Barely Untamed

This week, we explore the wide world of personality tests, including the history, their inherent flaws, and how much weight we give them in both our professional and personal lives. We wrap up the episode by sharing our own personality types from two specific tests. Resources: BBC article - The Four “Humours” https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250915-the-ancient-origins-of-todays-personality-typ...

Do you believe in Bigfoot? How about the Loch Ness Monster? To kick off October, we’re talking about cryptids: if we believe in them, whether we’d rather hunt Bigfoot or Nessie, and why cultures create these myths in the first place. Resources: List of cryptids https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cryptids   We want to hear from you! Seriously, connect with us. Email us at barelyuntamed@gmail.com...

In this “Ask Me Anything” style episode, we answer listener-submitted questions, talk about the 36 questions that help you be more intimate with another person, and do a lightning round based on the famous Inside the Actor’s Studio questionnaire.  36 Questions https://www.reddit.com/r/dating_advice/comments/fsi1c4/36_questions_designed_to_help_you_fall_in_love/ Inside the Actor’s Studio Questionna...

Veronica’s upset that Sarah has never seen Pride & Prejudice, so this week, we dive into movies: favorite genres, most quotable movies, comfort movies, guilty pleasure movies, and how many of the most important movies in history we’ve seen. Grab some popcorn! Resources: American Film Institute https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Film_Institute_Awards We want to hear from you! Seriously, con...

In this episode, we talk about what a “pick-me girl” is, confess our former pick-me girl ways, and discuss how problematic it is to disparage other women. We then end on a positive note, with tips on how to be a girls’ girl! Resources : Wikipedia - Pickme girl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickme_girl Diary of a reformed “pick me” girl - they don’t truly exist https://pittnews.com/article/180238/o...

Are there things that you just don’t do in front of others? When do you start feeling like you can be physically and/or emotionally vulnerable with new people in your life? And what do we mean when we say “emotional pooping?” Find out this week! We want to hear from you! Seriously, connect with us. Email us at barelyuntamed@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram @barelyuntamed @podcastingveronica @s...

We’ve been feeling a lot of growing pains lately so this week, we’re talking about when discomfort is good and when it’s bad, what anxious cues we should listen to versus push past, and how to become more comfortable with growth. Resources: Embracing discomfort can help you grow https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/embracing_discomfort_can_help_you_grow Growing pains: why discomfort is th...

Women’s health is a real minefield. This week, we talk about our reproductive health journeys, the experience of both IUDs and C-sections, and what progress has recently been made with pain management for women’s health.  Resources: The Retrievals Season 2 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-retrievals/id1691599042 Vox Article on IUDs https://www.vox.com/even-better/417863/iud-insertion-pain...

We both witnessed the evolution of physical photos to digital photos, so this episode dives into it. We discuss photo albums, how many photos we have on our phones (compared to the average person), and tips for how to not get overwhelmed by constant photo taking. Resources: How many photos are taken every day? https://photutorial.com/photos-statistics/ Wikipedia - view from the window at Le Gras h...

Veronica’s 30-year high school reunion is coming up, so this week, we discuss whether she’s going to go or not, why high school was so impactful, what it’s like to run into former crushes and bullies, and what we would tell our high school selves. Resources: Why I’m Going to My High School Reunion https://medium.com/@jenbilik/why-im-going-to-my-thirty-year-high-school-reunion-and-why-you-should-to...

Against her better judgement, Sarah recently got back on the dating apps. This week, we’ll talk about how they work, Sarah’s various dating adventures, and what kinds of dating profiles make Veronica clutch her pearls. We want to hear from you! Seriously, connect with us. Email us at barelyuntamed@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram @barelyuntamed @podcastingveronica @sarahphillips.lv

Do you have a life’s purpose? Are you supposed to? Spoiler alert: We still don’t know! In this episode, we discuss the purpose of life, including how to uncover one and prosocial purposes versus self-oriented purposes. Resources: Episode from Hidden Brain Podcast, You 2.0: What is your life for? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?i=1000715183323   How to find purpose a...

