You searched for happy-acts

A couple spending time outside in nature.

Why Finland Is So Happy With Heli Mende

When the World Happiness Report was released on March 20, Finland was named the World’s Happiest Country for the sixth year in a row. This week, Heli Mende of Visit Finland joins host Paula Felps to talk about why the country has earned that designation so frequently and explain how it inspired the country to offer a Masterclass of Happiness that will be held in June. Heli talks about happiness, Finland-style, how they developed the masterclass, and shares some of the things we all can do to enjoy that same kind of well-being no matter what country we’re in. In this episode, you'll learn: How being named the World’s Happiest Country has affected Finland. The value of connecting with nature and how that influences Finland’s happiness. The surprising role that saunas play in the country’s overall well-being. Links and Resources Facebook: @visitfinland Instagram: @ourfinland Read about the Happiest Countries in the World Follow along with this episode's transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:

Podcast

What We Learned from the World Happiness Report with Deborah K. Heisz

Every year on March 20 — the International Day of Happiness — the Sustainable Development Solutions Network releases its World Happiness Report. This week, host Paula Felps sits down with Live Happy co-founder and CEO Deborah Heisz to talk about how we’re faring when it comes to happiness, what we learned from this year’s report and why it appears that our happiness is improving. In this episode, you'll learn: What kind of “happiness” the report is talking about and how we gauge it. Why the U.S. is improving in happiness and what is holding us back. How the past few years have encouraged us to become more altruistic. Links and Resources Facebook: @livehappy Instagram: @mylivehappy Twitter: @livehappy Read about this year’s Happiest Countries: Finland Remains the Happiest Place on Earth | Live Happy Why doing good feels so good: Doing Good Feels Good For All | Live Happy Visit this episode’s sponsor, Mau Pets, at maupets.com and use the discount code LIVEHAPPYNOW to receive a 5% discount. Follow along with this episode’s transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:

Mindset

Doing Good Feels Good For All

One of the unexpected positive changes of the past three years is that people around the world have become more willing to help others — and that is raising our happiness level overall. The 2023 World Happiness Report, released on March 20 by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, not only unveiled the latest rankings of the world’s happiest countries but also looked at long-term happiness trends in a post-pandemic era. The report shows that, despite the many overlapping crises of the past three years, people around the world are showing just how resilient they are. In fact, life satisfaction overall has returned to pre-pandemic levels. This year’s report took a deep dive on altruism and pro-social behavior, and found that for the second consecutive year, everyday acts of kindness have been at a higher level than they were before the pandemic. During a press conference about the report’s findings on Monday, Shawn A. Rhoads, postdoctoral research fellow at Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, explained both the cause and effect of such altruism. Rhoads co-authored the report’s chapter on altruism with Georgetown University Professor Abigail A. Marsh and defined altruism as “any costly behavior that improves the welfare of another person and does not bring any tangible benefit.” This can include things like giving money to strangers or charity, volunteering, and donating blood, bone marrow and organs. In the post-pandemic world, such forms of giving are on the rise, the study authors noted. The Joy of Giving “More people donated to charities, committed to volunteer work and offered help to strangers,” Rhoads said. And, while the benefit to the recipient of the good deed seems obvious, its effects go far beyond that, the research found. Recipients report greater life satisfaction, more positive emotion, and less negative emotion as the beneficiary of such kindness. They also may have feelings of gratitude that leads them to pay it forward and help others in the future. However, the person doing the good deed gets just as much of a dopamine reward. “People’s happiness increases after helping strangers,” Rhoads said, noting that people who have higher levels of positive emotion are more likely to help others, while at the same time, they boost their positive emotions — creating an upward spiral of happiness. The report explains that stress and fear often motivate people to take action, and in challenging times, that can emerge as helping others: “People with the most stress show higher altruism,” Rhoads said. “That could help explain the surge of altruism during COVID.” The Benefits for Bystanders Even observing acts of kindness can have a positive effect, Rhoads said. Research shows that witnessing altruism increases observers’ mood and energy, motivates them to do good things for others, and increases their desire to become a better person. It results in what the report calls “moral elevation,” which encourages them to adopt a more altruistic approach in their own lives. Rhoads said the increases in well-being around the globe that were seen during the pandemic and in the difficult times that have followed are “almost certainly” linked to the global altruism that has emerged. “This leaves me optimistic for the future,” he said.

