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Embracing Radical Self-Care With Shelly Tygielski

Making the world a better place and helping those around us begins with change from within. And this week’s guest, Shelly Tygielski, gives us the blueprint on how to do that. Shelly is the author of the new book, Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the Community. She joins host Paula Felps to talk about how each of us can create profound change in the world if we first turn inward and care for ourselves. In this episode, you'll learn: How each of us can become an agent for social change. The power of showing up and making incremental change. Why a commitment to self-care is the best way to help others. Links and Resources Instagram: @mindfulskatergirl Facebook: @shellymeditation Twitter: @shellytygielski YouTube: @bentleyangel LinkedIn: @shellymindfulness Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:

Podcast

Transcript – Creating a Pandemic of Love With Shelly Tygielski

Follow along with the transcript below for episode: Creating a Pandemic of Love With Shelly Tygielski [INTRODUCTION] [00:00:03] PF: Welcome to Episode 344 of Live Happy Now. When the pandemic began last year, traditional ways of volunteering and helping others completely disappeared. But today's guest found a way to bring people together by creating a pandemic of her own. I'm your host, Paula Felps. And this week, I'm joined by Shelly Tygielski, a meditation teacher and mom, who started a movement from her kitchen table in March of 2020. As she read through her messages and emails about the ways people were being affected by COVID-19, she saw people filled with fears of losing their jobs, not having enough food, and not being able to pay their bills. But she also saw many people who wanted to help, and she came up with a plan to connect the people who need help with the people who were able to give help. Her efforts went viral, kicking off what became known as Pandemic of Love, a global grassroots mutual aid organization. By March of 2021, Pandemic of Love had matched more than 1.5 million people and had allowed donors to directly give $54 million to those in need. Shelly is here today to talk about how this movement caught fire, how it changed the lives of those who were able to help each other, how it's still thriving today, and how you can be a part of it. [INTERVIEW] [00:01:24] PF: Shelly, welcome to Live Happy Now. [00:01:26] ST: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so happy to be here today. [00:01:29] PF: Well, we have so much to talk about, because you got two big things that I’m really excited about. And so I wondered if, first, we can talk about Pandemic of Love. [00:01:40] ST: Okay. [00:01:41] PF: All right. Well, this is something that is so incredible. People say that 2020 was such a horrible year. And you really found a way to make something beautiful come out of it. So can you explain to us what pandemic of love is? [00:01:54] ST: Sure. So Pandemic of Love, in its simplest iteration, is a mutual aid community. It happens to be global in nature. And what mutual aid is, is it's basically a way for individuals within a community, whether it's a small community or a large one, to transact, and provide access and information to other individuals within that community so that people who are in need can have that need met by somebody who has that piece of the puzzle that they need, so to speak. And people who have excess are able to find people that they can give to. So it really creates this beautiful redistribution of wealth. And we see this in nature all the time, in natural ecosystems, whether it's in a rainforest, or coral reef system, etc., how there's the symbiotic relationships. And for some reason, humans, we used to do that really well when we had that clan mentality, when we were nomadic, when we sort of really communed with nature. But as we became more and more industrialized, as we moved to the suburbs, as we move to the cities, as we became technological creatures, we sort of started getting away from this reliance on one another. So mutual aid really is a fantastic way to get back to the basics, the reality that humans need each other. That we need each other to survive, and we always have. But that, really, in this age of our discussions around self-care, that human beings need something. They need to lean on each other in order to thrive, not just survive. So that's really the framing of it. [00:03:42] PF: Can you explain what it is and how it's set up? [00:03:45] ST: Yeah. So it's simple. There're two forms, if you go to the website, which is pandemicoflove.com. And there's two simple forms, give help, get help. That's it. It's that simple. So if you're in a position, if you're a person that is in a position to fill somebody's gas tank this month, or buy groceries for a week for a family of four, or make sure that somebody doesn't lose their heat this winter. If you're in that kind of a position where you have enough, or a little bit more than enough, and you're able to give, you click on the give help form. And we connect you to somebody that's most likely within your community, sometimes within your state. And if there's no micro community within your geographic area, then it might be somebody that's out of state. But basically, we connect you to somebody that has that very specific need that you've identified that you have the capacity to fill. And the beautiful part about Pandemic of Love is that there's no sort of middleman. In other words, our volunteers are over 4000 volunteers, don't connect you or take the funds and then distribute it to the person in need. But rather, we connect the individual in need and the individual that is willing to help them directly. So they have to have a conversation. They have to have a human connection. And I think that is really what resonated with a lot of people during the pandemic, especially when this organization started, because so many people, of course, wanted to be able to help. But the traditional ways of being able to volunteer were not available to us. And people just didn't know how they could help. But also, it was a time of disconnection. So the fact that we were able to connect people did really more than just pay people's bills. It helped to create friendships and reduce loneliness, and really allow a person who may have not been as affected by the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic, walk a mile in somebody else's shoes that may be living just a few blocks from where they are, and really understand sort of the plight of many Americans and many people all over the world who are just really struggling to survive on a day to day basis. [00:05:58] PF: So how did you set it up and get it rolling? Because there were so many obstacles during that time. As you said, we weren't able to do the traditional methods of just going out and doing things. So how did you get this whole ball rolling? [00:06:14] ST: Well, I didn't overthink it. And that's really the key here. I think a lot of times we overthink things and prevent ourselves from actually ever launching or doing anything. I basically just looked to the people in my community. I didn't set out to say like, “Hey, I'm going to build this giant mutual aid community that's global. And we're going to do this.” No. I basically said, “Look, I know that there are people within my local community that have needs. And I know that there are people who have more than enough.” And so I really just want to connect the two of them. How can I do that most efficiently and not get in the way? And I thought, “Okay, I'll just create two simple Google Forms, which is what I did. And the forms, again, were give help and get help. And they just had very simple questions. And as the forum started to come in, I started to recruit volunteers, people who had extra time to give, to help to connect people, to read through the forms of the people in need and connect them in a very respectful manner to people who were able to fill that need, and make sure that that transaction took place. And what happened was, is that once I posted those two links, those two links went pun intended, but they went viral. And they went all around the world and came back. And people like Maria Shriver, and people like Kristen Bell, and just a lot of different influencers began to repost the links. And before I knew it, something that I had just started for the local community became a movement, a movement that is now in 280 communities around 16 countries, and that has connected over 2 million people, and that has transacted over $16 million amongst those people directly, which is pretty amazing. [00:08:00] PF: