Podcast

It’s hard to imagine our little ones dealing with stress and anxiety, but they do suffer more than we think. Nick Ortner, New York Times best-selling author of The Tapping Solution, joins the Live Happy Now podcast to discuss his latest book about mindful breathing for young children. My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing is a colorful and interactive story designed to teach the basic principles of calming breathing techniques. The book is also a great conversation starter for teachers and parent to encourage children to talk about their feelings. Also in this episode, you’ll hear from Daphne Willis, a Nashville-based singer who is using music as a way to discuss mental health issues and let others know they’re not alone. Find out more about Daphne by visiting her website. What you'll learn in this episode: Even the youngest of us can experience stress and anxiety. How parents and teachers can help children cope. Why mindfulness is needed in the classroom. Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Learn more by going to Nick's website. Buy his latest book My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing.

Scott Crabtree, founder of the company Happy Brain Science, has spent years studying positive psychology and what makes us happy. But when Scott combined his love of game design with his passion for positive psychology, he blazed an entirely new trail by creating the game, Choose Happiness @ Work. Today, Scott tells us how the very things that make us happy when playing games are the same things that make us happy at work — and then he explains how we can all gamify our lives to create greater happiness at work. What you'll learn in this episode: What "gamification" means and how it can be used in daily life The four components of games (and work) that make you happy The science of why games engage us, and what we can learn from them Also in this episode, Web Editor Chris Libby drops by to talk about the latest and greatest new Happy Facts! Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Follow Scott on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Learn more about his company Happy Brain Science here. Enter code LIVEHAPPY25 at happybrainscience.com for 25% off Choose Happiness @ Work. Text HAPPYGAME to 345345 to get a free e-book on gamification!

Dr. Joe Bates wants to make your brain hum. The award-winning double board-certified psychiatrist and pediatrician is spending his “retirement” working with veterans at the Tyler VA Clinic in Tyler, Texas. He has been recognized by Mensa for his work with cognitive remediation training, and now he’s created a way for people of all ages to make their brains work smarter, not harder. His new book, Making Your Brain Hum: 12 Weeks to A Smarter You, uses a technique he developed called braincardio™, which is designed to use “brain workouts” to build confidence, hope, well-being and energy. What you'll learn in this episode: How the things we do every day can make a difference in how we think How brain exercises can help us live with less regret and more joy Why it’s important to exercise our brains every day Also in this episode, we talk with dog trainer John Miller, who tells us how to make back-to-school time easier on everyone in the house—including our canine family members. Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Follow Dr. Joe Bates on Facebook. Learn more about braincardio™ on his website. Live Happy listeners have the exclusive opportunity for a 50% discount to the best-selling book Making Your Brain Hum: 12 Weeks to a Smarter You, along with the e-book Tips for a Brain- Healthy Lifestyle that includes sample puzzles. Follow this link for your special offer, just for being a Live Happy Now listener: www.braincardio.org/livehappy

Kristin Neff, Ph.D., is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion as well as associate professor of human development and culture at the University of Texas at Austin. Her groundbreaking insights on how to nurture self-compassion, along with research into the role self-compassion plays in our overall well-being, has led to academic courses on the topic as well as online courses, audio programs and books. Her latest project, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, walks readers through a step-by-step process to help build a greater sense of self-compassion. What you'll learn in this episode: Why you need to stop beating yourself up (and how to do it) The role of self-compassion in happiness Why self-compassion is a better motivator than self-criticism Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Follow Kristin on Facebook. Purchase her book The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook. Download Kristin's self-compassion exercises for free here.

Dan Tomasulo, Ph.D., is a sought-after speaker and author on topics including positive psychology, positive education and positive psychotherapy. His new book, American Snake Pit: Hope, Grit and Resilience in the Wake of Willowbrook, tells the story of the fallout after the closing of New York state’s most controversial state hospital for the mentally disabled. After a groundbreaking expose from Geraldo Rivera about the horrendous living conditions at Willowbrook State School, including overcrowding, patient abuse and questionable treatment methods, plans were made to close its doors. Dan, then a young post-graduate student, was hired to relocate and treat its most seriously disabled residents. What you'll learn in this episode: How storytelling can be used as a positive intervention. Why group therapy and role playing can be an effective tool toward positive mental health. How to practice a virtual gratitude visit. Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Read the first 2 chapters of American Snake Pit for free! Purchase his book American Snake Pit: Hope, Grit and Resilience in the Wake of Willowbrook.

Emily Larson is a researcher, instructor and practitioner in the fields of education and public policy. As director for the International Positive Education Network (IPEN), which was formed by Martin Seligman, Angela Duckworth and Sir Anthony Seldon, Emily is part of a movement that is turning the academic research surrounding positive psychology into practical lesson plans and interventions for educators and students. In this episode, Emily talks with Live Happy CEO and IPEN Advisory Board member Deborah K. Heisz about how positive education is changing the way students learn and tells listeners about the upcoming World Positive Education Accelerator (WPEA). What you'll learn in this episode: Why positive education is so important in today's world. How positive education changes the lives of students. What the World Positive Education Accelerator is and how you can get involved. Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Register for the WPEA and receive 15% with code WPEAHAPPY. Can’t attend the full conference? Single Day Tickets are available. Follow the event with #WeFlourish and find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

If someone’s ever told you to “take a hike,” chances are you never took it as seriously as Jennifer Pharr Davis. Named a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Jennifer has hiked more than 13,000 miles on six continents. She was the first woman to set a Fastest Known Time on the Appalachian Trail, and during her time on the trails she has learned some incredible things about setting goals, bouncing back and pushing through. What you'll learn in this episode: How hiking can change the way you look at the world. Why connecting with nature is so important. How changing your focus can change your outcome. Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Follow Jennifer on Twitter and Instagram. Read an excerpt and purchase her book The Pursuit of Endurance.

Inspired by an unfortunate toxic work environment in her first job out of college, Christine Porath took on the topic of workplace incivility and its cost to both companies and employees. She’s been running with it ever since. Christine Porath, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and the author of Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace and co-author of The Cost of Bad Behavior. She works with leading organizations to help them create thriving workplaces. What you'll learn in this episode: What companies can do to encourage a culture of civility, including the benefits of creating workplaces where people can thrive. Steps to help you become more civil at work, including tips on how to respond to those ever-common scenarios of phone snubbing and rudeness in meetings. The economic and health costs of incivility in the workplace. Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Read more about Christine on her website. Purchase her book Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace. Follow her on Twitter.

Music has the power to change lives, and nowhere is that more evident than in the powerful SongwritingWith:Soldiers program. This unique program pairs members of the military with professional songwriters to craft songs about their experiences. Through their songs, they learn to release pain, tell their stories and build a strong bond with one another. Program co-founder Mary Judd and singer/songwriter Jay Clementi talk about the power of the program—and what it’s taught them. What you'll learn in this episode: What happens at a SongwritingWith:Soldiers retreat. Why the tools of positive psychology are such an important part of the retreats. How the program is changing—and even saving—lives. Links and resources mentioned in this episode: Follow SongwritingWith:Soldiers on Facebook and Twitter. Donate to this organization here. Listen to their inspiring songs here.