On today's episode of The Health & Happiness Podcast we talk about the power of visualization, how's it's used, and the various benefits associated with it. Visualization is a pretty incredible tool for not only improving performance, but also plays a role in learning new skills, decreasing anxiety, and priming your brain for success!

(PS - apologies for the somewhat glitchy audio. Internet connection is required for us to be able to record from our two separate locations, and sometimes the it can be a real pain!)

In this episode of The Health & Happiness Podcast, Travis and Lauryn talk about the importance of sleep. Spoiler alert: it's really freakin' important! We delve into the research about sleep deprivation and its effects, and provide some strategies for you to try if you're experiencing difficulty with getting enough sleep. Lauryn also shares her personal story on this topic and offers her best advice and what helped her the most. Cleveland Clinic Sleep Recommendations: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/happens-body-dont-get-enough-sleep/ CDC Sleep Awareness Page: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/drowsy_driving.html Sleep Deprivation more Detrimental in Younger People: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsr.12801 Sleep Problems and Mental Health: https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/sleep-and-mental-health Exercise to improve sleep: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/eci.13202

On this episode of The Health & Happiness Podcast, we're delving into the shocking statistics of America's pharmaceutical dependence. We discuss the research on falls, mortality, and other risks involved with polypharmacy -- as defined as greater than 5 prescription medications per day. Sources: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-09920-x Falls and Polypharmacy https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4125318/ https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/STEADI-FactSheet-MedsLinkedtoFalls-508.pdf Postmarket Safety Events https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2625319 Harvard Ethics Analysis https://ethics.harvard.edu/blog/new-prescription-drugs-major-health-risk-few-offsetting-advantages Polypharmacy and Mortality https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28784299/ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-75888-8

On this episode of The Health & Happiness Podcast, we tackle a question submitted by one of our viewers: What do you do if you've hit a plateau? Travis and Lauryn discuss what a plateau commonly looks like and some evidence based tips on how to overcome them, and include some of our own personal stories about overcoming plateaus. Resources: https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/7-ways-to-bust-any-plateau.html https://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/breaking-through-strength-plateaus/ https://breakingmuscle.co.uk/uk/fitness/10-tips-to-smash-through-a-training-plateau https://www.inspirecreaterepeat.com.au/blog/5-tips-to-overcome-a-plateau Obese and Overweight Post Menopausal Women Study 2011: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21798863/

In this week's episode of The Health & Happiness Podcast, we take a deeper look at the old adage "stop and smell the roses", both literally and figuratively. Are there benefits to actually smelling or looking at flowers? And how does taking the time to appreciate the small things affect us? Tune into the episode to find out! Improved memory in students: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-57613-7?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=3_nsn6445_deeplink_PID100047078&utm_content=deeplink Improved mood: https://safnow.org/aboutflowers/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2016/10/ep03104132.pdf Improved healing, energy, performance: https://ellisonchair.tamu.edu/health-and-well-being-benefits-of-plants/ Appreciation science: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244018818621

On this week's episode of The Health & Happiness Podcast, Travis & Lauryn talk about living your life on your own terms -- not what society tell you you "should be". No research this episode, just a open and honest discussion of our lives, where we thought we would be, and how we keep our eyes focused on our own journey despite the societal pressure.

Quote credit: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

In this week's episode of The Health & Happiness Podcast, we're revisiting one of our most popular episodes -- New Years Resolutions. We talk about goal setting and delve into what makes a successful goal and how to keep them.

Resources: Self Setting Goals Improves Student Performance https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1041608019301207 Sub and Superordinate Goals"https://iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aphw.12172 Harvard Tips for Making Resolutions Stick: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/seven-steps-for-making-your-new-years-resolutions-stick

On this week's episode of The Health & Happiness Podcast, we conclude our interview with Jessie Chandler. Jessie is a firefighter, and shares with us her story of how she went from failing her physical test to become a firefighter at 20 years old and 117 lbs, to how she turned her whole life around and in 22 months, gained 30lbs of muscle, came back to test again and not only passed the test but broke records (which are still undefeated today, 7 years later.)

If you have any questions for Jessie, email her at [email protected].

Thank you so much Jessie for joining us for such an incredible interview!

On this week's episode of The Health & Happiness Podcast, we interview one of Lauryn's lifelong friends, Jessie Chandler. Jessie is a firefighter, and shares with us her story of how she went from failing her physical test to become a firefighter at 20 years old and 117 lbs, to how she turned her whole life around and in 22 months, gained 30lbs of muscle, came back to test again and not only passed the test but broke records (which are still undefeated today, 7 years later. If you have any questions for Jessie, email her at [email protected].

In this episode of The Health & Happiness Podcast, Travis and Lauryn discuss morning routines. While there is shockingly little evidence on morning routines as a whole, benefits of the things morning routines consist of are widely studied. We chat about the benefits of starting your morning out with intention, rather than rushing out the door on your way to work, and share our own routines. We even discover the best time of the day to drink your morning coffee! Coffee drinkers aren't going to want to miss this one!

In this episode of The Health & Happiness Podcast, Travis and Lauryn discuss morning routines. While there is shockingly little evidence on morning routines as a whole, benefits of the things morning routines consist of are widely studied. We chat about the benefits of starting your morning out with intention, rather than rushing out the door on your way to work, and share our own routines. We even discover the best time of the day to drink your morning coffee! Coffee drinkers aren't going to want to miss this one! Resources: https://www.verywellmind.com/morning-routine-4174576 https://positiveroutines.com/productive-morning-routine/#:~:text=Students%20who%20were%20more%20energized,sets%20the%20stage%20for%20success.’ https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/28438/20201128/5-things-science-tells-morning-routine.htm Delay the caffeine: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/the-right-time-to-drink-coffee-according-to-scientists/ Exercise: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(18)30227-X/fulltext https://www.news-medical.net/health/Why-You-Should-Exercise-in-the-Morning.aspx Journaling: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentID=4552&ContentTypeID=1 Reading: https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books Meditation: https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=pes_synthesis