World-famous matchmaker Sima Taparia (of Neflix’s Indian Matchmaking and the audiobook Your Perfect Partner Won’t Be Perfect) joins Chrissy to cut through modern dating burnout and unrealistic expectations. She explains why chasing “100%” compatibility keeps people stuck, how to tell the difference between settling and growing, and why flexibility, family context, and real-world connection matter more than apps and endless swiping. This episode is a reset for anyone tired of dating culture—and curious about building love that actually lasts.

Key Takeaways

1. Why no one gets 100% in a relationship—and how chasing perfection quietly sabotages connection.
2. How to tell the difference between settling and healthy adjustment, so you don’t abandon good relationships too early.
3. Why flexibility, patience, and understanding matter more than chemistry alone for long-term love.
4. How modern dating apps fuel burnout—and what in-person connection reveals that profiles never can.
5. Why successful relationships are built, not found, and how shared values and family context support durability over time.

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Chrissy talks with Dr. Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and author of The Good Life, about what eight decades of research reveal makes life truly meaningful. His answer isn’t money, fame, or achievement—it’s the quality of our connections and how we nurture them across a lifetime.

Five Key Takeaways:

• Relationships Drive Health & Happiness: Warm connections—not wealth, status, or cholesterol—are the strongest predictors of longevity and well-being.
• Loneliness Is Toxic: Isolation impacts the body as severely as smoking, fueling stress, inflammation, and chronic illness.
• Quality Over Quantity: You don’t need hundreds of friends or to be an extrovert—just a few reliable, caring relationships make the biggest difference.
• Connections Require Effort: The happiest people actively maintain relationships through small, consistent actions like phone calls, texts, and shared rituals.
• Conflict Can Deepen Bonds: Tools like the WISER model (Watch, Inspect, Select, Engage, Reflect) show how mindful conflict resolution can strengthen relationships rather than damage them.

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Death doula Darnell Lamont Walker joins Chrissy for a deeply human conversation about what it really means to show up at the end of life—for ourselves and for the people we love. Together, they unpack why death doesn’t have to be terrifying, how culture and ritual shape grief, and what actually helps families when the moment comes, including the often-misunderstood “death rally.” This episode isn’t about making death easier—it’s about making it shared, honest, and less lonely.

Key Takeaways

1. How presence matters more than saying the “right” thing when supporting someone who is dying.
2. Why death is not an emergency—and how slowing down can reduce panic, regret, and conflict.
3. How the “death rally” works and why a sudden burst of energy near the end is a natural part of dying.
4. Why telling your story before you die matters—and how legacy is built through ordinary moments, not grand achievements.
5. How planning for death can actually help you live better now, with fewer regrets and deeper connection.

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Dr. Shefali—world-renowned clinical psychologist and creator of Conscious Parenting—joins Chrissy to explain why so many parents feel overwhelmed: we’re raising kids with the old tools we inherited, even when those tools don’t work anymore. Together, they unpack the “hidden traps” that pull us into control, shame, and reactivity—and how to shift toward connection, emotional safety, and real repair after we mess up. This conversation is ultimately about raising yourself first—so you can truly see your child, break generational patterns, and build a home where everyone feels grounded.

Key Takeaways

1. Conscious parenting starts with the parent. The real work isn’t “fixing” your child—it’s noticing what your child triggers in you and healing that.
2. Kids don’t need more stuff—they need attunement. Consistent, present, emotionally safe caregiving matters more than money, perfection, or performance.
3. Your child is not your “movie.” A huge trap is projecting your script onto who your child should be, instead of supporting who they already are.
4. Discipline isn’t domination. Real boundaries are calm, clear, and tied to real-life consequences—not punishment meant to restore a parent’s power.
5. Five core practices: release control, look within, slow down and witness, collaborate instead of rule, and prioritize your own healing.

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Daniel Coyle joins Chrissy to unpack why so many of us feel productive but disconnected—and what it actually means to flourish. Drawing from his bestselling book Flourish, Daniel explains how joyful, meaningful growth comes not from big life changes, but from small moments of presence, shared rituals, and real connection. Together, they explore simple ways to shift attention, build community, and feel more alive in the life you’re already living.

Key Takeaways

1. Flourishing isn’t happiness or success — it’s joyful, meaningful growth shared with others, built through everyday interactions.
2. Modern life traps us in “narrow attention” (productivity, control, certainty), which can leave us efficient but emotionally undernourished.
3. Wide, relational attention fuels connection — pausing, listening, noticing, and letting go of control restores meaning.
4. Community grows through shared imperfection — messiness, experimentation, and even annoyance are signs you’re doing it right.
5. Look for “yellow doors” — unexpected opportunities just outside your comfort zone that can quietly reshape your life.

