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Exciting news - pre-order my debut book
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You are doing everything right. You are eating well, you are exercising, you are optimizing. And somehow, you still aren't feeling as well as you hoped. That was me at 21, before my body finally found a way to make me listen.
This week on Live Well Be Well, I want to talk to you about something I've been sitting with for the last ten years, something I've seen quietly transform the lives of my clients, something that changed the entire direction of my own life, and something I've spent the last year pouring into my new book, Healthy Shouldn't Be This Hard.This episode is a deeply personal one. I trace the thread from my own health collapse at 21 all the way to the $8.5 trillion wellness industry that, despite its size, is leaving most of us feeling worse, not better. We talk about the try-slip-shame-restart cycle so many of us are trapped in, and why we keep mistaking self-criticism for self-improvement. I also dig into two landmark studies that stopped me in my tracks while writing this book: Ellen Langer's hotel maid experiment, which showed that perception alone changed women's weight and blood pressure without a single lifestyle change, and Alia Crum's milkshake study, which revealed that our thoughts directly alter our hunger hormones.The science is clear. Our bodies are listening to everything we think about ourselves.
Love,
Sarah Ann 💛
***
This episode is sponsored by:
DIOME: Rest deeper. Stay grounded.
Rested is available now and Grounded lands later this month.
👉 Get 20% off with code SARAH20 at DIOME.CO
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today
15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/
***
The Great British Veg Out
How to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-out
Reset Your Health
If your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.
Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sarahmacklin/p/download-your-free-5-recipes-to-relieve
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who read
The Compassionate Cure each week. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/
📹 Subscribe:http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast
💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
If You Enjoyed This Episode, You Might Also Like:
Ellen Langer: The Mind Can Slow Down an Aging Bodyhttps://youtu.be/VGpNMy1VxsY
***
Sign up to Sarah’s Compassionate Cure newsletter:
Science Simplified, Health Humanised.
Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact.
https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Highlights
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:25 Sarah's Health Collapse at 21
00:00:53 The $8.5 Trillion Wellness Industry Problem
00:01:17 Comparison Culture and the Shame Spiral
00:02:22 The Try, Slip, Shame, Restart Cycle
00:03:07 The Pizza Moment and Self-Compassion
00:04:39 Self-Criticism Lives in Your Body
00:08:22 Ellen Langer's Hotel Maid Study Explained
00:10:48 How Your Thoughts Change Hunger Hormones
00:12:22 What Self-Compassion Does to Your Body
00:14:31 The Selfie Test: Your Self-Compassion Score
00:18:34 The Mirror Practice and Leaning In
00:19:24 MAP: Mindfulness, Appreciation, Presence Before Meals
00:21:00 The Self-Compassionate Intention Before Eating
00:23:27 Why Wellness Solutions Aren't Making Us Healthier
00:24:41 The History of Dieting Since 1863
00:26:20 The Story You Tell Yourself
Do you ever wonder why both men and women can end up prioritising the man? In this conversation, I’m looking at how that dynamic shows up in real life, and why it matters for both men and women. This clip explores the idea that prioritising the man is not just something men expect, but something women can reinforce too, often without realising it. I’m discussing what that looks like in day-to-day relationships, the assumptions that can sit underneath it, and why it’s worth men listening closely to this conversation as well.
Dr Laurie Mintz in conversation with Sarah Ann
Listen to the full episode here.
Watch the full episode on YouTube here.
***
This episode is sponsored by:
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/
DIOME: Rest deeper. Stay grounded.Rested is available now and Grounded lands later this month.👉 Get 20% off with code SARAH20 at DIOME.CO
***
The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-outReset Your HealthIf your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://sarahannmacklin.com/5_free_recipes
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/
📹 Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
👉 Practical beats perfect.Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://sarahannmacklin.com/5_free_recipes
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/tNoDNnpSkdA
Do men get “period brain” too, or do hormones affect men and women in completely different ways? In this conversation, I explain why men’s primary sex hormone, testosterone, tends to be more dynamic and responsive to immediate environmental cues, while women’s primary sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are generally more cyclical and predictable across the menstrual cycle. This clip explores how testosterone follows a circadian rhythm (higher in the morning, lower in the evening) and can shift with real-life inputs like competition wins or losses, job stress, relationship context, being around an attractive person, and whether someone has children. We also talk about the common assumptions people make about women’s moods and cycles, including why blaming anger on a period often misses what’s actually happening hormonally, since hormone levels are at their lowest during menstruation.
