Happy Enough

It's hard to look away from the news, and even harder to feel okay about it. On this episode of Happy Enough, Garvia Bailey speaks with Dr. Amanda Friesen, a political psychologist at Western University, about why political anxiety pulls us in so easily and how doomscrolling keeps us stuck in an echo chamber of negativity.
Dr. Friesen explains why people who aren't normally anxious can feel such profound stress around politics and current events, how getting our news through social media makes it worse, and what it takes to stay informed and engaged without burning out.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The bond between humans and animals reaches beyond companionship. It can shape how we feel, connect and find meaning in our lives.
In this episode, Garvia speaks with Colleen Dell, a professor of sociology at the University of Saskatchewan and founder of the Positive Connections Lab, about what makes the human-animal connection so powerful, how it affects our wellbeing, and what these relationships reveal about care, trust and our need for connection.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

People-pleasing means putting everyone else’s needs ahead of your own. It can look like kindness, but it can gradually take a toll on our well-being. On this episode of Happy Enough, we explore why so many of us learn these behaviours in a bid for belonging.
Garvia is joined by Zainib Abdullah, a psychotherapist and founder of Wellnest, an Ontario-based therapy clinic. Together, they discuss where the impulse to say “yes” to everything comes from and what it can cost us. They also look at how chronic people-pleasers can learn to establish boundaries, make room for their own needs, and show up for others without losing sight of themselves.



Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Studies suggest that volunteering can make us happier, healthier, and more connected to our communities. So why are fewer of us doing it? The share of Canadians who volunteered for an organization fell from 41% in 2018 to 32% in 2023. Over the same period, annual volunteer hours dropped to 1.2 billion from 1.7 billion, according to Statistics Canada.
On this episode, Garvia speaks with Megan Conway, president and CEO of Volunteer Canada, about what’s behind the decline, the barriers that keep people from getting involved, and the practical changes that could make volunteering more accessible.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From relationship advice to popular culture, sex is often treated as a vital ingredient in a happy, healthy life. But how much does it really matter?
Garvia Bailey speaks with Amy Muise, a psychology professor and director of York University’s Sexual Health and Relationships Lab. They explore why the relationship between sexual frequency and happiness isn’t as simple as “more sex equals better wellbeing,” why Gen Z reports having less sex than older generations, and the myth that good sex has to be spontaneous.



Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.