Happy Enough

What do the happiest cities in the world have in common? 12.05.2026 23m

As of 2021, roughly 72 percent of Canadians lived in cities with populations of more than 100,000 — and that number continues to climb. Yet urban life comes with trade-offs: costly housing, less space, gridlock, poor air quality and relentless noise. Which prompts the question: Is city living at odds with our happiness? This week on Happy Enough, Garvia speaks with Houssam Elokda, a community planner, housing expert, and managing principal at Happy Cities, a Vancouver-based consultancy that aims to improve city living. They explore why Canadians are flocking to cities in greater numbers, how that shift affects wellbeing and profile global examples of how design and policy choices can restore community trust and boost wellbeing in urban areas.

Why you should add laughing to your to-do list 05.05.2026 26m

“Laughter is the best medicine” isn’t a cliché—it’s biology. Research finds that laughter increases your endorphins, activates and calms your stress response system, improves your immune system, and, critically, connects you with the people you love. But these days, it can feel hard to overcome the bad news and find time for a good chuckle. To dig into why laughter matters—and why we should make time for it—Garvia is joined by Chris Duffy, comedian and author of Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy. They discuss laughter as a practice, how poking fun at ourselves and the world builds connection, and how cultivating humour can boost wellbeing, especially in hard times.

Can letting go of ambition make you happier? 28.04.2026 24m

In our society, ambition is viewed as a good thing. A force to be reckoned with, a badge of hard work and dedication. But does ambition come at the cost of happiness? It can leave us wanting more, never stopping to consider what “enough” even is. What if leaning into “good enough” is the secret to true happiness? In this episode, Garvia sits down with Amil Niazi, writer, producer and author of Life After Ambition: A Good Enough Memoir. Amil talks about what ambition meant early in her career, the reckoning that followed, and how embracing “good enough” has made her life happier and healthier.

Why friendship is the most important relationship you're ignoring 21.04.2026 28m

As kids and young adults, friendship is front and centre. Then careers, marriages, and mortgages crowd it out — despite global research showing that friendship is one of the strongest predictors of wellbeing. In this episode, Garvia speaks with Dr. Marisa Franco, psychologist, professor, and bestselling author of Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make–and Keep–Friends. She explains why our culture undervalues platonic relationships and why making friends gets harder as we get older. She also shares practical tips for meeting new people, turning acquaintances into close friends, and strengthening the bonds you already have.

Why fandom feels so good: Heated Rivalry’s happiness effect 14.04.2026 20m

Heated Rivalry, the Canadian-made, R-rated TV show about two hockey superstars who fall in love, was a breakout hit in late 2025 with more than 10 million viewers per episode. People who love the series, based on the hit books by author Rachel Reid, are finding great joy and delight in a show that seems to depict a far kinder and more empathetic world than the one we see every day. On today’s episode, The Globe and Mail’s happiness reporter Erin Anderssen joins Garvia to discuss why shared fandom feels so good, why Heated Rivalry has become a warm blanket for so many during stressful times, and why we shouldn’t be embarrassed to lean into the things that delight us.

Beats, brains and life: How music shapes our happiness 07.04.2026 24m

You know that feeling when the music just hits? You’re on the treadmill at the gym, your song comes on, and you feel like you could run through a wall. You hum a lullaby to a screaming baby, and they suddenly calm down. You hear a track you haven’t listened to in years, and in a heartbeat, you’re 16 again. Today on Happy Enough, we’re exploring the powerful connection between music and happiness. Garvia talks with music therapist Jennifer Buchanan about what’s really happening in our brains and bodies when the right song plays—and how she’s used music therapy to help people in settings ranging from hospitals to detention centres.

Coming Soon: Happy Enough, season four 31.03.2026 1m

Garvia Bailey is back hosting season four of Happy Enough, a Globe and Mail podcast on happiness – and why it matters – in an era of stress and bad news. This season, we’ll discuss how music affects our well-being, why the hit TV show Heated Rivalry sparked joy for millions of fans, and how smarter design can make our cities and communities feel happier. The new season of Happy Enough launches on April 7th.

Why winter feels so bad – and what you can do about it 24.02.2026 22m

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, affects millions of people each year. But what causes it, who is most at risk, and is there anything you can do to avoid the winter blues? In this episode, Garvia talks with Dr. Raymond Lam, a psychiatrist and BC Leadership Chair in Depression Research at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Lam shares how daylight and weather can influence our mood, explains why Canadians are more likely to experience SAD, and gives practical tips to help you get through this harsh winter with your happiness intact.

Is your job making you miserable? How to know when it’s time to go 17.02.2026 23m

Work is a big part of our lives, and its effects often show up in our relationships, our health, and how we see ourselves. To explore how our jobs influence our happiness and well-being, Garvia talks with Jennifer Moss, a Canadian author and workplace well-being expert who wrote The Burnout Epidemic and Why Are We Here?. Together, they discuss why it’s getting harder to separate our work and personal lives, how to recognize burnout early, and what to do before quitting a job that makes you unhappy.