That’s incredible. [00:08:01] ST: Yeah. [00:08:02] PF: Why do you think it caught on so well? [00:08:05] ST: I definitely think timing was one part of it. I think the fact that I started this on March 14th, while people were still sort of scrambling to figure out like, “What is this? And how long is this going to happen? Are we going to be in lockdown for a week?” I was already in that mode of like organizing and mobilizing, because I had done it so many times before, post-natural disasters for my own community as a community organizer, after mass shootings, and so forth. So I already had sort of those tools in my toolbox. And so I think timing was a really big part of it. The fact that we were, if you will, first to market was huge. And I think that because it was like organized well. I think that my 20 plus years in the corporate world certainly did me some favors in terms of helping me figure out how to organize data, and efficiently connect people, and manage processes, and scale things, right? So that was certainly very helpful as well. [00:09:05] PF: Now, I know that you have a lot of stories from people who benefited from receiving. What about the people who were giving? What did it do to the people who are able to offer something during a time when we really needed to connect with one another? [00:09:21] ST: Well, I think it gives you a certain measure of gratitude and a reality check. Because I think so many of us spend most of our lives living in a bubble. We really get to this point where we want to just create a life of comfort for ourselves. And I don't mean necessarily comfort like in riches. But I mean, we just want to avoid, as human beings, as much discomfort as possible, right? And so we don't make the effort to say go into places that we may feel are not for us, or are beneath us, if you will, or that we wouldn't be welcome. Or we tell ourselves these narratives and these like stories about why we wouldn't want to have a difficult conversation with somebody or probe the neighboring community and understand like what is really going on there and how can we change the systems or effectuate change in those communities. And so I think that it gave people a lens into what other people's lives are really like, other people's lives that are in their ZIP code. And I think for many people, it was an eye opener. It was really just a shift. An opportunity to shift and to lean into the fact that, “Yes, I'm lucky. Yes, I should have an immense amount of gratitude. But also, I really need to be more aware about what is happening in my own community, and how I can actually, yes, effect change, and make the difference in the life of even one person.” And that is enough. If we all just did that every single day, we made a difference in the lives of just one person a day. The toll of that is huge. [00:11:06] PF: Yeah. What an incredible ripple effect it can have. And speaking of ripple effects, did you anticipate that it would still be going on this later? And that it's going to continue to go on? [00:11:18] ST: Yeah. Well, because I think that the way that we designed it was that we wanted to make sure that there are community leaders and that people are really building community. Like they're building connections with each other and creating true safety nets that can be long lasting. Typically speaking, mutual aid organizations tend to rise up like after natural disasters, and after like pandemics, obviously, but after like something harrowing happens within a community and then they sort of fizzle away. And the idea that we could possibly always have this notion and this beautiful system for giving and receiving without the stigma of feeling like we're lacking, or that we aren't enough, or that we have issues with asking for help, which are all associated with the culture that we live in. If we can kind of build that safety net within our own micro-communities, then yes, it could be something that is sustainable. So it has surprised me in a way that it went on this long. But I also recognize that people were finally receiving something and enabled to give something in a way that they weren't ever able to do it before with just the traditional structures that have been put in place for giving, like nonprofit organizations, or religious organizations, etc. [00:12:41] PF: And I know for myself, my giving shifted with the pandemic, because I really did feel that sense of I want to help people in my own backyard. I know on a level there's always been that need there. But this really magnified it for me. And so how has it changed entire communities for people to do that instead of maybe – Well, maybe they're still sending money to overseas or other causes that they support, but to really look at what's going on in their own community and realize how great the need is. How has that changed things? [00:13:14] ST: Well, there's a beautiful Buddhist proverb that says, “Tend to the area of the garden that you can reach.” [00:13:19] PF: Oh, I love that. [00:13:21] ST: And really, I think that's where it hits home for most people. They realize, “I'm so busy tending to gardens that are not even within my vicinity, and that I'm so busy also looking at what other people are doing in their own gardens, instead of looking at my own wilting garden. And if I could focus on making sure that the people within my ripples within my circles of influence are okay, that they have enough, that they have their needs met, that they are not struggling to survive, then everybody within my circle of influence can have the opportunity to thrive. [00:14:02] PF: That's such a fantastic mindset to adopt. And so where is it now? Where's Pandemic of Love at? And what are you seeing for the future? [00:14:11] ST: So Pandemic of Love is we have an incredible advisory board. We are still very active, as I said, in micro-communities around the world. And kind of where we're shifting on a macro level is we want to be just the experts, if you will, or the go-to for people about mutual aid. So what we're working on is creating these templates that are replicable and exportable, and sort of mutual aid in a box if you will, so that people could just come to our website and download very simple instructions and best practices and then be plugged into communities that can continue to share best practices, etc. And essentially just continue to build out what the mutual aid structure could look like if it existed in all of our communities. And if it was formalized, if it was institutionalized even within municipalities. Like just like we have a city hall, and a fire department, and a library. Wouldn't it be wonderful for every single community to also have a formalized or institutionalized mutual aid community in a way for people to be able to just give? [00:15:26] PF: That's terrific and a wonderful vision you have. That's so impressive that you're able to just unfold all this and let us walk into it and help one another. [00:15:34] ST: I mean, it's a collective vision, really. It really has been like this beautiful building block process. Again, it started with just the proverbial throwing a pebble in the water and seeing what kind of a ripple it can generate and the contribution of so many other pebbles that have been thrown into the water at the same time. So that's the beautiful part about this, is that we've been learning how to fly the plane as we're building it. [00:16:03] PF: And you're flying it very beautifully, and building it so well. So I know, yeah, we will put a landing page on this and let people know how they can participate and take them directly to your site so that they can do more with it. [00:16:16] ST: Thank you so much. I appreciate that. [OUTRO] [00:16:21] PF: That was Shelly Tygielski, talking about the movement she launched called Pandemic of Law. Next week, we're going beyond the Pandemic of Love movement and talking to Shelly about her new book, Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-Care Can Change the Community. If you'd like to learn more about Shelly, be part of Pandemic of Love, or follow her on social media. Visit our website at live happy.com and click on the podcast link. And if you still have some holiday shopping to do, we've got you covered. Visit our store at livehappy.com and check out our new Live Happy beanies and hoodies so you can give the gift of happiness to everyone on your list. We offer free shipping on orders of $75. And if you use the code LIVEHAPPYNOW, we’ll give you 10% off your entire order. That's all we have time for today. We'll meet you back here again next week for an all new episode. And until then, this is Paula Felps, reminding you to make every day a happy one. [END]

