The Happier Life Project

Happiness Hack: Day 7 - Rest Is Not a Reward

Daily Happiness Hack
This January, The Happier Life Project is offering one short happiness hack each day; gentle reminders designed to support your mental and emotional wellbeing as life begins to pick up pace again.
In this episode, Gabby challenges the belief that rest has to be earned. Instead, this happiness hack reframes rest as a biological need, something your nervous system requires in order to feel safe and recover.
With a small, practical invitation to pause, this episode encourages you to rest without justification, guilt, or productivity attached.
To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast
To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself/
 

Happiness Hack: Day 6 - Check In Without Judging

Daily Happiness Hack
As part of this January series, host Gabby is sharing one gentle happiness hack each day; small moments of support designed to reduce pressure and help you feel steadier as the year unfolds.
In today’s episode, Gabby explores the way we often speak to ourselves when something feels off, and how quickly curiosity can turn into self-criticism. This happiness hack invites you to check in with yourself without judgement - and to respond with care rather than blame.
With a simple, practical takeaway, this episode offers a kinder way to meet your inner world, especially on days when emotions feel heavy or unclear.
To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast
To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself/
 

Happiness Hack: Day 5 - You’re Allowed to Start Small

Daily Happiness Hack
Throughout January, Gabby is sharing a short happiness hack each day, designed to support your mental and emotional wellbeing without pressure or overwhelm.
In today’s episode, Gabby gently challenges the idea that January has to begin with big goals or bold changes. Instead, this happiness hack focuses on the power of starting small.
With a simple, practical takeaway, this episode reminds you that small steps build trust, safety, and steadiness, and that beginning exactly where you are is more than enough.
A reassuring listen for days when motivation feels low and gentleness feels essential.
To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast
To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself/
 

Happiness Hack: Day 4 - Slow One Thing Down

Daily Happiness Hack
As part of this January series, The Happier Life Project is sharing one gentle happiness hack each day; small, manageable ideas to help you feel calmer and more grounded as the year unfolds.
Even on quiet days, our bodies can still be rushing. In this episode, Gabby invites you to slow just one small thing down... not your whole life, not your to-do list. Just one moment.This simple practice helps signal safety to your nervous system and gently ease you out of urgency, without needing to stop or withdraw from your day.
A calm reminder that slowing one thing can soften everything around it.
To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast
To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself/
 

Happiness Hack: Day 3 - Let Today Be Neutral

Daily Happiness Hack
Throughout January, The Happier Life Project is offering one gentle happiness hack a day; small shifts designed to reduce emotional pressure and support your wellbeing.
We’re often taught that happiness should be the baseline emotion. But most days aren’t meant to feel amazing... or awful.
In day three's episode, host Gabby explores the quiet relief of letting today be neutral. Not joyful. Not perfect. Just okay. This gentle reframe helps ease the pressure to feel good and offers a simple way to lower expectations without lowering self-worth. Neutral days aren’t empty days, they’re spacious ones.
To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast
To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself/
 

Happiness Hack: Day 2 - A 60 Second Nervous System Reset

Daily Happiness Hack
As part of this January series, host Gabby is sharing one short happiness hack each day; small, supportive practices to help you feel steadier and more grounded as the year begins.
When life feels uncertain, the body often holds tension before we even realise it. For day two's happiness hack, Gabby shares a simple 60-second breathing reset designed to signal safety to your nervous system. No equipment, no preparation, just a moment you can return to anytime your mind feels busy or your body feels on edge.
A practical tool to help you feel calmer, more regulated, and a little more at ease, wherever you are.
To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast
To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself/
 

Happiness Hack: Day 1 - You Don’t Need a New You

Daily Happiness Hack
This month on The Happier Life Project, Gabby is sharing a short, gentle happiness hack every day; small moments of support designed to help you feel steadier, calmer, and a little more at ease as the first month of the new year unfolds.
In today’s episode, Gabby invites you to begin January without reinvention. You don’t need to be more productive, more positive, or more put-together to deserve calm, care, or contentment.
Through a simple grounding ritual and a compassionate reframe, this episode helps your nervous system soften and reminds you that you’re allowed to start exactly as you are.
A gentle place to begin the year - no fixing required.
To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast
To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself/
 

Bonus: Closing 2025 with Care - Your End of Year Mental Health Check-In with Gabby Sanderson

