Confidence isn’t something you either have or you don’t — it’s something you practice, lose, question, rebuild, and redefine a hundred times over.

This “Best Of Mary’s Cup of Tea” episode brings together some of the most powerful confidence advice. Whether you’re rebuilding your self confidence after a setback, learning to trust yourself again, or simply trying to quiet that inner critic, this episode is your reminder that confidence is a practice. It’s for women who want to embody AUTHENTIC confidence.

We will unpack…

• signs that you’re struggling with self confidence
• mindset shifts that will help you feel more confident
• why your insecurities might secretly be your strengths
• advice from my teen sister (aka my confidence icon) on embracing your uniqueness
• how to stop comparing yourself to other versions of you
• ways to deal with criticism and rejection
• how the language we use shapes our worldview
• why affirmations don’t work (and what to do instead)
• what purpose means in the context of self love
• how to deal with uncertainty and self doubt

Whether you’re looking to boost your confidence or learn to trust yourself again, let this episode be a reminder of your self worth.

If you want to dive deeper into the confidence tips, here are the full episodes:

Full episodes:

• Ep. 167: 5 Signs You’re Struggling with Self Confidence
• Ep. 251: Delusional Mindset Shifts that Will Instantly Boost Your Confidence
• Ep. 197: The Only Way to Conquer Insecurities
• Confidence Advice for Teen Girls Feat. My 17-Year-Old Sister (video)
• Ep. 127: Nervous About Your Purpose? Listen to this.
• Ep. 189: 5 Thought Patterns Keeping You Stuck in a Negative Mindset
• Ep. 202: Dealing with Criticism
• Ep. 69: Is Diet Culture a Cult? with Amanda Montell
• Ep. 183: The Best Book on Communication
• How To Build Confidence Through Mindfulness with Dr. Ellen Langer
• Ep. 66: Dealing with Uncertainty, Fear, and Doubt
• Ep. 57: Why Affirmations Don’t Work (and What to Do Instead)
• Ep. 135: On Being a Multi-Passionate, Empathetic Creative with Arielle Estoria

💡 If you’re enjoying this self love podcast, share it with the women in your life!

Deepen your self love journey with Mary’s books:

1. *The Gift of Self-Love,* an interactive workbook to help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
2. *100 Days of Self-Love,* a guided journal with 100 prompts for calming self-criticism and learning to love yourself.

Follow Mary Jelkovsky on Instagram: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Taking care of your mental health is never one-size-fits-all, especially for women who experience self-criticism, overwhelm, and constant comparison.

This is part of our “Best Of Mary’s Cup of Tea” series, where I gathered some of the most powerful conversations we’ve had across 250+ episodes. Today’s episode focuses on mental health and positive mindset shifts for women who are ready to get unstuck.

You’ll hear clips on…

• motivating yourself with self compassion vs. self criticism
• letting go of control and perfectionism
• why women must approach mindset work through a feminist perspective
• how to redefine success on your terms
• healing your relationship to money and abundance
• the underrated power of enthusiasm
• mantras to carry you through hard times
• how to process emotions effectively
• coping with feeling lost or “behind” in life
• using the power of your mindset to cope with mental health struggles

Let this compilation be one giant reminder that you are enough and you are not alone. This self love podcast is here to support your mental health and mindset.

✨ Deepen your journey with the full episodes on our self-love podcast:

• Ep 101: Stop Judging Yourself
• Ep. 250: Productivity Meets Self-Compassion: Overcome Overwhelm with Oliver Burkeman
• Ep. 207: Why Women Are Trapped in the Virgin/Mother/Whore Paradigm & How to Break Free w/ Kara Loewentheil, J.D.
• Ep 98: How to Cope with Capitalism and Embrace Courageous Living with Rha Goddess
• Ep 189: 5 Thought Patterns Keeping You Stuck in a Negative Mindset
• Ep. 53: Money, Abundance, and Alignment with Melyssa Griffin
• Ep 195: The Most Underrated Emotion
• Ep 134: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living
• Ep 90: To My Perfectionists
• Ep 226: 5 Mantras to Get You Through Hard Times
• Ep 224: How to Process Feelings and Emotions Effectively
• Ep 233: Motivating Yourself with Self Compassion
• Ep 163: Feeling Lost? Listen to this.
• Ep 185: Feeling Behind in Life? This one's for you.

