Are endless options actually making life harder—or just more confusing?

In this episode of Life Happens*, Michelle and Nick explore what it means to live in a world full of choices—especially in dating and careers.

Do dating apps expand our possibilities, or quietly make commitment harder? And what happened to the kind of chance encounters that turn into lifelong love stories?

Michelle reflects on her dating future, while Nick shares lessons (and a few entertaining stories) from his past—including his unforgettable swimming pool story.

They also dive into the pressure of today’s job market, where “a job for life” no longer exists. When everything is possible, how do you choose anything at all?

Plus: Nick puts Michelle to the test with a “dating material” quiz—and you can play along too:
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=are-you-dating-material-quiz

Join the conversation with Life Happens*
*but you can too

You will find everything about Life Happens* here:

https://linktr.ee/lifehappens.podcast

Would you rather have one guaranteed good option or five uncertain great ones?

In this episode of Life Happens* (*but you can too!), hosts Michelle R Williams and Nick Hirst explore the psychology of choice and decision-making.

From choosing schools and careers to navigating everyday life decisions, they discuss whether modern life offers too many choices — and whether that freedom actually makes us happier or more anxious. They also compare today’s decision-making pressures with earlier generations, when life options were often far more limited.

Plus, you can test your own decision-making style with a quick quiz and see where you fall on the spectrum of cautious vs spontaneous decision-makers.

🎧 Listen now to explore whether more choice really leads to a better life — or simply harder decisions.

Decision-making style quiz:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/natalyalobanova/deicison-making-style-personality-wuiz

Photos from Nick’s Luxembourg trip:
https://undercoverofthewriteluxembourgreview

You will find everything about Life Happens* here:

https://linktr.ee/lifehappens.podcast

You know your chronological age — just count the candles on your last birthday cake. But is that how old you actually feel?

In this episode of Life Happens*, hosts Michelle R Williams and Nick Hirst explore the fascinating psychology of subjective age — the age we perceive ourselves to be.

Originally, the concept of mental age was used to measure intellectual development. But researchers are increasingly interested in subjective age and how it connects to physical health, mindset, social engagement, and even longevity.

Michelle and Nick — representing two different generations — compare their own subjective age test results, and the answers might surprise you.

🎧 Listen now as they discuss ageing, identity, and how society shapes the way we think about getting older.

Before you light the candles on your next birthday cake… you might want to find out how old you really feel.

Life Happens* — but you can too!

You will find everything about Life Happens* here:

https://linktr.ee/lifehappens.podcast

And here’s the link to the online test you can take to fine out your subjective age as talked about in the episode: https://www.idrlabs.com/subjective-age/test.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Do we remember our lives as they really happened — or do we quietly edit the past to make it more coherent, meaningful… or even dramatic?

In this episode of Life Happens* (*but you can too!), hosts Michelle R Williams and Nick Hirst explore the psychology of memory and how it shapes our identity.

Michelle reflects on 21 years of memories, while Nick has decades to draw from — yet it’s Nick who claims the earliest memory, dating back to age two. How reliable are early memories? And do the stories we repeat about ourselves become who we are?

You’ll also hear practical memory techniques to improve recall at work, school, and especially in exams — plus Nick’s unforgettable story of interviewing Ozzy Osbourne in Los Angeles.

🎧 Listen now to rethink how your memory works — and whether it even needs to be accurate to matter.
Life Happens* — but you can too!

And here's the link to Nick's website with a picture of him and Ozzy together...

https://theshapeofrain.wordpress.com/about/

You will find everything about Life Happens* here:

https://linktr.ee/lifehappens.podcast

Are some emotions really “bad” — or are we just uncomfortable with them?

Jealousy. Regret. Neediness. Boredom. Grief.
Why are these feelings socially labelled as negative? And what happens when we suppress them instead of understanding them?

In this episode of Life Happens, hosts Michelle R Williams and Nick Hirst explore emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and whether we’re too quick to judge our own inner world.

They also reflect on what the Inside Out films reveal about emotional expression, and discuss when it’s healthy to share what we’re feeling — and when it might be harder than we admit.

And here’s the link to the social intelligence test they talk about: https://socialintelligence.labinthewild.org/mite/

🎧 Listen now and rethink the emotions you’ve been calling “negative.”
Life Happens* — *but you can too!

Follow Life Happens* on:

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lifehappens.podcast/⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappens.podcast?_r=1&_t=ZN-91UHpA5fArG

Are your coping mechanisms actually part of your personality—and what would you be like without them?

Listen now to the latest episode of ‘Life Happens*’, where hosts Michelle R Williams and Nick Hirst explore the psychology behind the habits and behaviours we rely on to navigate stress, relationships, and everyday life. Why do we develop coping mechanisms? Where do they come from? And are they helping—or holding us back?

What do your coping mechanisms say about you?

Are you an over-thinker… an avoider… an optimist… or something else entirely?

Nick and Michelle took a psychology quiz to find out — and the results sparked a surprisingly honest conversation about how we all cope with life, stress, and everything in between. You can find it here:

https://www.idrlabs.com/the-cope-inventory/test.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com

🎧 Check out Life Happens* and be part of the conversation.

*but you can too!

Follow Life Happens* on:

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lifehappens.podcast/⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappens.podcast?_r=1&_t=ZN-91UHpA5fArG

“What animal would you choose to be?” It sounds like a fun icebreaker—but it’s increasingly being asked in real job interviews. Why do employers ask it? Is there a right answer? And what can our animal choices reveal about personality, behaviour, and self-awareness?

In this episode of Life Happens* (but you can too!), inter-generational hosts Michelle R Williams and Nick Hirst explore the psychology behind this unusual interview question and what we can learn from the animal kingdom about ourselves.

They even put themselves to the test with a popular online quiz to discover their own animal matches—and show you how to try it for yourself.

Click here to take the quiz: https://www.wikihow.com/What-Animal-Am-I

Michelle also talks about some psychology experiments that started with animals but are hugely important in understanding the human mind.

If you are interested in that topic, she encourages you to watch this video about Harlow's monkey experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrNBEhzjg8I

🎧 Listen now to uncover the meaning behind the question—and maybe release the animal in you.

Follow Life Happens* on:

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lifehappens.podcast/⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappens.podcast?_r=1&_t=ZN-91UHpA5fArG

How do different cultures show emotion—and what can reality TV reveal about emotional expression?

In this episode of Life Happens*, Michelle and Nick explore how UK and US versions of the same reality TV show display strikingly different emotional responses. They unpack the cultural idea of “keeping a stiff upper lip,” its surprising American origins, and whether we’re becoming more emotionally literate as a society.

🎧 Listen in to this week’s episode as the two, inter-generational hosts discuss whether we are becoming more emotionally literate.

Check it out now to see where you might be on the emotions spectrum
Life Happens*

*but you can too!

Follow Life Happens* on:

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lifehappens.podcast/⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappens.podcast?_r=1&_t=ZN-91UHpA5fArG