Podcast

Creating a Pandemic of Love With Shelly Tygielski

When the pandemic began last year, traditional ways of volunteering and helping others disappeared. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with Shelly Tygielski to learn how this Florida mom and meditation teacher brought people together by creating a pandemic of her own. Shelly came up with a plan to connect people who needed help with people who were eager to give help. Her efforts went viral, kicking off what became known as Pandemic of Love — a global, grassroots, mutual aid organization that, within one year, had matched more than 1.5 million people and had allowed donors to directly give $54 million to those in need. In this episode, you'll learn: Where the idea to create the Pandemic of Love came from. The profound benefits of helping others in your community. How you can be involved in this viral movement. Links and Resources Instagram: @mindfulskatergirl Facebook: @shellymeditation Twitter: @shellytygielski YouTube: @bentleyangel LinkedIn: @shellymindfulness Follow along with the transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:

Husband trying to comfort his wife at a graveyard

Self-Care

Life After Loss

No longer relegated to live a life defined by tragedy, survivors and scientists alike are finding the positive side of grieving. Becky Aikman took her place on a metal chair. In her 40s, and much younger than most of the others in the group, she already felt out of place. During the session, the older women addressed her with barely disguised resentment. She was haunted by the “bad juju” of the group. Later, she explained to the facilitator that she felt the group should be following its description: “Moving Forward After Loss.” He responded by asking her not to come back. Partly because of her experience with that support group, she says, “I realized that getting out in the world and having positive experiences helps me. I realized that having friends and doing things with friends helps me. I realized that looking at the humor in life was very helpful.” Becky decided to form her own group, one that would emphasize new experiences and comradery. What she was looking for was a positive experience, despite her loss. Eventually, she would emerge as a happy, wiser person. Channeling her time as a journalist, Becky sought out research on grief. She discovered that the “five stages of grief”—denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance—had been discarded as outmoded by most grief researchers and counselors. She also found someone who had made researching how people grieve his life’s work: George Bonanno, Ph.D., a professor at Columbia University Teacher’s College. The New Science of Grief George came to grief research unexpectedly after what he calls a “curious” job offer early in his career, to direct a grief study at the University California in San Francisco. It was the beginning of a lifetime of studying bereavement, one in which he found, “almost nothing from the traditional ideas seemed to hold up,” he says. Although some seemed to get stuck in the intense grieving phase after a death, George found most people were able to move on. “The more common outcome is of being sad by the loss, being unhappy about it, but continuing to do OK in your life,” he says. “It suggests that it’s what we’re wired to do. “And to some extent, it is. We have a biological response to stress that’s extremely effective.” George found there were factors that helped people naturally evolve through grief. People with a better network of supportive friends and family, potential for financial resources, education and physical health, as well as fewer other stressors, tended to bounce back more easily, although virtually no one got off without significant pain. An additional factor is resiliency, which George believes may be influenced, at least partially, by genetics. He has written cautiously that he believes as well that people can nurture resilience. “That may be a little naïve and a little dangerous, because we don’t really know a lot about that yet,” he says. Until we learn more, there are some things people can do to feed resiliency, George says. For one thing, we can work to lessen stress. We can keep social relationships active. And, “laughter is a very good thing, because laughter and amusement are kind of incompatible with being upset.” It may be artificial to watch funny movies—but doing so reminds you to have joyful experiences with other people. Being optimistic and flexible are useful, too, he says. Not Recovery, but Renewal Becky assembled five women who had lost their husbands at a relatively early age. “We were all still going through a lot of changes, and we were going through them together,” Becky says. “We understand each other in a deep and profound way. It’s a friendship that’s really deep and lasting because of that.” By the time Becky began the group, she had remarried—but it’s a mistake to think she didn’t need support at that time. “A lot of people think that if you’ve lost a spouse, when you remarry, that’s it. Problem solved. And it’s not true. That experience will always be a big part of me,” she says. Specialists in grief counseling agree that people never “recover” from grief. Recovery means returning to life as it was before, and we can never get back a loved one who has died. Instead, we learn how to build a new life, says Bill Hoy, Ph.D., a faculty member in medical humanities at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. “I call it renewal. We learn how to build a new life in this radically changed world in which I live now as a bereaved person.” What’s more, the grief process ought to be a lifelong process of becoming a new person, he says. “I think we are constantly being renewed by the deaths of the people we say goodbye to,” Bill says. Twenty-one years ago, Bill’s father died, and he continues to think about his dad as each significant event in Bill’s life arrives. “That doesn’t mean I haven’t moved on or moved past his death, and it certainly doesn’t mean that my life is organized around his death,” he says. What does renewal after a death look like, and when does it occur? There is no one-size-fits-all timetable, counselors say. But, eventually, there comes a time when most people say they are OK, that they are getting through the grief. Bill says they might tell him, “ ‘Probably Christmas is going to be hell on wheels again, even the third year—or maybe even the fifth year, but I’m able to get through it.’ And it’s not just slogging through it and it’s not ‘I’m a damaged person forever.’ Instead, ‘I’m actually a better person in one way or another.’ ” Forming a ‘New Dave’ Similarly, Dave Kurns talks about the “new Dave” who is forming. His wife, Sharon, died on Dec. 23, 2012—“a difficult Christmas for the kids and me, and probably always will be.” “Hopefully, many of the good things that I was and many of the good things that I’ve become will emerge in a new Dave,” he says. A therapist he has spoken with called it re-forming—“You shatter, and you re-form into a new person.” “I don’t think I’ll ever recover,” Dave says. “I don’t know that I’ll ever become whole. But I do think that I will re-form into something new that I hope is different—and maybe even better than before—as a person.” Sharon was a director of a regional education agency in Des Moines that serves central Iowa schools. She was also an avid reader, and her book club presented Dave with a memorial fund to use to advance the love of reading. The idea to set up a virtual book club, “A Year of Reading Sharon,” originated with teacher Sarah Brown Wessling and her book club. After interviewing Dave and his children, then examining the books Sharon had recommended for her book club, Sarah suggested a year’s worth of reading: 13 books that spoke to Sharon, ending with the last book she was reading, Isaac’s Storm. The book club includes a Facebook page liked by more than 450 people, a Twitter feed and a discussion group on GoodReads.com. People are encouraged to read the book that month and then give it away, to promote the love of reading. Participants post photos showing the book being left for others all over the world. It’s a way to celebrate Sharon’s love of reading and her sharing spirit, but it’s more than that. “Even though we’re sad, we can still feel some of the joy that she brought to us,” Dave says. No Right Way to Reconcile With Grief “A Year of Reading Sharon” has helped Dave mourn, which is an absolutely necessary step, says Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D., who directs the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colo. “There’s no one and only way to mourn,” Alan says. In talks throughout the world, he champions “companioning,” or traveling with someone through the darkness of the journey toward reconciliation, or a realization of the reality of death. Alan cautions against shaming a person for not getting grief right—when there is no right way to grieve. Where, years ago, we experienced death often and shared our grief more, now we are uncomfortable and unfamiliar with it—people can get into their 40s before death touches them closely, and then they tend to be impatient with the grieving process. The next logical, but incorrect, step is to attempt to manage grief instead of surrender to it. “In the last 40 to 50 years, we’ve shifted from surrendering to the mystery of grief to now wanting to manage the science of grief,” Alan says. “Knowledge can be an obstacle to the path to wisdom.” Spiritual or philosophical beliefs can be obstacles, too, and sometimes religious communities buy into the same assumptions that society as a whole makes. And religious organizations that believe that if you have enough faith, “this won’t hurt very much,” or that God punishes people who do bad things, also undermine a grieving person, Bill says. If a faith community offers the necessary social support, it can help tremendously. But often, death causes people to question their faith. “It’s very hard to square a good God with a dead child,” says Bill, who spent the first 10 years of his career as a congregational pastor. So people had better have a theology that is big enough to encompass that, he says—“And I do, but that’s a 53-year-old theology now, and so I can make sense of that for myself that bad things happen in the world in which we live, even though there is a good God.” Alan’s center is nondenominational; he sees people who are helped by their faith and people who feel there is no God. But when faith teaches that if you are strong enough, you can bypass the need to mourn, people can feel ashamed. And that shame can cause you to become stuck in your grief, Alan points out. On the other hand, Becky’s group found happiness by choosing a way to grieve together. As members shared new experiences, they bonded. And in 2013, Becky published Saturday Night Widows, sharing the group’s experiences and how, together, they came back from tragedy. “When we get together, we have a blast,” Becky says. “We do things that are fun. We laugh ourselves silly all the time.” That’s not to say that the group members don’t endure pangs of grief, waves of overriding feelings of loss that Alan calls “grief bursts.” Becky says, “I absolutely agree with people who say you need time to recover….Everyone is different, everybody needs a different amount of time, but I agree that there's a low period that people go through—and nobody gets to skip that part. “I'm just saying that everybody does have the ability to work their way through this over time, and to find joy again.” The women are, Becky says, moving on—and focusing on the future. Their movement happened not in spite of the grief they felt, but because of it, Alan says. “There are times in life we need to be sad,” he says. “The more we befriend it, the more we ultimately can be happy.”

