Unlocking Your Joy Toolbox: Cultivating Everyday Radiance

In this episode of High and Healthy , host Richard Zwicky sits down with researcher and author Michelle Burke to explore the transformative power of "joy gems"—the small, often overlooked moments that ground us in contentment. Burke distinguishes joy from short-term, externally driven happiness, defining it as an internally based skill that can be practiced and strengthened to counteract chronic stress and burnout. Through science-backed tools like her Joy Cards , Burke explains how shifting one's awareness to appreciate simple pleasures—such as a hot cup of coffee or a sunny day—triggers a physiological release of "happy hormones" like serotonin and dopamine , which can lower blood pressure and improve heart health. By treating joy as an acquired skill rather than a fleeting mood, individuals can build emotional resilience and create a "contagious" sense of well-being that benefits not only themselves but everyone around them