Welcome to the first episode of The Happier Life Project 2024! 

January is often associated with cold weather and short, dreary days. And there are many reasons why we might struggle. The financial aftermath of all the Christmas costs, if you're self-employed the dreaded tax return, trying to set New Year's resolutions when you're not sure what you want the new year to have in store, the pressure to embark on dry January, the feeling you have to diet after all the Christmas feasting... and the misery of believing you have to set your alarm to get up extra early (when it's still dark!) to hit the gym, or a class, and punish your body for cutting loose in December. 

According to the IHRSA, the Global Health & Fitness Association, 12% of all gym sign-ups happen in January, while the rest of the year accounts for an average of 8.3% of sign-ups. And 80% of people who sign up for a gym membership in January will cancel their membership within five months... welcome to the January gym rush!

So why do so many of us fall off the workout wagon? Dan Hancock, aka the mental health PT, is pretty confident he knows the answer. Frustrated by the lack of mental health support available for gym goers, Dan took it upon himself to create the world’s first Mental Health & Exercise Coaching Certification for Personal Trainers, which is revitalising the health of millions across the U.K. 

In this episode of The Happier Life Project Dan shares why so many people struggle to sustain the abundance of 'new year, new me' fitness and diet plans. Dan also discusses why the gym floor is so cathartic and how exercise plays such a vital role in our mental health. The mental health PT offers tips on how to seek out the right personal trainer to meet your individual needs, and explains why PT's need to be better equipped and educated to help a person with their overall health, including mental and emotional support. And best of all, Dan will get you excited to move!

For more on the Mental Health Exercising Coaching program: https://mymhec.com/

To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast

It’s meant to be a time of good cheer, relaxation and celebration, but for many, Christmas is the opposite. Stressful, depressing, lonely… Many people are unhappy at Christmas and according to the National Institute of Health, they can experience mental health problems. And for those who already struggle with their mental health, they may find these problems worsen. 

Dr Claire Plumbly is a clinical psychologist specialising in trauma, anxiety and burnout. Alongside her online therapy practice she creates engaging short-form videos on improving your mental health for social media, plus regularly runs online workshops for overcoming stress, procrastination and unhealthy boundaries. Dr Claire is also currently writing a book on how to recover from burnout, due for release in 2024. 

In the second Ask The Expert episode, where listeners and the My Possible Self app users send in their questions for host Gabby to put to a mental health or wellness professional, Dr Claire is on hand to offer advice on all things Christmas related. 

Covered in the conversation Dr Claire offers guidance on the following: how to implement financial boundaries to avoid overspending, how to cope with unpredictable family members that might be excessively drinking, how we might honour any lost loved ones and get through the period if we are grieving, ways we might ease social anxiety, addressing a fear of food and overeating, what to do about the stress and pressure of feeling like we have to be happy and jolly all the time... and more. 

Dr Claire Plumbly's website: https://www.drclaireplumbly.com/

To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast

We’re all familiar with the old saying ‘laughter is the best form of medicine’. Dig a little deeper and scientists and doctors are discovering more and more this to be true - laughter is a strong medicine - for our physical and mental health. When we are highly amused, this has physiological effects; it changes our body chemistry and brain function. 

Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. Laughter can also help lessen your stress, depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier. Humour helps relieve tension, reassures people, and draws them together. Laughter, like humour, typically sparks from recognizing the incongruities or absurdities of a situation. 

In a world plagued by stress, and absurd situations; when we can, surely it’s better to laugh rather than cry? By seeking out more opportunities for humour and laughter, you can improve your emotional health, strengthen your relationships, find greater happiness—and even potentially add years to your life. This is why The Happy Life Project welcomes Josh Johnson who gets paid to make millions of people laugh, to explore this further.

Josh Johnson is an Emmy-nominated writer, comedian, actor, podcaster and NAACP award-winner from Louisiana by way of Chicago. He is currently a writer on the prestigious The Daily Show, and is a former writer and performer on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he made his late-night debut in 2017. In addition, Johnson is Comedy Central’s ‘most watched comedian ever’ with 40M+ views to date across their platforms.

Josh talks to host Gabby about how making people laugh, along with going to therapy, saved his life. He also shares how he uses laughter to process his own feelings, “it’s a way to exhale hurt. Some people cry, scream… I laugh.” Josh discribes the incredible power in people coming together, charged on the currency of laughing out loud at a comedy show and offers suggestions on how we can invite more joy, fun and humour into our life. 

For all things Josh Johnson: https://www.joshjohnsoncomedy.com/

Many of us feel uncomfortable in our bodies and skin. A negative body image can cause us to struggle in many ways such as; with depressive and anxiety symptoms, increased risk of suicidal thoughts, low self-esteem, Interpersonal problems, alcohol and drug use and abuse, reduced physical activity, loss of sex drive, stress, social isolation, decreased motivation to seek help, perfectionistic tendencies and repetitive negative thoughts. 

Body Liberation is freedom from all outside expectations of how your body should look. It is is the independence from social and political systems of oppression that determine certain bodies as more worthy, healthy and desirable than others. And whilst body liberation is the belief that all bodies are worthy and deserve to exist just as they are; its main mantra is, you are more than your body.

Michelle Hopewell is a body empowerment and menstrual wellness content creator and actress, who has done the work to reconnect with her body and come to a place of body neutrality. Eager to see as many people reconnected and in tune with their own bodies, Michelle shares her own experiences as well as information and tips on period health on her Instagram page and blog. 