💡 If you’re enjoying this self love podcast, please share it with a friend who could use a gentle reminder that they’re not alone.

Deepen your self-love journey with Mary’s books:

1. *The Gift of Self-Love,* an interactive workbook to help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
2. *100 Days of Self-Love,* a guided journal with 100 prompts for calming self-criticism and learning to love yourself.

Follow Mary Jelkovsky on Instagram: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Healthy relationships are such a big part of self-love.

But love, dating, and long-term partnership can feel complicated — especially when it comes to intimacy, communication, and navigating conflict. In this self-love podcast episode, we’re diving into relationship advice for women who value love that lasts.

This is part of our “Best Of Mary’s Cup of Tea” series, where I pulled together some of the most powerful conversations we’ve had across 250+ episodes. Today’s episode focuses on relationship advice. Whether you’re single, dating, married, or hoping for long-term partnership, you deserve safe, healthy love.

You will hear about…

• early-stage dating advice from me and my husband
• keeping intimacy and sexual connection alive in long-term relationships
• easy ways to build eroticism and closeness with your partner
• how to create an egalitarian partnership
• navigating conflict, fighting fair, and communicating effectively
• recognizing and healing from toxic dynamics
• coping with heartbreak and learning to enjoy being single
• building up your self-worth to attract healthy, stable love

Whether you’re looking to boost your confidence in dating or strengthen your long-term partnership, tune in for practical, heartfelt relationship advice rooted in women empowerment.

May this be a reminder that healthy relationships — romantic or otherwise — are a key part of self-love.

If you want to dive deeper into relationships, intimacy, and healing, here are the full episodes:

• #199: Celebrating 1 Year Married w/ Husband! Dating and Relationship Advice
• #128: Making Your Relationship Last with Dr. Alexandra Solomon
• #194: How to Love Someone Without Losing Yourself with Dr. Alexandra Solomon
• How to Feel Sexy in a Long-Term Relationship with Sexologist Shan Boodram
• #147: Make Your Relationship(s) Better with These 2 Tips
• #38: Sex, Orgasms, & Masturbation with Emily Nagoski
• #239: My Unfiltered Opinions on Marriage, Dating, and Love
• #168: Imbalances in Relationships & How to Fix Them with Eve Rodsky
• #203: Coping with Getting Ghosted and Family Estrangement w/ Minaa B., LMSW
• #157: Wedding Reflections w/ my HUSBAND!
• #175: When It Feels “Too Good To Be True”
• The #1 Relationship Tip That Transformed My Marriage, Family, and Friendships
• #73: Healing from Toxic Relationships, Embracing Sobriety, and Growing Up Asian-American with Kelly Uchima
• #138: Healing from Heartbreak
• #238: The Art of Moving On… Breakup Advice with Kendra Allen

Deepen your self-love journey with Mary’s books:

1. The Gift of Self-Love – An interactive workbook that helps you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
2. 100 Days of Self-Love – A guided self-love journal with 100 prompts to help you calm self-criticism and embrace who you are

Follow Mary on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

If you’re enjoying this self love podcast, share it with your partner, friends, or anyone you want to nudge toward better relationships — and maybe try the eye-gazing challenge while you’re at it! ;)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This self love podcast is ALL about women empowerment, and friendships are such a key part of that.

But female friendships in particular can feel complicated, especially as women navigate a world that often undervalues their emotional needs and social bonds. In this self-love podcast episode, we’re diving into friendship, connection, and how women can cultivate meaningful relationships in adulthood.

This is part of our “Best Of Mary’s Cup of Tea” series where you’ll hear a compilation of clips from our self-love podcast. Today’s episode focuses on friendships, connection, and the joy of being close to like-hearted women.

