JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on Purpose

Rachel, Rachel Bents | The Joy Collective
  • 4.6 (10)
  • Society & Culture

Joy Unfiltered is the podcast where joy gets real, grounded, and useful. Hosted by Rachel Bents, keynote speaker and author of Be With: 39 Habits for a Joy-Filled Life and Joy Is the Strategy, this show is built on one simple belief: joy isn’t something that happens to you. It’s something you choose, on purpose, even when life is hard. Each week, you’ll hear honest conversations, solo reflections, and guest episodes about how to choose joy in your wellbeing, your relationships, your leadership, and your everyday life, without bypassing hard things or pretending life is perfect. This podcast is the heartbeat of a growing joy movement: 📘 Be With: 39 Habits for a Joy-Filled Life Rachel’s newest book. Simple, daily habits that help you stop chasing joy and start choosing it. 🎤 Speaking and The 39/39 Tour Rachel brings joy to stages, workplaces, and communities across the country with keynotes and workshops on why joy matters and how to choose it. ✨ Joy Life A membership for people who want the support, connection, and accountability to choose joy every day, built on the ENJOY Method™. If you’re tired of hustle culture, burned out on forced positivity, or ready to feel more alive in your real life, you’re in the right place. Joy is a choice. Choose it on purpose. 📍 Book Rachel, grab the book, and join Joy Life at JoyCollectiveHQ.com

  1. 10h ago

    Season 2, Episode 18: How Do You Fall Asleep Faster When Your Mind Won’t Stop? | Joy Reps: The Wind-Down Rep

    How do you fall asleep faster when your mind won’t stop racing? This Joy Reps episode gives you a simple, science-backed wind-down routine you can do right in bed to quiet your thoughts, relax your body, and drift off to sleep.   🎯 Which joy habit comes easiest to you? Take the free quiz, What’s On Your Joy Plate? Do you ever lie awake replaying conversations or rewriting tomorrow’s to-do list? Rachel Bents walks you through a three-step bedtime rep: dump, drop, drift. It takes just a few minutes and fits right into your Sacred Sleep Week. In this episode, you’ll learn: The Baylor University study where writing a to-do list before bed helped people fall asleep about nine minutes fasterHow progressive muscle relaxation teaches your body to let goThe cognitive shuffle: a playful word game that helps your brain drift toward sleepHow to pair your wind-down with Three Good Things and the Joy Macros™ (Notice, Allow, Share)This month’s episodes are brought to you by EMBody Wisdom. Erin Martinson blends coaching, spiritual direction, and Healing Touch to help you find clarity, healing, and calm.   Follow Joy Unfiltered, leave a review, and share this episode with five people - becuase everyone needs a bit more sleep. Tag @rachel_bents and tell her which letter you reached before you fell asleep. Have Fun. Live Well. Choose JOY! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Season 2, Episode 18: How Do You Fall Asleep Faster When Your Mind Won’t Stop? | Joy Reps: The Wind-Down Rep

  2. 2d ago

    Season 2, Episode 17: How Does Sleep Affect Your Mood and Happiness? | Joy Lab: Sleep Like It’s Sacred

    How does sleep affect your mood, your relationships, and your happiness? In this Joy Lab episode, Rachel Bents explains the science of sleep and joy, and shows you how better sleep gives you more patience, more connection, and more joy every day.   🎯 Which joy habit comes easiest to you? Take the free quiz, What’s On Your Joy Plate?   Drawn from the chapter “Sleep Like It’s Sacred” in Be With: 39 Habits for a Joy-Filled Life, this episode is for every “Grandma” who leaves the party early, and for anyone who stays up too late scrolling just to get some time to themselves.   In this episode, you’ll learn: Why one sleepless night makes your brain’s alarm system react about 60% more stronglyHow sleeping six hours a night can quietly drain your focus and your joy without you noticingHow poor sleep makes you feel lonelier and makes other people less likely to want to be near youThe “Beauty Sleep” study, and why beauty sleep is backed by scienceWhat NASA learned about the power of a 26-minute napWhat revenge bedtime procrastination is, and how your phone affects your sleepSocial jetlag, and why a consistent wake-up time mattersYour Sacred Sleep Week challenge, built on the Joy Macros™ (Notice, Allow, Share) This month’s episodes are brought to you by EMBody Wisdom. Erin Martinson blends coaching, spiritual direction, and Healing Touch to help you find clarity, healing, and calm.   Follow Joy Unfiltered, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who needs more sleep. Tag @rachel_bents with your bedtime for the week. Have Fun. Live Well. Choose JOY! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Season 2, Episode 17: How Does Sleep Affect Your Mood and Happiness? | Joy Lab: Sleep Like It’s Sacred

