We all know the saying: “when it rains, it pours”. Usually, it’s describing how problems- or sometimes good fortune- seem to arrive all at once. While it sounds like a simple idiom, there’s actually some scientific and psychological reasoning behind why it feels true.

Cognitively, humans are wired to detect patterns. When multiple stressful or fortunate events happen close together, our brains naturally link them, amplifying the sense of clustering. From a statistical perspective, clustering does occur in random distributions. Studies in probability and chaos theory show that even purely random data often contains streaks or clusters. But in terms of scientific proof that bad luck usually arrives at once? Nope, not a thing.

So while there’s no supernatural proof that life conspires to pile things on, there is psychological and mathematical evidence explaining why it feels that way. This week, we try and unpack our coping mechanisms for periods of ‘heavy rain’ - and the bad habits we need to kick.

CHAPTERS: 

01:09 – On the Couch: When It Rains, It Pours

09:32 – Brains love patterns. Hello, fake “clusters”

16:31 – Best tip: You don’t have to reply yet

18:55 – Glass balls vs rubber balls

24:09 – Survival mode makes joy feel risky

32:04 – Scoop of the Week: Skims hairy thong

33:52 – Are we being trolled or is this fashion? Discuss

37:36 – Internet Genius: Habit stacking

If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials at @selfhelpedpod.

You can find Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.

New episodes dropping every Thursday. #SelfHelpedPod

In this episode of Self Help(ed), the girls chat all things reinvention - and how it used to be as simple as a haircut and a new postcode, but now social media now makes it nearly impossible to start fresh. From cringe-worthy old posts to cancel culture panic, they argue that reinvention isn’t fake, it’s growth.

Plus: a scoop on Craig McLachlan’s Cluedo controversy, and a fiery “Change My Mind” debate, this time tackling Reality TV vs. Coffee. Big laughs, bold takes, and maybe a nudge to try your own mini reinvention (offline, for once).

Chapter Notes:

If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials at @selfhelpedpod.

You can find Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.

New episodes dropping every Thursday. #SelfHelpedPod

Call it age, call it stress, call it toddlers… but it feels like no one is sleeping anymore. This week, Maggie brings one of her most tired topics to the table: sleep. From random bouts of insomnia to 3.30am cats demanding breakfast, the dream of a solid eight hours feels like exactly that- a dream.

Tully and Maggie unpack the ever-popular concept of “sleep hygiene” and confess their own questionable bedtime habits. They explore what sleeplessness is doing to our energy, moods, relationships, and mental health long-term. Spoiler: the effects aren’t pretty.

Then, in classic Self Help(ed) fashion, the girls veer into the idea of “Frog Day”- a quirky tool for tackling your most dreaded tasks before they snowball into stress monsters. And of course, they close out with a spirited round of Walk Of Shame, because no episode is complete without a little ribbing.

So if you’ve ever stared at the ceiling at 2am replaying tomorrow’s to-do list- or if your pet thinks breakfast is a pre-dawn activity -- you’ll enjoy this one.

CHAPTERS: 

00:58 – On the Couch: Cat vs sleep

01:37 – Why we’re all so tired

03:59 – Sleep as a productivity killer

05:14 – Sleep hygiene myths

06:51 – ADHD, anxiety & bedtime brains

10:00 – Good night vs insomnia night

18:00 – Medication as reset

20:09 – Screen time & frazzled brains

23:04 – Brain dumps & lists

24:46 – Dressing gown upgrade

26:58 – Therapy notes

30:05 – Homework: Sleep diary

31:28 – Internet Genius of the Week

32:22 – What is Frog Day?

35:13 – Walk of Shame 

If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials at @selfhelpedpod.

You can find Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.

New episodes dropping every Thursday. #SelfHelpedPod

Remember when low-rise jeans, MSN Messenger, and disposable cameras ruled our lives? Same. And apparently, so does the entire internet. From Y2K fashion comebacks to remakes of the shows we binged as teens, nostalgia has us in a chokehold.

