myHappymind Conversations: Recent Episodes
Laura Earnshaw
myHappymind Conversations brings you the latest science and research around all things self-esteem, resilience and mental wellness in kids. With a healthy dose of humor and a highly practical style Laura Earnshaw, Founder of myHappymind will entertain and educate you.
In this first episode, I sit down with Nic Wetton, the Headteacher at Malpas Alport Primary School in Cheshire. With over six years of experience using myHappymind in multiple schools, Nic is one of our longest-standing myHappymind Headteachers and a truly inspiring leader. Having worked in both inner-city and rural schools, Nic has witnessed the significant impact myHappymind has had on her school communities in both settings.
In this episode, I explore the truth about resilience and the effect it can have on our self-esteem.
TW: Conversation about COVID.
In this episode, I reflect on the uncertain times we faced over the last few years and the truth about COVID, and its ongoing impact.
Get ready to tackle a common challenge head-on in this episode. We explore the complexities of separation anxiety, shedding light on this experience with empathy, understanding, and practical solutions.
In this episode, I continue to explore the truth about children’s mental health and the foundation of it all—self-esteem. I delve into how building strong self-esteem in children sets them up for a lifetime of confidence, resilience, and healthy relationships because nurturing their little minds is a big deal!
In this first episode, I delve into the often-overlooked aspect of mental health: prevention. Too often, conversations surrounding mental health focus solely on treatment and management, neglecting the crucial role that prevention plays in fostering well-being. Dive in to find out the truth about prevention in mental health.
In this episode, I’m discussing the transition from Summer and re-establishing a self-care routine.
Making sure the kids are okay as they get ready to go back to school is a must but… It’s just as important to make sure you’re okay as well.
Finding the things you enjoy that are good for your own mental health and sanity is incredibly important. So you need to make time for them and start re-establishing your self-care routine.
In this episode, I'm exploring why transitions can be hard and how we can make them easier. Whether it's moving schools, classes or starting secondary schools this one will help you work this through!
Lean into gratitude as we enter a new phase of the pandemic!
Gratitude feels great, and is good for us, but sometimes we need a bit of a reminder to do it. Thanking three people who have helped you during these past few months will be rewarding for you and them.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Books are a great tool to help your child explore their feelings.
Use a character from a favourite story as a 'way in' to talk to your child about how they are feeling. This technique isn't just for children - try it on yourself too!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Cut through overwhelm with this simple technique.
Focus on 'just one thing' that you can do to make a step forward. This is an effective trick for grown-ups, and for for your children.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Try this exercise to acknowledge what's been going on during lockdown: the good, the not-so-good, and what we've learned.
This is a powerful exercise to use yourself, then to repeat with your child, to highlight their resilience.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
This technique is different, but super-powerful: visualisation!
When we put positive thoughts into our mind it releases the all-important happiness hormones in our brain. This is a great technique to try, then to introduce to your children.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
The power of our thoughts! This year has been difficult, but how we choose to think about a situation can have huge impact on us and how we cope.
Try flipping those thoughts! It's hard, but it is doable!
There are three slots to choose from on my masterclass. You can book a place by clicking here.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
A simple invitation - come and join me in one of my three live sessions this week, designed to help you build resilience, self-esteem and happiness in your child. It's completely free, and is bound to be fun!
There are three slots to choose from - the first one's tonight! You can book a place by clicking here.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
A Happiness Hack to give yourself a boost - when you see positive words in front of you through the day it's a reminder that there are better days ahead!
You can book a place on my upcoming free webinar by clicking here.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
It's Random Act Of Kindness Day! How can you do something really kind… for yourself? Look after yourself, so you can look after those around you.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
What was your happiest childhood memory? Take yourself back to that moment, immerse yourself in it, and share it. This is good for you, and a great conversation starter for your children.
You can book a place on my upcoming free webinar by clicking here.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Here's something that's easy to forget when we're all so busy: the importance of good quality conversations. It's tempting to tune out, but that can mean that we miss a lot. Practise active listening and enjoy those listening moments.
You can book a place on my upcoming free webinar by clicking here.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Let's take a breath! Things are hard right now, and the half term holiday means the children aren't home schooling. Give yourself a break and kick back a bit!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
It's Valentine's Day! Share the Love with our free gratitude-based activity! Get it here.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
We know the importance of a tidy space to work in… this is similar, but for your mind! Get it all down on paper, you'll be amazed at how freeing and decluttering this is!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
It's hard to keep our motivation right now. Try this little exercise to pick a task and role model for your children by making a start. Then your child can do the same!