  3. 5d ago

    Season 2, Episode 16: How Do You Bring Joy to Meetings and Gatherings? | Finding Joy with Jacques, The Party Scientist

    How do you bring real joy to your meetings, parties, and gatherings? Jacques, The Party Scientist, is an anti-keynote speaker, community consultant, and founder of a worldwide sober-party movement. He joins Rachel Bents to share the science of human connection and how you can become a “joymaker” in any room.   🎯 Which joy habit comes easiest to you? Take the free quiz, What’s On Your Joy Plate?, and find out in two minutes. Jacques has a degree in drug development and has led thousands of joyful events in more than 15 countries. He’s on a mission to prove that joy isn’t fluff. It’s a skill you can learn, practice, and bring into every gathering, from a dinner party to a Monday morning meeting.   In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Jacques believes joy plus human connection is one of the most powerful mood lifters there isWhy most meetings and gatherings feel flat, and how small “micro rituals” can bring them to lifeInternal authority: why your belief in the value of joy is what gets people to join inInternal safety: how to feel safe in any room, even before the room feels safeHow to “microdose” social risks and build your joy-making confidence one rep at a timeHow to recover when your joy flops, and why every flop is just dataWhy joy can be loud or quiet, and how to meet people where they areRachel’s glitter theory: why your joy sticks, even when people try to brush it offFavorite quotes: “Even if joy is fake for ten seconds, that is worth it.”“We’re doing experiments. We’re not trying to be successful.”“Invest time and energy into those people who celebrate your joy and enthusiasm.”“Joy’s like glitter. It’s gonna get everywhere.” (Rachel) Connect with Jacques: joymaking.org (free games manual, free facilitator manual, and Joymaker Camp applications)Search “The Party Scientist” on any social platformThis season is brought to you by Salt and Light Therapy Solutions. They offer salt therapy, red light therapy, sauna, and cold plunge, all to help you slow down and come home to your body. Visit saltandlightmn.com.   Loved this conversation? Follow Joy Unfiltered, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with five people: four you love, and one you don’t. That one might be your next joymaker.   Have Fun. Live Well. Choose JOY! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Season 2, Episode 16: How Do You Bring Joy to Meetings and Gatherings? | Finding Joy with Jacques, The Party Scientist

  4. 6d ago

    Season 2, Episode 15: What Does It Really Mean to Be Present? | Joy Words: Presence

    What does it really mean to be present? In this Joy Words episode, Rachel Bents explores the surprising origin of the word “presence” and shows you how giving someone your full presence may be the best gift you can give.   🎯 Which joy habit comes easiest to you? Take the free quiz, What’s On Your Joy Plate? “Presence” comes from the Latin for “to be before,” which means being right in front of someone. It turns out “present” as here, “present” as now, and “present” as a gift all share the same root. And “absent”? It means “to be away,” even when you’re sitting right there. In this episode, you’ll learn: The etymology of presence, present, and absentWhy the coffee mug saying “the present is a present” is actually rightHow the words essence and represent connect to being presentHow presence ties to Be With and to WithnessThree ways to practice presence this weekend: name it, live it, share it  This season is brought to you by Salt and Light Therapy Solutions. They offer salt therapy, red light therapy, sauna, and cold plunge. Visit www.saltandlightmn.com.   Follow Joy Unfiltered, leave a review, and share this episode with five people. Tell @rachel_bents who you gave your presence to this weekend.   Have Fun. Live Well. Choose JOY! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Season 2, Episode 15: What Does It Really Mean to Be Present? | Joy Words: Presence

  5. Oct 28

    Season 2, Episode 14: How Do You Reset a Bad Day in 3 Minutes? | Joy Rewire: The Three-Minute Joy Reset Walk