You will hear about…

• how to make new friends as an adult
• ways to get closer with your existing friends
• breaking past surface-level “catch-up culture” and building rituals that matter
• the different types of friendships women can cultivate and why quality matters
• navigating conflict in female friendships with compassion
• overcoming fear of rejection and people-pleasing in relationships
• why in-person gathering is an important part of community-building
• why asking for help is a powerful way to strengthen bonds

Whether you already have great girl friends and want to get closer or are looking to find your people, this episode will help you with the who/ what/ where/ how and why.

May this be a reminder that meaningful relationships are a key part of self-love and women’s empowerment.

If you want to dive deeper into female friendships and building your support system, here are the full episodes:

• #236: Making Friends as an Adult – Where, How, and Why
• #236: How To Make Adult Friendships Easier with Kat Vellos
  • Kat’s blog post about my neighbor’s BBQ
• #159: How To Make Your Friendships Stronger
• Feeling Lost After Eating Disorder Recovery and Befriending Like-Minded Women with Jessi Jean
• #230: Bestie Break-Ups and Why Female Friendships Feel So Fragile with Danielle Bayard Jackson
• #219: Should Your Partner Be Your Best Friend? with Rhaina Cohen
• #231: Meet My Bestie Dahli Durley! Neurodivergence, Retreat Reflections, and 2025 Goals
• #146: Overcoming Rejection and People Not Liking You
• #165: People-Pleasing Thought Patterns & How to Break Them with Béa Victoria Albina
• #190: How to Ask for & Receive HELP without Feeling Guilty
• #188: 12 Lessons Learned in 2023 (on Marriage, Family, and Friendships)

Let these conversations be your friendly nudge to show up for the women who matter in your life. Because the people around you can make or break your self love journey.

Deepen your self-love journey with Mary’s books:

1. *The Gift of Self-Love,* an interactive workbook that will help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
2. *100 Days of Self-Love,* a guided journal with 100 prompts to help you calm self-criticism and learn to love who you are.

Follow Mary on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

If you’re enjoying this self-love podcast, share it with the women in your life to support womens empowerment and promote self love.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Body love can feel impossible in a world obsessed with beauty standards, especially for women. In this self love podcast episode, we’re diving into body love, self worth, and how women can navigate a world that often undervalues them.

This is part of our “Best Of Mary’s Cup of Tea” series where you’ll hear a compilation of clips from our self love podcast. Today’s topic addresses how to love yourself beyond your appearance and approach body image challenges with self compassion.

You will hear about…

• how to be body positive and navigate health challenges with self compassion
• detaching your self worth from beauty standards and external validation
• the slew of socio-cultural forces that make body love really fckn hard for women
• how to decide what clothes to wear when you’re having a bad body image day
• body shame in the bedroom
• dealing with weight gain
• practical ways to cultivate body love and self worth

Whether you’re starting your journey toward body love or just need a refresher, these conversations will remind you that your self worth is not determined by your appearance.

If you want to dive deeper into your body love journey, here are the links to the full episodes:

• Can Food Freedom Coexist with Chronic Conditions (PCOS, Celiacs, Crohns, IBS, etc)? with Abbie Attwood
• How to Be Body Positive AND Pursue Health
• Conquering Summer Body Image Struggles
• How Women's Body Image is Plagued by "Beauty Sickness" w/ Dr. Renee Engeln
• Your Summer Body (a Pep Talk for Body Love)
• Where Beauty Standards Come From and How to Stop Self-Objectification with Dr. Lindsay Kite
• How to Love Yourself Through Bad Body Image Days
• Feeling Like Your Body Betrayed You with Grief Expert Ashley Lemieux
• Conquering Body Shame in the Bedroom
• Dealing with Weight Gain

Deepen your self-love journey with Mary’s books:

1. *The Gift of Self-Love,* an interactive workbook to help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
2. *100 Days of Self-Love,* a guided journal with 100 prompts for calming self-criticism and learning to love yourself.

Follow Mary Jelkovsky on Instagram: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

If you’re enjoying this self love podcast, share it with the women in your life to challenge beauty standards, inspire body love, and spread the gift of self love.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Eating disorder recovery is possible, even if it feels difficult at times. So many women struggle in silence with disordered eating and the constant pressure of diet culture, even if they’re not formally diagnosed with an eating disorder.

