Ever feel like you're constantly fighting against life? Trying to control people, outcomes, or the future and it's exhausting you?

In this episode of How to Be Happy, we're diving into why trying to control everything is making you less happy; and how to finally let go without giving up. Learn about the Locus of Control model, explore the power of surrender (including my personal story with The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer), and discover practical tools to help you release the need for control and find peace, purpose, and focus in your day-to-day life.

We’ll unpack:

• Why control is often an illusion (and how it backfires)
• How to work with your circle of control, influence, and surrender
• Why surrender isn’t weak, it’s a powerful happiness skill
• How the “raft and river” metaphor can transform your stress
• The surprising link between trust, faith, and wellbeing
• Research-backed tools to help you let go and flow with life

This is a must-listen if you’re tired of micromanaging life, struggling with anxiety or overthinking, or want to cultivate calm confidence in the face of uncertainty.

Struggling with silos, miscommunication, and a lack of cross-team connection?

You’re not alone, collaboration breakdown is one of the biggest barriers to productivity, performance, and wellbeing in today’s workplace.

In this episode of How to Be Happy at Work, happiness researcher and workplace consultant Declan Edwards explores why effective collaboration is a competitive advantage and what leaders and organisations can do to foster a culture of connection, trust, and shared success.

🎯 You’ll learn:

• Why most collaboration efforts fail (and how to fix them)

• How psychological safety impacts innovation and performance

• What real cross-functional collaboration looks like (with real-world stories)

• 5 practical, evidence-based strategies to boost team collaboration

• How to shift from siloed teams to connected, human-centred workplaces
  

💡 Featuring research from Harvard, Deloitte, and the Institute for Corporate Productivity, plus stories from real organisations, this episode is packed with actionable tools and leadership insights to help you build better relationships at work… and better results because of them.

🔔 Subscribe, rate, and share to help us build happier, more effective workplaces.

Want to bring me in to work with your team? Check out my speaker site here: https://declanedwards.com.au/

Feel like a fraud? You’re not alone. In this episode of How to Be Happy, we’re unpacking the truth about imposter syndrome, and why that uncomfortable voice in your head might actually be a sign that you're on the right track.🎙 Join Declan Edwards, happiness researcher and founder of BU Happiness College, as he shares a powerful reframe of imposter syndrome, blending science, storytelling, and real-life insight.You’ll discover:

• What imposter syndrome really is — and isn’t
• The difference between normal self-doubt and clinical imposter syndrome
• The Dunning-Kruger effect and why experts often doubt themselves more
• How “what we resist, persists” (and why fighting your feelings backfires)
• The surprising upside of discomfort and how to lean into growth
• Practical tools to shift your mindset and show up with confidence
  

To access our free happiness tools and explore upcoming projects like my new book, click the link below. Please remember to subscribe and share the show to help spread the ripple effect.

https://linktr.ee/that_happiness_guy

Ready to fast track your personal growth and happiness skill development? Check out our courses and coaching services at https://buhappinesscollege.com/

Whether you're launching something new, stepping into a leadership role, or simply pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, this episode will help you embrace the journey with more clarity, courage, and compassion.

What causes burnout, and how do we fix it at a systemic level?

In this powerful conversation from our Working Well podcast archive, I sat down with Hamza Khan: award-winning keynote speaker, best-selling author of Leadership Reinvented, and globally recognised expert on burnout prevention, toxic leadership, and human-centred work.

Since this interview, Hamza and I have become great friends, and fellow new dads! But back in 2021, we explored:

• Why burnout isn’t just a personal failure, it’s a cultural signal
  

• How toxic leadership breeds disengagement and distress
  

• What hopeful, human-centric workplaces could look like
  

This is one of those episodes I keep coming back to and I’m thrilled to bring it back for you here.

🗣️ Co-hosted by my former colleague Josh, GM of BU Happiness College at the time.

🎧 Please note: Some links mentioned may be outdated but the conversation is evergreen.

Links in the shownotes:

Click here to connect with Declan: https://linktr.ee/that_happiness_guy

Click here to bring Declan to your workplace: https://declanedwards.com.au/

Click here to connect further with Hamza Khan: https://www.hamzakhan.ca/

What happens when you decide to make your happiness a priority, even when life feels impossible?

In this deeply inspiring conversation, Declan Edwards sits down with Laura Frahm, one of BU Happiness College’s very first scholarship graduates.

After a tragic accident left her unable to work and living with chronic pain, Laura joined BU Happiness College to learn mindfulness and meditation techniques. What started as a small step toward relief became a complete life transformation.

With compassion, courage, and the science of happiness, Laura:

• Lost nearly half her body weight in a sustainable, healthy way

• Progressively came off all medication with her doctors’ support

• Learned to manage chronic pain through mindfulness and self‑compassion

• Rebuilt her confidence, relationships, and sense of purpose

• Created a life that now feels truly intentional and joyful

Laura’s story is proof that it’s never too late to rewrite your story and that happiness isn’t something we find, it’s something we learn.

💬 If you’ve ever wondered whether lasting change is possible, this episode will move you and remind you that it absolutely is.

👉 Subscribe to How to Be Happy for more real stories and evidence‑based tools, and explore all our free happiness resources via the links below.

Click here to connect with Declan: https://linktr.ee/that_happiness_guy

Click here to bring Declan to your workplace: https://declanedwards.com.au/

Let’s face it; most workplace training feels like a chore. It’s too often a box to tick, not a meaningful experience. But what if training could actually boost engagement, performance, and retention?