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Dr. Jessica Zucker—bestselling author of I Had a Miscarriage and Normalize It—joins Chrissy for a raw and honest conversation about the things women are rarely encouraged to say out loud. They talk openly about miscarriage, terminating a pregnancy for medical reasons, postpartum anxiety, body image, and the pressure to seem “fine” while quietly falling apart. Jessica shares her simple UPEND framework to help listeners name what happened, tell their story without shame, and move toward real self-compassion.

Listener Advised: This episode includes conversations about pregnancy loss, postpartum grief, anxiety, depression, and terminating a pregnancy for medical reasons.

Key takeaways

1. Why silence → stigma → shame is a cycle that quietly harms women’s mental health—and how naming the truth disrupts it.
2. What “Normalize It” really means: making space for the full spectrum of women’s experiences (periods, fertility struggles, miscarriage, TFMR, postpartum, menopause) without secrecy or self-blame.
3. The emotional reality of pregnancy loss: why time speeds up in hospitals, and why people often later regret not taking more time, asking more questions, or having more softness.
4. What not to say to someone grieving (no “at least,” no “God has a plan,” no platitudes)—and what actually helps: presence, consistency, and “I don’t know what to say, but I’m here.”
5. How grief can show up as postpartum anxiety/depression, sometimes months later—and why “looking put-together” can still hide real suffering.

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Carl Radke—known for years as the “fun one” on Bravo’s Summer House—opens up to Chrissy about what happens when the party persona that kept everything light starts quietly destroying your life. In a raw, funny, and brutally honest conversation, Carl traces the pressure to perform, the role alcohol and cocaine played behind the scenes, and the moment he realized he had to save his own life—even if it meant disappointing everyone. He shares what recovery actually looks like in real life, why it isn’t linear, and how his memoir Cake Eater helped him reclaim “childhood Carl” and build a life that doesn’t require numbing to get through it.

Key Takeaways

1. Why “being the fun one” can become a survival strategy—and how it turns into a trap when your identity depends on keeping the party going.
2. How sobriety forces an identity rebuild: who you are when alcohol, nightlife, and performance are no longer your personality.
3. What rock bottom can look like when you’re high-functioning and hiding it well, including the ways addiction shows up off-camera.
4. Why recovery isn’t a straight line—and what helped Carl find real support (therapy, AA, sponsors, community, and accountability).
5. How grief, family addiction, and trauma shaped his emotional life, including the impact of losing his brother and the “that’ll never be me” illusion.

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Gretchen Rubin shares insights from her new Audible Original, Get It Done: Complete Your Dream Project, reframing procrastination not as laziness but as a mismatch between strategies and personality. She offers listeners a framework for understanding their tendencies and unlocking the right tools to finally move forward on stalled projects.

Key Takeaways

• Procrastination isn’t laziness — often, we’re simply using the wrong approach for our natural tendencies.
• Personality matters — knowing your type helps you choose the strategies that will actually stick and motivate you.
• Small wins build momentum — breaking projects into manageable steps makes daunting tasks feel achievable.
• Self-awareness is a productivity tool — understanding your triggers and habits can help you avoid the guilt cycle of avoidance and self-blame.
• The right system brings relief — when your tools match your personality, stalled projects become energizing rather than overwhelming.

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What if the reason you're always overwhelmed isn’t because you’re doing life wrong—but because you’re following a plan that was never made for you? In this episode of Self-Conscious, Chrissy sits down with Kendra Adachi, bestselling author of THE PLAN: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius, to dismantle the hustle, perfectionism, and guilt so many women carry when it comes to managing time, energy, and expectations.

Chrissy opens up about her own internalized pressure to “do it all,” her fear of being seen as lazy, and how small acts of presence—like saying yes to her kids' invitation to play outside—can feel more meaningful than any perfect plan.

Key Takeaways:

1. Start with what matters to you right now—not a fantasy future—and build small, sustainable actions from that place.
2. Let go of the myth of being behind: your life doesn’t need a “catch-up plan,” it needs compassion.
3. Energy, not time, should guide how you plan your day—honor your body and your bandwidth.
4. The five-step Lazy Genius Method (prioritize, essentialize, organize, personalize, systemize) can help you solve real problems without burning out.
5. Small things aren’t just enough—they are the point.

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In a deeply vulnerable conversation with therapist and KC Davis, author of Who Deserves Your Love, Chrissy opens up about the emotional complexity of her relationship with her mom: the years of silence, the heartbreaking attempts to reconnect, and the weight of carrying unmet needs into adulthood. It's not about blame—it’s about honesty, grief, and the quiet hope that healing might still be possible.

Together, Chrissy and KC explore what it means to love someone who can’t always love you back the way you need—and how to stop losing yourself in the process.

Key Takeaways

• How to tell the difference between a hard relationship and an unsafe one
• What real boundaries look like—and why they’re not about control
• Why “being the good daughter” sometimes means betraying yourself
• How to grieve the parent you wish you had while still showing up for the one you do
• Simple tools to regulate your nervous system in the middle of emotional overwhelm

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