Balancing Act: Life and Struggles of a Teenage Girl

Does clutter—whether physical, mental, or emotional—ever feel overwhelming? In this episode of Balancing Act: Life and Struggles of a Teenage Girl , Moorea sits down with ADHD coach and decluttering expert Susie Boutal, who shares powerful insights on how clutter affects every aspect of our lives. Susie explains how clutter isn't just about the stuff in your room—it’s about the thoughts in your he...

Have you ever been told that you “care too much” or that you “try too hard”? Me too. I am a chronic over thinker and perfectionist, and honestly, it’s exhausting. And sure, sometimes it helps me to appear “productive” on the surface, but at what cost? I’m burnt out all the time and I’m sick of it. And if you've ever felt this way too, know that you're not alone. In this solo episode of Balancing A...

Phones are more than just devices—they're our connection to everything. Or at least they seem to be. So how do we balance our online lives with the real world? In this episode of Balancing Act: Life and Struggles of a Teenage Girl , Moorea sits down with Kirsten McCormick, founder of Teen Connect Adventure Camps, to talk about navigating the tricky balance between technology and meaningful real-li...

Have you ever felt like life keeps throwing storms your way, leaving you stuck in the rain with no umbrella? In this powerful episode of Balancing Act , Moorea sits down with Gem Gale—a 17-year-old author of Storms Don’t Last Forever —to talk about how she’s turned some of life’s hardest challenges into strength and purpose. From navigating her parents' cancer diagnoses to overcoming her own strug...

Has school ever felt like it's your entire life? Like you only exist to wake up, go to school, come home, sleep (for less than you want to), and then go back to school? As we head back into school after break, many of us may be less than excited to get back into the cycle of school, non-ideal sleep, and the stress that comes from all of it. Oh the stress... To help ground you (and also herself) Mo...

As 2024 comes to a close, I’m taking a moment to reflect on the ups and downs of the year. From navigating eating disorder recovery for the third time to starting this podcast, this year has been anything but linear—and that’s okay. In this heartfelt solo episode, I share my personal journey, lessons learned, and the importance of embracing progress and experiencing life, even when it doesn't play...

With college decisions looming on the horizon (or right in your face), we're all feeling the pressure to have our life plans set. The truth of life? Almost no one has it "all figured out" and it's better to approach life with an open mind instead of trying to lock yourself into the "perfect life plan". In this episode of Balancing Act: Life and Struggles of a Teenage Girl , I sit down with Cassie...

✨ Procrastination isn’t about poor time management—it’s about fear, guilt, and perfectionism. ✨ In this episode of Balancing Act: Life and Struggles of a Teenage Girl , I speak with Brittany Smith, a productivity and ADHD coach at Devise and Conquer Productivity Coaching , to explore how we can take small, actionable steps to overcome procrastination and take our power back from technology. Brit...

No matter what your eating disorder says, you are not alone. Content Warning: This episode discusses eating disorders and may not be supportive for everyone. If you're in a sensitive place, please consider skipping this episode and exploring other resources. The National Alliance for Eating Disorders is a great place to start. When I was in the depths of my eating disorder, I felt so alone—like no...

"Just love yourself!"  We’ve all heard it, but let’s be real—easier said than done, right? What if loving yourself isn’t the goal at all? What if self-esteem is about something deeper, something more attainable? In this episode of Balancing Act: Life and Struggles of a Teenage Girl , I sit down with Hannah Lieb, a licensed clinical social worker who works with teens and young adults, to redefine s...

Has life ever punched you in the face?   Well, grab your (metaphorical) boxing gloves and get ready to roll with the punches. 🥊 In this empowering episode of Balancing Act, I’m joined by boxer, coach, and podcast host Tiff Cook. As the host of Roll With the Punches, Tiff explores resilience, personal growth, and overcoming life’s challenges—and today, she’s sharing her insights with us. Tiff open...

Ever feel like your brain is working against you? Like it’s throwing stress, anxiety, and self-doubt at you for fun? Same. But what if you could learn to outsmart it? In this episode of Balancing Act, I take you through the highlights of everything I’ve learned so far on this podcast. I explore the science behind why we feel what we feel and share practical tips for navigating the ups and downs of...