In this episode of How to Be Happy at Work, we explore what separates forgettable training from transformational learning. You’ll learn:

✅ Why most corporate training fails (and how to fix it)

✅ The neuroscience behind why we forget 70% of what we learn

✅ How to co-design learning experiences that your team will value

✅ Why soft skills are the new hard skills:  and how to teach them effectively

✅ Practical frameworks to embed learning into culture, not just calendars

If you’re a leader, manager, or HR professional who wants to build a team that grows and thrives this episode is for you.

🔔 Subscribe, rate, and share to help us build happier, more effective workplaces.

Want to bring me in to work with your team? Check out my speaker site here: https://declanedwards.com.au/

What if the key to being happier wasn’t fixing what’s “wrong” with you but doubling down on what’s right with you?

In this episode, we explore how discovering and using your character strengths can transform your happiness, performance, and relationships. You'll learn how to shift away from the self-help trap of endless self-improvement and instead recognise what already makes you uniquely powerful.

We dive into the science-backed VIA Character Strengths framework, unpack how to identify your signature strengths, and explain how to apply them across key areas of life; including work, parenting, and love.

Inside this episode:

✅ Why most people scroll straight to the bottom of their strengths report (and why that’s a mistake)

✅ How to use your top five character strengths to become more of your best self — not someone else’s version of you

✅ Why using your strengths daily can boost happiness, productivity, and wellbeing

✅ How to access your free VIA Character Strengths profile

✅ Examples of strengths in action; from teamwork and creativity to kindness and perseverance

✅ How to stop seeing yourself as a “self-improvement project” and start seeing yourself as already capable

If you’ve ever felt like you’re not doing enough or not “good enough,” this episode is your reminder: you’re stronger than you think.

To take your free strengths profile, access tools, or join the waitlist for my upcoming book, tap the links below.  Please also subscribe and share the show to keep the happiness ripple going.

https://linktr.ee/that_happiness_guy

https://www.viacharacter.org/

What really makes us happy at work, and why do so many people struggle to find it?

In this special archived episode, we sit down with Dr. Tim Sharp (aka Dr. Happy); one of Australia's leading voices in positive psychology, and a true pioneer of the science of happiness. Founder of The Happiness Institute and Adjunct Professor at UTS, Tim shares his insights into how happiness shows up (or doesn’t) in the modern workplace.

We explore:

• What workplace happiness actually means

• Why mental health and performance are inseparable

• Practical strategies leaders and employees can apply today
  

This conversation was originally recorded as part of our 2021 podcast Working Well, and it’s packed with timeless insights that still resonate in today’s working world.

🗣️ Note: You’ll hear an extra voice in this episode — my former co-host Josh, who was GM at BU Happiness College back then.

🎧 Some links and references may be outdated, but the conversation remains just as relevant.

Links in the shownotes:

Click here to connect with Declan: https://linktr.ee/that_happiness_guy

Click here to bring Declan to your workplace: https://declanedwards.com.au/

Click here to connect further with Dr Tim Sharpe: https://drhappy.com.au/

Ever feel like you’re drifting through life without a clear direction? You’re not alone. In this episode, we explore a popular but underutilised happiness skill; uncovering your values.

Values aren’t just words you put on a wall. They’re your internal compass; shaping your decisions, your relationships, your habits, and your sense of fulfilment. But most of us were never taught how to identify them, let alone live in alignment with them.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ The difference between core values and contextual values, and why both matter

✅ How to stop living on autopilot and start living on purpose

✅ The “Values Tree” method to identify your personal guiding principles

✅ Simple tools to reflect on your values across different life areas (like work, relationships, health, money)

✅ Why knowing your values boosts self-awareness, confidence, and happiness

✅ How values help you navigate tough decisions and avoid the “chameleon effect” of people-pleasing

If you're ready to feel more grounded in who you are, and to start living in alignment with what really matters to you, this episode is a must-listen.

To discover your values, explore free tools, or join the waitlist for my book, tap the link below. Remember also to subscribe and share the show to help us grow the happiness ripple.

https://linktr.ee/that_happiness_guy

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It’s one thing to communicate your organisation’s goals it’s another to make your team care about them.

In this episode, we explore what it really takes to gain genuine buy-in from your people. Not through cheesy gimmicks or corporate jargon, but by making meaning matter. Because let’s be honest, most teams don’t wake up excited about "quarterly KPIs"… but they do care about purpose, autonomy, belonging, and impact.

Drawing from positive psychology, workplace culture research, and years of real-world coaching, we break down:

✅ Why logic alone doesn’t create buy-in — and what actually does

✅ The crucial link between team engagement and personal meaning

✅ How to connect your business goals to what actually matters to your people

✅ Why care, trust, and authenticity beat strategy decks every time

✅ What not to do if you want people to rally behind a vision (spoiler: don’t just rebrand a boring task)

✅ Tangible ways to inspire intrinsic motivation and lead with purpose

This one’s for leaders, emerging leaders, and anyone who wants to create a more motivated, connected, and resilient team culture.

To access free happiness-at-work tools, book a scoping session for a workshop or keynote, or explore all our resources, click the link below — and don’t forget to subscribe and share the show to keep the ripple effect spreading.

https://linktr.ee/that_happiness_guy