Everywhere you turn, someone is selling you a routine, a product, or a promise to achieve glass skin. But how did we get here? And more importantly, does it even make sense?

In this episode, we discuss the obsession with “glass skin” and what it says about modern beauty standards. From the science of what healthy skin actually looks like, to the cultural pressures that shaped this trend, this is a reality check on everything we’ve been told to chase.

We also get into:

• What “glass skin” really is (and why it’s not as realistic as it looks)

• The difference between healthy skin and “perfect” skin

• How beauty standards quietly shape your self-perception

• The role of marketing, influencers, and overconsumption

• Why doing “more” isn’t always better for your skin

• And the bigger question: why are you doing any of this in the first place?

If you’ve ever felt pressured to fix things about yourself you didn’t even notice before, this episode will help you pause, reflect, and re-centre.

Trends will always come and go, but your identity? That has to be deeper than whatever is trending this week.

Let’s stay connected:

Email: [email protected]

IG: @ayanpella

X: @ayanpella_

TikTok: @ayanpella

If this episode resonated with you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might need it.

See you next time.  🤍

This month on the podcast, we’re talking about something many of us quietly wrestle with: beauty standards.

Where do they come from?
Who decides what is beautiful?
And why do they seem to keep changing every few years?

In this episode, I’m opening the conversation with a personal story about body shaming and the moment I realized how powerful beauty standards can be in shaping how we see ourselves.

From the pressure to look a certain way to the subtle ways society assigns value to appearance, from expensive wigs to trending “glass skin”, beauty standards are always shifting.

And yet, many of us build our self-worth around them.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re somehow “not enough” because of how you look, this conversation is for you.

Let’s stay connected:

Email: [email protected]

IG: @ayanpella

X: @ayanpella_

TikTok: @ayanpella

If this episode resonated with you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might need it.

See you next time.  🤍

Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try, your self-esteem just won’t stick? One day you feel confident, the next day, one comment or mistake makes you shrink back into doubt. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

In this episode, I talked about why rebuilding self-esteem is harder than it seems. We talk about:

• Why mental and emotional growth doesn’t follow a straight line
• How old patterns, childhood experiences, and perfectionism can keep you stuck
• Why falling back into insecurity doesn’t mean you’re failing
• and more

Grab your favourite juice and enjoy!

Let’s stay connected:

Please, follow/subscribe so you never miss a new episode each week. 

IG: @ayanpella

X: @ayanpella_

TikTok: @ayanpella

Email: [email protected]

If this episode resonated with you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might need it.

Until next time 🤍

This is the final part of the breakup & self-esteem recovery series.

In this episode, we’re talking about the part people don’t prepare you for: the messy middle of healing.

The urge to go back. The loneliness. The triggers you didn’t expect, and the fear of trusting again.

Rebuilding your self-esteem after a relationship that chipped away at it isn’t just about affirmations or “moving on.” It’s about learning how to sit with discomfort, detach in healthy ways, process your emotions, and slowly rebuild trust in yourself.

We’ll talk about:

• Rebuilding self-trust in small, practical ways

• Managing triggers and emotional flashbacks

• When (and how) to think about dating again

• Why healing your self-esteem isn’t linear

If you’re healing from a relationship that made you question your worth, this episode will help you feel less alone and more grounded.

If you have a question about self-esteem, body image, confidence, or identity, send it in. Your submission is completely anonymous.

Email: [email protected]

Connect with me:

IG: @ayanpella

X: @ayanpella_

TikTok: @ayanpella

If this episode helped you, please leave a rating or review on Spotify. It helps more people find this space.

See you next time.  🤍

How do you rebuild your self-esteem after a relationship that slowly broke it?

This episode is a continuation of last week's, where I answer a powerful community question from someone who just came out of a 2-year relationship where constant criticism, comparison, and subtle nitpicking left them doubting themselves.

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from who you used to be, second-guessing yourself, or struggling to trust your own judgment after a breakup, this episode is for you.

Listen till the end for practical, step-by-step guidance you can start applying immediately.

If this resonates, share it with someone who might need it, and don’t forget to follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode.

Let’s stay connected:

Please, follow/subscribe so you never miss a new episode each week. 

IG: @ayanpella

X: @ayanpella_

Email: [email protected]

Topics covered:

self-esteem, breakup recovery, healing after emotional abuse, rebuilding confidence, nervous system regulation, attachment psychology, emotional healing, post-breakup growth, mental health, body image, self-worth.