As we close out 2025, this final episode of The Happier Life Project takes a compassionate look back at a year that felt undeniably heavy for so many. With political tension, rapid leaps in AI, global conflict and a relentless cost-of-living crisis, it’s no surprise that rates of anxiety and depression have soared worldwide. 
In this reflective bonus episode, Gabby explores the emotional toll of a turbulent year, and the unexpected clarity it can bring. Through the conversations held on this podcast, personal experiences, and even a year-end yoga class themed around shedding old skin for the Year of the Snake, Gabby invites listeners to consider what they’re ready to release before stepping into 2026. Perfectionism, people-pleasing, carrying everything alone; what are you finally putting down?
Plus, you’ll hear highlights from her conversation with Reverend and the Makers’ Jon McClure, recorded this time last year, where they discuss loneliness at Christmas, mixed seasonal emotions, and why dancing and music can be powerful tools for mental health. 
It’s a gentle, grounding close to the year, and a reminder you don’t have to earn rest with exhaustion. The Happier Life Project returns on January 1st 2026 with something special: a daily happiness hack every day throughout the month.
If you're feeling suicidal, lonely, or depressed, the Samaritans helpline is available 24/7 at 116 123, including on Christmas Day. You can also use a text-based option like "Hey Sam" a mental health support text line for young people, by texting 439-726.
To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast
To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself/
 

Festive Season, Silent Struggles: The Connection Episode Everyone Needs to Hear with Dr Richard Pile

According to the World Health Organization, loneliness is now recognised as a pressing global health threat. Research shows that chronic loneliness carries the same health risk as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and can reduce life expectancy by up to 30 percent.
As host Gabby reflects, the festive season can be one of the hardest times of the year for many. While Christmas is sold to us as joyful, warm, and deeply connected, for some it magnifies feelings of isolation instead.
A UK survey found that 17% of people feel lonelier during the holidays, even when surrounded by loved ones. The gap between the expectation of celebration and the reality of personal circumstances can intensify sadness, anxiety, and disconnection, making December a particularly heavy month for those already struggling.
In this episode — a conversation recorded 18 months ago but more relevant than ever — Gabby speaks with Dr Richard Pile, a GP specialising in lifestyle medicine and cardiology, as well as an author, TEDx speaker, podcaster, mentor, and coach. Together, they explore what loneliness really is, how it manifests not only emotionally but physically, and the subtle ways it can shape our behaviour and daily routines.
Dr Richard shares the signs to look out for in ourselves and others, and why nurturing the relationships we already have is so vital. He also offers practical steps for forming new connections, finding like-minded people in our communities, and accessing NHS social prescribers — a free service designed to link people with activities and groups that support wellbeing.
As the festive season approaches, Gabby invites listeners to take one small, meaningful action: reach out to someone who might be struggling. A simple message, phone call, or invitation for coffee can make a profound difference. This episode is a reminder that choosing connection over isolation not only eases another person’s burden, but strengthens our own sense of belonging.
To download the My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast
To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself
For more information on Dr Richard Pile and his services: https://feelgoodforlife.uk/
To watch Dr Richard’s TedX talk on Loneliness: https://youtu.be/sPsvOd-kwVU?
si=dAIYYR_E_ukAhcyg

Bonus: 8 Tools to Keep a Calm Christmas with Gabby Sanderson

The festive period can be a beautiful time of year, but it can also be incredibly challenging. Routines change, expectations rise, social calendars fill up, people feel financial pressure, and old family dynamics often resurface. Many of us end up emotionally stretched and overwhelmed long before the big day arrives.
So in this episode, host Gabby Sanderson shares "Tools to Keep a Calm Christmas" eight simple, effective tools to help you stay grounded, protected, and emotionally steady over the holidays. You can try them all, or choose the ones that feel right for you. And at the end of the episode, there’s a short grounding meditation to help you reset.
Tool 1: The Boundaries ResetProtect your energy by saying no when you need to, and choosing plans that genuinely support your wellbeing.Tool 2: Letting Go of the ‘Perfect Christmas’ MythRelease the pressure to create a flawless holiday — real, imperfect Christmases are often the calmest and most meaningful.Tool 3: Anchoring Your Nervous SystemUse quick grounding techniques like slow breathing, softening your shoulders, or stepping outside to bring your body back into calm. Gabby guides you into an exercise. Tool 4: The Money-Pressure DiffuserTake the financial stress down by setting clear spending limits and remembering that thoughtfulness matters far more than cost.Tool 5: A Plan for Loneliness (Even If You’re Surrounded by People)Create gentle structure, small moments of connection, and comforting rituals to support yourself if the season feels emotionally heavy.Tool 6: The Family Dynamics ShieldNotice old patterns, stay grounded, and remind yourself that you can choose your responses, even in challenging family situations.Tool 7: The “Good Enough” Christmas ReframeLet “good enough” be the goal — good enough food, good enough plans, good enough energy — and allow that to be more than enough.Tool 8: Easing the Pressure of the New YearYou don’t need resolutions or reinvention; a softer approach with light reflection and gentle intentions can ease the transition into January.
Tune in now for a calm, grounding, and supportive listen — and give yourself the gentlest Christmas you can.
To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast
To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself/