Well Enough

Elite marathon runner Anya Culling's story will inspire you but maybe not in the way you expect. She shaved nearly two hours off her marathon time and now competes at the highest level, representing her country.

In this episode, Anya opens up about teenage health crises that shaped her mentality, the ironic moment she realized elite runners do still have periods, and why her coach refused to train her until she got her health sorted. We discuss wellness overwhelm, how to spot the difference between training hard and overtraining, why women's health issues in sport often go unaddressed, and the recovery principle that changed everything for her.

Anya is backing iron supplement brand Active Iron’s campaign to encourage open conversations around women’s health in sport. For more information visit https://activeiron.com/en-gb
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and content creator Dr. Julie Smith joins us to dismantle the myth of constant happiness and offer practical tools for navigating life's inevitable storms.

With over 10 million followers and two Sunday Times bestsellers (Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? and Open When), Julie has made it her mission to make high-quality mental health education accessible to everyone.

In this conversation, we explore why young people are struggling despite having "the best it's ever been," the crucial difference between self-compassion and self-indulgence, and how our modern obsession with optimization is setting us up for failure. Julie shares the powerful "predator mindset" that helped her through her own health crisis, explains why feelings are information rather than problems to fix, and introduces the "solid back five" concept - fundamental pillars of mental wellbeing that we constantly underestimate.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a world of aggressive optimization, morning routines, and relentless pressure to manifest a perfect reality, how do we experience actual joy when life falls apart?

This week on Well Enough, we sit down with Kate Bowler - Duke University professor, religion scholar, and author - to explore the profound differences between happiness and joy. At 35, Kate was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, an event that completely shattered her reality and forced her to confront the agonizing platitude that "everything happens for a reason."

Kate dismantles toxic positivity and wellness capitalism, explaining why you don't always need to find a silver lining.

Get Kate’s book “Joyful, Anyway” here https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/joyful-anyway-9781037202582/

Follow Well Enough on Instagram here
https://www.instagram.com/wellenough

Timecodes:
00:00 Why Joy Isn't What You Think
03:10 Happiness vs. Joy: What’s the Psychological Difference?
06:25 Navigating Rage and Finding Joy After a Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis
08:00 "Emotional Appropriateness" & The Myth of Constant Optimization
10:45 The Danger of Toxic Positivity and "Everything Happens for a Reason"
13:10 The Hidden History (and Harm) of Manifesting
17:30 What is "The Ache"? Embracing the Bittersweet Longing of Being Human
20:20 Wellness Capitalism and the Absurdity of the 24/7 Morning Routine
23:30 Navigating the Seasons of Wanting & Opening Your "Vault of Jewels"
29:10 How to Practice Joy: Service, Love, and Hope
33:30 How to Experience Joy During a "Light Apocalypse"
37:00 Absurdism: Why You Should Lean Into Your Weird Delights
39:20 The Surprising Limits of Gratitude Journaling
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the most powerful medicine was right outside your front door? In this episode, we explore the transformative role nature plays in healing, recovery and everyday wellness.

Our guest is Julia Bradbury - TV presenter, Sunday Times bestselling author and one of the UK's most passionate advocates for the healing power of the outdoors. After a breast cancer diagnosis in 2021 and a subsequent mastectomy, Julia rebuilt her health from the ground up and nature was at the heart of it.

She joins Emilie to talk about her diagnosis journey, the science behind nature snacks, resistance training, morning light, walking backwards, and why the single most important wellness habit starts with what you say to yourself.

Get Julia’s book Hack Yourself Healthy
Julia Bradbury is supporting Vista Health’s Signs of Clarity campaign. Visit www.vista-health.co.uk

00:00 The Healing Power of Nature & Movement
02:07 Functional Medicine: Finding the Root Cause
04:50 How Walking Calms Your Nervous System
06:40 Breast Cancer Diagnosis & The Promise of Nature
08:15 How to Take Daily "Nature Snacks"
10:00 The Emotional Toll of Surgery
12:35 Finding Comfort & Life Lessons from Trees
15:00 Redefining Health vs. Toxic Resilience
17:36 How to Make Time for Your Wellbeing
19:31 Strength Training for Women & Hope Molecules
22:21 Building Non-Negotiable Healthy Habits
24:35 Overcoming Vulnerability After a Health Scare
27:15 An Emotional Expedition to Antarctica
29:18 Healthy Travel Hacks & Plane Snacks
32:19 The Ultimate Slow Morning Routine
34:27 The Power of Positive Affirmations & Self-Talk
36:01 Why You Should Start Walking Backwards
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie Richards spent ten years being dismissed by doctors who said her crippling period pain was "normal" and she'd "get used to it." Six surgeries later, she finally got her endometriosis diagnosis.

This week, Sophie joins Emilie to break down inflammation as your body's "first response team," how she discovered it was driving her symptoms, and the dangerous wellness trends she fell for.

She also shares the love story of bringing her now fiancé to her fertility appointment on date three, why she wants to create a school curriculum so boys learn about periods too, and her six pillars of anti-inflammatory living that transformed her health.

Get Sophie’s book ‘The Anti-Inflammatory 30-day Reset’ here
Follow Sophie on Instagram here
Follow Emilie on Instagram here

Timecodes
00:00 Why I Share the Reality of Living with Endometriosis
02:46 Six Surgeries & Ten Years of Chronic Pain
04:16 The Period Pain Dismissed as "Normal"
06:41 Bringing My Boyfriend to My Egg Freezing Appointment
09:01 Educating Men About Women's Health: Why It Matters
11:26 Why Boys Need Period Education Too
13:41 What Is Inflammation? The First Response Team
16:01 How I Discovered Inflammation Was the Root Cause
18:46 Red Flags in the Wellness Industry
21:31 The 30-Day Anti-Inflammatory Reset Explained
24:51 You're Not Crazy: Your Pain Is Real
27:31 How to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctor
30:41 The Doctor Who Finally Diagnosed My Endometriosis
34:01 Breaking the Taboo: Men Talking About Periods
36:46 Nourish Yourself Like You'd Nourish a Friend
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.