Tips to be happier often read like a self-help menu: make friends, meditate, spend time in nature. But governments are increasingly looking at happiness as a collective goal. There’s even a ‘World Happiness Report’ that ranks well-being across nations. A decade ago Canada ranked fifth in the report, but over the last 10 years has slipped to 18th. Garvia speaks with Felix Cheung, who worked as a researcher on the Canadian and World Happiness report, and is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. They discuss why our collective happiness matters, the decline in youth happiness, and how our society can improve everyone’s well-being.

For decades, economists have studied the question of whether getting richer makes you happier – and exactly how much money tips the scales. In the world happiness rankings, richer societies tend to fare better than poorer ones, and within societies richer people do, in fact, report being happier. However surprising new research reveals that people in non-industrialized communities are just as satisfied as people in the richest countries. Garvia speaks with McGill University associate professor Chris Barrington-Leigh about the study he co-authored and what it reveals about our society’s push for more money.

Meditation, a practice that can calm your mind, has been around for thousands of years. Science shows it can help people feel happier. Yet many people feel resistant to meditation – like it’s not for them, or that they don’t have the time for it. Garvia speaks with Jeff Warren, a meditation teacher and practitioner who writes the daily meditations on the Calm app. They discuss how Jeff got into meditation to help his mental health, what meditation is, how it helps quiet unproductive thoughts and how you – the skeptical, busy person with a mile-long to-do list – can start incorporating it into your happiness practice. Find some of Jeff’s free meditations at www.homebasewithjeff.com and his podcast, The Mind Bod Adventure Pod, at www.mindbodpod.com.

This week, Garvia gets some crowd-sourced wisdom from people nominated by loved ones as ‘the happiest people in Canada’ for a recent Globe and Mail feature. They live across the country, in cities and rural areas. They include toddlers and seniors, men and women, and people who have been through extremely hard times. She speaks with Erin Anderssen, The Globe and Mail’s happiness reporter, about these happy people and checks in with the nominees themselves to discuss how to live a happier life. Who are these happy people living among us? And can they let us in on their secrets?

Most of us need technology for work and for play. The internet and our phones can help us maintain our social connections – and we know those are key to happiness. But many people are addicted to these tools in a way that’s decidedly not making us happier. Mindless scrolling, constant comparisons and the avalanche of bad news can leave us feeling numb, disconnected and anxious. So how do we strike the balance of using technology without it negatively impacting our mood? Garvia speaks with happiness researcher Dr. Gillian Mandich about our relationship with technology and how to manage it to maintain our well-being - including how much screen time is too much and why younger generations are having an even harder time.

Happiness. We all know what it feels like, but it can be tricky to define. In the first episode of Happy Enough, we’re looking to get on the same page. What is happiness, anyway? Garvia speaks with Bruce Hood, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Bristol, and author of the new book ‘The Science of Happiness’. They discuss the definition of happiness, how people can learn to be happier in their everyday lives, and why self-help isn’t the answer.

Happiness. We all know what it feels like, but it can seem elusive in our world of constant stress, bleak news and burnout. In Happy Enough, a new podcast from The Globe and Mail, we explore what it truly means to be happy – and why it matters. Join host Garvia Bailey each week as she speaks with both experts and real people to demystify our pursuit of happiness. From our relationship with technology to whether money can truly make you happier, we’ll take a closer look at elements that shape happiness and offer tips to implement in your own life. Launching February 18.