Sarah Hill in conversation with Sarah Ann
Listen to the full episode here.
Watch the full episode on YouTube here.
***
This episode is sponsored by:
NOWATCH: The compassionate health trackerConnecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/
Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell
***
The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-outReset Your HealthIf your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
***
Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/📹 Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
Exciting news - pre-order my debut book
Most of us have an opinion on porn. Very few of us have actually looked at the evidence.We talk about gut health, hormones, sleep, and stress. But there's one part of our sexual lives that almost nobody is talking about honestly, and it might be quietly shaping our relationships more than we realise.
This week on Live Well Be Well, I'm joined by Silva Neves, an accredited psychosexual and relationship therapist and author. Silva holds deeply taboo topics with total clinical clarity and zero judgment, helping us have the conversation about porn that most people are too afraid to start.
Here's what we explore together:
- How porn is classified as "neither healthy nor unhealthy" by research, and why that nuance changes everything.
- Why there is no proven causation between porn and relationship breakdown, misogyny, or erectile dysfunction.
- What compulsive porn use actually looks like, and when it signals something deeper going on emotionally.
- How shared values around porn can make or break a relationship, and why most couples never have this conversation.
- Why dopamine isn't the villain we think, and how habits around technology and porn really form.
- What research says about fantasies, kinks and fetishes, and why most are far more normal than we realise.
- How shame silently shuts down sexual communication in long-term relationships, and what to do instead.
Love,
Sarah Ann 💛
***
This episode is sponsored by:
DIOME: Rest deeper. Stay grounded.
Rested is available now and Grounded lands later this month.
👉 Get 20% off with code SARAH20 at DIOME.CO
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today
15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/
***
The Great British Veg Out
How to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-out
Reset Your Health
If your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.
Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sarahmacklin/p/download-your-free-5-recipes-to-relieve
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who read
The Compassionate Cure each week. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
If You Enjoyed This Episode, You Might Also Like:Why You Still Can’t Orgasm (The Step-By-Step Guide) | Dr. Laurie Mintz, Sex Therapisthttps://youtu.be/gr6RWK2LFJEBetter Sex EVERY TIME? Dr Rena Malik Tells You Howhttps://youtu.be/C8HJAH5plVw
***
Sign up to Sarah’s Compassionate Cure newsletter:
Science Simplified, Health Humanised.
Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact.
https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Highlights
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:20 Is Porn Healthy or Unhealthy? Silva's Honest Answer
00:05:13 Porn Is Not a Monolith: Understanding the Many Types
00:10:18 How Many People Actually Watch Porn?
00:14:23 Is Porn Addiction Real? The Clinical Truth
00:19:01 Porn, Cheating and the Agreements We Never Have
00:22:36 Why Couples With Shared Porn Values Tend to Thrive
00:28:21 Dopamine, Habits and Digital Attachment
00:37:00 What Age Should Young People Be Exposed to Porn?
00:39:13 The Manosphere: Fear, Misogyny and Online Extremism
00:53:06 Fantasies, Kinks and Fetishes: More Normal Than You Think
00:58:24 How Shame Kills Sex in Long-Term Relationships
01:01:00 Talking About Your Erotic Mind With a Partner
01:07:31 Asexuality as a Valid and Underrepresented Orientation
01:11:10 What Good Relationship Vows Really Look Like
Are you comparing what you see on YouTube to what feels normal in your own life? If you’ve ever watched online content and thought it looks like a very different scenario than what’s actually normal, this conversation will feel familiar.This clip explores the gap between what’s presented on YouTube and what someone considers a more typical, real-world situation, highlighting how online examples can shape expectations and perceptions.
