It’s OK That You’re Not OK with Megan Devine

What if there’s nothing to fix? What if you could just, you know, be yourself - whatever that looks like today?    When I told people that this week’s guest was none other than adrienne maree brown - the excitement level was off the charts. adrienne maree brown is the author of Emergent Strategy and Pleasure Activism , among other works, and she’s instrumental in opening conversations about bodies...

Can you hide in plain sight? From trans beauty pageants in the Philippines, to the catwalks of New York City fashion week, to the Ted Talk mainstage – Filipina-American model Geena Rocero has lived an astounding life. This week on It’s OK that You’re Not OK, the author of Horse Barbie: A Memoir shares what it costs to suppress your true self in order to find safety and success, and why joy is powe...

Whether you’re interested in social justice or not, there’s no denying the grief simmering beneath the surface of daily life. It’s in our personal lives, it’s in the news, it’s in our communities. The thing is - we never really talk about it: just how much grief connects us.    If we learn to lean into that grief together, we might really create the beautiful world we all long for.    Malkia Devic...

Have you ever put on a face mask, expecting it to solve all your mental health problems?    That seems… unrealistic, but that’s what self-care marketing tells us: get your self care right, and all your difficulties will evaporate. This week, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin breaks down what “self-care” actually means when we’re living in a complex, capitalistic world. It’s an exploration of grief, burnout, and...

We’re in a massive climate crisis, but it’s hard to think about it, isn’t it?    It’s a great temptation to shut our eyes to climate change. It’s overwhelming. This week on the show, climate activist and author Bill McKibben on facing the reality of the climate crisis, understanding what needs to change, and what you can do - not just to change the course of humanity and the planet, but to feel mo...

Can grief be an opportunity for growth and self-understanding? The answer, of course, is yes: but it’s a bit more complex than that. This week, author, philanthropist, activist Rachel Cargle on survival optimism, the resilience narrative, and why questioning the stories you tell yourself - with curiosity and kindness - is a powerful path of healing.    In this episode we cover:  How was grief mode...

How do we live in a world that’s at least half terrible, and that is a conservative estimate? If you recognize that line, you already know Maggie Smith. This week on the show, we’re talking about writing, marriage, divorce, and why you didn’t need whatever happened to you in order to become who you’re meant to be: as Maggie says, “trauma does not give you a “glow up.””    If you’ve ever wanted to...

“Wonder is the root of love, the lack of wonder is the root of violence.”  Is there a way to create boundaries with someone who wishes to cause harm? Can you love them and hold them accountable? Do you have to fight for a just world for everyone? Valarie Kaur is no stranger to violence. As a Sikh, as a woman, as a person of color, violence has shaped both her activism and her deep sense of communi...

If you try to not let something define you, can it define you anyway?    You might know Chase Jarvis as an Emmy nominated photographer, founder of Creative Live, and angel investor. The world of venture capital and billion dollar deals isn’t exactly known for its human side, but Chase’s kindness and vulnerability are legendary.    In part two of our conversation, we get into a deep discussion over...

Have you ever felt something, then immediately “disqualified” yourself from feeling it? As if you don’t have the right to feel what you’re feeling?    Chase Jarvis is a very successful man. He’s also kind, and thoughtful, and actively exploring his own ideas of himself. If you’ve heard Chase speak before, this is a very different kind of conversation.    We make a lot of invisible things visible i...

What would a meaningful life look like for you? According to Death Doula Alua Arthur, conversations about death can be the most enriching conversations we have. It’s not about accepting death, or avoiding grief - it’s about building a relationship with yourself and others that doesn’t hold anything back. Why should you listen? Yeah, because you’re mortal and one day you'll die, but more importantl...

Midlife has a lot of messy stuff in it: divorce, the death of your parents, menopause, health scares, empty nests, career changes, feeling increasingly irrelevant - “midlife” has terrible branding, according to author, modern elder, hospitality expert, and CEO and co-founder of Modern Elder Academy Chip Conley.    What if midlife (and beyond) could include an ever deepening sense of self and more...

Look, there are some things in life - a LOT of things in life - that just can’t be fixed or made better, you have to figure out how you’re going to live with them. If you’ve ever felt othered and invisible because of an illness or disability - this episode is for you. If you’ve ever loved someone with a chronic illness, or you’re a medical provider in any capacity, this episode is 3000% for you. A...

Can you heal pain by focusing on joy?    Baratunde Thurston gave what’s been called “ the greatest TED talk of all time .” He’s written about being Black in America , he’s got a podcast about community involvement called How to Citizen , and he’s got a television show that explores the beauty and diversity of America.    There’s a duality running through all of this work, and in Baratunde’s person...

Is there really a way to understand politics if you understand grief? In this bonus episode with Dr. Gabor Maté, we explore the interconnections of grief, trauma, politics, and policies. If you think politics and grief have nothing in common (or you think you don’t care about politics!) this short conversation might change your mind.    In this episode we cover:    Why people get uncomfortable con...

Did anyone teach you that understanding your grief is the key to being (or becoming) a healthy human being? Probably not.    In this expansive episode, Megan speaks with world-renowned author and physician Gabor Maté about the role of trauma and grief in our personal lives and in society at large.  Dr. Gabor Maté on grief, this week on It’s OK that You’re Not OK, the podcast.    In this episode we...

Season three begins Monday May 8th, with all new shows and amazing guests. Follow now so you don’t miss an episode! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would be different if we could all just tell the truth about our lives?   Welcome to SEASON THREE of It’s OK that You’re Not OK: the podcast (formerly known as Here After with Megan Devine).    I started this show to talk about grief, and it’s grown to be so much more than that - it’s become a place for real conversations about life, and love, and loss, and even… hope.   In season three, epis...

We’re on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here’s one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   In this final episode of season two, we answer the central question from episode one : is there any hope? Okay, well we don’t answer it. But we do review what we’ve learned. Turns out, everyone has an opinion about hope - from the creative to the bleak to...

We’re on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here’s one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   Nobody likes to talk about pet loss… but everybody wants to talk about pet loss. What a difficult scenario that is! Veterinary oncologist Dr. Renee Alsarraf joins us to talk about grief, professionalism, and the importance of being human - on the job and...

We’re on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here’s one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   “Getting people to feel angry with me makes me feel less alone, less helpless. (It) makes me feel like, okay, there’s a whole team of us. We're all gonna do it.” - Writer and illustrator, Aubrey Hirsch    The world is such a hot mess: every day a new disa...

We’re on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here’s one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   If you’ve lived through horrific trauma or abuse, is it really fair of us to say that the ways you’ve learned to cope are “bad,” or to use clinical speak, “maladaptive”? This week on Here After, Stephanie Foo, author of What My Bones Know , joins me to ta...

We’re on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here’s one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   What if you were just about to get divorced, but your partner gets sick? Like really sick? Rebecca Woolf was just about to leave an unhappy marriage when her husband got sick and died. What followed was a crash course in performative grief, and the disman...

We’re on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here’s one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   PROLONGED GRIEF DISORDER! It’s everywhere - social media, The New York Times , The Washington Pos t… it’s the hot new medical condition everyone’s talking about. But why is everyone so mad about it?    This week on the show, an overview of this hotly cont...

We’re on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here’s one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   Our early childhood experiences of grief - and how our family systems dealt with loss - have a huge impact on our adult behaviors and relationships. This week, author Allyson Dinneen (Notes from Your Therapist) joins me as we discuss generational grief st...