Pleasure vs Happiness: Why We’re Chasing the Wrong Thing | YKMS

Episode Overview:

In this deeply honest conversation, Aileen and Julie explore a powerful realisation about the difference between pleasureand happiness. Triggered by a reel on dopamine vs serotonin, the chat unpacks how chasing short-term highs can leave us feeling emptier than ever—especially during perimenopause and other identity-shifting life stages. This episode offers a compassionate lens on our coping mechanisms and a gentle invitation to start seeking what actually sustains us.

Key Discussion Points:

▪️ Dopamine vs Serotonin — What they are, how they affect us, and why this distinction matters.
▪️ The Trap of Quick Fixes — From food and alcohol to likes on social media, how we chase pleasure thinking it's happiness.
▪️ Hormonal Shifts & Midlife — Why perimenopause can bring our coping patterns into sharper focus.
▪️ Parenting in a Dopamine World — Reflections on teens, screen addiction, and fast gratification.
▪️ Real-Life Reflections — Personal stories of travel anxiety, shifting desires, and finding joy in simplicity.
▪️ Happiness as a Slow Burn — Why authentic happiness is quieter, and how to recognise it in everyday moments.
▪️ Practical Tools — Mindfulness, gratitude, purpose, and small serotonin-boosting rituals that reconnect us to ourselves.

Listener Takeaways:

🔹 You’re not failing if you don’t feel happy all the time.
🔹 Start asking: Is this soothing me… or sustaining me?
🔹 Swap one dopamine-driven habit this week for something slower and deeper—like a walk, a cuddle, or a moment of stillness.
🔹 Awareness is the first step toward change—and even just noticing your patterns is a powerful act of self-care.

💌 Join the Conversation:

Have you had your own ‘aha’ moment around this? Are you stuck in the dopamine loop? We’d love to hear from you. DM us or leave a voicemail—we're here to listen.

🎧 Listen now and don’t forget to like, subscribe and

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Links:

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Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy

Editor: Allia Lenit Galos

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Disclaimer:

Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.

For 8 years, Aileen and Julie have been each other's sounding board from opposite sides of the globe – Aileen in London and Julie in Melbourne.

They have navigated everything – motherhood, relationships, menopause, health, grief, and everything in between – through daily voice messages. These exchanges often became lifelines, and now they share that space with their listeners.

In You Keep Me Sane, Aileen and Julie hold honest conversations on life's challenges, growth, and connection. They lend an ear and share heartfelt insights, creating a space that allows both them, and you, to be human.

Listeners are encouraged to write in with their own experiences and topics, becoming part of the conversation that feels like a chat with close friends.

• No. of episodes: 51
• Latest episode: 2025-05-15
• Society & Culture Health & Fitness Mental Health

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