Where do you stand on AI? Are you all in, a little nervous, or still figuring it out? Maybe you’re somewhere in the middle - curious, cautious, and ready to see what it really means for us.

In this episode of But Are You Happy, hosts Ashani Dante and Dr. Anastasia Hronis go past the headlines to explore the psychology of AI. They look at how these tools aren’t just changing what we do - they’re changing how we think, solve problems, and even seek emotional connection.

You’ll also learn:

• Why leaning on chatbots might be weakening your problem-solving skills
• How reflecting more and embracing messy drafts can protect your creativity
• Why AI can make us feel so “seen”
• How AI voices, not just text, can trigger the brain’s bonding chemicals

Watch the podcast on YouTube here.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Both services are available 24/7 for free, confidential mental health support.

GET IN TOUCH

Want to get in touch with us? DM @butareyouhappypod on Instagram or send us a voice memo. Our hosts are ready to hear your dilemmas—think of it as free therapy!

Listen to more Mamamia podcasts here.

Did you know some of our shows are now in video on the Apple Podcast app? Make sure your phone is up to date and check it out here!

CREDITS:

Hosts: Ashani Dante & Dr Anastasia Hronis

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.

Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do we form one-sided bonds with people we've never met?

In this episode of But Are You Happy, hosts Ashani Dante and Dr. Anastasia Hronis pull back the curtain on parasocial relationships and how the digital age has blurred the lines between "fan" and "friend."

You'll also learn:

• Practical questions to ask yourself if your celeb obsession is getting… unhealthy
• Why we turn to one-sided relationships to meet emotional needs
• How most parasocial relationships aren't actually "creepy" - they're just an extension of our social evolution (until they aren’t)
• How to cultivate healthy engagement with online personalities

Watch the podcast on YouTube here.

Get a 50% OFF DISCOUNT to see us at DomeFest. Link here.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Both services are available 24/7 for free, confidential mental health support.

GET IN TOUCH

Want to get in touch with us? DM @butareyouhappypod on Instagram or send us a voice memo. Our hosts are ready to hear your dilemmas—think of it as free therapy!

Listen to more Mamamia podcasts here.

Did you know some of our shows are now in video on the Apple Podcast app? Make sure your phone is up to date and check it out here!

Get 25% off Nala with your Mamamia subscription. Click here to get your code ends April 1st.

CREDITS:

Hosts: Ashani Dante & Dr Anastasia Hronis

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.

Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Why am I reacting exactly like my mother right now?”

In this episode of But Are You Happy, hosts Ashani Dante and Dr. Anastasia Hronis pull back the curtain on intergenerational trauma. We’re moving beyond the surface level to explore the "ghosts" in your DNA - the ones that make you react to a minor inconvenience like it’s a family-wide emergency.

You'll also learn:

• How trauma is physically passed down through your genes
• Why the goal isn't to "delete" your difficult parts
• How to determine if you grew up in a "military-grade" or "survival of the fittest" household
• Ways to notice the patterns of intergenerational trauma to avoid repeating them

Watch the podcast on YouTube here.

Get a 50% OFF DISCOUNT to see us at DomeFest. Link here.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Both services are available 24/7 for free, confidential mental health support.

GET IN TOUCH

Want to get in touch with us? DM @butareyouhappypod on Instagram or send us a voice memo. Our hosts are ready to hear your dilemmas—think of it as free therapy!

Listen to more Mamamia podcasts here.

Get 25% off Nala with your Mamamia subscription. Click here to get your code ends April 1st.

CREDITS:

Hosts: Ashani Dante & Dr Anastasia Hronis

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.

Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you ever feel like you’re falling behind in life?

You’re not the only one quietly wondering about the timeline.

In this episode, Ashani Dante and clinical psychologist Dr. Anastasia Hronis explore the “quiet grief” that can arise when life looks different from the one you once planned.

You'll also learn:

• How to embrace "identity plasticity"
• Practical ways to distinguish between being "behind" your own goals versus someone else's
• Why it’s valid to mourn the "alternate version" of your life
• How to balance self-compassion with taking steps toward the things you can control

Watch the podcast on YouTube here.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Both services are available 24/7 for free, confidential mental health support.

GET IN TOUCH

Want to get in touch with us? DM @butareyouhappypod on Instagram or send us a voice memo. Our hosts are ready to hear your dilemmas—think of it as free therapy!

