Good Things from Lemonada

Do you take time to notice, appreciate, and reflect on the good things happening in your life? Claire gives you some tips on how to cultivate more gratitude every day. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who wants advice on how to handle her relationship with an abusive parent.   Check out these two books Claire recommends about reparenting yourself: What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo Bu...

The concept of palliative care can bring up a whole flood of thoughts and emotions: fear, anxiety, grief, anger, helplessness. But palliative care physician Sunita Puri wants to change people’s perception of her field. And not just laypeople, but also her medical colleagues. Dr. Puri tells Claire why she became a palliative care doctor, how she’s working to destigmatize her chosen field, how she s...

Do you struggle to say “no” even when you really want — or need — to say it? Claire gives you some tips on how to recognize when you should say “no,” and how to get better at actually saying it. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who is working from home and struggling to separate his work life from his home life.   Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question t...

Do you know people who always tell you to look on the bright side of any situation? Claire gives you some tips on how to deal with toxic positivity when you really need some empathy. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who wants to know if she should confront someone she suspects doesn’t like her.   Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featured on a...

For many couples, a second marriage is a fresh start and a new chance at happiness. But it still means a lot of work and reflection as you’ll hear in this episode where Claire the therapist becomes Claire the client. Licensed marriage and family therapist Elizabeth Earnshaw is back to talk with Claire and her husband Mark about trying to blend their families, their struggle to prioritize each othe...

Have you been meaning to start therapy but have no idea where to even start? Claire gives you some tips on how to navigate the mental health world and find the right person for you. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who is grieving her decision to only have one child.   Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featured on an upcoming episode by emaili...

Do you remember how good it felt the last time someone did something kind for you? Claire gives you some tips on how to be the person who pays it forward with random acts of kindness. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who wants to know how to support a loved one during the end of their life.   Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featured on an up...

We’ve all probably heard that we should try and love our bodies, which seems like an impossible standard to reach — especially after motherhood. MommaStrong founder and corrective exercise specialist Courtney Wyckoff thinks a more realistic place to get to is body neutrality. You don’t have to feel good about your body; you should just feel like you have one. Claire and Courtney open up about the...

When, where, and with whom are you your truest self? That’s the question Claire asked herself on her recent birthday, and she gives you some tips on how to answer it and then live it. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who is curious if anxiety manifests differently across genders.   Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send her a question to be featured on an upcoming epis...

Are you taking care of yourself? Self-care is easily dismissed as a luxury for those with free time and disposable income, but it’s really essential to our well-being. Claire gives you some tips on how to incorporate real self-care into your life. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who needs help with burnout at home and at work.   Do you have something you want Claire’s help with? Send...

What’s actually standing in the way of you loving yourself more? This week we’re revisiting our conversation with author Dr. Kristin Neff to talk about self compassion and how to turn toward pain, forgive others, and talk to yourself like you would your dearest friend. This episode’s practice is about giving yourself permission to be kind to yourself– on the good days, the bad ones, and especially...

Uvalde, Texas. Buffalo, New York. One million COVID deaths. Two years since George Floyd’s murder. The anguish is overwhelming. How are we supposed to process tragedies over and over again? Claire offers up tangible steps you can take to help you cope with the fear, anger, grief, horror, and anxiety that have yet again entered our hearts and minds.   Do you have something you want Claire’s help wi...

Do you often find yourself scrolling through Instagram, texting with friends, or even down some random Wikipedia rabbit hole instead of doing what you need to do? Claire gives you some tips on how to overcome procrastination, including a little self-compassion. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who wants some advice on healthy ways to end a friendship.   Do you have something you want C...

​​Author and comedian Rebecca Soffer desperately turned to the internet for help when she was in her early 30s after her mother was killed in a car crash and her father suddenly died of a heart attack. Nothing she found was helpful for her, so she made something new: Modern Loss. Claire sits down with Rebecca to talk through the many ways the internet can change the way we grieve, and how Rebecca...

Do you get overwhelmed by the deluge of headlines, images, and information coming at you during the day? Claire gives you a tip on how to moderate your news intake without burying your head in the sand and pretending nothing is happening. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who wants guidance on how best to comfort and support a grieving child.   Do you have something you want Claire’s he...

Do your days feel consumed by tasks and obligations that are getting in the way of really living your life? Claire gives you a tip on how to ascertain what really matters to you and how to go about prioritizing those things. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who is experiencing delayed grief and anxiety 15 years after the death of her parent.   Do you have something you want Claire’s he...

In our culture, the word “surrender” usually carries with it negative connotations. It means quitting, giving up, conceding. Author and motivational speaker Kute Blackson wants us to redefine the idea of what surrendering means — from something seen as weak or passive to the most powerful thing a human being can do. With surrender, he says, comes possibilities we never thought possible. Kute tells...

Do you reach for your phone the moment you wake up every morning? Claire gives you a tip on how to break that habit and regain some calm at the beginning of your day. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who is contemplating divorce, but wants to remain friends post-split.   Do you have a question about grief or other ways you can take care of your mental health? Send Claire a question to...

Does your life look the way you thought it would? Claire gives you a tip on how to get clarity on what you really want in life and how to go about making that your reality. Plus, she answers a question from a listener who feels addicted to anxiety.   Do you have a question about grief or other ways you can take care of your mental health? Send Claire a question to be featured on an upcoming episod...

There is a lot going on in the world right now — and probably in your personal life, too. It can be stressful and overwhelming. That’s why starting on May 9th, New Day is coming out three times a week. On Mondays and Wednesdays, Claire Bidwell Smith offers up simple tips that can make an immediate change in your life. She also answers your questions. Then on Fridays, Claire has an extended convers...

Mother’s Day has great intentions behind it: taking a day out of the year to celebrate our moms and all the things they do for us. But for many people, for many reasons, that can be a painful proposition. Mother’s Day became extremely difficult for Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Maureen Wittels when Harris Wittels, Maureen’s son and Stephanie’s brother, died of a heroin overdose in 2015. In the years...

The grief space, like most things in our society, has long been dominated by white voices. Marisa Renee Lee is doing her part to change that. In her new book “Grief is Love,” Marisa explores what makes Black grief unique through the lens of her own personal experiences with loss. She also shares the profound lesson about undying love she learned from Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin. T...

It can be uncomfortable to think about death, but the end of life is a transition we should all learn how to embrace. So, this week we’re revisiting our conversation with Alua Arthur to talk about her work as a death doula, and all the ways it has taught her to live. This episode’s practice is about walking away from unfulfilling work, pursuing joy, and asking yourself: What must I do to be at pea...

There’s no way to have gotten through the last few years without some anxiety. But comedian and mental health advocate Kelsey Darragh has been experiencing anxiety-induced panic attacks for as long as she can remember. In the years since, she’s tried it all – therapy, medication, treating the physical symptoms caused by her anxiety – she shares her hard-won knowledge of what works to help her mana...

You’re not weird. Making friends as an adult is just hard. But sometimes all it takes is opening up a little bit. Author Kelle Hampton knew when she wrote her memoir  “Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected” that she was putting herself out there and revealing the most vulnerable part of her life. When the book came out, she realized her story resonated with more people than she expected. Our sha...