We Can Do Hard Things

329. Mental Load: Find Healing In Your Partnership & Balance Inequality in Your Home with Kate Mangino

Gender expert Kate Mangino discusses the depths of carrying the mental load in a family–even when you have a partner who wants to be supportive.

Listen to this conversation with your partner(s):

-The stages of mental load – and why “helping out” or completing a task doesn’t reduce it;

-The cost to partners who miss out on fully participating in the mental load of the household; and 

-The shocking statistics about the difference between childcare in the 70s and now.

Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home is available in paperback wherever books are sold on August 20th.

About Kate: 

Kate Mangino is a gender expert who works with international organizations to promote social change. She has written and delivered curricula in over 20 countries about issues such as: gender equality, women’s empowerment, healthy masculinity, HIV prevention, and early and forced childhood marriage. Kate is the author of Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home.

Other episodes to check out:

6. OVERWHELM: Is our exhaustion a sign that we’re CareTicking time bombs? 

246. The Answer to Caregiving Burnout with Ai-jen Poo

Jessica Yellin, founder of the Webby-Award Winning Independent News Brand, News Not Noise, returns to walk us through what is going on right now in the political landscape. 

Discover: 

-What happened with the Trump assassination attempt and how it’s affecting the election;

-The divide in the Democratic party over Biden’s candidacy and what the options are at this point; 

-What to know about Trump’s Vice President selection, JD Vance – and what picking him signifies; and 

-Glennon’s “say what you see and feel” message to the Democratic party and thoughts on where we go next. 

On Jessica: Jessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a pioneering Webby award-winning independent news brand. Over 1M+ subscribers and followers across Instagram and other digital media rely on Jessica and News Not Noise to understand what matters, which experts to trust, and to manage their “information overload.” She is the former chief White House correspondent for CNN and an Emmy and Gracie Award-winning political correspondent for ABC, MSNBC and CNN. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @JessicaYellin. You can also find the News Not Noise Newsletter on Substack. 

Get her newsletter here: https://newsnotnoise.com/newsletter

328. How to Stop Avoiding Yourself: Feel The Loneliness, Jealousy & Longing

Glennon, Abby, and Amanda discuss how to move through loneliness, longing and jealousy. Glennon and Abby also share their experience at The Gracie Awards and recap their heartfelt speech about breast health and dense breasts dedicated to Amanda. 

Discover: 

-What loneliness might be trying to teach us; 

-How Glennon really feels about jealousy and women supporting women; 

-Why it’s so hard to remove all the obstacles we create to connection and love; and

-How to let go of the picture of how it’s “supposed” to be.

327. Inside Out 2 Review + Our Fav Books & TV Right Now 

Glennon, Amanda, and Abby discuss Pixar’s new film, 'Inside Out 2,' exploring its depiction of emotions, particularly focusing on anxiety and its role in our lives. Per Pod Squad request, they also share what they’ve each been reading and watching, so you can add to your list! 

Discover: 

-Which emotion from Inside Out 2 they each related to the most; 

-Glennon’s new morning practice to help ease her anxiety; 

-Why Glennon rarely shares what she’s reading publicly; and

-Abby’s TV show rec to help you take a break from yourself.

When You Feel Invisible: Photos, Love & Truly Noticing Your Person

Amanda, Glennon, and Abby revisit a powerful conversation about why so many women in heterosexual relationships are missing from family photos and what it signifies about their relationships and humanity. Join us for an encore episode originally titled, "125. WHY ARE THERE NO PICTURES OF US?!?"

In this episode, discover: 

1. How it feels to not be in any of your family photos, why it happens, and how to change it.

2. A call-in question from a husband that made Amanda cry.

3. Reimagining “acts of service” and how to know whether actions belong in the “Adulting Bucket” or the “Love Bucket.”

4. How getting the kids to read over the summer went terribly, thanks for asking.

326. Why We Can’t Sleep & How to Fix It with Dr. Shelby Harris 

Psychologist and sleep expert, Dr. Shelby Harris, takes us on a deep dive into our most important pillar of health: SLEEP. From insomnia to night anxiety to revenge procrastination to snoring partners, Dr. Shelby Harris has realistic, concrete advice to help us understand why we struggle – and how to get the sleep we need.    

• How much sleep should we really get – and the signs we’re not getting enough.

• Realistic sleep wellness for women – and how to share the mental load that’s keeping us up. 

• How to handle snoring – and how to create a sleep alliance with our partners – (this part changed Abby and Glennon’s sleep plan forever!)

