Table Talk With The Mighty

From the good to the downright please-don’t-do-it-again, this episode of Table Talk dives into health representation across books, TV shows, movies, and video games. Ashley, Skye, and Kat share their somewhat surprising recommendations (where you at, “Bluey” fans?) across genres and dissect what exactly makes something an incredible win for specific health communities. And yes, in case you’re worr...

We know, we know… for a health community, we’re making a pretty bold statement in this episode. But hear us out. This Mighty conversation between Kat, Shruti, Harrison, and Skye explores what exactly invisible illnesses are, which ones they live with — from EDS to POTS to migraine to misophonia to C-PTSD — and why, if people only paid attention, there are always visible signs that someone has an u...

If the “bipolar weather” makes you want to “yeet yourself into the abyss,” this conversation about stigmatizing health language is for you. In this episode of Table Talk, Skye, Ashley, and Melissa examine their relationships with stigmatizing language — questioning the thin line between coping through humor and coming off as insensitive toward others’ lived experiences. They also share their advic...

There’s a joke somewhere about four neurodivergent people walking into a recording booth and attempting to focus on the topic at hand. In this episode, Ashley is joined by Camara, Jess, and Skye as they dive into the wide spectrum of neurodiversity, imposter syndrome in relation to identifying as neurodivergent, and how neurodivergence can often be misunderstood by the people who are meant to be t...

Living with a health condition is expensive — and not always in the ways we think. In this important discussion led by Skye, Harrison and Shruti join and deliver some mic drops of their own. From hypomanic spending to pain-fueled shopping sprees to funding sensory sensitivities, the trio explore the tangible and emotional costs of health and disability. They suggest some tips and tools for managin...

Let’s just go ahead and get this out of the way: “traditional” pain scales can be a little ableist, a lot subjective, and oftentimes unhelpful — and an actual barrier to care — for people who live with chronic pain. In this episode of Table Talk, Ashley is joined by Melissa, Carla, and Shruti to discuss how pain scales are an outdated practice, how they like to describe their pain to health care p...

Grief is one of the most common traumas that we all experience, and yet it looks so different for each of us. In this episode, Kat is joined by Shruti and Anthony to discuss loss of all shapes and sizes — of people, of experiences, of “what ifs” — and how it’s affected their lives. We’re asking the tough questions: Who owns collective grief? Whose grief matters most? What two-word phrase actually...

Suicide prevention starts with saying the word out loud, and in this episode of Table Talk, Skye, Shruti, and Ashley do just that. The trio vulnerably dig into their own experiences with passive and active suicidality (like how depression can affect your memory). Learn more about what it’s like to live with thoughts of dying buzzing in your brain’s background as well as what to do when the thought...

Bubbles? Gum? Tea? Essential oils? In this episode, Ashley, Camara, and Skye play a riveting round of “yes/no/meh/hard pass” when it comes to self-soothing techniques. Learn more about this DBT skill, what exactly “urge surfing” is, and try out Camara’s secret question that seemingly helps both hiccups and panic attacks. (Hint: It involves horses!) This episode is made possible by Mental Health Ma...

Wellness is a societal construct. There. We said it. In this episode, Shruti, Kat, and Skye explore their personal definitions of what it means to be “well,” how chronic conditions play into their perspectives, and why wellness culture has become a toxic beast that cannot be tamed. And for all you optimists out there, listen as Shruti gently breaks Kat and Skye’s brains with her reframing of welln...

Do you find planners overwhelming, helpful, or “meh”? In this episode, Ashley, Camara, Skye, and Jess dive into the all-or-nothing thinking that can accompany using planners. They share their best intentions, their fears of (not) following through, the pandemic’s impact on their usage of planners, as well as the features they — as well as our Mighty community — look for. Plus, find out which spicy...

“Take a break,” they said. “It’s good for you,” they said. When you live with a health condition, it’s not always that easy! After a bit of a hiatus (we’re happy to be back!), this episode features a conversation between Ashley, Camara, Kat, and Skye as they get real and share tips about the guilt, necessity, and freedom that comes with taking an intentional time out. This episode is made possible...

In honor of Migraine & Headache Awareness Month, five Mighty staffers who live with migraine — Kat, Skye, Alexandria, Anjana, and Jess — trade their top tips for managing the disease (TL;DR: don’t be a jerk to yourself!) as well as how they get their self-care on post-flare. Will there be a discussion about fries? We’re only human. This episode is made possible by Mighty With Migraine. Subscri...