Community

Spread More Happiness in Your Community This March

With global unhappiness on the rise and more people experiencing feelings of worry, stress, loneliness, and sadness, it’s clear that we all need to pitch in and to do our part to make the world a happier place. Since 2013, Live Happy has been celebrating the International Day of Happiness (IDOH) on March 20 with a month-long #HappyActs campaign to bring awareness to happiness and well-being. This year’s #HappyActs theme is all about building stronger communities because improving the places where we live, work and play benefits us all. Community can have many definitions but at its core, it is people helping people. When we all work together, we can enjoy a more harmonious life. Whether it’s checking in on an elderly neighbor, cleaning up your local park, or volunteering your time at a local animal shelter, we all have the responsibility to make a positive difference. Every act of kindness has the chance to not only make the beneficiaries happy, but also the people who perform these acts. That’s a winning combination. During the month of March, Live Happy is calling on all Happy Activists to go to livehappy.com/happyacts to learn how to participate in this year’s IDOH 2023 celebration. Here are just a few things you can do make sure you are spreading happiness to those in your community. Host Your Own Happiness Wall At, LiveHappy.com, you can find several ideas on how to create your own Happiness Wall, download a printable Happiness Wall that can be posted almost anywhere, or order Poster Happiness wall from the Live Happy store. It doesn’t matter what type of wall you create, just as long as you register it with us here. Join thousands of Happy Activists around the world by hosting Happiness Walls in public viewing areas, including parks, shopping malls and businesses. Classrooms and offices can be also great places for a Happiness Wall. Celebrating IDOH 2023 is a fun way to share happiness with your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and community members. Make #HappyActs a Happy Habit All Month Long While acts of kindness should be positive habits practiced all year long, Live Happy is encouraging all Happy Activists to download their very own free #HappyActs calendar with a different act of kindness idea for each day of the month. That’s 31 #HappyActs all dedicated to making your community stronger. You can plant some flowers or vegetables in your community garden, leave a positive review for your favorite neighborhood business or just give someone a sincere compliment. These #HappyActs will not only make other happy, but your happiness will increase too. Don’t forget to let us know through your social media by using #LiveHappy and #HappyActs.

Community

Create Your Wall

CREATING A HAPPINESS 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! PRINTABLE WALL This printable Happiness Wall is a simple project for the busiest and most unhandy of crafters to display at their home and workplace. It's a fun and easy way to share happiness with your family and colleagues. Step 1: Find the perfect spot. On your fridge, office break room, kid's room, cubicle wall, etc. Don't forget to register your wall with us.Step 2: Spread the word. Share and encourage others to do their own Happiness Wall. Show the world how easy it is to encourage happiness. Promote #HappyActs on social media. Download the Printable Happiness Wall POSTER WALL Now you can share your #HappyActs anywhere. Bring your own Happiness Wall to your home or office with our Wall Poster—it’s that easy! This 24-inch-by-36-inch matte finish poster is a simple and fun way to participate as well as a reminder about the importance of kindness, compassion and giving back.Step 1: Find the perfect spot. On your wall, office break room, kid's room, cubicle wall, etc. Don't forget to register your wall with us.Step 2: Spread the word. Share and encourage others to do their own Happiness Wall. Show the world how easy it is to encourage happiness. Promote #HappyActs on social media. Buy the Happiness Wall Poster DIY WALL Perfect for inside or outside, your Happiness Wall event can be done in a jiffy or on a budget. It's a fun and engaging way to bring more happiness to your community, workplace and children's school. Step 1: Find the perfect spot. A shopping center, park, airport, restaurant, nail spa, etc. Don't forget to register your wall with us.Step 2: Start decorating. Get some colorful paper and come up with creative ways to decorate your wall. Find inspiration here.Step 3: Gather supplies. Keeping supplies handy will make it easy for people to share #HappyActs on your wall. Shop for supplies from our Live Happy Store.Step 4: Spread the word. Let everyone know about your Happiness Wall event! Promote your event on social media using #HappyActs. Download the Event Guide This printable Happiness Wall is a simple project for the busiest and most unhandy of crafters to display at their home and workplace. It's a fun and easy way to share happiness with your family and colleagues. Step 1: Find the perfect spot. On your fridge, office break room, kid's room, cubicle wall, etc. Don't forget to register your wall with us.Step 2: Spread the word. Share and encourage others to do their own Happiness Wall. Show the world how easy it is to encourage happiness. Promote #HappyActs on social media.Now you can share your #HappyActs anywhere. Bring your own Happiness Wall to your home or office with our Wall Poster—it’s that easy! This 24-inch-by-36-inch matte finish poster is a simple and fun way to participate as well as a reminder about the importance of kindness, compassion and giving back.Step 1: Find the perfect spot. On your wall, office break room, kid's room, cubicle wall, etc. Don't forget to register your wall with us.Step 2: Spread the word. Share and encourage others to do their own Happiness Wall. Show the world how easy it is to encourage happiness. Promote #HappyActs on social media.Perfect for inside or outside, your Happiness Wall event can be done in a jiffy or on a budget. It's a fun and engaging way to bring more happiness to your community, workplace and children's school. Step 1: Find the perfect spot. A shopping center, park, airport, restaurant, nail spa, etc. Don't forget to register your wall with us.Step 2: Start decorating. Get some colorful paper and come up with creative ways to decorate your wall. Find inspiration here.Step 3: Gather supplies. Keeping supplies handy will make it easy for people to share #HappyActs on your wall. Shop for supplies from our Live Happy Store.Step 4: Spread the word. Let everyone know about your Happiness Wall event! Promote your event on social media using #HappyActs. Download the Printable Happiness Wall Buy the Happiness Wall Poster Download the Event Guide