    How do you reset a bad day fast? This Joy Rewire gives you a three-minute walk, built on science, that calms stress, lifts your energy, and trains your brain to find more joy.   🎯 Which joy habit comes easiest to you? Take the free quiz, What’s On Your Joy Plate?   No time for a long walk? You don’t need one. Rachel Bents walks you through three simple steps: bounce, breathe, and delight. You can use them after lunch, during your 3pm slump, or right after a meeting that should have been an email.   In this episode, you’ll learn: Why a short walk is enough to shift your energy and your moodHow a happier walking style changes what your brain remembersA walking breath pattern (in for four steps, out for six) that calms your nervous systemMartin Seligman’s Three Good Things study, where one week of noticing good things led to up to six months of benefitsHow to use the Joy Macros™ (Notice, Allow, Share) to make your reset stick This season is brought to you by Salt and Light Therapy Solutions. They offer salt therapy, red light therapy, sauna, and cold plunge. Visit www.saltandlightmn.com.   Follow Joy Unfiltered, leave a review, and share this episode with five people: four you love, and one you don’t. Tag @rachel_bents with your favorite delight.   Have Fun. Live Well. Choose JOY! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Season 2, Episode 14: How Do You Reset a Bad Day in 3 Minutes? | Joy Rewire: The Three-Minute Joy Reset Walk

  6. Oct 26

    Season 2, Episode 13: How Can a Daily Walk Make You Happier? | Joy Lab: Walk It Out

    Can a daily walk make you happier? In this Joy Lab episode, Rachel Bents shares how a simple Joy Walk turns your everyday route into a science-backed habit for more joy, more creativity, and less stress.   🎯 Which joy habit comes easiest to you? Take the free quiz, What’s On Your Joy Plate? Drawing from Chapter 8 of Be With: 39 Habits for a Joy-Filled Life, Rachel shows you how to take the walk you already take and choose joy on it, one “delight” at a time. Same path, new eyes.   In this episode, you’ll learn: Why walking can boost creative thinking by about 60 percent (yes, even on a treadmill facing a blank wall)What a 10-minute walk does for your 3pm slump that a candy bar can’tWhere “10,000 steps a day” really came from, and how many steps the research actually supportsHow looking for delight on a walk trains your brain to find more joyThe “naked walk,” and why a unicycling clown proves your phone is stealing your joyYour Seven Day Joy Walk challenge Inspired by Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights and Jay Shetty’s Think Like a Monk. And if either of them are listening - you both are invited to come on Joy Unfiltered! I would LOVE to have you!   This season is brought to you by Salt and Light Therapy Solutions. They offer salt therapy, red light therapy, sauna, and cold plunge.   ✨ Before you go: take the free What’s On Your Joy Plate? quiz to discover your Joy Macros™ (Notice, Allow, Share).   Follow Joy Unfiltered, leave a review, and share this episode with five people: four you love, and one you don’t. Tag @rachel_bents with your best delight of the week. Have Fun. Live Well. Choose JOY! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Season 2, Episode 13: How Can a Daily Walk Make You Happier? | Joy Lab: Walk It Out

  7. Oct 23

    Season 2, Episode 12: How Do You Stay Positive When Life Falls Apart? | Finding Joy with Sass Schaeffer

