Smile Sessions With Cristina Perri

You've been told to "just breathe." But when your body is running on no sleep and crashing blood sugar — breath work alone isn't enough. Your nervous system is a biological system. It needs fuel. It needs rest. And most of us are running on empty. In this episode of the Rewire Series, we're talking about the connection nobody made for you: how food and sleep are either quietly supporting your regu...

If you’ve ever felt anxious, restless, or constantly “on edge” even when nothing is actually wrong… this episode is for you. Because this isn’t just in your head. It’s in your body. In this episode of Smile Sessions, we explore the deeper reason so many of us struggle to relax—even in moments that should feel calm. This isn’t about mindset. It’s about safety. When your nervous system doesn’t feel...

Have you ever opened your phone feeling perfectly fine… and five minutes later felt like you're falling behind in life? Nothing in your life actually changed. But your perspective did. In this episode of Smile Sessions, Cristina explores why comparison is one of the fastest ways to drain happiness from an otherwise good day—and why your brain is wired to do it. If you've ever scrolled social media...

We’ve been taught to fix unhappiness with mindset. Think positive. Practice gratitude. Shift your perspective. Try harder. But what if happiness isn’t cognitive at all? What if it’s biological? In this episode of Smile Sessions, we explore why play regulates the nervous system in ways positivity cannot — and how productivity culture quietly disconnects adults from joy. If you’ve ever felt like: Yo...

If you’ve ever looked at the life you worked so hard to build and thought, “Why does this feel so heavy lately?” — this episode is for you. So many high-functioning women don’t lose passion because they’re lazy or ungrateful. They lose joy because their nervous system no longer feels safe inside the pressure. In this episode of Smile Sessions, we talk about: • Why hobbies start feeling like perfor...

No one really talks about what happens after burnout, overwhelm, or survival mode. You expect to bounce back. To feel strong again. To finally have energy. But instead… you feel calmer — and somehow more exhausted. More sensitive. More emotional. Less patient. If that’s you, nothing is wrong. In this episode of Smile Sessions, we’re talking about what survival mode actually does to your nervous sy...

When your body is overwhelmed, thinking harder won’t fix it. And if you’ve ever pushed through exhaustion with cold coffee, shallow breaths, and sheer willpower… this episode is for you. In Episode 2 of Smile Sessions, we talk about what actually helps when overwhelm lives in your body — not just your thoughts. This is a gentle, practical guide to calming your nervous system without forcing positi...

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, emotional, snappy, exhausted, disconnected, or like you just don’t feel like yourself anymore… this episode is for you. In this Smile Sessions, Cristina Perri breaks down the real reason you feel overloaded — and why it has nothing to do with “being too sensitive” or “not being strong enough.” ✨ You’ll learn: What’s actually happening inside your nervous system...

January can feel heavy. The holidays are over, the lights are gone, and suddenly we’re expected to be motivated, focused, and reinventing ourselves overnight. In this episode of Smile Sessions, we’re talking about a slow start January— a softer, more compassionate way to step into a new year without forcing energy you don’t have or burning out your nervous system. If you’re feeling tired, unmotiva...

If the holidays leave you feeling exhausted, overstimulated, and secretly counting down until it’s over—you’re not alone. In Part Two of our Holiday Burnout series, we’re going deeper. We’re talking about what happens after you set the boundary… and the guilt, pressure, and emotional backlash that can follow. This episode is for anyone who: Feels responsible for everyone else’s comfort Is tired of...

The holidays are here… and so is the pressure, the nostalgia, the family dynamics, the emotional weight, and the expectation to be sparkly, social, and “on” 24/7. But your nervous system? Yeah… it’s already whispering, “Festive danger.” In this episode of Smile Sessions, I guide you through the real emotional layers that make the holidays feel so heavy — even when you want to enjoy them. We’ll unp...

Why Forgiveness Isn’t About Them — It’s About Your Peace In this episode, we dive deep into forgiveness — not the fluffy, “just let it go” version, but the real, raw, body-based truth of it. If you’re someone who holds anger or resentment in your body (migraines, neck tension, tight shoulders, stiff joints, digestion issues… you know, the fun stuff), this is the episode your nervous system has bee...

Healing Made Me Private, Growth Made Me Picky, Peace Made Me Unbothered | Smile Sessions Podcast Hey there, beautiful soul — welcome back to Smile Sessions, the podcast where we get real about healing, growth, and what it actually takes to live a healthier, happier, more peaceful life. Today’s episode breaks down one of the most relatable phrases in the healing world: “Healing made me private, gro...

