Americans are unhappier than we’ve been in a long time. We're grappling with the fear, grief, and other emotions that characterize our response to COVID-19. It feels like we’re heading into another “Great Depression”—literally.

So, is it possible to be happy in a pandemic?

Even in a world where misery has gone viral, we can train our minds to be happy. However, it’s going to take work. For help with that, we talk this week with Karen McGregor. She's the author of The Tao of Influence: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Leaders and Entrepreneurs.

McGregor is something of a happiness expert. In fact, her TEDx Talk on the subject has been viewed by over a million people.

Thanks to COVID-19, everyone is short on happiness these days. But Karen McGregor says we can train our minds to reclaim happiness by overriding the brain’s tendency to resist change.

We also mentioned that September is National Suicide Prevention Month. All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness. If you need help you can start here.