Are single people happier than those in relationships? It's complicated 10.02.2026 24m

We often hear that finding “the one” is the secret to happiness. But singledom is on the rise worldwide, leaving us to rethink what we know about coupling up. In today’s episode, we look at how both romantic relationships and being single affect our well-being. Garvia talks with Professor Yuthika Girme, a relationship and singlehood scientist who leads the Secure Research Lab at Simon Fraser University. She shares what the research says about happiness for singles and couples, how social pressure influences our love lives, and what really helps us feel happy, whether we have a partner or not.

Canadians are among the worst sleepers on Earth. What’s it doing to our well-being? 03.02.2026 23m

We know how significant sleep is to our physical and mental health, so why are so many of us struggling to achieve quality rest - and what is it doing to us? On today's episode, we delve into the intricate relationship between sleep and happiness. Garvia sits down with Dr. Michael Mak, a sleep medicine specialist and staff psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Dr. Mak discusses the profound impact of sleep on our well-being, explains why more Canadians than ever have sleep disorders, and shares practical tips to transform your sleep habits.

Is resiliency personality or practice? 27.01.2026 23m

We’ve all heard the saying, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” But is it really true? In today’s episode, we explore resilience and how bouncing back from setbacks is a key to a happier life. To help us understand how we handle adversity, Garvia talks with Jenny Liu, Head of Scientific Development and Knowledge Mobilization at MacDonald Franklin OSI Research and Innovation Centre, which focuses on military and veteran mental health. They discuss what resilience means, whether it’s a skill or a trait, and why many of us are more resilient than we realize.

Coming Soon: Happy Enough, season three 20.01.2026 1m

Garvia Bailey is back hosting season three of Happy Enough, a Globe and Mail podcast on happiness – and why it matters. This season, we’ll discuss how to cultivate resilience, how our romantic relationship status affects our well-being and why a good night’s sleep is one of the keys to the good life. Season three of Happy Enough launches on January 27th.

The joy of feeling small: Why awe makes us happier 28.10.2025 26m

What happens when we stop rushing around and pause to take in the vastness of the world around us? In this episode of Happy Enough, we explore awe — the emotion that can make you feel surprisingly small, and, at the same time, happier. To break down the science behind awe and why it makes us feel better, Garvia speaks with Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the author of ‘Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life’. They discuss how awe affects our bodies and simple ways to incorporate it into our lives.

The mood-boosting power of creativity 21.10.2025 27m

Creativity can improve our happiness, according to several research studies. It doesn’t have to be an all-consuming project, but a small daily dose of creativity, like journaling or painting, can improve our mental health. Garvia speaks with @Brittlestar, a comedian and social media personality, about how his daily creative practice improves his wellbeing through catharsis and connection.

Why does giving feel better than getting? 14.10.2025 25m

What makes you happier: giving someone $20 or spending it on yourself? The results might surprise you. In this episode, we discuss how giving and generosity affect happiness for individuals and for society as a whole. Garvia speaks with Lara Aknin, a distinguished professor at Simon Fraser University and an editor of the World Happiness Report.

Fired up: Why anger doesn’t need to be the enemy of happiness 07.10.2025 24m

Anger seems to be the collective vibe these days, whether we’re talking about politics, scrolling through social media or reading headlines. Outrage can be harmful or violent. But used correctly, experts say it can be a tool that leads to long-term happiness. Garvia speaks with Brett Ford, associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, about how we can manage our anger and, hopefully, feel a little bit happier.

Gut feeling: Can changes to your diet make you happier? 30.09.2025 25m

Everyone these days is talking about the microbiome, the trillions of bacteria that live in our gut and help regulate our physical health. But what about our happiness? Recent studies show how this gut-brain connection can directly affect our moods, our anxiety levels and our sense of well-being. Garvia speaks with Dr. Mary Sco, a Toronto-based family doctor with a PhD in nutritional sciences, about what’s going on in our guts and how changes to nutrition can affect our wellbeing.

Are psychedelics a potential tool for improving mental health? 23.09.2025 27m

Psychedelics, substances like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms that cause altered states of consciousness, often remind people of hippies in the 1960s. But more researchers are looking into their potential benefits for our well-being. Scientists say psychedelics – which are illegal for recreational use in Canada – could have massive implications on how we treat and heal from major mental health disorders like PTSD, depression and anxiety. Garvia speaks with Dr. Monnica Williams, clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Ottawa, where she is the co-director of the new master’s program in psychedelics and consciousness studies. They discuss the latest research and whether psychedelics will, and should, become mainstream.

Coming soon: Happy Enough, season two 16.09.2025 1m

The Globe’s podcast about happiness is back for season two. Join host Garvia Bailey each week as she speaks with both experts and real people to demystify our pursuit of happiness. This season, we’ll dive into the latest research on psychedelics and mental health, how what you eat can affect your mood, and how feeling a bit of rage can actually be good for your happiness. Season two of Happy Enough launches on September 23rd.