Practice

Eight Years Later and We’re Still Making the World a Happier Place

Live Happy continues to be your guide on your journey to finding authentic happiness. In 2013, Live Happy launched with a mission of promoting and sharing authentic happiness through education, integrity, gratitude, and community awareness. As we celebrate our eighth-year anniversary this month, we are continuing to bring the happiness movement to you by keeping you informed on the science of happiness and well-being as well as providing you with the tips and tools to live a flourishing life. Founded in 2013 by veteran entrepreneur Jeff Olson and CEO Deborah Heisz, Live Happy has accomplished many milestones over the years, including being the first mainstream lifestyle magazine based in the science of positive psychology, the opportunity to address the United Nations on the importance of happiness, multiple industry awards and garnering more than 1 million downloads of our Live Happy Now Podcast. While we are certainly proud of everything we have achieved (and achievement is important to happiness), it’s not so much what we have done that is important, it’s what we have learned over the years. We have taken the science of happiness out of the halls of academia and shared it with you. Here is a list of happy practices you can do every day to make your world a happier place: Be Kind Kindness is the goodness glue that holds us all together. When we practice kindness, we are telling others that they matter. Kindness is also associated with other important character strengths, such as gratitude, leadership and love. It takes very little to make someone's day a little brighter. The next time you see someone, try viewing them through kind eyes and less judgment. You don’t even have to be verbal about it. You can just wish them well within the confines of your own mind. Of course, random acts of kindness are great, too, because it creates a ripple effect of niceness that spreads happiness. Be Grateful Practicing gratitude is more than just saying, “thank you,” it is a mindset of thankfulness that is quite possibly the magic elixir to happiness. According to science, when practiced regularly, gratitude can improve your mental and physical well-being. Gratitude strengthens relationships, improves life and work satisfaction and increases happiness. Once you get into a groove, it can even keep those happy vibes going for weeks and even months. Best of all, gratitude doesn’t cost a thing, so the emotional investment is well worth the return. Be Humorous Humor is a strength that literally lightens your mood. That’s what it is designed to do. Humor brings out a playfulness that eases our stress and lets us know we are in a safe place. What’s more, a good belly laugh can release all the happy hormones in your body, such as oxytocin, endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, and opens up the reward centers in your brain. You don’t even have to be inherently hilarious to benefit from humor, you just have to look for the funny. Studies also show that you can even fake your laughter and you’ll still get the same benefits. Eventually, your fake chuckles will turn into real bonafide yucks. Don’t believe us, give it a try. We’ll wait. Be Resilient The global pandemic has surely tested our mettle. Stress levels have been pushed to a tipping point, isolation has made us lonelier and many have experienced extreme grief from losing loved ones to COVID-19. If there was ever a time in your life when you needed resilience, it’s now. Resilience is the ability to persevere through adversity, no matter what obstacles stand in your way. People who rely on resilience find hope in dire situations, view setbacks as challenges and not a failure and oftentimes end up being stronger for having prevailed. If you are a resilient person, then odds are that you have overcome adversity in your life and have developed the skills to get you through it. Be Happy The most important lesson we have learned at Live Happy is that happiness truly is a choice. While it does take work, you can choose the happiness you want in this world. Happy people find more positive outcomes in theirs lives, enjoy higher life satisfaction, find more success at work, and are generally healthier. We at Live Happy have spent the last eight years giving you the information you need to live a happier life. We will continue to do so because whether you are living in a small village at the end of the earth or in a large booming metropolis, we believe everyone deserves more authentic happiness in their lives. For more on our conversation about what we have learned about happiness, check out our latest podcast on Live Happy Now.

Practice

Discover

Discover Live Happy is serious about happiness. Weaving the science of positive psychology through inspiring features, relatable stories, and sage advice, we help people discover their personal journeys of happiness in life, at work and at home. We break down the latest research on well-being and deliver it in an understandable and easy-to-read format. SELF-CARE Stories about people overcoming real-life obstacles, conquering everyday fears and finding joy even in tragedies help readers learn to look for the positive angle in tough times. RELATIONSHIPS Healthy living advice, family bonding ideas and community service stories motivate people to find their own ways of getting active, connecting and making a difference in the lives of others. LIFESTYLE Live Happy is about people. Interviews with celebrities, experts and other public figures provide insider looks at how prominent people choose to live happy and have fun every day. WORK People who are happy and engaged at the workplace are more likely to feel emotionally attached to their work, have a higher psychological well-being and earn more than those who are not. SCIENCE The science of happiness is grounded in positive psychology, but also includes physiology, neuroscience, as well as education and nutrition. PRACTICE Happy people tend to be healthier, more satisfied with life and their relationships and strive to improve their quality of life through joy, gratitude, meaning and service. TECHNOLOGY An ever-growing presence in our lives, Live Happy brings you the latest information and advice on how to handle technology as it relates to our happiness and well-being. MINDSET Happy people tend to be healthier, more satisfied with life and their relationships and strive to improve their quality of life through joy, gratitude, meaning and service. #HAPPYACTS #HappyActs are small acts of kindness that make a big impact. Explore our ideas to make someone’s day a little brighter and discover Happy Activists, people who, through kind words and intentional actions, strive to make the world a better place.