You can book a place on my upcoming free webinar by clicking here.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
A powerful technique to help you & the family to experience gratitude in a new way.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Lockdown has forced us to slow down in many respects, and maybe that's a silver lining. What can we preserve from this experience after lockdown is over?
You can book a place on my upcoming free webinar by clicking here.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Encourage your children to dream. The current lockdown is stifling and depressing - but just the process of dreaming is uplifting, even if we can't actually do the things we dream about.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Friendships are SO important. The quality of our friendships has a direct correlation to our mental health. But lockdown needn't rob us of all the things about friendship that make us feel good.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
A lovely activity to help you & your children to focus on the positives. Bringing your attention to the things that make us happy give us a boost - more so when we write them down or draw them!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
An important question, and one we don't often ask. Give your happiness a score and it helps you to get active about your feelings, and what it was that led to them?
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
What do you want to achieve this week? Set a goal, and make a plan to get there - but make sure it's a goal that you care about!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Simple but powerful: learning to breathe! Our stress levels are raised right now, and we can absorb stress from each other. Try some deep breathing, it works wonders!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Who might your child be missing, and how can you help them to reach out to them and reconnect?
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
What are you proud of yourself for today? This is a really important question, right now, more than ever!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Sometimes you've got to think about number one! Some days you've got to get out of your own way and cut yourself a bit of a break!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
It's easy to focus on what's hard and tough right now, but it's really important to focus on the wins too. Try this simple technique to get the family talking!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Gratitude is so important, as we get a dopamine hit whether we receive it, or give it. Think about & express gratitude regularly and there are long-term benefits. Encourage your children to identify a person they’re grateful for, and get into the happy hormones habit!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Today is all about play – and nostalgia! Pick a game that you used to love as a child, and share it with your own. Kids love hearing about our childhoods – and this lets you show them!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Time to do something creative – baking! When we come together for an activity like this, it makes us present in the moment. This creates connections and you have something tasty at the end!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
The importance of your home environment and how your child’s place can bring them joy. Give a makeover to boost the quality of their space – especially important right now!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
A random act of kindness: super easy, super simple, but super powerful. It does good for the recipient – but it does you and your child good too!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
In these crazy times, lets look again at gratitude, and our favourite experiences. Replaying happy experiences in our minds stimulates happy hormones in the brain.
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
After a long day of homeschooling it’s good to get out of the rut, and back to play! Or maybe you’re out working and the kids are in school? How can you mix up the after-school routine and add a bit of variety? Play-based family time is good for all of us!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Now is a great time to focus on friendship. Have a powerful conversation with your child around friendship – whose do they value and why? Then, how can they express their appreciation of it?
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
It’s true: motion releases emotion, because movement is an important happiness tool. So get moving & playing with your child, with this simple idea!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Welcome to the first episode of 2021, and here in the UK we’re back in lockdown! I’ve decided to rethink my planned content to suit. I’ll be providing daily bite-size tips to help you through this strange & tricky time.
Today I’m talking about New Year’s Resolutions. They’re great in theory, but do we allow them to pile unnecessary pressure on ourselves? Now of all times we can do without pressure!
I’ve rearranged my podcast plans to suit the current situation – maybe you should rethink your resolutions to take a bit off pressure off? In this podcast I make some suggestions, and introduce ‘A Little Bit of Happy Each Day’ – a short podcast / video every working day of lockdown!
If you'd like to to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
Many of us are forced to be at home right now. Can you use this time for something that you or your family are passionate about?
Remember, even planning towards a dream goal gives you a dopamine benefit!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
It's important to celebrate the little things right now. At the end of the day today when homeschooling is OVER try and think about three things that went well together…
…and one thing that you want to try differently tomorrow!
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
The first of my series of bite-size tips and ideas, one every working day of lockdown!
Today: Tidy room, tidy mind! A happy space makes for a happy person. Thgat's particularly important if you're home-schooling during lockdown! What can you do today to make your child's learning room feel happy?
If you'd like to see the videos of these daily recordings you can sign up free here.
In this episode I talk about some practical strategies for when we encounter bumps in the road over the Christmas period. It’s a lovely time of year, but let’s face it, it can be stressful, overwhelming, or sad if we’re thinking of those who are no longer enjoying it with us.