What does having a community mean to you? In this episode, we discuss that question, why neighborhood communities seem to be a thing of the past, individualism versus collectivism, and tips on how to build community. Resources: Wikipedia - missing middle housing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_middle_housing How To Build Community https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/feb/05/how-to-build...

AI is coming for all of us, so in this episode, we dive into it. We discuss how we’re trying to embrace AI more, where we’re currently at with it, and we cover concerns about AI scams and misinformation.  Resources: AI Is Lying to You https://thepreamble.com/p/ai-is-lying-to-you What is AI https://cloud.google.com/learn/what-is-artificial-intelligence   Artificial Intelligence https://en.wikipedia...

This week, we’re finally diving into the most awkward topic: sex! We discuss our relationships with sex and physical intimacy, funny bedroom mishaps, and how sex over 40 changes, including tips & tricks from more certified professionals than us. Resources: Sex After 40: 8 Questions Answered https://www.aarp.org/family-relationships/sex-over-40-study/ Yes, you can have better sex in midlife and...

Does your social battery feel low? Ours, too. In this episode, we talk about our current levels, whether we’re more introverted or extroverted, what to do when your social battery is low, and how to recharge it. Resources: Medical News Today https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/social-battery#summary   We want to hear from you! Seriously, connect with us. Email us at barelyuntamed@gmail.com a...

We’ve been traveling a lot recently, so we want to talk about some new travel woes, including the reclining of airplane seats, horrible plane seatmates, and the price of food in airports. Resources: The ‘Rawdogging’ Flights Trend, Explained https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittanyanas/2024/08/26/the-rawdogging-flights-trend-explained/ We want to hear from you! Seriously, connect with us. Email us at...

This week, we’re talking about the conundrum of work/life balance, including whether it’s an employer’s problem or an employee’s problem, if it’s okay to be a “C student,” and if it’s possible to have work/life balance and still move up the ladder. Resources: Diary of a CEO Interview with Emma Grede https://youtu.be/EdlXcVu1CTs?si=ncHrqE35eSo5jwvm&t=1762   Empowering Women at Work https://www2...

One of us is starting a new job, so this week, we’re talking about the modern job search, including getting past the AI screener, grueling interview processes, asking applicants to complete an assignment, and increasingly awful employment scams. Resources: Ghost jobs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_job How To Not Lose Hope When Looking For A Job https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescou...

In this episode, we talk about getting back to basics: how to recognize when you need to address a problem, what the stages of change are, and how to start (or restart, or restart again). Resources: Getting back on the bandwagon  https://partably.com/back-on-the-bandwagon/   Behavior Change https://www.verywellmind.com/the-stages-of-change-2794868   We want to hear from you! Seriously, connect wit...

Are you a rule follower or a rebel? This week, we discuss which rules we follow, which rules we break, how we react to rule breakers, how to teach kids to follow rules (or not), and the difference between a rule and a social norm. Resources: Social norm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_norm Why following rules is dangerous to your career https://www.fastcompany.com/90717055/why-following-rules...

You can’t live in this world without other people annoying you, so in this episode, we talk about our individual pet peeves, why some pet peeves are universal and some are individual, and cultural differences of social norms. Resources: Pet Peeve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_peeve   Misophonia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misophonia   We want to hear from you! Seriously, connect with us. Ema...

It’s wedding season, so let’s talk about it! In this episode, we talk about our own weddings, what we’d do differently now, renewal of wedding vows, how huge weddings have gotten, and some current wedding trends. Resources: Weddings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding 4 tips to save as a guest this wedding season https://theweek.com/personal-finance/wedding-guest-save-money We want to hear from...

In this episode, we talk all about toxic communication, including making it all about yourself, frequent interrupting, rambling, opinion-jacking, and how to be a better communicator. Resources: How to be a better listener in 7 steps https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-be-a-better-listener   We want to hear from you! Seriously, connect with us. Email us at barelyuntamed@gmail.com and follow...

We all want to be more attractive, but the question is why? In this episode, we dive into studies about attractiveness, what the advantages of attractiveness are, and tips for how to buck cultural beauty standards. Resources: 5 ways to rebel against society’s body standards https://recoverywarriors.com/reclaim-body-image/ Physical attractiveness https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_attractivenes...