The Living Well Pod

Today on The Living Well Pod , we’re discussing "medical hexing." While the name might sound fitting for a Halloween episode, we’re not talking about spells, curses, or witchcraft here. Rather, medical hexing describes how the language and labels used by doctors, practitioners, and even friends can shape the way we perceive and experience health diagnoses. Together, we’ll explore how terms like “c...

In this episode of The Living Well Pod, we discuss how the relentless pursuit of healing often creates unnecessary pressure and suffering. Together, we explore questions like: * Is it up to us to heal ourselves? * How do we work toward healing without becoming overwhelmed or consumed by it? * Is healing necessary in order to live well? We also reflect on how loosening our grip on the need for spec...

In this episode of The Living Well Pod , we sit down with Mavis Karn, a counselor, educator, and author with over 45 years of experience working with everyone from professional athletes to school children to people in prison. Mavis has a remarkable gift for making profound truths feel simple and accessible, and this conversation is no different. We explore how our feelings act as a real-time feedb...

In this episode of The Living Well Pod , Crystal shares a story about a recent solo trip to New York City that took an unexpected turn when she experienced a full-blown panic attack—something that hasn’t happened in years. Together, we dive into what it means when symptoms we thought we had “under control” resurface and how easy it can be to attach meaning to these moments. Crystal talks about the...

Chana Studley suffered for decades with allergies, asthma, cystitis, IBS, chronic pain, and PTSD before discovering something that turned her experience around. Today, she’s an inspiring author, coach, and speaker, living life with a quiet mind and a (mostly) symptom-free body. In this episode of The Living Well Pod , Chana shares her journey through years of searching for solutions, trying everyt...

This week, we’re taking a deep dive into “hope” — and it’s quite a journey! We discuss: What hope is and whether it’s inherently helpful (you’ll hear Crystal’s thoughts on this change as the conversation unfolds — there’s a lightbulb moment around minute 12) . The difference between feeling hopeful and clinging to hope. How being fully present right now might provide more freedom and peace than ho...

Join us at livingwellpod.substack.com and be part of the conversation! This week we’re excited to introduce our new name: The Living Well Pod . Rest assured, everything you loved about Living Well (When You Don’t Feel Well) remains the same. The new name is simply a better reflection of the diversity of our listeners, the breadth of our conversations around health and wellness, and our commitment...

In this episode, we’re discussing our recent experiences with undiagnosed symptoms that left us both without clear answers for quite a while. We talk about what that uncertainty has felt like, but more importantly, we dive into what’s given us peace of mind and a path forward, even when a diagnosis is unclear. Here are a few things we discuss in this episode: - The surprising relief that comes fro...

Calling all caregivers! This week, we’re talking about caring for loved ones with health challenges and special needs, while still taking good care of ourselves. Drawing from our personal experiences — Samantha with her son, Joshua, who was diagnosed with cerebellar hypoplasia at age 2, and Crystal with her daughter, Lily, who was recently diagnosed with Graves' disease — we explore the insights t...

In this episode, we’re joined by Lily Sais, a coach and popular content creator who shares her journey with anxiety, disordered eating, and type 1 diabetes. Our conversation with Lily centers on how we can take really good care of ourselves without worrying or obsessing about our health. We also talk about the importance of self-compassion, the ways we get caught up in overthinking — sometimes wit...

This week, we’re exploring how a chronic illness diagnosis can impact our self-image and challenge our sense of identity — and how understanding what self-image and identity really are can help alleviate the suffering this often causes. In this episode, we discuss the habitual thoughts that shape how we see ourselves, the stable part of us that remains unchanged despite our circumstances, and the...

This week, we sit down with fellow coach Clare Assante who shares her journey with a genetic eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa. Clare talks about the moment she was diagnosed, the uncertainty that followed, and how she’s found peace within the unknown. This is an inspiring, reassuring conversation for anyone struggling with the uncertainty of their diagnosis. You can learn more about Clare a...

It’s something most of us with a diagnosis have encountered at some point: other people’s unsolicited opinions, advice, and comments about our health condition. These interactions can feel really challenging, but they also offer valuable insights into what’s actually true about our experience and what is (and isn’t) up to us. In this episode, we discuss… * how these comments and our reactions to t...

Welcome to our first full episode of Living Well (When You Don’t Feel Well)! In this episode… * We look at how we talk and think about health and illness — and why that matters when it comes to alleviating our suffering around chronic conditions. * We discuss how to avoid “crowding out” the pleasurable areas of our lives in the name of getting well. * Samantha shares that she used to feel like she...

Welcome to the launch of Living Well (When You Don’t Feel Well)! We’re so excited to have you with us. In this short introductory episode, we’re sharing our own experiences with chronic illness and letting you know what you can expect from this podcast going forward. We’d love to learn more about your experience, as well. Connect with us on instagram , Facebook , or via email . Or, subscribe to ou...

Living Well (When You Don’t Feel Well) premieres August 1st. Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit livingwellpod.substack.com