Practice

5 Halloween Trick or Treat Etiquette Tips

Halloween is the one night a year when adults and children come together to share their mutual love of scary stories, dressing up in costumes, and, of course, candy! One of the great delights for children is engaging in the traditional night of trick or treating. Americans alone spend billions on candy at this time of year. Whether you're the parent of a very young child or you're ready to venture off alone with your friends, there are a few things you should pay attention to when you're about to start trick or treating. Remembering basic etiquette is a must when you're about to trick or treat. This is because you may interact with strangers, some of whom may not be in the holiday spirit. It's always important to remain respectful when you're ready to trick or treat and consider how you approach your neighbors and friends. Trick or treating is a super fun and exciting opportunity to make friends, get to know your neighbors, and to enjoy plenty of sweet treats, but you'll need to abide by these five etiquette tips to ensure everyone has an enjoyable night! To find out five trick-or-treat etiquette tips for a safe and happy Halloween, keep reading. 1. Politeness and manners are free and always necessary Remembering basic manners is one of the most important things to think about if you're a child (or adult, we don't judge) who's about to trick-or-treat. Sometimes, it's easy to forget the value of please and thank you. Still, basic politeness and manners go a long way, especially if you're engaging with new neighbors or people you've never interacted with. Remember, when you're trick or treating, you're entering someone's grounds or property, even if you're simply standing on their porch. Think about how you would want to be treated if someone came to you wanting candy on Halloween. Saying please and thank you before and after you take your candy will go a long way, plus it’s a chance to sharpen your gratitude skills. If you knock on a neighbor's door and see that they've dressed up for the occasion, why not pay them a compliment? They'll likely comment on your costume, so return the kind favor. Plus, compliments can increase your happiness as well as the person on the receiving end. One last politeness tip to remember is never to pester your neighbor. If they don't want to answer their door, don't shout or ring their doorbell over and over again. You never know why people might not want to celebrate Halloween, so it's always best practice to be respectful and quiet during trick or treating. 2. Don't be too greedy! Although you might be tempted to grab handful after handful of your favorite sweet treats, try to resist the urge! Remember, other trick-or-treating parties will follow who will want to indulge in the same candy as you, so try to be mindful of other people around you. This is also important as you won't want to come across as greedy to the kind neighbors and homeowners who are kind enough to hand out candy to you. Don't snatch or grab large handfuls to get ahead of your friends. Additionally, if you notice your favorite candy type, don't just take handfuls of this. Make sure you leave enough for your friends and other trick-or-treating parties. 3. Make it clear you're ready to hand out candy and think about allergies! This is one for those preparing to hand out candy this Halloween. When preparing for Halloween, make it clear that you're willing to hand out candy. You can do this by leaving a jack-o-lantern outside your home or leaving a sign for trick-or-treaters. These visual cues take away a lot of uncertainty associated with treat-or-treating and mean that parties know which houses to go to and which to avoid. Another important thing to remember when you’re handing out candy is to ensure you consider allergens or candy preferences to cater to people’s needs. Try to avoid candy with nuts, milk, egg or other prominent allergens that could stop trick-or-treaters from enjoying Halloween. Try to keep treats meant for trick-or-treaters with allergies separate from your other candy to reduce cross-contamination. When you hear a knock at your door, communicate with trick-or-treaters that you have options for anyone with allergies in a separate bowl! 4. Pay attention to a house's visual cues Now back to you trick-or-treaters. While hunting for candy, it can be easy to assume that everyone is ready with a bowl of treats by their door. However, this isn't the case. Over 172 million people in the United States celebrate Halloween. Although that is a huge number, not everyone will be available or willing to carve a pumpkin and invest in some sweet treats. To avoid confusion and awkward waiting on people's porches, try to pay attention to visual cues outside people's properties. Often, people will put decorations like pumpkins, spider webs, or the occasional spooky skeleton on their lawn or porch to signal that they're in the festive mood. Try to stick to these homes and avoid properties with no lights on, no decorations, and the curtains shut. They may be out or signaling that they're not in the spooky spirit. It's important to respect this at all times to avoid pestering anyone who's not celebrating Halloween. 5. Always stay on the sidewalk and be respectful of other people's properties While you're lost in the sugar-induced haze and mesmerized by the array of costumes surrounding you, it can be easy to forget your environment. However, you'll need to maintain situational awareness at all times. That means you should always stick to the sidewalks and ensure you don't run across the roads to get to the house with the best Halloween decorations. Not everyone celebrates Halloween, so there may well be residents commuting from work, running errands, or simply driving around during the evening. Remember to be respectful and avoid getting in their way while crossing roads. Another important thing to remember is to be respectful of people's property. That means you shouldn't walk on their lawns if you can avoid it and not touch their decorations. Not only is this disrespectful, but it might also harm your chances of being invited back to trick-or-treat or discourage your neighbors from handing out candy next year! Trespassing is also an important thing to consider when you’re on the hunt for candy. You should never trespass on gated communities and other HOA communities that use access control door locks. These mechanisms restrict access to private areas within a community. These areas aren’t accessible to the public, only to residents, so you should always steer clear of these areas; otherwise, you’re breaking the law! Don’t forget to have fun and have a Happy Halloween! Looking to put your unique stamp on Halloween this year, or trying to find ways to connect with your community and make memories at this festive time? Look no further than LiveHappy. At Live Happy, we're committed to helping you find ways to live a more enjoyable life by sharing stories and providing you with some great tips for living your life. We've compiled some great tips to spread Halloween cheer this year, such as by putting your unique twist on Halloween this year.