Listen to the full episode here
Watch the full episode on YouTube here
***
This episode is sponsored by:
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/
Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell
***
The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-outReset Your HealthIf your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://sarahannmacklin.com/5_free_recipes
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/
📹 Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
Do you ever feel a bit awkward talking about vibrators? Because even in a light, laughter-filled moment, it can be clear there’s still a lot to say and a lot of discomfort around the topic. This clip explores a candid exchange about vibrators, capturing how quickly the conversation can move from hesitation to humour and openness.As a nutritionist and health communicator, Sarah brings a grounded, educational tone to wellbeing conversations, even when the topic feels a little taboo. Here, that comes through in a simple but telling moment: acknowledging there’s “quite a lot” to discuss, and then leaning into how “fabulous” and “amazing” it can be to talk about it more honestly.
Listen to the full episode here.
Watch the full episode on YouTube here.
***
This episode is sponsored by:
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/
Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell
***
The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-outReset Your HealthIf your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://sarahannmacklin.com/5_free_recipes
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/
📹 Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
Exciting news - pre-order my debut book
That feeling of being utterly exhausted but somehow unable to switch off. The tight chest. The 3am wake-ups. The gut that never quite settles. Most of us have been quietly living with these signs for years, chalking them up to a busy life or just the way we are. But what if they were your body trying to tell you something far more specific?
This week on Live Well Be Well, I'm sitting down with the brilliant Dr. Arielle Schwartz, somatic psychologist, certified yoga therapist, EMDR trainer, and one of the leading voices in nervous system healing and complex trauma. Arielle has this rare gift of translating some of the most intricate neuroscience into something you can actually feel in your own body. She is warm, grounded, deeply wise, and this conversation genuinely moved me.
Here's What We Dive Into:
- What a dysregulated nervous system actually feels like in the body
- Why stress and dysregulation are not the same thing
- What polyvagal theory is and why your vagus nerve matters more than you think
- How the body moves through fight, flight, and freeze responses
- Why ADHD may be a nervous system regulation challenge as much as a cognitive one
- How to stimulate your vagus nerve using just your own hands
- Why crying is one of the most healing things you can do for your nervous system
- How self-compassion directly improves vagal tone
- Why breathwork is the fastest nervous system reset available to all of us
- What EMDR is and how it helps the brain finally let go of trauma
Love,
Sarah Ann 💛
***
This episode is sponsored by:
DIOME: Rest deeper. Stay grounded.
Rested is available now and Grounded lands later this month.
👉 Get 20% off with code SARAH20 at DIOME.CO
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today
15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/
***
The Great British Veg Out
How to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-out
Reset Your Health
If your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.
Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sarahmacklin/p/download-your-free-5-recipes-to-relieve
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who read
The Compassionate Cure each week. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/
📹 Subscribe:http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast
💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Sign up to Sarah’s Compassionate Cure newsletter:
Science Simplified, Health Humanised.
Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact.
https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Highlights
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:30 Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System
00:05:00 How Dysregulation Affects Your Gut, Hormones and Immunity
00:12:00 Polyvagal Theory Explained Simply
00:17:00 The Vagus Nerve and the Mind-Body Connection
00:21:00 Fight, Flight and Freeze: The Three Nervous System Responses
00:24:00 Wired and Tired: Why You Can't Switch Off
00:29:00 ADHD and Nervous System Dysregulation
00:38:00 Somatic Healing, Yoga and Complex PTSD
00:43:00 Free Vagus Nerve Stimulation Techniques
00:49:00 Why Crying Is Good for Your Nervous System
00:53:00 How to Feel Safe in Your Own Body
00:57:00 Self-Compassion and Vagal Tone
01:01:00 Breathwork for Nervous System Regulation
01:07:00 What Is EMDR and How Does It Heal Trauma
Have you ever wondered why sexual education rarely talks about variety? It’s often treated as a topic we skip over, even though it can be a key part of a healthy, enjoyable sex life and better communication with your partner. This clip explores why doing the same thing every time can become limiting, and why introducing variety matters. Sarah discusses how this is something many people are never taught in sex education, and how changing things up can help keep intimacy feeling more connected and responsive rather than repetitive. As a nutritionist and health communicator, Sarah brings her practical, supportive approach to a topic that sits within wider wellbeing, relationships, and how we learn about our bodies.
