Happy Enough

The Globe and Mail

Happiness. We all know what it feels like, but it can seem elusive in our world of constant stress, bleak news and burnout. In Happy Enough, a new podcast from The Globe and Mail, we explore what it truly means to be happy – and why it matters. Join host Garvia Bailey each week as she speaks with both experts and real people to demystify our pursuit of happiness. From our relationship with technology to whether money can truly make you happier, we’ll take a closer look at the elements that shape happiness and offer tips to implement in your own life.

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21 episodes
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Avg 21 min
English

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S5 · E1
Yesterday · 26 min
Can being happier help us save the planet?
After a summer of heatwaves and wildfires, thinking about the climate can be downright depressing. But what if the choices that make us happier could also help save the planet? In this episode, Garvia speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, a University of British Columbia psychology professor, happiness researcher, and co-author of Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species. Dr. Dunn explains why guilt and fear haven’t inspired the climate action we need, how everyday choices – fr
September 16 · 1 min
Coming soon: Happy Enough, season five
Garvia Bailey returns to host season five of Happy Enough, a podcast from The Globe and Mail about happiness—and why it matters in an age of stress and bad news. This season, we’ll explore how happiness can benefit the climate, why volunteering brings us joy and whether humans really need sex to be happy. Season five of Happy Enough launches September 23.
S4 · E6
May 12 · 23 min
What do the happiest cities in the world have in common?
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
S4 · E5
May 5 · 26 min
Why you should add laughing to your to-do list
“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
S4 · E4
April 28 · 24 min
Can letting go of ambition make you happier?
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, t
S4 · E3
April 21 · 28 min
Why friendship is the most important relationship you're ignoring
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
S4 · E2
April 14 · 20 min
Why fandom feels so good: Heated Rivalry’s happiness effect
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 fan
S4 · E1
April 7 · 24 min
Beats, brains and life: How music shapes our happiness
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 a
March 31 · 1 min
Coming Soon: Happy Enough, season four
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.
S3 · E5
February 24 · 22 min
Why winter feels so bad – and what you can do about it
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
S3 · E4
February 17 · 23 min
Is your job making you miserable? How to know when it’s time to go
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 unhap
S3 · E3
February 10 · 24 min
Are single people happier than those in relationships? It's complicated
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 pressur
S3 · E2
February 3 · 23 min
Canadians are among the worst sleepers on Earth. What’s it doing to our well-being?
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
S3 · E1
January 27 · 23 min
Is resiliency personality or practice?
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
January 20 · 1 min
Coming Soon: Happy Enough, season three
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.
S2 · E6
Oct 28, 2025 · 26 min
The joy of feeling small: Why awe makes us happier
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 aff
S2 · E5
Oct 21, 2025 · 27 min
The mood-boosting power of creativity
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.
S2 · E4
Oct 14, 2025 · 25 min
Why does giving feel better than getting?
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.
S2 · E3
Oct 7, 2025 · 24 min
Fired up: Why anger doesn’t need to be the enemy of happiness
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.
S2 · E2
Sep 30, 2025 · 25 min
Gut feeling: Can changes to your diet make you happier?
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.

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