#HappyActs

Paint Your Positivity on a Pumpkin for All to See

Decorating pumpkins for Halloween is one of the more time-honored traditions associated with the holiday known for its sweets and treats. According to Irish lore, rooted vegetables carved with scary faces were created to ward off evil spirits. When Irish immigrants first made their journey to America, the Jack-o-Latern was one of the many traditions that came with them. The only difference was the pumpkin, a food native to North America, proved to be a better fit for the ghoulish grins than a potato or beet. For this week’s #HalloweenHappyActs, we figured there was no way not to make decorating pumpkins part of the fun. Much like our #HappyActs campaign during the month of March—where we encourage people paint a message of kindness on a rock for someone to find—painting positive messages on pumpkins is a festive way to incorporate acts of kindness into the Halloween festivities. Instead of dressing up your pumpkins as witches, ghosts, or zombies this year, we encourage you to try creating messages of kindness and happiness. That way, when trick-or-treaters or passers-by see your happy creations, they will be left with feelings of joy that they can spread to others. Taking part in traditions, such as decorating pumpkins for Halloween, are a great opportunity to spend time with friends and family, increasing our social interactions. These types of activities increase our sense of purpose, activate those happy hormones that make us feel good, and give us strength in our personal connections that let’s us know that we are not alone and we are all part of something bigger. It’s also a chance to tap into your creativity while spreading messages of joy to others. Research suggests that being more creative makes us happier. This is true for both children and adults, but kids are more likely to use their creativity more often. So, ignite the creative fire from within and also inspire in others that giving makes you much happier than getting. Science suggests that prosocial actions, such as acts of kindness, have a greater benefit to your overall well-being when practiced often and intentionally. This is not only good for your own personal happiness, but the kindness makes others happier too. Help us spread more joy this October by taking part in our #HalloweenHappyActs campaign.