• Plus, Abby’s hot tip for fixing your social media algorithm. (Spoiler alert: Highland mini cows.) 

About Dr. Harris: 

Dr. Shelby Harris is a psychologist and sleep specialist who treats a wide variety of sleep, anxiety, and depression issues. In addition to her book The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, Dr. Harris has been a columnist for the New York Times, and has been featured in other media including the New Yorker, Washington Post, Today Show, and Good Morning America. Dr. Harris can be found on Instagram at @SleepDocShelby where she provides evidence-based information about sleep wellness and sleep disorders.

325. Glennon & Abby's Guide to Confronting Crisis with Compassion

Glennon and Abby discuss how they have gotten through recent crises, and take your questions on how to get through life’s most challenging moments. 

Discover: 

-Why Glennon suspects this time might actually be beautiful and why Abby feels like an exposed root;

-From laying on the floor to finding solace in art, what to do tumultuous times; and

-A tip for how to start processing when you feel emotionally blocked.

324. The Embodied Path to Healing Trauma with Resmaa Menakem

Author, therapist, licensed clinical worker, racialized trauma expert, Resmaa Menakem discusses the concepts of somatic abolitionism, and the importance of embodied anti-racist practices. 

Discover: 

-The difference between clean and dirty pain;

-What white people need to do in order to help create an anti-racist society; and

-Why we should shift from looking at the personal to looking at the historical to heal our traumas.

On Resmaa: Resmaa Menakem is an author, agent of change, therapist, and licensed clinical worker specializing in racialized trauma, communal healing, and cultural first aid. As the leading proponent of Somatic Abolitionism – an embodied anti-racist practice for living and culture building – Resmaa is the founder of Justice Leadership Solutions and the Cultural Somatics Institute.

Resmaa works at the intersections of anti-racism, communal healing, and embodied purpose, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies, The Quaking of America: An Embodied Guide to Navigating Our Nation’s Upheaval and Racial Reckoning, Monsters in Love: Why Your Partner Sometimes Drives You Crazy—And What You Can Do About It, and The Stories from My Grandmother’s Hands, a children’s picture book with actor T. Mychael Rambo and illustrator Leroy Campbell.

In 2023, Resmaa released an on-demand self-paced course titled Healing Racialized Trauma: Somatic Abolitionism for Every Body. You can learn more about Resmaa and his work at www.resmaa.com.

Work with Resmaa: https://blackoctopussociety.com/

323. Glennon’s Friendship Contract with Alex Hedison

Part two of our conversation artist, actor, photographer, filmmaker and bestie of Glennon and Abby, Alex Hedison! In this episode, Alex talks about what it means to stress a relationship, authentic friendship, and the importance of being authentic in every area of your life. 

Check out our first episode with Alex HERE: [insert link here]

Discover: 

-Glennon and Alex’s friendship contract and the terms they agreed to;

-How to make room for the awkward, twisty parts in friendship; and

-Why we must not quietly quit people who are important to us.

About Alex:

Alex Hedison is an internationally acclaimed photographer, artist, director, and actor. Hedison has exhibited in galleries in the US and abroad. Her most recent solo exhibitions include the opening of FRIEZE Seoul 2023; Von Lintel Gallery, Los Angeles; H Gallery Paris; Photo London; and Paris Photo. Her acting career spans numerous television roles, including a pivotal character in the cultural phenomenon, The L Word. A critical voice in both the artistic and LGBTQ+ community, Hedison directed the short documentary film ALOK, a thought-provoking short film that explores compassion as a catalyst for social transformation and inspires viewers to embrace personal freedom beyond the binaries that divide us. Produced by Natalie Shirinian, Elizabeth Baudouin (pronounced Bode-win), Meggan Lennon, and executive produced by Jodie Foster, ALOK was selected to premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

IG: @alexhedisonstudio

On our third anniversary, we’re taking a look back at our first anniversary when 15,000 Pod Squaders joined us live to discuss:  

- Why Amanda started taking meds, Glennon keeps taking meds – and why Abby might consider taking meds :) 

- The brilliant preemptive post mortem strategy to help you emotionally recover from any gathering.  

- Your most frequently asked question of Abby: How she tracked down her first love connection at the Macaroni Grill.

- The pie chart of showing up – and why it’s rarely ever 100%.  

- Glennon shares her first steps up from the “landing” of her eating disorder relapse.  

CW // eating disorders discussion