Harvesting Happiness

Psyched Up: The Brain Science Behind the Human Story with Paul Bloom PhD

A sense of belonging is essential to human existence. Our ancestors needed to be part of a social group to be safe and provided for. Our need for acceptance still drives us. As an example, being ostracized in today’s ‘cancel’ culture has been referred to as a type of death. To better understand how the human mind has evolved to deal with the pressures of 24-hour access to social media and more, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with the Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, Paul Bloom. Paul shares the key concepts from his latest book, PSYCH: The Story of the Human Mind, and provides answers about how social interactions, or the lack of them, might stave off human happiness.

The Yoga of Life: Beyond the Mat and Into the World with Sarah Platt-Finger

Yoga studios have become ubiquitous in cities all over the US, and sales of yoga clothes and accessories are projected to grow by over 8% by 2029. But what does yoga’s popularity have to do with a personal yoga practice? To illuminate the real impacts of yoga beyond the mat, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with Deepak Chopra’s private instructor and co-founder of ISHTA Yoga, Sarah Platt-Finger. Sarah shares core learnings from her book, Living in the Light: Yoga for Self-Realization, and tells how the practice of yoga is a personal journey into changing our senses, perceptions, and realities.

Cultivating Dignity and Selfhood for the Deeply Forgetful with Stephen G. Post PhD

Age-related memory loss is a natural part of the aging process. Some people experience a more deeply-rooted memory issue, such as Alzheimer’s, and become deeply forgetful. Deeply forgetful people often need caregivers for what used to be normal activities. While every case is different, there are some general guidelines on how to restore dignity and selfhood to those afflicted with dementia. To dig deeper Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with physician, speaker, and author, Dr. Stephen G. Post about the latest findings about how to care for loved ones. Dr. Post shares common questions of caregivers and patients, how caregivers can respect the wishes of those they care for, and the proven positive psychological aspects of treatment. All from his book, Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer's Disease.

Lifelong Learning and the Pleasures of Intellectual Development with Zena Hitz PhD

Socrates is credited with saying, “the unexamined life is not worth
living”. Yet, our contemporary world of results-driven work leaves us very little time for ponderance. To unearth the benefits of growing our inner worlds through examination and contemplation,Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with author and founder of the Catherine Project, Zena Hitz. Zena shares examples of individuals, real and imagined, who enrich themselves with life-long learning to discover the pleasures of
intellectual development. She also shares key elements of her book, Lost in thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life

Sleep Well: How High-Quality Rest Will Change Your Life with Dr. Pedram Navab, DO, Esq

Can you remember the last time you woke up feeling completely refreshed and ready to start the new day with bright eyes? If not, you may be like the millions of other people around the world who suffer from some form of sleep deprivation. To discover the keys to more restful sleep and how to eliminate the distractions that keep us from fading into all stages of sleep, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with a sleep medicine specialist about how to get high-quality rest that can change your life for the better. Dr. Pedram Navab is a board-certified neurologist and author of Sleep Reimagined: The Fast Track to a Revitalized Life. He works with patients with insomnia and sleep disorders that mimic insomnia. During this conversation, he shares the four physiological stages of sleep and tips for creating an environment where we can sleep well.
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Story-Crafting: Using Brain Science to Share Our Narratives with Lisa Cron

Every person’s experience in life is different. From a very young age, we learn what actions help us get what we need to survive and thrive. All of these learnings eventually form our belief system, our story. When our beliefs are challenged we are hard-wired to defend ourselves or flee. To find out if these early evolutionary patterns help us in modern-day society or are an outdated response we have yet to shed,Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with author Lisa Cron. Lisa shares key components from her book, Wired for Story, and the neuroscience behind human connection and communication.

Fun and Your Health: A Joyful Prescription with Mike Rucker PhD

n western cultures, many people have been led to believe that if we consume, share, or do the right things, happiness is right around the corner. But, how many of us have turned the corner only to find boredom or loneliness? To unpack the secret to finding joy in everyday activities, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with organizational psychologist and behavioral scientist, Mike Rucker about the connection between, fun, health, and time management. He describes the SAVOR and hedonic adaptation concepts from his book, The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life. And, he shares the secret sauce to escaping the perceived pursuit of happiness and toxic positivity.

Listener Favorite Returns: Psychology of Money: Finessing Financial Security with Michelle Singletary & Scott Nations

These days, more often than not, financial market headlines include the terms ‘market crash’, ‘bubble bursting’, ‘inflation’, or ‘downturn’. What do these terms mean for long-term investors or for those who don’t invest but are impacted by job loss or economic hardship? How can everyday Americans attain enough financial security to be happy? To get expert advice about staying financially healthy, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers
Kamen speaks with two economic experts who talk about the psychology of money and how to achieve financial security.
Michelle Singletary is a well-known financial advisor and a syndicated columnist for the Washington Post and other high-profile news outlets. She discusses tips for creating a savings
cushion in the event of an emergency and how financial security means paying for basic needs first. The information is from her book, What to Do with Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival
Guide. Scott Nations is the president of a financial firm and a regular contributor to CNBC. He talks about his book, The Anxious Investor: Mastering the Mental Game of Investing, and the human behaviors that lead us to either be averse to risk or embrace it.

Listener Favorite Returns: Complicated Connections: Mind Games and Broken Bonds with Deborah Vinall PsyD & Kristina Sharp PhD

The widely-used adage ‘you can’t pick your family’ generally translates into making the best of what you have when you have no choice in the matter. People rarely have the option to choose who provides their mental and physical nourishment, especially children. How we handle relationships with relatives once we reach adulthood is up to us. But, if we have been subject to years of gaslighting or mental manipulation, it can be difficult to discern between what we believe is good for us and what we truly need to thrive. To dissect the cycle of both gaslighting and estrangement, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with a therapist and a researcher about the complex relationships we engage in and disconnect from. Doctor of Psychology, Deborah Vinall offers an in-depth look at gaslighting, describes the key takeaways from her book, Gaslighting: A Step-by-Step Recovery
Guide to Heal from Emotional Abuse and Build Healthy Relationships, and shares the steps people can take to set self-
honoring boundaries when confronting a gaslighter. Kristina Sharp, Director of the Family Communication and Relationships Lab, at the University of Washington and Michigan State,
describes her role as a researcher who studies estrangement from first-hand accounts of those who have severed ties with families and the misguided perception of what a family is as
portrayed by American media.

Conflict Whispering: Collaborate, Communicate, and Negotiate Resolution with Douglas Noll JD & Jim Tamm JD

Think about all the times you felt angry today. Were you in traffic
and someone using their phone cut you off? Did your teenager
shout at you because you told them they couldn’t do something
after school? How did you respond? Calmly or did you get
defensive? To gain a better understanding of some specific tools
we can use to de-escalate tense situations and have better
communication with our friends and loved ones, Positive
Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two legal
professionals turned peacekeeping, conflict negotiators. The
practice of Tai Chi helped Douglas Noll transform from lawyer to
peacemaker. He explains a three-step process to peace, based on
empathetic listening and emotional de-escalation from his book,
De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less
.
Conflict resolution expert, Jim Tamm describes how to negotiate
through conversations that are not easy to have and the reason
people use defensiveness as a communication style from his
book,
Radical Collaboration.