#HappyActs

Transcript – Discover Live Happy’s Halloween Happy Acts

Follow along with the transcript below for episode: Discover Live Happy’s Halloween Happy Acts [INTRODUCTION] [00:00:02] PF: Thank you for joining us for Episode 385 of Live Happy Now. Now that it’s October, it’s time to start looking at how to make this a truly happy Halloween. I’m your host, Paula Felps, and this week, I’m joined by Deborah Heisz, CEO, and co-founder of Live Happy, and Casey Johnson, our ecommerce marketing manager to talk about our all-new Halloween Happy Acts Campaign. If you’ve been with us for a while, you already know that every March, we encourage wellbeing with a month of intentional activities that we call happy acts. This year, we’re combining happy acts with our favorite holiday to create an entire month of happiness while celebrating the spirit of Halloween. Let’s hear what it’s all about. [INTERVIEW] [00:00:45] PF: Deb and Casey, welcome back to Live Happy Now. [00:00:48] DH: It’s such a pleasure to be here. As usual, always excited to get on a podcast, Paula. I know we have a lot of fun stuff going on. [00:00:55] PF: This one, I’m particularly excited about because Halloween is my favorite time of year. I absolutely love Halloween. When Casey told me about the Halloween happy acts, I got super-duper excited about it. I guess the first thing we need to do is talk about what happy acts are. Since Deb, you’re pretty much the originator of the happy act, why don’t you tell us what happy act is and where those came from? [00:01:19] DH: I’d love to. But also, everybody, say hi to Casey. Casey, say hi. [00:01:23] CJ: Hi, guys. [00:01:25] DH: She has come up with some great ideas for Halloween happy acts. [00:01:28] PF: Oh my gosh! Yes. [00:01:28] DH: I am excited to have extended it out of the month of March, which is when we typically do happy acts. Because they really should be an all-year thing. They shouldn’t be confined to March where the International Day of Happiness is, but of course, putting some attention on it and doing it at that time of year, we get a lot more coverage, we get a lot more people participating. Because it’s something you can hang your hat on and say okay, “In March, I’m going to make sure I’ll up my happy acts game. But doing it in Halloween is great because like you, it’s one of my favorite times of the year, one of the happiest things for me at Halloween is Halloween specials for whatever reason. All the shows that just run specials that are Halloween themed, I think back to Roseanne when it was on in my childhood and how the family got dressed up in elaborate costumes every year. It was just a lot of fun. One of my happiest times a year and I’m an October baby. [00:02:20] PF: Oh, you really. [00:02:21] DH: Yes, and my mother’s an October baby, and my older daughter and I actually share a birthday in October. So October is like my month, it’s great. [00:02:28] PF: That is the month. It’s like the whole month off to celebrate. [00:02:33] DH: I think it really works that way, but you asked me what happy acts are. Happy acts are little things that you can do or big things. But things you can do intentionally with intention to make the world a happier place. It’s as simple as, you always hear about the pay it forward, buy somebody a cup of coffee when you’re in the Starbucks line or something like that. But it’s also donating a book to a library, reading to your kids’ class, it’s checking on a neighbor, it’s making a phone call to someone you haven’t talked to in a long time, it’s sending a thank you note because you know how big I am on gratitude. [00:03:10] PF: It comes up once or twice. [00:03:11] DH: It has a few times, but it’s sending a thank you note to someone for making a difference in your life. It’s something that you’re doing actively and intentionally to help make the world a happier place. It doesn’t have to be for a person either. It could be picking up litter, it could be donating time at a pet shelter. It doesn’t have to be anything massive or significant. In fact, we do the happy acts walls in March. That’s where we put up walls, challenging people to commit to doing a happy act. We do a lot of them in schools, because kids come up with things like, “I’m going to smile more. I’m going to eat my vegetables my mom tells me to.” Whatever it is, but it can be something simple. But the point here is that, you’re doing with intention, you know that you’re doing it. It’s not just, “Oh, I held the door open for somebody and I didn’t give it a thought because I always hold the door open for somebody.” Doing something with intention to make the world a happier place, because we know the science says that whoever you’re doing whatever it is for is likely to feel happy. It’s likely – we always say happy, but what we mean is likely to feel grateful or have an elevated sense of well-being. But the reality is that you are going to have a greater sense of well-being by doing happy acts, doing things with intention, with positive intention really does affect your overall mood, you overall – how you perceive the world. All of those things are improved when you do happy acts. That’s what happy acts are. [00:04:38] PF: And they’re a wonderful thing. Then when Casey said, “Hey, we’re going to do Halloween happy acts.” I remember that call because I was like, “I love this idea.” Casey, I mean, that was such a great idea. What made you want to tailor these happy acts tradition to our Halloween? [00:04:38] CJ: Yeah. So kind of like what Deb was saying earlier. Happy acts aren’t just for March and International Day of Happiness on March 20. We encourage people to practice happy acts all year round. Halloween and Christmas, I read this earlier, I heard it somewhere, someone defined them as like gimme holidays. Getting rather than giving. I just thought it would be a good chance to kind of practice maybe some like reverse trick or treating and tie in some happy acts to that month. [00:05:27] PF: I love I, because, as I said, you’ve done such a great job of coming up with happy acts. There are times when you’ll send out, “Hey, these are happy acts. This is what we’re going to do.” I’m like, “Wow, how do we –” like the fact that you can come up with so many new things each time, that always impresses and amazes me. How did you come up with, here’s how we can celebrate it for Halloween? [00:05:47] CJ: Well, thank you. First of all, it’s definitely a team effort. It’s not just all me. But yeah, you know, just Halloween happy acts, there’s so much you can do to spread kindness in October and still kind of celebrate that spooky holiday. Though, I guess I’ll just kind of jump into some of our Halloween happy acts. [00:06:02] PF: Yeah. Tell us what we’re going to do. [00:06:04] CJ: So we’re kind of thinking of making it a competition, right? We want