What the heck is holistic wellness?? We’re so glad you ask! In short, holistic wellness is an approach to health that addresses all aspects of a person’s wellbeing: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.  In this episode of Balancing Act, I am joined by the Scarpello sisters, Taylor and Abby, to discuss everything holistic wellness and to explore practical holistic health skills for teens. Ta...

"Just calm down" When in the history of the universe have those words actually helped anyone to calm down??? In this episode of Balancing Act, I speak with (Gen-Z!) best-selling author, speaker, coach, and mental health advocate - Sophie Riegel. We dive into the real and messy sides of mental health, sharing our personal experiences as teens and exchanging insights about navigating anxiety, OCD, d...

Sleep is super important. I'm sure we've all heard people say that.  But why is it so important? What does it do for us? How much sleep do we need? And how can we realistically get more sleep because we're busy teens living busy lives....?? In this episode of Balancing Act, I have the honor speaking with Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown about everything teen sleep related. Dr. Brown is a triple board certi...

Here's to my first bonus solo episode! In this episode, I sit down in my pajamas to reflect on this past week. It's been a rollercoaster. From describing the extreme anxiety I felt at the beginning of the week when I presented about this podcast to my school, to questioning the impact of our environment on our confidence, this episode is just a bunch of my unscripted, unedited thoughts and questio...

Social media is central to our lives- there's no escaping that. But with endless scrolling comes constant comparison. In this episode of Balancing Act, I am joined by Dr. Michelle Solomon, a licensed clinical phycologist, to discuss social media, social comparison, and the journey towards self acceptance. Dr. Solomon wrote her dissertation on "Social Media and Self Evaluation: The Examination of S...

There’s nothing more powerful than hope.  Hope that comes from realizing you’re not alone in your struggles and that there are resources to help you #ShedShame. In this episode of Balancing Act, I have the honor of speaking with Alexandra Miles, the founder of Project Blackbird, a nonprofit organization dedicated to destigmatizing mental health. Project Blackbird hosts mental health panels at scho...

I know it's a little cliche, but sometimes when you're depressed, you don't even want to get out of bed. In this episode of Balancing Act, I am joined by Sarah Horne, a 6th-year PsyD student in Clinical Psychology. Sarah has over seven year of experience in clinical research, and she wrote her dissertation on the cognitive processes underlying motivational deficits in depression. (Sounds really co...

At what point does "self-improvement" become self-destruction?  This podcast episode is a recording of a personal essay I wrote in my freshman year of high school to reflect on my struggle with perfectionism, anxiety, and eating disorder. In class, we were given the prompt "a moment of change". Below is the short reflection I wrote on how my essay reflects (or doesn't reflect) a moment of change....

What the heck are CBT and DBT??? 😵‍💫 For a while, I genuinely had no clue. I don't think I'm the only teenager who's minorly (or majorly) confused by what these letters mean. A quick Google search will reveal that these letters stand for "cognitive behavioral therapy" and "dialectical behavioral therapy". But for those of us who are still confused, this episode explains a LOT more about these th...

Anxiety is no fun—I think we all know that. But did you know that there are many practical, scientifically proven skills you can use to effectively navigate anxiety?? 🤯 (And no, not just deep breathing or “taking a walk”.)  In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Rachel Hutt, a licensed clinical psychologist, Co-founder of MindWell NYC, and author of Feeling Better: CBT Workbook for Teens: Essential S...

“Stress can be healthy…” - Dr. Lisa Damour Ummmm… what? Stress is stressful and I don’t like being stressed!! 😤  But I’ll trust Dr. Damour on this one - she’s the expert. In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Lisa Damour, a clinical psychologist who specializes in the development of young girls and women. Dr. Damour has authored three New York Times bestsellers - Untangled , U...

This short episode explains the "what", "why", and "how" of Balancing Act: Life and Struggles of a Teenage girl. Being a teenage girl can be so overwhelming - and I would know because I'm a teenage girl! Society is constantly bombarding us with so many contradicting and OVERWHELMING expectations detailing who we need to be in the world: from the structure of our faces, to the shape of our bodies,...

Here's the trailer for Balancing Act: Life and Struggles of a Teenage Girl - a mental health and wellness podcast made for teens by a TEEN. Being a teenage girl is hard. Like REALLY hard. As teenage girls, it feels like society is constantly bombarding us with messages saying that we need to be beautiful but not vain or slutty; outspoken but not obnoxious; likable, agreeable, and independent but n...