Gather ’round people-pleasers. Camara, Carla, Skye, and Kat do a little self-reflection on whether people-pleasing is a harmful or helpful personality trait. (Spoiler alert: It can actually be both!) Learn more about how our health causes us to overcompensate, and how we’re doing the #InnerWork to separate the inherent selfishness and selflessness of this behavior. This episode is made possible by...

Are you a remote worker who can't wait to leave the house? Or an office worker who wishes they could spend their 9-5 in their own space without a grueling commute? In this episode, Skye, Camara, and Harrison duke out their preferences while sharing how each option helps (or hurts) their mental health. This episode is made possible by Mental Health Matters. Subscribe to the newsletter here  bit...

Who doesn’t love a bit of rage cleaning? We sure do! Whether you get angry often or try to avoid the emotion at all costs, this week’s episode has a little something for everyone seeing red. Ashley, Carla, Camara, and Skye explore the powerful grip anxiety-fueled anger can have on us, the difference between cooling up vs. cooling down, and Ashley shares an A+ tip about standing like a plant under...

Calling all therapy meme lovers! In this episode, Camara, Skye, and Kat explore the highs and lows of using humor as a coping mechanism. From healing to harmful, tune in to find out when funny becomes… not so funny for people who live with health conditions. This episode is made possible by Mental Health Matters. Subscribe to the newsletter here bit.ly/mhinbox for more conversations like this one.

In a society that’s wired for productivity, it’s impossible to avoid the dreaded question, “BuT wHaT dO yOu DoOoOo?” In this week’s episode, Skye, Ashley, and Kat take a funemployment deep dive into why health conditions complicate that question and what we’d like our mother’s favorite cousin to ask instead. This episode is made possible by Rare Weekly. Subscribe to the newsletter here https://bit...

“What’s something you often fake?” Kat asked our Mighty community and chatted about the responses — and our personal experiences with faking it — alongside Ashley and Skye in this week’s episode. TL;DR: From laughter to pain levels to emotional responses, we’re pretty much faking it all! This episode is made possible by Mental Health Matters. Subscribe to the newsletter here https://bit.ly/mhinbox...

Clean your house, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. This week Kat, Skye, Ashley, and Carla buck the outdated — and frankly, ableist — concept of cleaning at a regular cadence. Tune in to learn how simple hacks like “don’t put it down, put it away” help them accommodate their various health conditions and disabilities. Subscribe to the newsletter here bit.ly/rareinbox for more conversations like...

What color hair do we each have right now? In this episode, Camara, Ashley, Skye, and Kat share their tips and feels about external shine when you’re feeling quite the opposite on the inside. (And shocking to absolutely no one, we each have different opinions about it!) This episode is made possible by Rare Weekly. Subscribe to the newsletter here https://bit.ly/mightyinbox for more...

Stress and anxiety have a lot in common (first of all, they suck) — but identifying which is both a good practice and a constant struggle. Skye, Kat, Camara, and Ashley chat about where in their bodies they hold each, and what’s really making them #AnxiousAndStressedAF right now. This episode is made possible by Mental Health Matters. Subscribe to the newsletter here https://bit.ly/mhinbox for mor...

Whether you’re taking a trip across the country or commuting to the doctor’s office, traveling with a health condition requires an extra bit of preparation. Join Skye, Kat, and Ashley as they discuss staying flexible, the reality that not everyone can travel (and that’s OK!), and give first-class props to two of our favorite, furry friends. This episode is brought to you by Rare Weekly. Subscribe...

A hard truth when you live with a mental or physical health condition is that not every friendship is going to last forever. In this episode, Kat, Ashley, and Camara dig into friend break-ups, boundaries, and a reminder that we’re all worthy of feel-good friend love no matter our diagnoses. This episode is made possible by Mighty With Migraine. Subscribe to the newsletter here https://bit.ly/migra...

From DIY to “thanks, but no thanks,” Skye, Carla, and Kat dive into their personal experiences with physical and vestibular therapy. Get the validation and encouragement you need to graduate, stick with the plan, or take matters into your own hands. This episode is made possible by Rare Weekly. Subscribe to the newsletter here https://bit.ly/rareinbox for more conversations like this one.