to spread the love. The plan is to highlight a different happy act every week. If people want to participate, they can tag us in a post, a reel, a story, as long as they tag us of them performing a Halloween happy act of the week, or they can get creative, and it’s not our Halloween happy act of the week, and they’re still out there spreading kindness that works as well. But so, I’ll just kick it off. So week one, we encourage people to donate blood. Deb and I actually went and donated blood together, which was amazing. Week two, trick or treat with UNICEF. Every year, UNICEF, they encourage people to kind of do that reverse trick or treating, donate candy to people in need, who don’t have the luxury of being able to go trick or treating. Week three, paint a pumpkin, we always encourage people in March to paint positivity on rocks. In October, we’re encouraging people to paint pumpkins. On week four, we’re encouraging people to wrap someone in love. So basically, give someone a big old bear hug. Or if you’re someone who doesn’t like hugs or like to be touched, you can – [00:07:15] PF: Are you talking about me now? [00:07:17] CJ: Of course not. [00:07:18] DH: She might be, Paula. She might be. [00:07:20] CJ: I might be. Wink wink. [00:07:22] DH: No, I’m just kidding. [00:07:24] CJ: But yeah, so I mean, not everyone likes to be touched and that’s okay. You can wrap yourself in like a warm blanket, or we’ve also got some awesome Live Happy hoodies on the Live Happy store, and they’ll make you feel nice and cozy. [00:07:37] DH: Shameless plug there, but they do. They’re awesome. [00:07:41] CJ: I’ve got like two Live Happy hoodies. They’re my favorite. Then week five, so that’s the actual week of Halloween, so we’re kind of going big that week. We’re going to have two Halloween happy acts. The first one is to bake a healthy treat for your class or office. I’m kind of thinking of baking like some pumpkin muffins, or some zucchini bread for our office. [00:08:02] DH: Let me know what day. I’ll make sure I’m there. [00:08:02] PF: I can fly in. [00:08:07] CJ: I’ll make sure you guys are in the office. Paula, I’ll send you some zucchini bread or pumpkin muffins. [00:08:11] PF: All right. Okay. That’s a good deal. [00:08:14] CJ: Then on Halloween, we encourage people to create a Halloween card for your neighbor. So like maybe like – [00:08:21] PF: I like that. [00:08:22] CJ: – picture of a Halloween pan or just something, spread the love. [00:08:25] PF: Yeah, I like that a lot. Because especially making a card, or doing something, or even painting a pumpkin, and giving it to them, giving it to a neighbor. I think that’s so important right now, because I feel like we’re still a little bit disconnected from each other. We talked about getting back to normal, but it still feels disconnected in so many ways. I think these are great ways. Go ahead. [00:08:46] DH: No, you know, you’re talking about that getting back to normal. But if you think back, before what we’re all talking about how we didn’t know our neighbors, maybe we are back to normal, and we just realized that we didn’t know them anyway. I bring that up, because it’s not just getting back to normal, it is a proactive activity or asking somebody to do. It’s not just being in your comfort zone, it’s reaching out just a little bit to somebody that you wouldn’t ordinarily be having contact with, and helping them have a happier day or a happier Halloween. I love the idea of the reverse trick or treating with UNICEF. These are all things that are super easy to do. I love them. Thank you, Casey. [00:09:25] CJ: Of course. [00:09:26] PF: Yeah, they’re fun. Then, how are we going to turn this into a challenge? [00:09:31] CJ: So, it’s kind of like our gratitude challenge if any of our listeners remember when we did that a few years ago. Say week one, you donate blood, post a picture, video, whatever on your story, tag us and also, tag a friend and encourage them to keep the momentum going. [00:09:49] PF: I like that a lot. Because really, that’s the way we’ve seen that with other challenges, where that’s really what makes it take off. People were like, “Hey, I just didn’t think about doing that.” I think that’s what’s so wonderful about the happy acts. It’s not that we don’t want to do them, we just didn’t think about it until someone says, “Hey, this is a great idea” and then they start – next thing you know, you’ve got a movement. [00:10:09] CJ: Exactly, or a new Halloween tradition. [00:10:11] DH: Yeah. Well, and the guinea holidays are something I’d never heard of before. I’m glad that you brought that up, but you’re right. I think that’s especially true of kids. They really look forward to Halloween, and they look forward to Christmas, based on the gimme, right? And you can even throw Valentine’s Day in there. I think it’s important to involve your kids in something like this. I mean, certainly, if I painted a pumpkin, it might look like my 10-year-old did it. But I could actually – [00:10:35] CJ: No one has to know that. [00:10:37] DH: I could actually –actually, in this particular case, but my next to her, she’s quite artistic. You’d probably think I painted hers and vice versa. But I mean, involve your children, and teach them as well. But giving back to others, or doing things for others, or taking the time to do something to make the world a happier place is worthwhile and not just a march. [00:10:57] PF: Yeah. How does this kind of set us up for the holiday season? Because I do like the fact that so oftentimes, we kind of rush through October. Well, not this group, because we love October. But many people kind of rush through October so they can get to the start of the holiday season, which starts now apparently. the day after Halloween. But how can we kind of shift our thinking, because of the way we’re approaching October, and maybe even approach the holidays differently? [00:11:25] CJ: I just think a bit more of as – so Halloween, Christmas, it’s all about kind of like what we touched on earlier, it’s about getting, so it’s – this shifts your mindset into – okay, rather than getting, I’m going to give back. [00:11:40] DH: Well, we spend a lot of Thanksgiving. Thank giving, right? It’s the, you should be thankful this day, whether you are or not holiday. [00:11:51] PF: Sorry, if you’re having a bad year, find something to be thankful for. [00:11:54] DH: There is always something to be thankful for. We talked about that a lot. But you know, you go into Thanksgiving with the, “I’m going to be around some of my relatives, I don’t want to be thankful for them.” But others I’m wonderfully thankful for. I just think that setting up the concept that life isn’t about getting something, and your happiness isn’t about getting something. Very rarely will a gift truly change your life. You can ask my kids what