In this episode, Tully and Maggie unpack why we’re so obsessed with reliving the past. Is nostalgia a comforting escape from an overwhelming world, or are we stunting our growth by clinging to old aesthetics and teenage fantasies? Expect tangents about butterfly clips, dial-up trauma, and why Tully still misses her pink Motorola flip phone.

Because sometimes looking back is fun… but is it stopping us from moving forward? If you were a 90s kid raised in the noughties (and your MSN status once held the fate of your crush), this one’s for you.

CHAPTERS:

00:33 – Y2K fever hits

00:50 – Cakes, fashion, fury

03:10 – Why we live in rewind

04:06 – Playlists, remakes, disposables

05:12 – Name it: The Nostalgia Trap

10:31 – Confession: The Sims spiral

15:52 – Romanticising the ex era

17:13 – World on fire. Comfort food brain

24:04 – Music time-travel

25:52 – Seasoning, not the meal

28:08 – Therapy notes: edit the edit

30:55 – Own your present taste

33:16 – Cake showdown

35:05 – Rubber duck terror. Jelly crimes

38:11 – Justice for Candy Castle

38:33 – Y2K fashion fails rapid-fire

41:02 – Capri pants vs everyone 

If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials at @selfhelpedpod.

You can find Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.

New episodes dropping every Thursday. #SelfHelpedPod

This week on Self Help(ed), we’re asking one of life’s biggest, messiest questions: are we ever truly ready for kids? From emotional readiness to the realities of rising living costs, shifting timelines, and the infamous biological clock, Tully and Maggie dive into the push-pull of modern motherhood.

Tully shares her own story - a decade of longing to be a mum, egg-freezing (twice), and the occasional 4pm forgotten lunch moment that makes her wonder if she’s really as prepared as she thinks. Meanwhile, Maggie opens up about whether she was ready, and the ever-changing question of whether she wants more kids down the line.

Together, they explore how social media has turned parenthood into a performance, why “perfectly prepared” is often a myth, and why maybe “ready” isn’t about having it all sorted - but about having love, resilience, and the willingness to figure it out as you go.

Because when it comes to babies, the truth is: no one has all the answers, but everyone has a story.

CHAPTERS:

00:28 – Are We Ever Ready for Kids?

00:56 – Clocks, Chaos & Chocolate YoGo

03:29 – The Fertility Stats No One Wants to Hear

06:17 – Emotional Readiness or Houseplant Energy?

08:10 – Money vs Motherhood

08:43 – Tick Tock, Baby Clock

10:12 – Maggie’s Surprise Story

17:47 – Tully’s Baby Fever

30:29 – What Kids Really Need

34:03 – Homework: Readiness Reality Check

35:35 – Tinder’s Double Date Drama

41:03 – Overrated or Underrated

49:02 – Friendship on the Rocks

If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials at @selfhelpedpod.

You can find Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.

New episodes dropping every Thursday. #SelfHelpedPod

This week on Self Help(ed), Maggie brings a big one to the therapy couch: Internet Face. You know the one- the airbrushed, filter-heavy, best-angle-only version of ourselves that’s quietly become the new normal. From ‘bad angles on tv’ spirals to Botox confessions and the constant tug-of-war between how we think we look and how we really look.

Why are women chasing their filtered selves in real life? When did aging become something we’re supposed to hide away? And how do we start making peace with our unfiltered faces staring back at us? We dive into how the rise of filters, constant high-res streaming, and an online culture obsessed with “perfection” has left so many of us feeling like we’re falling short of our own fake selves. 

Tully reflects on what it’s like to have had a camera pointed at her since she was 15 - from being “discovered” in the Girlfriend Model Search, to Big Brother, to over a decade of selfies on Instagram - and why even now she still struggles to resist the edit button. 

Together, they explore how Internet Face can feel empowering in the moment but often morphs into self-surveillance, why women are starting to feel pressure to look like their filtered selves offline, and how hard it can be to make peace with the natural process of aging. 

It’s a raw, funny and deeply relatable conversation about worth, filters, and the radical idea of letting your “bad angles” live. Because growing older is a privilege, and maybe the most rebellious thing we can do is love our Real Face exactly as it is.