In this special “Best Of” episode, I’m sharing some of the most powerful moments from our self-love podcast. And today’s topic is eating disorder recovery, breaking free from diet culture and leaning into intuitive eating. You’ll hear bits and pieces of my personal eating disorder story, what helped me recover from bulimia, as well as advice from therapists and dietitians.

You will hear about...

• how diet culture works in insidious ways
• my experience with an eating disorder (bulimia + binge eating)
• the root cause of binge eating and how to break the cycle
• what finally helped me overcome binge eating
• why intuitive eating works is so much more liberating than any diet or weight loss program

Whether you are just beginning your eating disorder recovery journey or you’ve been working at it for years, these conversations will remind you that recovery is not only possible—it’s worth it.

Here are the links to the full episodes:

• Sneaky Eating Disorder Habits You Might Still Struggle With
• The Spiritual Side of Eating Disorder Recovery with Dr. Anita Johnston
• How Diet Culture Hijacks Women’s Wellness with Christy Harrison, MPH
• Giving Up Fitness Influencing (Christy Harrison Interviews Mary Jelkovsky)
• My Entire Eating Disorder Story: the Dark Side of Bikini Competitions
• Why Binge Eating Isn’t Really About Food with Nutritionist and Therapist Ryann Prentice
• How Intuitive Eating Helped Heal with Elyse Resch, MS, RDN
• An Intuitive Eating Mindset Hack: Balance vs. Harmony

If you’re enjoying our self love podcast, share it with the women in your life to combat diet culture, promote positive body image, and spread the gift of self love.

Deepen your self-love journey with Mary’s books:

1. *The Gift of Self-Love,* an interactive workbook to help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
2. *100 Days of Self-Love,* a guided journal with 100 prompts for calming self-criticism and learning to love yourself.

Follow Mary Jelkovsky on Instagram: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Many women phase bad body image days, especially in a world that equates beauty with self worth.

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and struggled to feel comfortable in your skin, then this episode is for you. The relationship between body image and self-love is complex, but I’m here to remind you that body love is possible.

By shifting our focus from our body image to how our bodies feel, we can reject beauty standards and build our self esteem.

Tune in to learn...

• why the phrase “body image” or “body positivity” is a bit misleading
• a somatic exercise that will instantly help you love yourself
• one question to ask yourself to invite in more confidence and self-love

This episode is not just about body love; it's a heartfelt discussion on self confidence, self esteem, and reclaiming self worth beyond our bodies.

Deepen your self-love journey with Mary’s books:

1. *The Gift of Self-Love,* an interactive workbook that will help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
2. *100 Days of Self-Love,* a guided journal with 100 prompts to help you calm self-criticism and learn to love who you are.

Follow Mary on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with the women in your life to help spread this self love tea!

🫖 P.S. This self love podcast episode pairs beautifully with: Mary’s TEDx Talk about body-image

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Diet culture has a sneaky way of showing up everywhere. From weightloss plans disguised as “lifestyle changes” to wellness trends promising to heal everything from your skin to your soul. In this encore episode, I’m joined by Christy Harrison, MPH, RD—author of The Wellness Trap and Anti-Diet—to unpack how diet culture infiltrates the wellness world and impacts women’s health in ways that are anything but healthy.

Christy explains how the multi-billion-dollar wellness industry often sells us pseudoscience, dubious diagnoses, and rigid food rules that can lead to disordered eating, body image issues, and mental health struggles. We talk about why so many people—especially women—get caught in this cycle, how eating disorders aren’t always obvious, and why scientific literacy is one of the most powerful tools for protecting your health.

You will learn... 

• Why diet culture’s obsession with weight loss harms physical and mental health
• How wellness trends exploit fear to sell ineffective or harmful solutions
• The connection between restrictive eating, binge eating, bulimia, and long-term health issues
• Why women are extra susceptible to falling into diet culture and wellness trends
• How social media and our political climate contributes to wellness mis- and dis-information

Remember: Your worth isn’t measured by your weight, your diet, or how “well” you follow health trends. Real wellness is about freedom and self compassion.

Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, is a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified intuitive eating counselor, and journalist who has been covering food, nutrition, and health for more than 20 years. She is the author of two books, The Wellness Trapand Anti-Diet, and host of the podcasts Rethinking Wellness and Food Psych. Christy’s decades of work in journalism, nutrition, and intuitive eating have helped thousands break free from the false promises of diet culture and find a more compassionate, evidence-based approach to food and health. Whether you’ve struggled with dieting, fallen into the wellness trap, or simply want to support women’s health in a more sustainable way, this conversation will help you see wellness culture in a whole new light.

Get Christy’s latest book: The Wellness Trap: Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and Dubious Diagnoses and Find Your True Well-Being

Learn more about Christy at christyharrison.com and follow her on Instagram @chr1styharrison

Mentioned in This Episode: Fears About Food Additives, article by Christy Harrison Is Red Food Dye Dangerous?

If you’re enjoying this self love podcast, share it with the women in your life to combat diet culture, promote body positivity, and spread self love.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You can’t truly love yourself if you’re lying to yourself.

And you certainly can’t find peace in a version of you that’s not real.

Because when you try to love a version of yourself that isn’t true, it feels empty. It’s like people-pleasing: if you sacrifice authenticity for approval, then who are they really approving of? Not the real you. And the same goes for self-approval. If we dress up a lie and call it self love, we’re building a facade that will inevitably crumble.

Self love requires radical self honesty.

In this episode, you will learn…

• Why women, in particular, tend to lie to themselves (even more than they lie to others)
• What all major religions and spiritual teachings say about truth-telling
• 3 simple but profound ways to use honesty as a daily practice of loving yourself

We’ll also explore ideas from authors like bell hooks, George Saunders, Don Miguel Ruiz, and Tara Brach, whose teachings remind us that honesty is the foundation of love.

If you’ve ever felt like self-love doesn’t “work” for you, or that you’re doing everything but still feel disconnected, this episode might reveal why and inspire you to honestly love yourself.

Remember: telling the truth isn’t about sharing every secret, it’s about staying rooted in what’s real. And what’s real—no matter how messy—is worthy of self love.

Deepen your self-love journey with Mary’s books:

1. The Gift of Self-Love, an interactive workbook that will help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
2. 100 Days of Self-Love, a guided journal with 100 prompts to help you calm self-criticism and learn to love who you are.

Follow Mary on IG: @maryscupofteaa and @maryspodcast

If you’re enjoying this self-love podcast, share it with the women in your life. Your support helps keep this show—and the message of self-love, confidence, and mental health—alive and thriving.

🫖 P.S. This self-love podcast episode pairs beautifully with:

• Ep. 212: How To Be Honest With Yourself
• Ep. 213: Sick of People-Pleasing? Listen to this.
• Ep. 242: How To Stop Comparing Your Current Self to Your Past Self

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A lack of self-confidence doesn’t always scream at you—sometimes it whispers in the background of your day. Today,  Mary shares 5 not-so-obvious signs that your self-confidence might be quietly taking a hit… signs she’s personally working through, too.

These confidence red flags are common, especially amongst women. From seeking validation in the wrong places to constantly doubting your decisions, exploring self-confidence struggles can also help you shift them. If you’re ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start trusting your own inner wisdom, this episode is for you.

You will learn how to... 

• stop trying to fill inner voids with external things (AKA build self-worth from within)
• start trusting yourself more, even when life feels uncertain
• break out of a victim mindset and reassure yourself that you are enough

Because here’s the truth about confidence: no amount of success, praise, or “shiny new thing” will give you lasting confidence or a truly positive mindset. You’re the only one who can create those feelings within yourself. And while that might sound daunting, it’s also incredibly empowering.

And make sure to get Mary’s books two on self-love: 

• The Gift of Self-Love: https://maryscupoftea.com/gift-of-self-love. This is a self-love workbook that will help you build confidence, recognize your worth, and learn to finally love yourself.
• 100 Days of Self-Love: maryscupoftea.com/journal. This is a guided journal with 100 prompts to help you calm self-criticism and learn to love who you are.

If you’re enjoying this self-love podcast, share it with the women in your life! Just don't say Mary's Cup of Tea is the best self-love podcast for women ;)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.