Live Happy Now

Acclaimed soprano Renee Fleming has performed on some of the world’s biggest stages, performing in operas, concerts, theater, and films. But now, the five-time Grammy Award winner is using her voice to help improve our wellbeing. In her new book, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, Renee has curated a collection of essays from leading scientists, artists, musicians, creative arts therapists, educators, and healthcare providers about the powerful impact of music and the arts on health and the human experience. She’s here to discuss how this project came about and why she is so committed to sharing this message. In this episode, you’ll learn: What compelled Renee to advocate for the arts as a healing tool. How following the Neuroarts Blueprint can improve your mental health.  What Renee considers to be some of the music’s “best-kept secrets.” 

Summer is a recess for all of us, but what if you could prioritize play all year long? This week, host Paula Felps talks with Jeff Harry, who uses a combination of positive psychology and play to foster healing and help individuals overcome their biggest challenges. Learn why we all need to embrace the power of play and how to create your personal play practice.   In this episode, you’ll learn: How to discover your “play values.” The power of having a “play partner.” How adding play to your life can improve your productivity and well-being.

We’ve all heard the advice to stop and smell the roses, but this week’s episode is a reminder to take a moment to arrange them. Talia Boone is a social entrepreneur whose work has centered around human and civil rights issues. A few years ago, she discovered flower arranging as a form of meditation and self-care, and in the height of the pandemic she launched Postal Petals to help others relieve the anxiety they were feeling. Today, her company’s mindful approach to flower arranging is being used by companies, individuals, and community groups who are discovering just how life-changing her workshops can be. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Talia discovered the impact of flower arranging on mental and emotional well-being. Why arranging flowers is so therapeutic. How a flower arranging practice can support mindfulness.

For years, wolves have been revered as spirit animals and in many spiritual traditions, they’re believed to help people connect with their instincts and inner wisdom. At the Sedona Wolf Sanctuary in Arizona, rescued wolves on sacred land create a healing experience for those who have experienced trauma or who are looking for a renewing spiritual experience. In this episode, host Brittany Derrenbacher talks with Cynthia Heisch, founder and CEO of the sanctuary, to talk about how and why wolves can help us heal. In this episode, you’ll learn: How wolves can help humans on their healing journeys. What wolf medicine is. What we can learn from interacting with wolves.

If you’re feeling more stressed than usual these days, you aren’t alone. But this week, host Paula Felps is joined by author, psychology instructor, and resiliency expert Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe to find out why that is and what you can do about it. Dr. Robyne’s latest book, Stress Wisely: How to Be Well in an Unwell World, looks at why the stress of today’s fast-paced world is having such a devastating effect on us, both physically and mentally, and how we can learn to manage it better. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why our bodies aren’t designed for today’s always-on world and what to do about it. How to prepare for stress before it happens. How to learn to treat stress as an ally — and how that helps us.

It’s summertime, and if your body feels like it needs a vacation, it’s not alone – so does your brain!  This week, join host Paula Felps as she talks with Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science and Brain HQ, who explains why vacations are so good for your brain. As you’re about to find out, when you go on vacation, you’re giving your brain all kinds of ways to stay healthy and happy. Listen in to learn how that works, how to make the most of your vacation, and how to keep those benefits going once you get home. In this episode, you’ll learn: What your brain needs to keep itself healthy. Why vacations are so good for your brain. How to get the same benefits of a vacation when you “staycation.”

We know that kindness is crucial, but sometimes it seems to be in short supply these days. That’s why Randall Hutto, mayor of Wilson County in Tennessee, has made his office the starting point for spreading kindness. This week, Mayor Hutto and project administrator Susan Shaw explain why they created the initiative known as Wilson County Kind and how it is helping create a happier, kinder place to live. In this episode, you'll learn: What inspired Mayor Hutto to create a kindness initiative. Why it’s important for local governments to get behind initiatives like this. How others can start their own kindness initiative.  

Summer officially begins on June 20, and that’s the perfect time to launch 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.

Loneliness is one of the major challenges facing our society today, and since this is Loneliness Awareness Week, it’s a great time to look at what’s behind this loneliness epidemic. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with physician, teacher, innovator, and author Dr. Jeremy Nobel, founder of The Foundation for Art & Healing and the Project UnLonely initiative. Jeremy, who is also on the faculty of the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has published the book Project UnLonely: Healing Our Crisis of Disconnection, and he’s here to talk about what loneliness is doing to us – and what we should be doing about it. In this episode, you’ll learn: The three types of loneliness — and what to do about each one. How chronic loneliness affects both physical and mental health. How engaging in creative expression can help navigate loneliness.

Younger generations are experiencing stress and anxiety differently than previous generations, and that’s something we’re making part of the ongoing conversation at Live Happy.  For this episode, host Paula Felps is joined by author and clinical psychologist Dr Lauren Cook. Her latest book, Generation Anxiety: A Millennial and Gen Z Guide for Staying Afloat in Uncertain Times, looks at why millennials and Gen Z are so anxious and how that is affecting them. She shares some of the things that are driving that anxiety and, importantly, offers insight into what we can do to help change this downward spiral – and what that will mean for future generations.  In this episode, you’ll learn: Why it’s so important to talk about anxiety and mental health. Signs that someone is struggling with anxiety. Steps to take to better manage our own anxiety or help someone else.