How do you rebuild your self-esteem after a relationship that slowly broke it?

In this episode, I answer a community question from someone who just came out of a two-year relationship and is now struggling with low self-esteem, self-doubt, and feeling disconnected from who they used to be.

We talk about how unhealthy relationships, emotional neglect, constant criticism, and comparison can damage your confidence, even if you had healthy self-esteem before the relationship.

I explain why romantic partners have such a deep psychological impact on our sense of self, and how breakups can leave you questioning your worth, identity, and ability to trust yourself.

This episode walks through the early stages of healing after a toxic or emotionally draining relationship, so if you’re struggling with self-esteem after a breakup, trying to heal from a toxic relationship, or learning how to love yourself again, this conversation is for you.

Trigger Warning:
This episode includes discussions around emotional abuse, manipulation, self-doubt, and relationship trauma.

Let’s stay connected:

Please, follow/subscribe so you never miss a new episode each week. 

IG: @ayanpella

X: @ayanpella_

Email: [email protected]

If this episode resonated with you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might need it.

Until next time 🤍

Welcome to The Embrace with Ayanpella Podcast. A podcast born from my deep desire to help you see yourself as already whole. Here, we’ll explore self-awareness, growth, self-esteem, and body image in a way that’s real and honest.

Think of me as your tour guide — walking with you through the twists and turns of mental and emotional growth. It really doesn’t have to be boring or heavy.

My hope? That you leave each episode feeling a little lighter, a little stronger, and a lot more confident in who you are. 🧡

E-mail: [email protected]

Instagram: @ayanpella

X (FKA Twitter): @ayanpella_

In this episode, I’m answering a question that came straight from the community:

“How do I stop measuring my worth by my progress compared to other people?”

If you’ve ever looked around and felt like everyone else is moving forward, careers, relationships, money, milestones, while you feel stuck or behind, this conversation is for you.

We talk honestly about why comparison feels unavoidable, why pretending it doesn’t exist doesn’t actually help, and how to stay rooted in your worth without tying it to speed, timelines, or what other people are doing.

In this episode, I share:

• Why noticing other people’s progress doesn’t mean you’re failing
• The difference between progress and worth
• Practical ways to stop using other people’s timelines as a measuring stick
• How to manage social media and information overload without guilt
• What it really means to stay grounded in who God says you are, even when life feels slow

This isn’t about rushing your journey or forcing positivity.

It’s about learning how to grow without competing, and remembering that your worth was settled long before the milestones arrived.

Let’s stay connected:

IG: @ayanpella

X: @ayanpella_

TikTok: @ayanpella

Email: [email protected]

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, or share it with someone who might need it. Thank you for being part of this community 🤍

This episode is the final stop in our self-worth series, and honestly, it felt right to end it this way.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about why your worth can’t survive if it’s tied to things that change. 

In this episode, I share three very real, everyday tools that have helped me stay grounded in my identity.

We talk about:

• Why the books you read matter more than you think when you’re unlearning shaky ideas about yourself

• How finding the right community can either reinforce your worth or quietly erode it

• And the importance of challenging negative thoughts instead of letting them run your life unchecked

I also recommend a few books during the episode, and I’ve listed them below if you’d like to explore them at your own pace.

Thank you for staying with me through this series. I hope it’s met you gently, and helped you anchor your worth somewhere steady.

📚 Books mentioned in this episode:

• Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen
• The Search for Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God's Eyes by Robert S. McGee
• Her True Worth: Breaking Free From a Culture of Selfies, Side Hustles, and People Pleasing to Embracing Your True Identity in Christ by Brittany Maher & Cassandra Speer
• Building on the Rock: Finding Your Identity in Christ by Peter Maiden

💬 Let’s stay connected:

TikTok: @ayanpella

IG: @ayanpella

X: @ayanpella_

Email: [email protected]

If this episode resonated with you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might need it.

Until next time 🤍

Most of us aren’t just struggling with low self-worth. We’re struggling with where we’re drawing it from.

Because without realising it, we've let people, outcomes, silence, success, and even failure decide how we feel about ourselves. One good day and we’re up. One bad interaction and everything crashes.

In this episode, I talk about how closeness shapes identity; how whatever you spend time with slowly becomes the voice in your head. And how staying close to God doesn’t just change what you believe, it changes what you internalise.

Press play when you’re ready to stop outsourcing your identity.