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The International Day of Happiness

The International Day of Happiness Get involved and help us make the world a happier place.March 20 has been established as the annual International Day of Happiness and all 193 United Nations member states have adopted a resolution calling for happiness to be given greater priority.In 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which recognized happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and called for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples.”The first UN conference on Happiness was held in 2012 and the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which decreed that the International Day of Happiness would be observed every year on 20 March. It was celebrated for the first time in 2013.One way to celebrate the International Day of Happiness is by creating a happiness wall. A happiness wall is a place full of fun and camaraderie, and it is a good way to remind us that small, thoughtful expressions can have a big impact on others.Here are some of the ways you can spread happiness:Participate—help us make the world a happier place.Spread Happiness—one small act can change the world. Do a #HappyAct and tell us about it! #HappyActs #LiveHappyHappiness wall—Creating your own wall is easy! Whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or a keep-it-simple kind of person, you can celebrate happiness this March in honor of International Day of Happiness. Let’s get this party started! Choose if you want to download a wall, purchase a poster or create your own! Register your wall! Tell us how you share happiness! Take a picture with your printed wall and share on social media. #HappyActs #LiveHappy #YourCityLearn—information about happiness delivered to you.Listen to our popular podcast Live Happy Now brought to you by the editors of Live Happy magazine. Bringing you scientifically proven facts and ideas to live a happier and more meaningful life through interviews with positive psychology and well-being thought leaders.Receive our email newsletters to get the latest information and articles on the website, plus announcements of upcoming events and special product offers.Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for happiness quotes, facts and news stories, as well as to engage with a community of like-minded people sharing happiness.Share—become a catalyst for positive change in the lives of others.Bring smiles all around by wearing Live Happy clothes and gear!Smile! It’s a gift that people will instantly reciprocate!The more you share happiness with others, the happier you’ll feel.

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The Happiness Movement

Home » The Happiness Movement The Happiness Movement is about discovering your own authentic happiness, and sharing it with family, friends and your community. Happiness is contagious, and our goal is to create a world with more compassion, less strife and a greater sense of purpose and meaning. You can claim responsibility for your own happiness and become a catalyst of happiness in others’ lives. Collectively, our commitment to long-lasting happiness has the potential to change the world, one person at a time. True joy comes from spreading happiness to those around you. And like a pebble thrown into a pond, it only takes one person to create a ripple of happiness.