Chatting to host Gabby, Michelle shares her journey from having a disassociated relationship with her body, to coming to a place of neutrality and accepting her body as it is.  Michelle and Gabby discuss the 'beauty standard' that puts immense pressure to look a certain way, and the lengths people will go to to try and achieve it. Michelle reveals how her journey into acting opened her eyes to how just how much body bias there is, and why she pushed back. Gabby and Michelle also look at how some women may still be, without realizing, conforming to the patriarchal 'male gaze'. 

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

To follow Michelle Hopewell on Instagram: @mybodyliberation

To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast

Britt Frank, LSCSW, SEP is a human behavior expert, licensed neuropsychotherapist and author of 'The Science of Stuck'. In The Happier Life Project's first Ask The Expert (a new monthly episode dedicated to answering listeners inquiry's on a certain topic), host Gabby puts your questions to Britt on how we can get unstuck from any area's in our life we might be struggling with.

Britt answers questions and gives advice on moving forward on in our career, relationships, dating, body hangups, negative thoughts... even screen addiction! If you have a question for our expert email [email protected] or send us a dm or voice note on Instagram @mypossibleself

To find out more about Britt Frank and The Science of Stuck: https://www.scienceofstuck.com/

Plus, check out The Happier Life Project's episode 'How To Get Unstuck with Britt Frank' in season 1 of the podcast to learn more about the subject and advice on how to move forward.

Face yoga is a gentle form of strength training that targets working the 57 muscles in the head, shoulders and neck. Benefits include better circulation, stronger facial muscles, firmer skin and fewer fine lines and wrinkles. 

Face yoga exercises aim to tone and lift features, soften fine lines, and even reduce facial asymmetry… all the things we might spend a lot of money getting frequent cosmetic injections for. 

But whilst face yoga is a great tool in our face and skincare routine, it's also incredibly good for our wellbeing too.  It eases tension, helps soothe headaches, helps us to relax and feel less anxious and stressed. And by relaxing tensed muscles you find yourself in a calmer, happier state. Plus, by looking better, you will feel better too. Bonus!

Danielle Collins is the world leading Face Yoga expert, best selling author, a regular media contributor and has a huge social media following. With over 18 years experience, Danielle has helped millions of people look and feel the best version of themselves using natural techniques to lift the face and boost wellbeing. 

The Danielle Collins Face Yoga method consists of 5 key areas: face exercise, face relaxation, face massage, acupressure and wellbeing. In this episode of The Happier Life Project Danielle explains this further. She also discusses with host Gabby how face yoga really works, breaking down both the cosmetic and wellness benefits and sharing some of her favourite exercises to both relax, and smooth out the skin.  

You don’t need to be a yogi to practice and benefit from face yoga, and best of all, it’s completely free!

For all things The Face Yoga Expert: https://faceyogaexpert.com/

To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast

To follow My Possible Self on instagram: @mypossibleself

The importance of setting boundaries and saying no, is crucial to good mental health and wellness. It’s all too easy to say yes to everything, neglecting your own needs, especially if you are a people pleaser, and sometimes it feels like the easier option in the moment. However, setting and maintaining healthy boundaries will help you conserve your emotional energy and will put you in a far better mental state. 

Michelle Elman, a five-board accredited life coach, author, broadcaster, public speaker and social media influencer has quickly established herself as the Queen of Boundaries. Michelle’s most recent book ‘How To Say No’ marks her debut as a children's author to which Cosmopolitan praised as one of the best books on mental health that everyone should read. It was due to the high demand from Michelle's adult book on boundaries ‘The Joy of Being Selfish’ that this manuscript even exists, highlighting that this is an area many struggle with. 

Michelle shares her thoughts with host Gabby, on why so many of us are bad at boundaries, and offers some first steps on how we can start to say no respectfully with kindness and confidence. Michelle also explains why self worth and self esteem are so important when it comes to boundary setting and her reasons why she believes that boundaries are the practice of self love.

For more on Michelle Elman, her books, social media accounts and to work with: https://www.michelleelman.com/

To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast

Generosity is turning away from self-centered actions and turning our time and attention to the needs of others.

Generosity is the last of the nine main attitudes of mindfulness, so what better way to close your month of mindfulness challenge than learning how we can implement more generosity into our lives, to make the world a better place to live in.  

Contentment means to be happy with who you are, where you are, and what you have. We live in a world that continuously throws us curveballs and send us messages on why we shouldn’t be content. Mindfulness can help us cultivate a sense of inner well-being and self satisfaction, which allows us to feel content without needing validation from the outside world. Try this mindful exercise to aid you in focussing on what you have, rather than what you don't have.

The practice of mindfulness includes nine key pillars or attitudes, these are: non judging, gratitude, patience, a beginner's mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, letting go, and generosity. The attitudes support each other and are deeply interconnected. Throughout the month of mindfulness challenge we have been making our way through these pillars and today we are practicing letting go.

When we talk about letting go, we're talking about releasing all the emotional baggage that weighs us down. Be it past regrets, unresolved issues, fears about the future, these burdens restrict us from living life to its fullest.

So there’s no time like the present to practice letting go of any stress, fears and negative emotions. Host Gabby will guide you through a meditation that uses visualization, breathwork, and relaxation techniques to help you let go.