Why do so many women feel numb, disconnected, and cut off from their own bodies? The truth is heartbreaking — and it begins in girlhood. From being told to stay quiet when we’re angry… to keep going when we’re exhausted… to “count our blessings” when we’re sad… women are trained from an early age to override their own signals. Over time, this leads to self-abandonment, disconnection, and the belie...

We often overlook our feet — until they hurt. But what if I told you your toes are the gateway to a calmer nervous system, better balance, and deeper grounding? In this episode of Smile Sessions, I explore why your feet are more than just the things that get you from point A to point B. From thousands of nerve endings that signal safety to the powerful practice of reflexology, your feet are direct...

We’ve all been there — bad day, stressful week, and suddenly we’re adding 12 things to our cart at midnight like it’s going to fix everything. Retail therapy feels good in the moment, but let’s be honest… it’s not really therapy. In this episode, I get real (and a little funny) about: 💸 Why shopping gives us that quick dopamine high 🛒 My worst impulse buys (including lashes I wore once + $750 wo...

✨ Angel vs. Devil: Choosing Intuition Over Anxiety ✨ Ever feel like you’ve got two voices battling in your head? One whispers calm truths — “You’re ready. You belong.” The other fires off anxious questions — “What if you fail? What if everyone laughs?” In this episode of Smile Sessions, we dive into the angel vs. devil dynamic we all face: 😈 Anxiety = restless questions 😇 Intuition = calm stat...

We’ve all heard “loose lips sink ships” — but in today’s world, it’s more like “loose posts sink digital boats.” 🚤 In this episode of Smile Sessions, we’re diving into the psychology of oversharing: ✨ Why we feel the urge to spill our secrets ✨ The dopamine hit behind sharing (and why it’s addictive) ✨ The difference between talking to a friend, yourself, and the entire internet ✨ Plus, a per...

✨ Do you ever find yourself longing for the good old days? The 80s and 90s brought us music, TV shows, video games, and childhood memories that still make us smile today. In this episode of Smile Sessions, Cristina explores the healing power of nostalgia — why looking back can actually help us move forward. We’ll laugh, reminisce, and reconnect with our inner child as we countdown some of the top...

Have you ever experienced a moment where struggle turned into something sacred? In this episode of Smile Sessions, I share a deeply personal story about waking up with a debilitating migraine, turning to prayer in my exhaustion, and encountering the divine in the most unexpected way: through sweat. This isn’t about religion or perfection — it’s about the raw, human places where love meets us. Some...

Some moments in life etch themselves into our hearts forever. In this episode of Smile Sessions, I share a deeply personal story — a night when two simple hugs carried profound meaning, reminding me of love, presence, and the way even the smallest gestures can shift everything. We often think healing has to come from big breakthroughs, but sometimes it’s in the quiet, fleeting moments that our sou...

Have you ever noticed how your body remembers things your mind has long tried to forget? This episode is a journey through the rhythm our bodies keep — even when we’re not listening. I’m sharing the story of a horse therapy session that cracked open years of held grief, the way my body “spoke” before I had words for what it was carrying, and the bittersweet dance between emotional insight and phys...

What do you do when you're already healing... and then life breaks your heart again? In this deeply personal episode of Smile Sessions, I share the raw, sacred, and often messy reality of healing while grieving. If you've ever lost someone too soon, questioned your strength in the middle of your growth, or felt shattered in the very space you were trying to rebuild—this one’s for you. This episode...

Is This a Breakdown or a Breakthrough? | Smile Sessions Podcast In this episode of Smile Sessions, we explore that weird, gooey middle part of healing — the part where you’re not who you used to be, but not quite who you’re becoming either. (Also known as: crying in your car to an uplifting playlist.) ✨ We’re asking the big question: Is this a breakdown… or is it actually a breakthrough in disgui...

🎧 Healing Isn’t Linear | Smile Sessions Podcast 💛 In this episode, I’m sharing what healing really looks like behind the scenes — far beyond the aesthetic Instagram posts and Pinterest-worthy journals. We’re talking: 🌱 The healing spiral vs. the staircase fantasy 🧠 Why your nervous system doesn’t care about affirmations when you're overwhelmed 😭 Why crying in your car, snapping at your kids,...