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In the News

Home » In the News August 9, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Yahoo Entertainment re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 9, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Standard Republic re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 9, 2017- Live Happy mentioned on ABC7 Chicago re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Celebrity Insider re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on E!news re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt, again. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on FOX News Entertainment re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in Cosmopolitan.com re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in IBTimes.uk re Anna and Chris. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in News.com.au re Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8. 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in Page Six re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on CNN re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 8, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on ET online re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned in IMDB.com news re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned and magazine cover shown on Exttra! TV online re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on Entertainment Tonight online re: Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. August 7, 2017 - Live Happy mentioned on E News! regarding Anna Faris and Chris Pratt. July 31, 2017 - Live Happy and Michelle Gielan mentioned in article in Inc.com. July 21, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser and Live Happy are mentioned in an article on SheKnows.com about body image. July 20, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on KTLA newscast to discuss the Netflix film To The Bone. July 19, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on Good Day L.A. July 18, 2017 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on FoxLA.com. August 30, 2016 - Live Happy Editor at Large Stacy Kaiser featured on KTLA Newscast re: Making the Best of Your Empty Nest. March 16, 2016 - Live Happy and Happy Acts featured in the Kansas City Star. January 12, 2016 -SheScribes.com featured Live Happy in a piece on how to be happy in the New Year, which included reference to the magazine, website and magnetic chalkboard, recipe sign and water bottle January 5, 2016 -Good Morning Texas had Live Happy COO, Deborah Heisz, in-studio for a LIVE segment January 1, 2016 -DFW.CBSlocal.com interviewed Deborah Heisz for article "Ask a DFW Expert: 5 Best Snow Day Activities" December 30, 2015 - TODAY Show revealed online coverage of Live Happy Editor-at-Large, Stacy Kasier, TODAY show segment "How to Hang On To Holiday Joy" (Even After the Holidays) December 29, 2015 -TODAY Show aired segment with Stacy Kaiser on the topic of “joy” related to the season and carrying on into the New Year December 18, 2015 -MariaShriver.com featured article by Stacy Kaiser, "When Gift Giving Goes Wrong…7 Things You Can Do" December 11, 2015 -WPTV NewsChannel 5 at 5 NBC mentioned Live Happy's tips on giving "redeemable" gifts December 11, 2015 -MariaShriver.com posted "3 Secrets for De-Stressing The Season & Enjoying the Holidays" December 9, 2015 -Twitter.com/ToTheMotherhoodtweeted a picture of Live Happy Nov/Dec issue cover and subscription December 9, 2015 -WSVN Channel 7 News FOXMention’s Deborah Heisz's tip on giving adult coloring books December 8, 2015 -KPTV More Good Day Oregon, FOX Portland featured Deborah Heisz's clip on returning gifts December 8, 2015 - WGHP Fox 8 News (FOX) mentions Live Happy magazine in segment about subscription gifts December 8, 2015 -Greatist.com featured Stacy Kaiser's expertise in "The Best Way to Respond to Passive Aggressive People" December 4, 2015 -WSVN 7 News Miami (FOX) picked up Fox News Edge, introduced Deborah K. Heisz as Live Happy director and featured gift clip December 3, 2015 -Fox 13 News Salt Lake City (KSTU) mentioned Deborah Heisz and Live Happy magazine in a piece on gift giving this season December 3, 2015 -GQ Magazine Mexico featured article on Jeff Olson and mentioned LiveHappy.com Mexico launch December 2, 2015 - Prevention.com featured Stacy Kaiser's thoughts in article "The 2-Second Relationship Fix That Works" December 2, 2015 -The Hoda Show (Sirius XM radio) had Stacy on LIVE for her ongoing monthly segment in which she discussed holiday gift giving November 30, 2015 -Healthzette.com featured Stacy Kaiser's thoughts in article, "When Bad Habits are Good" November 30, 2015 -MariaShriver.com posted "5 Tips to Get Fit" article from magazine November 23, 2015 -ABCNews.go.com featured Deborah Heisz's tips on a piece about how to MAINTAIN HAPPINESS during the Holidays November 23, 2015 -Just Jenny (Sirius XM) interviewed Live Happy COO, Deborah Heisz, live on November 20th to discuss gift guides and happy gifts November 18, 2015 -DivorcedMoms.com featured Stacy's advice in article about domestic disputes after divorce November 18, 2015 -WomensRunning.com featured Stacy Kaiser's thoughts for a piece on "Holiday Fitness Hacks Straight from the Top". November 18, 2015 -iWayMagazine.com featured Live Happy in article about Jeff Olson in conjunction with visit to Mexico November 17, 2015 -Radaronline.com featured Dolly Parton's cover story in celeb slide show, "When Celebrities Go Out They Go All Out!" November 16, 2015 -The Steve Harvey Show introduced Stacy Kaiser as Live Happy Editor in Chief , included in her lower third, and showed the Nov/Dec issue cover in single-mom panel segment on Nov. 16 November 14, 2015 -TasteofCountry.com featured Dolly Parton's cover story in "Dolly Parton Shares Her Secret to Happiness" November 11, 2015 -Dr. Michelle Robin's Radio Show interviewed Deborah Heisz on November 9 at 12pm CST on the Nov/Dec issue and Live Happy overall November 11, 2015 -BlogTalkRadio.com featured Dr. Michelle Robin's interview with Deborah Heisz on November 9 at 12pm CST on the Nov/Dec issue and Live Happy overall November 5, 2015 -MarthaStewartWeddings.