they got last year for Christmas, I guarantee you, they probably don’t remember. Every now and then, you’ll get that life changing, “You know, I got my first 10-speed bicycle on my 12th birthday kind of gifts.” But it’s not, it’s not usually about getting, but giving and creating positive relationships, and being a larger part of the community, and doing things that are within your control to make the world a happier place, and frankly give you greater positive well-being is something kicking out off in October is great. Because as we all know, and we all read every year, the holidays are some of the most times a year when people are most depressed. I think starting that in October, and leading into it and remembering to be thankful for Thanksgiving, and for the month of November, and right into the holidays. You might see some marketing from Live Happy during that timeframe about being thankful and giving. [00:13:09] PF: It’s possible. [00:13:11] DH: Because it’s thanks giving. It’s not thanks taking, right? [00:13:17] PF: I like that. [00:13:16] DH: I should do some stuff on that. But I think it sets us up in the right mindset and the right frame of mind for the rest of the year, where we’re doing something positive every month. We don’t have to wait all year for that. [00:13:28] PF: Oh, there we go. We can start doing happy acts every month. [00:13:30] DH: Well, you know, you can. In fact, I want you to do them every day. But as marketing campaigns go for those of us who’ve got degrees in marketing, it’s better if you coalesce everything around a particular time of year. But it doesn’t mean we don’t want people doing happy acts every day, it doesn’t mean we don’t do happy acts every day. It simply means that we just run a really large advertising campaign to get people involved in March. So now we’re doing the same in October, but it’s something you do every day. I think it’s a good reminder, particularly this time of year where the weather starts changing and people start feeling more isolated, to just get out in front of that and start a little bit early this year. [00:14:10] PF: I like that. Casey, how are they going to know about the campaign, and how are they going to know what to do, and how to keep up with what’s going on? [00:14:17] CJ: So we will be sharing each happy act on our social channels. So if you’re not following us, make sure to hit that follow button. We’ll also be sending out an email that highlights each of the happy acts and how you can participate and join in on the challenge. Excellent. [00:14:37] PF: What do both of you, each of you want to see out of this? What would make you just go, “Wow! I’m so glad we did it because –”? [00:14:43] DH: I’d love to see a lot of social engagement. I want to see a lot of people flagging Live Happy, and discovering the content that’s on there, and hash tagging, and liking us, and sharing what they’re doing. But you know, it really is about – I want to see people actively doing something. I want to see hundreds of pumpkin pictures, painted pumpkin pictures. Because the reality is, it doesn’t matter how many people you involve, how many people you touch, just knowing that some people are making a difference, and it’s making a difference in some people’s lives is really the most rewarding thing for me. Running into somebody and having them share some of their experience, which does happen is just a phenomenal, humbling experience for me. I think everybody who works at Live Happy know that while we’re talking into a computer screen, what we’re saying, or putting on a computer screen eventually has a positive impact in the world. So for me, I just want to see activity, I wanted people out there doing stuff. [00:15:42] PF: I like it. [00:15:43] DH: Tag us, tag me. By the way, I’m the only Deborah Heisz on Facebook or probably in the universe. You can find me; I promise on Facebook or Instagram. Tag me. I’d love to see it. [00:15:58] PF: That’s cool. That’s cool. How about you, Casey? What do you really hope for this because you’ve kind of masterminded this campaign? [00:16:04] CJ: My hope, and Deb and I, we were kind of talking about this a few weeks ago. I just want to see people being assets to their community, whether it’s donating blood, painting a pumpkin, donating their candy to a food shelter, or like a senior living home, no happy act, big or small. It makes a huge difference. [00:16:25] PF: Yeah. What if people come up with their own happy acts. Can they call it a happy act? The #halloweenhappyacts? [00:16:32] CJ: Absolutely. Yes. So I mean, we’re only highlighting about five or six happy acts that we can do in October. But there are so many that people can go out and do their own. So like donating candy to a food shelter. I don’t think we have that on our list. Donating Halloween costumes. There are kids out there who can’t afford Halloween costumes. So donating materials or just old costumes, that makes a huge difference in kids’ lives. [00:16:57] PF: That’s great. I saw one thing where there’s a group, and they do this anyway, they paint rocks, and it’s like abandoned rocks, they call it. They paint them, and then they go around, and they put them in neighborhoods, and they have positive messages on them. I saw that they were doing that for Halloween. They’re painting a bunch of stones, like orange, and black, like pumpkins, and then putting a positive message on the back, and sharing them. I thought that would be cool. But again, I fear that I paint even not as well as Deb, so I shouldn’t be doing that. Well, thank you guys both so much for coming on and talking about this. I’m really excited to see this happen. I know it’ll get bigger each year and we’ll keep it going. But thanks again for making it happen and then come in and telling me about it. [00:17:41] DH: Well, thanks for being the hostess with the mostest, as usual. [00:17:46] PF: Thank you. [00:17:49] CJ: Thank you, Paula. Happy Halloween everyone. [00:17:51] PF: Oh yeah, Happy Halloween. [00:17:53] DH: Happy Halloween. [END OF INTERVIEW] [00:17:57] PF: That was Live Happy’s own Deborah Heisz and Casey Johnson, talking about our all-new Halloween Happy Acts Campaign. If you’d like to learn more, you can follow Live Happy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, or visit our website at livehappy.com and click on the podcast tab. While you’re on the website, why not pop into the Live Happy store and checkout are brand spanking new, Choose Happy tote bag. This cool and useful bag is great for work and play. Oh, what the heck, it can even double as a trick or treat bag. Check it out in the new merch section at store.livehappy.com That is all we have time for today. We’ll meet you back here again next week for an all-new episode. Until then, this is Paula Felps, reminding you to make every day a happy one. [END]

