I am Emma O’Connor, an Aussie in Edinburgh, the mother of 2 not so little boys, the wife of a chef and an author by accident. I have recently started Happiness Now, a social venture aimed at supporting families struggling with anxiety and depression, and wrote my first book Everyday Happy as part of my mission. I am a budding advocate for children’s mental health, and hope to do my part in the prevention of childhood anxiety through my ‘everyday happy’ message. In my ‘day job’ I teach swimming to humans of all ages from the very young to the young at heart!

The concept for Everyday Happy came about through my search to find a way to help my (then) 9 year old son overcome extreme feelings of anxiety. The more I researched, the more apparent it became that helping him focus on the positives to increase his general level of happiness was our answer.

The book represents what I felt was missing in my search… A simple, empowering tool for doing… Not just just reading. For All people… For almost any age.

With the ‘anxiety’ books and tools focusing so much on the ‘problems’ and unwanted behaviours, rather than the solution, I felt it was hard to see the way forward. They were also very adult focused.
Easy to read, easy to do and with no dates or deadlines, Everyday Happy is designed to be a tool for empowerment. To enable children, teenagers and adults alike to walk their way back to a happier life.

Recently I have taken the Everyday Happy concept into children’s group classes known as Pathways to Happiness, giving children the space and opportunity to learn simple tools for increasing their general happiness. Keep your eyes open for an online version coming soon!