Listen to the full episode here
Watch the full episode on YouTube here
***
This episode is sponsored by:
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/
Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell
***
The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-outReset Your HealthIf your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://sarahannmacklin.com/5_free_recipes
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/
📹 Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
Most women were never taught how to talk about sex — not really — and a therapist with over 35 years of couples work makes one thing clear: faulty communication has contributed to every single relationship problem she has ever seen, without exception. In this clip, you will hear the three communication rules that change not just your sex life but the entire emotional architecture of your relationship, including why asking "do you want to have sex?" may be doing more harm than you think. If intimacy has started to feel like another area of your life where you are somehow getting it wrong, this conversation will reframe that completely.
Dr Laurie Mintz in conversation with Sarah Ann
Listen to the full episode here.
Watch the full episode on YouTube here.
***
This episode is sponsored by:
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/
Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell
***
The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-outReset Your HealthIf your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://sarahannmacklin.com/5_free_recipes
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Let’s be friends!
📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/
📹 Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin
📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
Exciting news - pre-order my debut book
This week on Live Well Be Well, I'm sitting down with bestselling author Matt Haig. Over two decades, he has written with raw honesty about depression, anxiety, and neurodiversity. Diagnosed with ADHD and autism in his mid-40s, he writes not to have the answers, but to make you feel like your questions are valid.
Here's what we dive into:
- How Matt's crisis at 24 in Ibiza, including agoraphobia, panic attacks, and suicidal despair, became the turning point that made him a writer.
- Why writing about mental health was never about being an expert, but about finding language so a younger, suffering version of himself could feel less alone.
- What a late ADHD and autism diagnosis in midlife actually feels like, and why understanding your brain does not mean you suddenly understand everything about yourself.
- How ADHD can be quietly advantageous when you stop fighting it, and why an interest-driven brain can lead to a deeply authentic life.
- Why the opposite of depression is not happiness. It is the boring, beautiful neutrality of a mind that can spend one minute thinking about an ordinary email.
- How the word "impossible" became Matt's greatest source of motivation: if you survived the most impossible thing, everything else becomes possible too.
- How running, routine, and the most unglamorous physical basics were the things that actually brought Matt back.
Love,
Sarah Ann 💛
***
This episode is sponsored by:
DIOME: Rest deeper. Stay grounded.
Rested is available now and Grounded lands later this month.
👉 Get 20% off with code SARAH20 at DIOME.CO
***
The Great British Veg Out
How to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-out
Reset Your Health
If your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.
Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sarahmacklin/p/download-your-free-5-recipes-to-relieve
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who read
The Compassionate Cure each week. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
If You Enjoyed This Episode, You Might Also Like:
ADHD or Depression? Watch This! Kelly Williams Brown on Feeling Stressed & Overwhelmedhttps://youtu.be/lz7-R_TlJg4
***
Sign up to Sarah’s Compassionate Cure newsletter:
Science Simplified, Health Humanised.
Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact.
https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Highlights
00:00:00 Intro00:02:47 Writing Reasons to Stay Alive before therapy, before diagnosis
00:06:49 The "two for one" diagnosis: ADHD and autism in midlife
00:10:11 Why Matt hates the word diagnosis and how language shapes recovery
00:14:40 Shoplifting, dopamine, and an undiagnosed ADHD brain
00:22:25 Why Matt would not take his suffering away: darkness and light
00:27:25 The breakdown in Ibiza at 24 and the crisis within the crisis
00:31:58 Recovery counted in lampposts from his front door
00:36:00 The boring email moment and why neutrality is the goal
00:41:16 The word "impossible" and how surviving it opened everything
01:01:09 Winnie the Pooh as the wisest mental health book ever written
01:09:18 Social media, authenticity, and losing followers as exfoliation
01:29:46 The body budget and why physical basics are the real medicine
01:33:00 Matt's definition of Live Well Be Well***
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