Podcast

Discover Live Happy’s Halloween Happy Acts

October is one of our favorite months at Live Happy, and this week, you’ll find out how to make this a truly Happy Halloween. Host Paula Felps is joined by Live Happy CEO and co-founder Deborah Heisz and E-Commerce Marketing Manager Casey Johnson to talk about our all-new #HalloweenHappyActs campaign. If you’ve been with us for a while, you already know that every March, we encourage well-being with a month of intentional activities that we call #HappyActs. This year, we’re combining #HappyActs with our favorite holiday to create an entire month of happiness while celebrating the spirit of Halloween. In this episode, you'll learn: What #HappyActs are — and how to practice them. Why Halloween is the perfect time to explore #HappyActs. How to turn #HalloweenHappyActs into a challenge for greater participation. Links and Resources Facebook: @livehappy Twitter: @livehappy Instagram: @mylivehappy Follow along with this episode’s transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:

#HappyActs

2022 #HappyActs Art Contest Winners!

To celebrate the International Day of Happiness, kids from around the world showed off their creativity in the 2022 #HappyActs Art Contest. The theme was to illustrate what happiness looks like to them. Thank you to everyone who participated and congratulations to the top 3 winners! 1st Place Brianna. Age 9. 2nd Place Madisynn. Age 15. 3rd Place Kristina. Age 7.

Why Finland Is So Happy With Heli Mende

What We Learned from the World Happiness Report with Deborah K. Heisz

Doing Good Feels Good For All

Spread More Happiness in Your Community This March

Create Your Wall

5 Halloween Trick or Treat Etiquette Tips

Paint Your Positivity on a Pumpkin for All to See

Transcript – Discover Live Happy’s Halloween Happy Acts

Discover Live Happy’s Halloween Happy Acts

2022 #HappyActs Art Contest Winners!

Store

Articles

Quick Links