The Happiness Standard

Anger, sadness, anxiety, and jealousy aren’t the problem—they’re signals trying to tell you something. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Eileen-Downey Akers breaks down why all emotions serve a purpose and why we must learn how to respond to our emotions, not react to them.

We also explore how identifying the fallacies and narratives we tell ourselves can improve emotional intelligence, mental health, relationships, and self-awareness.

*Note* I misspoke when I said 87,000 emotions! I meant 87🤦🏼‍♀️

References:

Atlas of the Heart (Brown, B. (2021). Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience. Random House.), 

Ellis, A. (1955). New approaches to psychotherapy techniques. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 11, 207–260.)

Stoewen D. L. (2024). The vital connection between emotional intelligence and well-being - Part 1: Understanding emotional intelligence and why it matters. The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne, 65(2), 182–184. 

Wood, J. T. (2020). Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.

In this episode, Sarah shares her personal experience with grief—what it’s really felt like, what she’s learned along the way, and the questions people are often too afraid to ask out loud. Covering grief, healing, guilt, faith, and growth, she offers an honest look at navigating loss while still moving forward.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this normal?” during your experience with grief—this episode is for you.

What if the moments you call "failure" are actually the key to your biggest success?

In this powerful episode of The Happiness Standard, Dr. Sarah Eileen-Downey Akers gets comfortable being uncomfortable as she explores how to reframe failure, overcome the fear of trying, and turn setbacks into growth.

References:

Castrillon, C. (2021, December 10). Why failure leads to career success. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2019/11/20/why-failure-leads-to-career-success/

Wilson, R. C., Shenhav, A., Straccia, M., & Cohen, J. D. (2018). The eighty five percent rule for optimal learning. bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory). https://doi.org/10.1101/255182

Yin, Y., Wang, Y., Evans, J. A., & Wang, D. (2019). Quantifying the dynamics of failure across science, startups and security. Nature, 575(7781), 190–194. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1725-y

Feeling behind in life?

In this episode of The Happiness Standard, we break down Social Comparison Theory and why your brain measures your life against other people’s timelines—friends, relationships, careers, and more.

You’re not behind… you’re just using the wrong standard.

Listen now on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts 🎧

Reference:

Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202

Why do we say “I’m fine” when we’re not?

In this episode of The Happiness Standard, we break down the psychology of “saving face”—why we choose approval over authenticity and how it disconnects us from ourselves. Featuring a new show-style format during The Standard segment, with b-roll footage and visual storytelling to bring these concepts to life.

References: 

Goffman, E. (1955). On Face-Work: An Analysis of Ritual Elements in Social Interaction. Psychiatry: Journal of the Study of Interpersonal Processes, 18(3), 213–231.

Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). Intercultural conflicts: A face-negotiation theory. In Y. Y. Kim & W. B. Gudykunst (Eds.), Theories in intercultural communication (pp. 213–235). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean letting them back in. In this episode, we break down forgiveness vs. reconciliation, what a real apology looks like, and why you don’t need one to heal.
Professor Sarah is in session!

References

Edmondson, A. C., & Lei, Z. (2014). Psychological Safety: the history, renaissance, and future of an interpersonal construct. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 23–43. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091305

Lewicki, R. J., Polin, B., & Lount, R. B. (2016). An exploration of the structure of effective apologies. Negotiation and Conflict Management Research, 9(2), 177–196. https://doi.org/10.1111/ncmr.12073

A birthday reflection on happiness, growth, and change!

In this episode, Dr. Sarah Eileen-Downey Akers shares what this past year taught her about letting go, who you surround yourself with, and building meaningful relationships. She also talks about understanding the difference between the reality in your head and the one you actually live.

Plus a Sunny Side segment and a moment of rooting for a stranger and sharing in the joy of their home run!

Have you found what you’re looking for… or are you focused on the wrong things? In this episode of The Happiness Standard, Dr. Sarah Eileen-Downey Akers dives into how your focus shapes your mindset, emotions, and overall life experience. If you’ve ever struggled with negative thoughts, comparison, feeling “not enough,” or feeling stuck, this episode will challenge you to shift your perspective and take control of your focus. Because your focus becomes your filter.

Learn how to stop looking for what’s wrong, start noticing what’s working, and give purpose to the hard moments in your life. This is a powerful conversation on mindset, self-awareness, personal growth, and how small shifts in focus can change everything.

Death doesn’t make life tragic. It makes life precious.

In this week’s The Standard segment, Dr. Sarah Eileen-Downey Akers gives her most vulnerable perspective yet & explores how remembering life’s impermanence through Memento Mori can change the way we live, love, and show up for the moments that matter.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “You can do anything you set your mind to.” But is it actually true? In this episode, we explore the connection between the mind and body, how belief shapes our limits, and what happens when our mindset and actions align.

Plus thoughts on Logan Paul, Hoppers, a flat tire story, and a reminder to stop and smell the freesias!