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s insight in a piece on “10 Ways to Calm Your Nerves Before You Walk Down the Aisle” November 5, 2015 -YourTango.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s thoughts in a piece on fall dating do’s and don’ts November 4, 2015 - The Hoda Show (Sirius XM) interviewed Live Happy Editor in Chief, Stacy Kaiser, for her monthly ongoing segment Link: Stacy talks about forgiveness on The Hoda Show November 3, 2015 -Twitter.com/NBC shared Dolly Parton’s cover story and image to help promote her cover story and her NBC movie, Coat of Many Colors October 30, 2015 -ScarySymptoms.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s thoughts in an article on whether it’s wrong for childless people to give parenting advice October 30, 2015 -ScarySymptoms.com featured Stacy Kaiser’s thoughts in a piece on why parents should be popular with their kids and teens October 29, 2015 - Live Happy COO, Deborah Heisz, quoted in USA Today story about clearing clutter October 25, 2015 - Editor at large Stacy Kaiser quoted in story about divorced moms October 23, 2015 - Stacy Kaiser is quoted in this article on 10 Ways to Boost Confidence August 15, 2015 - Mediapost.com Link: Interview with Live Happy Editorial Director Deborah Heisz August 1, 2015 - Inc.com Link: Deborah Heisz's advice is included in this article about vacations July 25, 2015 - The HodaShow Link: Stacy Kaiser on Hoda'sSirius Radio Show July 25, 2015 - The Kim Pagano Radio Show Link: Interview With Deborah Heisz, LH Co-Founder July 24, 2015 - Healthy Talk Radio Link: Deborah Heiszdiscusses Traveling With your Kids July 24, 2015 - Healthy Talk Radio Link: Deborah Heisz discusses Ways to Find Your Happy Place July 9. 2015 - LadyLux.com Link: Mentioned in article about The Benefits of Play July 6, 2015 TODAY ShowEditor-at-large Stacy Kaiser and contributors Adam Shell and Nick Kraft were featured on the TODAY show July 1, 2015 The Jane Wilkins Radio Show Link:Deborah Heisz Discusses Live Happy and Happiness June 29, 2015 MotherhoodDefined.com Article: Deb Heisz:Kickstart Your Day With a Dose of Positivity June 25, 2015 HuffingtonPost.com Article: Stacy Kaiser: What to Do If Mom and Dad Have Different Parenting Styles June 23, 2015 HuffingtonPost.com Article: Stacy Kaiser: How Grandparents Can Help During a Divorce June 21, 2015 HuffingtonPost.com Article: Summer Travel Round-Up (Gratitude Journal) January 23, 2015 People.com Article: Why Is Scott Foley Hiding Under the Covers Every Morning? October 31, 2014 JustJared Article: Kristin Chenoweth Gets Into Holiday Spirit for Live Happy Mag October 31, 2014 celebuzz.com Article: Kristin Chenoweth'sWickedly Happy Holidays for 'Live Happy' Magazine August 19, 2014 mydevotionalthoughts.net Article: Celebrating 31 Days of Friendship August 18, 2014 washingtonpost.com Article: Stay Happy, and You May Live Longer August 7, 2014 semmessavers.com Article:Get Positive with Live Happy Magazine (Review) August 7, 2014SheScribes.com Article:Learn how to Live Happy August 4, 2014 nypost.com Article: Replace your therapist with these psych magazines August 4, 2014 mydevotionalthoughts.net Article: “Live Happy” Magazine Review July 30, 2014 lovetoknow.com Article: Why Are Jobs Stressful? July 28, 2014 mamalikesthis.com Article: Live Happy Magazine Subscription July 9, 2014 Pblcty.com Article: Miranda Lambert Talks Life, Community, and Staying True to Her Roots July 9, 2014 CountryMusicRocks.net Article: Miranda Lambert Featured in Live Happy magazine July 3, 2014 Guitar Girl magazine Article: Miranda Lambert Graces the Cover of Live Happy and Discusses her Credo to Happiness June 30, 2014Dadofdivas.com Article:Be Part of the Movement to Live Happy #giveaway May 13, 2014 Everyday Health Article:Why You Should Make Every Meal a Happy Meal April 16, 2014YeswareArticle:The Exercise Effect: How Exercise Can Boost Your Sales Performance April 10, 2014 DailyWorth Article:4 Steps to Find Your Happy March 21, 2014 — Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Article: Pitt Celebrates Happiness with Wall of Positivity March 20, 2014 — Dallas Morning News Article: March 20 is International Day of Happiness March 20, 2014 — Forbes.com Article: Why the World Needs a Happiness Campaign to Live Better March 19, 2014 —USA Today Article:Happy, happy, joy, joy: Books, apps bubble it up March 19, 2014 —Houston Chronicle Article:Houston, Are You Happy? March 19, 2014 —Positively Positive Article:What Successful People and Happy People Have in Common March 19, 2014 Article:Happiness is the Thing March 4, 2014 — Huffington Post Article: Happiness Gets its Day January 10, 2014 —Des MoinesRegister Article: Iowa editor of 'Live Happy' magazine looks beyond bullet-point platitudes December 28, 2013 —Mr. Magazine Article:Live Happy Magazine: Happiness Finds Its Way to Print. The Mr. Magazine™ Interview with Editor in Chief Karol DeWulf Nickell. December 23, 2013 —Albuquerque Journal Article:Positive psychology focuses on what makes us happy December 13, 2013 — MyFox4 Video:Good Day Dallas December 13, 2013 —95.9WATD Article:SSMN: Wednesday December18th, 2013 December 2, 2013 —Washington Post Article:What’s so bad about feeling good? November 25, 2013 —Good News Planet Article:Live Happy Magazine – 25 Ways to Give Happiness at the Holidays November 19 2013 —Wisconsin Public Radio Articles:25 Ways To Give Happiness Over The Holidays November 19, 2013 —Biz Mommy Article:If You're Happy and You Know It... November 18, 2013 —Complete Herbal Guide Article:The Most Important Secrets You Must Learn In Order to Live a Happy, Healthy & Productive Life November 13, 2013 —The Overwhelmed Brain Article:Episode 0001: Jeff Olson: The Slight Edge – The Compounding Effect of Daily Progress November 9, 2013 — Examiner Article:Read celebrity profiles in the new Live Happy magazine November 4, 2013 —EternalLizdom Article:LiveHappy November 1, 2013 —Dr.Oz Video:How to Stop Worrying October 30, 2013 — Networking Witches Article:Live Happy Magazine October 30, 2013 — The Shelly Wilson Show Article:The Shelly Wilson Show with Jeff Olson October24, 2013 —Media DailyNews Article:LiveHappy Launches