CHAPTERS:

01:12 – Armchair Therapy Begins

02:13 – Defining Internet Face

08:22 – The Feminist Struggle With Ageing

14:08 – The Beauty Trap

18:19 – Mummy Makeovers & Moving the Goalposts

22:54 – Exposure Therapy For Ageing

27:00 – The Girls Remove The Masks

32:18 – Self Help(ed) Scoop of the Week

35:07 – Baby Name Notes App Game

If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials at ⁠@selfhelpedpod⁠.

You can find Maggie online at ⁠@maggiekellywriter⁠ and Tully over on ⁠@tee_smyth⁠.

New episodes dropping every Thursday. #SelfHelpedPod

This podcast episode is brought to you by Go-To: quality, effective skincare that actually works.

Tully’s never been one to keep secrets- especially not on a podcast built on oversharing. But since January, she’s been sitting on one. And it’s life-changing.

In this episode, she finally opens up about her late ADHD diagnosis. Like so many women, her journey began with self-diagnosis- TikTok rabbit holes, highlighted self-help books, apps like InFlow, and those lightbulb moments listening to friends. A professional assessment later confirmed what she already suspected.

But what does it mean to get this kind of diagnosis in your late thirties, just when you think you’ve figured life out? Tully and Maggie unpack the rise of late ADHD diagnoses in women, the role of social media as both a lifeline and an overload, and why Tully kept it private until now.

They explore how the label has reframed her past, reshaped her present, and shifted how she sees herself moving forward. It’s candid, messy, and deeply relatable- because sometimes the biggest breakthrough isn’t a hack or trick.

It’s finally giving yourself permission to see who you really are.

CHAPTERS:

01:13 – Weekend Recap

02:10 – The Strapless Bra Saga

04:48 – The Reveal

06:07 – Why I Kept It Private (Until Now)

07:27 – Getting the Diagnosis

09:36 – Relief… and Grief

11:18 – “Too Much” Reconsidered

16:24 – The Inner Critic

18:59 – What Masking Looked Like

19:13 – Late ADHD in Women

22:54 – To Medicate or Not?

34:50 – Therapy Homework

36:09 – Scoop of the Week

39:06 – Exit Interviews

ADHD RESOURCES:

Read

“Now It All Makes Sense” by Alex Partridge

Listen: 

CLOUD by Life Uncut Production

ADHD Besties Podcast

Download: 

Inflow - Manage your ADHD

Follow: 

@adhd_couple

@future.adhd

@adhd_chatter_

@superskillsadhd

@sarahkellyadhdcoach

@speakadhd

@coachingwithbrooke

@adhd_empowerment_coaching

If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials at @selfhelpedpod.

You can find Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.

New episodes dropping every Thursday. #SelfHelpedPod

-----------------------------

This podcast episode is brought to you by Go-To: quality, effective skincare that actually works.

Very Amazing Retinal is clinically proven* to:

reduce the appearance of fine lines by up to 40%

reduce the appearance of wrinkles by up to 30%

reduce pigmentation by up to 70%

*Based on a 12 week clinical trial of 33 participants.

Retinoid use is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Always consult your GP to determine exactly what your skin needs during this period.

Our very special SELFHELPED promotion is limited to 20% off Very Luxe Face Cream when you spend $25 AUD or more at ⁠gotoskincare.com⁠ using the exclusive promo code!

Tired? Same. Women today are immersed in self-improvement culture, driven by social media and wellness trends promising endless transformation.

From cold plunges to productivity hacks, the chase for a “better” self never stops. For some, it’s empowering: access to therapy, financial tools, and wellness has never been greater, and the language of “boundaries,” “manifestation,” and “side hustles” is now everyday. Yet the pressure to optimise everything can be draining, turning love and hobbies into boxes to tick.

Still, this movement has opened space for vital conversations about money, burnout, and mental health, all while raising the challenge of balancing growth with self-acceptance.

Where do you stand in the Self-Improvement Epidemic?

