotional negativity, and mental clutter can physically impact your heart function and increase disease risk. Then, he shares how to shift your thinking and cultivate energy, optimism, and a sense of purpose to thrive in today’s distracted world.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How mental clutter and chronic stress trigger harmful physical effects like inflammation and heart dysfunction.
Why focusing with intention and nurturing emotional vitality are key to sustained well-being.
How the Six Domains of Health can guide you toward a more balanced, purpose-driven, and heart-friendly lifestyle.

Harnessing the Power of Hope With Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe

Are you struggling to find hope these days? You’re not alone. But this week, resiliency expert Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe returns to share what hope can do for you and, importantly, where to find it. With her signature blend of science and soul, Dr. Robyne explains how hope calms the brain, strengthens resilience, and helps us navigate uncertainty. If you’re managing stress, feeling world-weary, or just need a reset, this conversation reminds us that hope is something we can build into our everyday lives.
What you'll learn when you listen:
Why hope is biologically and psychologically beneficial (hello, “hope molecules”!).
How to design your day to support resilience and emotional well-being.
The difference between hope and optimism — and why it matters.

The Power of Summer Vacations With Deborah K. Heisz

Summer vacations aren't just fun; they’re essential for your mental well-being. In this episode, host Paula Felps and Live Happy CEO Deborah Heisz share how unplugging from daily stress can spark creativity and emotional clarity, and why even a staycation (if done right!) can deliver major mood boosts. Whether you're heading to Hawaii or hanging out in your backyard, this episode is your permission slip to reset, reflect, and reconnect.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why taking a vacation can make you a better parent, partner, and employee.
The best ways to prepare for a vacation to make it more refreshing.
How to make the “reset” of a vacation last longer.

The Science & Spirituality of Silliness With Tom Rosshirt

Can you giggle your way to inner peace? In this episode, host Paula Felps sits down with author Tom Rosshirt to explore the joyful — and surprisingly profound — power of silliness. Drawing from his book, Chasing Peace: A Story of Breakdowns, Breakthroughs, and the Spiritual Power of Neuroscience, Tom reveals how embracing our goofy side can be both spiritually liberating and scientifically beneficial. From dancing like no one’s watching to reciting nursery rhymes alone, silliness helps us sidestep rigid self-images, face embarrassing emotions, and retrain our brains for resilience.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How silliness acts as a spiritual practice.
Why laughter and childlike play can retrain the brain and reduce stress.
Simple, everyday ways to embrace your silly side (even if it feels embarrassing at first).

Boost Your Summer Joy with a Digital Detox with Amy Blankson

This summer, recharge your happiness with a tech break! In this episode of Live Happy Now, Paula Felps sits down with digital wellness expert Amy Blankson to explore how an intentional digital detox can bring more joy, focus, and freedom to your day. Whether you're unplugging for five minutes or five days, Amy shares clever strategies to help you reconnect — with yourself and your summer bucket list.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why summer is the perfect time to ditch your device.
How tiny tech-free habits can spark lasting happiness and calm.
Smart tips for replacing screen time with soul-filling activities.

Explore the Superpowers of Music Festivals With Scott Crabtree

This week, host Paula Felps chats with Scott Crabtree, chief happiness officer at Happy Brain Science, about the surprising science behind music festivals. In this energizing episode, you’ll discover how live music fires up your brain with feel-good chemicals, why dancing helps bust stress and boost memory, and how festivals foster powerful connections that fight loneliness. Whether you're a seasoned festivalgoer or thinking about jumping back in, this episode makes the case for putting live music on your summer self-care list.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why music festivals support improved well-being.
How music festivals can help us feel more connected.
How to start your own “music therapy” practice.

Get Your Summer Reading Prescription With Emely Rumble

This week on Live Happy Now, host Paula Felps sits down with Emely Rumble — licensed clinical social worker, bibliopsychotherapist, and author of Bibliotherapy in the Bronx — to explore the healing power of stories. Emely shares how fiction, poetry, and even children’s books can help us reflect, process emotions, and build empathy in ways traditional self-help books can’t. With summer reading season in full swing, she explains how to create your own “book prescription” for better mental health and reconnect with the joy of reading — not as a task, but as a tool for transformation.
 In this episode, you’ll learn:
What bibliotherapy is — and why it works.
How engaging with fiction can help us heal.
How to start your own bibliotherapy practice.

Unlock the Hidden Power of Dreams, PhD

Dreams aren’t just fleeting images; they’re powerful tools for transformation. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with Bonnie Buckner, PhD, founder of the International Institute for Dreaming and Imagery®, to explore how dreams can unlock creativity, solve life’s toughest challenges, and help us live with greater purpose. As an expert in creative dreamwork, Buckner blends insights from cognitive psychology, neurobiology, and leadership coaching to reveal how an ancient dreaming method can reshape personal and professional lives. Her new book, The Secret Mind: Unlock the Power of Dreams to Transform Your Life, explains how to embrace dreamwork for deeper self-discovery and creative breakthroughs. Get ready to rethink the way you dream!
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How dreams can tell us more about what we need.
How to create a dreaming practice and use it to solve challenges.
How children can use dreaming as a tool for creativity and transformation.

Bringing Back Summer Fun With Mike Rucker, PhD

Summer officially begins on June 20, and that’s the perfect time to bring back Live Happy’s Summer of Fun! We’ve teamed up with organizational psychologist Mike Rucker, PhD, to offer a free eight-week email course based on the principles of his book, The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life. In this episode, he explains how this course will help you learn to program your life for fun this summer — and beyond.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why making a commitment to have fun is so important to your mental health.
How to make room for more fun in your life.
What to expect when you commit to having a Summer of Fun.