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Take Action

Take ActionHome » Take ActionGet involved and help us make the world a happier place. When you claim responsibility for your own happiness, you also become a catalyst for positive change in the lives of others. That’s what the happiness movement is all about. Imagine a world filled with optimism and compassion—it’s possible, if we do it together. You can join the happiness movement today and start making the world a happier place.LearnLive Happy magazine gives you the tools and information you need to make changes and live a happier life. We offer simple, science-based steps to support your happiness and positively impact your health, success and relationships—your whole life. Buy the latest magazine today!Receive our email newsletters to get the latest information and articles on the website, plus announcements of upcoming events and special product offers.Come back to this site often for quick tips, tools and ideas to help you live happy every day.Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for happiness quotes, facts and news stories, as well as to engage with a community of like-minded people sharing happiness.ParticipateListen to our popular podcast Live Happy Now brought to you by the editors of Live Happy magazine. Bringing you scientifically proven facts and ideas to live a happier and more meaningful life through interviews with positive psychology and well-being thought leaders.Spread Happiness—one small act can change the world. Take our #HappyActs challenge, do a #HappyAct and tell us about itCelebrate happiness with us at one of our Happy Acts Walls on March 20 for the International Day of Happiness.ShareBring smiles all around by wearing Live Happy clothes and gear!Smile! It’s a gift that people will instantly reciprocate!The more you share happiness with others, the happier you’ll feel. Sharing articles from livehappy.com on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest … everywhere!

Embracing Radical Self-Care With Shelly Tygielski

Transcript – Creating a Pandemic of Love With Shelly Tygielski

Creating a Pandemic of Love With Shelly Tygielski

Life After Loss

Eight Years Later and We’re Still Making the World a Happier Place

Discover

The International Day of Happiness

The Happiness Movement

In the News

Take Action

Store

Articles

Quick Links