If you have a wobble, if you’re feeling reflective, or tense, try thinking about these simple things to help.
Set some clear boundaries and expectations on your Christmas – relating to both yourself and others. This can be extremely liberating. What does success look like? How do you really want to spend your time, and who with? How much of the pressure is self-imposed? What could you do differently this year?
I wish you a very happy Christmas, filled with positive thinking and positive memories!
We’ve all had an extraordinary year, and this Christmas is not going to be normal either! We’re all getting ready to tackle 2021, and whatever it brings – but it’s easy to forget to properly process the year that’s just been. This week I’m talking about some self-care for Christmas.
In this episode I’m offering some advice on how to ‘put 2020 to bed’, with three key things we can do whilst going into Christmas. This is so important, both for your little ones and yourself!
I’ll discuss why Acceptance, Gratitude & Self-Nourishment are vital right now.
Here’s the link to the Festive Funbook that I mention in the podcast: https://myhappymind.org/festive.
From all of us at myHappymind, I’d like to wish you a peaceful Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
How we tend to praise and reward our children is completely at odds with what the science shows us as being most effective.
Our society tends to praise children's competence-based achievements, instead of character-based strength that got them there. Does this sound like you?
What's the difference between competence and character-based praise, and why does it matter which we use?
Competence is easy to spot, and it's tempting to always praise it when we see it, thinking that's the right thing to do. But when you balance it with recognising character, it is hugely beneficial to your child's self-esteem.
Nature versus Nurture is an age-old debate - but a very important one! Which is the biggest influence when it comes to our children, and why does it matter?
It's easy to see physical attributes that our children have inherited. But it's a bit more complex for things like our child's character.
What we as parents believe about nature vs. nurture can determine how we choose to develop our child's resilience, self-esteem and happiness. If we follow the science, we realise that we can have a positive impact on our child's character, regardless of what they have inherited in their genes.
Here's something that I wish I'd understood sooner: in the busy world of parenting it's hard to stop and consider where we're getting our information and advice from.
Is it from science-backed sources? Or is it just someone's well-meaning opinion or perspective - someone whose opinion might only be shaped by their personal experience?
Stories...we all tell ourselves them but how can we stop getting in your own way, let go of the negative self-talk so that we can move forward positively.
Stories...we all tell ourselves them but how can we stop getting in your own way, let go of the negative self-talk so that we can move forward positively.
Big emotions - if you've got children it's likely that you've seen your child express big hairy and sometimes scary emotions at some point! In this episode, we look at what those emotions are really all about and how you can seek to understand and manage them with your child.
In this episode, we look into why gratitude is so important and how we can start to embed a gratitude habit in your home. We also explore where as parents we often get this wrong by nagging our children to be grateful and look at a better way!
In this episode, we explore the reality of mental health education in schools and look at the challenges that stop more of this education taking place! Spoiler alert: it isn't the school's fault!
Mum guilt is such a big thing that it has a trending hashtag. But where does it come from? How does it manifest and most importantly ... how can we start moving away from it?
Define what imposter syndrome is and why it is so important. How can we re-wire our brain to stop it in its tracks and move forward positively - especially as parents
Goal setting - it's often talked about but why does it matter so much? What does the science of accomplishment tell us and how can we ensure we use it as a tool for wellbeing and happiness and not guilt-tripping and pressure!?
In Part 4 of this 5 part series we are looking at meaning or purpose and how this contributes to our overall mental health and happiness. How do you discover your meaning if you're not sure what it is and how do you encourage it in children?
This is part 3 of our 5 episode series on understanding the science of happiness. In this episode, Laura helps you to understand why the roles relationships play in our happiness, where we might be going wrong with them, and how we can build more positive ones!
This episode is part two of a five episodes series that takes you on a journey of understanding the science of happiness. In this episode, Laura helps you to understand why engagement is so critical for happiness. What engagement actually means. And critically, how you can get more engagement going in your life and the lives of your family.
You can download the workbook here.
In the first of five deep-dive episodes, Laura takes you through the science of positive emotion. She explores what this is, why it is so important, and how you can get more of it in your life. She dispels the myths that positive thinking is a load of hot air and teaches you the hard-hitting science of why this works.
You can download the workbook here.
In this episode, Laura Earnshaw, the founder of myHappymind, tells her story of why she created myHappymind and how she is impacting hundreds of thousands of people with her model. She also gives you a summary of the five key factors that are critical to building happiness, resilience, and self-esteem, particularly in children.