Listen to more Mamamia podcasts here.

CREDITS:

Hosts: Ashani Dante & Dr Anastasia Hronis

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you happy? Oh. Sorry. Was that too direct?

It’s a simple question, but it tends to make people shift in their seats.

In this episode of But Are You Happy?, Ashani Dante and clinical psychologist Anastasia Hronis finally unpack the very question that inspired the podcast and, somehow, until now, we’ve never properly answered.

Together, they explore:

• The difference between hedonic and eudaimonic happiness
• Why contentment might matter more than constant joy
• How social media and external validation can distort our idea of happiness
• A simple framework to help you cultivate more intentional, values-aligned joy

Watch the podcast on YouTube here.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Both services are available 24/7 for free, confidential mental health support.

Want to get in touch with us? DM @butareyouhappypod on Instagram or send us a voice memo. Our hosts are ready to hear your dilemmas—think of it as free therapy!

Listen to more Mamamia podcasts here.

CREDITS:

Hosts: Ashani Dante & Dr Anastasia Hronis

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does your chest tighten every time you open your phone lately? Do you feel like the world is on fire and you’re somehow supposed to just keep going to work, answer emails, and “stay informed”?

In this episode of But Are You Happy, host Ashani Dante and clinical psychologist Dr. Anastasia Hronis unpack what it actually means to live in the age of information overload. From clickbait headlines and doom-scrolling at 11pm, they explore how constant exposure to bad news impacts our nervous systems and why so many of us are feeling helpless, hopeless, or just emotionally exhausted.

You'll also learn:

• The psychological difference between helplessness and hopelessness

• Why your brain is wired to latch onto threatening news

• How chronic exposure to bad headlines activates your stress response

• Practical ways to buffer yourself without becoming disengaged

Watch the podcast on YouTube here.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Both services are available 24/7 for free, confidential mental health support.

Want to get in touch with us? DM @butareyouhappypod on Instagram or send us a voice memo. Our hosts are ready to hear your dilemmas—think of it as free therapy!

Listen to more Mamamia podcasts here.

CREDITS:

Hosts: Ashani Dante & Dr Anastasia Hronis

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does the idea of a networking event make your stomach do backflips while your friends seem to thrive in the chaos?

In this season finale of But Are You Happy, host Ashani Dante and clinical psychologist Dr. Anastasia Hronis pull back the curtain on our social personalities. We’re moving beyond the simple labels to find out where you actually sit on the spectrum and why "summer social season" can feel so different for everyone.

You'll also learn:

• The five major personality traits and how extroversion fits in
• Why the "chaotic middle" might be exactly where you land
• The clinical red flags to look out for
• Why walking a banana on a leash (yes, really) is a legitimate way to overcome the fear of being judged

Watch the podcast on YouTube here.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Both services are available 24/7 for free, confidential mental health support.

Want to get in touch with us? DM @butareyouhappypod on Instagram or send us a voice memo. Our hosts are ready to hear your dilemmas—think of it as free therapy!

We’re giving away a Your Reformer Pilates bed (worth $3,400) Subscribe here to enter.

CREDITS:

Hosts: Ashani Dante & Dr Anastasia Hronis

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever looked at a fandom, wellness community, or online movement and thought… this feels a little culty?

In this episode of But Are You Happy, host Ashani Dante and clinical psychologist Dr Anastasia Hronis unpack why the word cult gets thrown around so easily and what actually separates cults from fandoms like Swifties, Beliebers, or other high-devotion communities.

You’ll also learn:

• What a cult actually is (and why there’s no single definition)

• Why charismatic leaders hold so much power

• How belonging, meaning, and identity make people vulnerable to high-demand groups

• What “cult-like” red flags to look out for, including isolation, fear, shame, and groupthink

• Why it can be so hard to leave a cult, even when doubts creep in

Watch the podcast on YouTube here.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Both services are available 24/7 for free, confidential mental health support.

Want to get in touch with us? DM @butareyouhappypod on Instagram or send us a voice memo. Our hosts are ready to hear your dilemmas—think of it as free therapy!

We’re giving away a Your Reformer Pilates bed (worth $3,400) Subscribe here to enter.

CREDITS:

Hosts: Ashani Dante & Dr Anastasia Hronis

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Executive Producer: Naima Brown

Audio Producer: Tina Matolov

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.