Why Happiness Isn’t in Your Head

Why Happiness Isn’t in Your Head

Samantha Boardman is a psychiatrist who focuses on optimism, building resilience, and mental well-being. Her new book, Everyday Vitality, explores how to find strength amid daily stressors. Today, she joins Erica Chidi to talk about the three keys to cultivating vitality, and she shares her tips for managing micro-stressors and what to do the next time you find yourself ruminating or stuck in a negative self-talk loop. Boardman also explains how connection, community, and deliberate action fosters meaning in our lives and why positive psychology isn’t just about thinking optimistically. “I’m actually a big believer in negative emotion. We have to use them and learn from them,” she says.