    How do you stay positive when life falls apart, not once but twice? Sass Schaeffer is a former boxing champion, a former healthcare executive, and the founder of Team Positive. She joins Rachel Bents to share how to build positivity and resilience as a daily practice, so they’re already there when you need them.   🎯 Which joy habit comes easiest to you? Take the free quiz, What’s On Your Joy Plate?, and find out in two minutes: Sass was laid off twice after 15 years in corporate healthcare. Her home in St. Petersburg, Florida, flooded. She rebuilt, and six months later Hurricane Helene put four feet of seawater in that house. Through all of it, she found that positivity is more than a meme or good vibes. It’s a discipline you can practice, and it can carry you through the hardest seasons of your life. Her core belief is that positivity is a muscle, not a mood.   In this episode, you’ll learn: Why you should practice positivity and joy before you need them, the same way you’d get in shape before a health scare instead of afterThe fun daily “rules” Sass made after her layoff: a walk without earbuds, getting to know her neighbors, talking to every cashier, and picking up five pieces of litter, with bonus points for making someone laughHow to shrink your daily reps to tiny ones when you’re in a hard season: open the mail, leave the house, talk to one personHer bad-day reset: have a cry, grab a snack, shake it out, put on Beyoncé, then get back to workWhy you don’t have to believe every thought you have, and how to choose joy over fear, even a hundred times a dayWhy asking for help (from neighbors, a therapist, or a coach) is a gift to the people who love youHow to keep your momentum through the holidays, even when your habits look differentHow Team Positive is making positivity cool again, and why it’s the opposite of toxic positivityWhat’s bringing Sass joy right nowFavorite quotes: “Positivity is a muscle, not a mood.”“I was ready before I needed it.”“If positivity isn’t fun, you’re doing it wrong.”“I don’t believe every thought I have anymore.”  Connect with Sass Schaeffer: Team PositiveInstagram: @sassthepositivitychick and @jointeampositive  This season is brought to you by Salt and Light Therapy Solutions. They offer salt therapy, red light therapy, sauna, and cold plunge, all to help you slow down and come home to your body.   ✨ Before you go: take the free What’s On Your Joy Plate? quiz to discover your Joy Macros™ (Notice, Allow, Share).   Loved this conversation? Follow Joy Unfiltered, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with five people: four you love, and one you don’t. That one needs it most.   Have Fun. Live Well. Choose JOY! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Season 2, Episode 12: How Do You Stay Positive When Life Falls Apart? | Finding Joy with Sass Schaeffer

  8. Oct 22

    Season 2, Episode 11: What Does Outdoorsy Mean? Outdoorsy vs. Outsidey, Word Origins, and Finding Joy in Nature | Joy Words

    What does outdoorsy really mean, and what if you love nature but also love your hot shower? In this episode of Joy Words, Rachel Bents digs into the word origins of outdoorsy and outsidey and reveals how the words themselves explain two very different ways to enjoy nature.   Take the free quiz: What’s On Your Joy Plate? Find out which of Rachel’s Joy Macros™ (Notice, Allow, Share) comes easiest to you, and which one needs a little love: In this episode on words, nature, and joy: Outdoorsy vs. outsidey: the meaning of each and which one you areThe etymology of “outdoors” (out of doors) and “outside” (the other side of home)Why “outdoorsy” is a surprisingly young wordHow adding “-y” turns a place into a personalityFun word facts: where “camp” and “tent” come fromWhy you get to name who you are, plus how to coin your own nature word  This weekend’s challenge: Name your nature word, live it with one dose of nature, and share it with Rachel on Instagram.   “Outdoors is about leaving home behind. Outside is about the other side of home.”   Season 2 of Joy Unfiltered is sponsored by Salt and Light Therapy Solutions, offering salt therapy, red light therapy, sauna, and cold plunge in Minnesota.   Loved this Joy Word? Follow Joy Unfiltered, share it with your favorite outdoorsy friend, and leave a review telling Rachel your nature word. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Season 2, Episode 11: What Does Outdoorsy Mean? Outdoorsy vs. Outsidey, Word Origins, and Finding Joy in Nature | Joy Words
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4.6
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About

Joy Unfiltered is the podcast where joy gets real, grounded, and useful. Hosted by Rachel Bents, keynote speaker and author of Be With: 39 Habits for a Joy-Filled Life and Joy Is the Strategy, this show is built on one simple belief: joy isn’t something that happens to you. It’s something you choose, on purpose, even when life is hard. Each week, you’ll hear honest conversations, solo reflections, and guest episodes about how to choose joy in your wellbeing, your relationships, your leadership, and your everyday life, without bypassing hard things or pretending life is perfect. This podcast is the heartbeat of a growing joy movement: 📘 Be With: 39 Habits for a Joy-Filled Life Rachel’s newest book. Simple, daily habits that help you stop chasing joy and start choosing it. 🎤 Speaking and The 39/39 Tour Rachel brings joy to stages, workplaces, and communities across the country with keynotes and workshops on why joy matters and how to choose it. ✨ Joy Life A membership for people who want the support, connection, and accountability to choose joy every day, built on the ENJOY Method™. If you’re tired of hustle culture, burned out on forced positivity, or ready to feel more alive in your real life, you’re in the right place. Joy is a choice. Choose it on purpose. 📍 Book Rachel, grab the book, and join Joy Life at JoyCollectiveHQ.com

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