CHAPTERS:

00:50 — Hat Chat: Easter Bonnet energy, Jamiroquai vibes

01:49 — Staycay Diaries

03:10 — Red Hill Romantics

04:28 — Goldfish Brains

06:58 — On The Couch: Are we in a self-improvement epidemic

10:03 — Homework Hangover

16:26 — Maggie’s Greatest Hits: Ecstatic dance and hug therapy horrors

20:59 — Tully’s Toolbox: Kinesiology and a crystal in the clutch

22:25 — Red Flags in Wellness

25:02 — Actual Keepers

26:28 — Enoughness Moment

27:32 — Rest Without Permission

28:24 — Therapy Notes

34:32 — Listener Homework

36:47 — Scoop of the Week: Swift engagement

40:19 — Why We Care

44:27 — Saved and Shamed

If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials at @selfhelpedpod.

You can find Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.

New episodes dropping every Thursday. #SelfHelpedPod

This podcast episode is brought to you by Go-To: quality, effective skincare that actually works.

Go-To Clinical Notes and Ts & Cs:

*This cream means business.*

● Clinically proven to increase skin firmness by 39%.

● Clinically proven to increase skin elasticity by 39%.

● Clinically proven to increase skin smoothness by 15%.

● Clinically proven to strengthen the skin barrier function by over 45%.

*Based on a 12 week clinical trial of 30 participants.

Serious business.**

● Over 95% of participants said their skin felt smoother and tighter.

● Over 90% of participants said their skin felt significantly firmer.

● 100% of participants said they noticed a more even skin tone.

● 100% of participants said their skin looked more youthful.

**Based on a 12 week clinical study of 30 participants.

Ts + Cs: Our very special SELFHELPED promotion is limited to 20% off Very Luxe Face Cream when you spend $25 AUD or more at gotoskincare.com using the exclusive promo code. Compliments are. (Nice glow.) Enter the code at checkout to redeem. Promo code is valid for one order per customer only. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount codes, but may be combined with other offers such as gift-with-purchase. Available from 12:01AM AEST on Thursday, September 4, 2025 until 11:59PM AEST on Thursday, September 11, 2025.

After years of “doing it all” - careers, crises, and the day-to-day grind - Tully and Maggie have mastered the art of hyper-independence. But here’s the thing: once you get used to carrying everything alone, it’s hard to let anyone else take the weight… even when someone wants to.

In this episode, the girls dig into the emotional gymnastics of refusing help until they inevitably explode - or, as Maggie puts it, become “champagne bottles that get shaken up until they pop.”

They talk about the messy reality of vulnerability when it’s not cute, the ugly side of mental health, and the awkward dance between self-reliance and letting people in.

Whether you’re an A-type personality with a colour-coded calendar or just someone who hates asking for help, this one will feel uncomfortably familiar.

01:05 – Sock Merch & Chart Bragging

01:30 – Weekly Life Chaos

04:30 – On the Couch: Hyper-Independence

13:00 – Teenager to Caretaker

17:00 – Champagne Bottle Analogy

20:00 – Ned the Golden Retriever Boyfriend

22:00 – Ugly Cry + Guilt Spiral

25:00 – Microdosing Vulnerability & Asking For Help

29:00 – TeaOnHer: Are we hypocrites?

33:00 – Digital Overshare Trauma

35:00 – Shag V. Taylor Swift

39:00 – Troll Dolls & Bridges

42:00 – Therapy Homework

If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials at @selfhelpedpod.

This podcast episode is brought to you by Go-To: quality, effective skincare that actually works.

Hitting rock bottom sounds terrifying - but what if it’s actually the start of something better?

In this episode, Maggie and Tully open up about the times they burned it all down and had to rebuild from scratch. From ending marriages to walking away from entire lives, they share why starting over can feel freeing, what it teaches you about yourself, and why 'rock bottom' might just be your launch pad.

Expect honest stories, some tough therapy-style notes, and a homework assignment designed to help you let go of what’s holding you back. Because starting over isn’t about becoming someone new - it’s about shedding everything that was never truly you.

Along the way, they dig into Pamela Anderson’s surprise glow-up romance, call BS on toxic self-help clichés, and dish out their own therapy homework for anyone facing a fresh start.

Chapters:

If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials @selfhelpedpod.

This podcast episode is brought to you by ⁠Go-To⁠: quality, effective skincare that actually works.