Self-Conscious with Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy talks with Dr. Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and author of The Good Life, about what eight decades of research reveal makes life truly meaningful. His answer isn’t money, fame, or achievement—it’s the quality of our connections and how we nurture them across a lifetime.

Five Key Takeaways:
Relationships Drive Health & Happiness: Warm connections—not wealth, status, or cholesterol—are the strongest predictors of longevity and well-being.
Loneliness Is Toxic: Isolation impacts the body as severely as smoking, fueling stress, inflammation, and chronic illness.
Quality Over Quantity: You don’t need hundreds of friends or to be an extrovert—just a few reliable, caring relationships make the biggest difference.
Connections Require Effort: The happiest people actively maintain relationships through small, consistent actions like phone calls, texts, and shared rituals.
Conflict Can Deepen Bonds: Tools like the WISER model (Watch, Inspect, Select, Engage, Reflect) show how mindful conflict resolution can strengthen relationships rather than damage them.

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Death doula Darnell Lamont Walker joins Chrissy for a deeply human conversation about what it really means to show up at the end of life—for ourselves and for the people we love. Together, they unpack why death doesn’t have to be terrifying, how culture and ritual shape grief, and what actually helps families when the moment comes, including the often-misunderstood “death rally.” This episode isn’t about making death easier—it’s about making it shared, honest, and less lonely.

Key Takeaways
How presence matters more than saying the “right” thing when supporting someone who is dying.
Why death is not an emergency—and how slowing down can reduce panic, regret, and conflict.
How the “death rally” works and why a sudden burst of energy near the end is a natural part of dying.
Why telling your story before you die matters—and how legacy is built through ordinary moments, not grand achievements.
How planning for death can actually help you live better now, with fewer regrets and deeper connection.

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Dr. Shefali—world-renowned clinical psychologist and creator of Conscious Parenting—joins Chrissy to explain why so many parents feel overwhelmed: we’re raising kids with the old tools we inherited, even when those tools don’t work anymore. Together, they unpack the “hidden traps” that pull us into control, shame, and reactivity—and how to shift toward connection, emotional safety, and real repair after we mess up. This conversation is ultimately about raising yourself first—so you can truly see your child, break generational patterns, and build a home where everyone feels grounded.

Key Takeaways
Conscious parenting starts with the parent. The real work isn’t “fixing” your child—it’s noticing what your child triggers in you and healing that.
Kids don’t need more stuff—they need attunement. Consistent, present, emotionally safe caregiving matters more than money, perfection, or performance.
Your child is not your “movie.” A huge trap is projecting your script onto who your child should be, instead of supporting who they already are.
Discipline isn’t domination. Real boundaries are calm, clear, and tied to real-life consequences—not punishment meant to restore a parent’s power.
Five core practices: release control, look within, slow down and witness, collaborate instead of rule, and prioritize your own healing.

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Daniel Coyle joins Chrissy to unpack why so many of us feel productive but disconnected—and what it actually means to flourish. Drawing from his bestselling book Flourish, Daniel explains how joyful, meaningful growth comes not from big life changes, but from small moments of presence, shared rituals, and real connection. Together, they explore simple ways to shift attention, build community, and feel more alive in the life you’re already living.

Key Takeaways
Flourishing isn’t happiness or success — it’s joyful, meaningful growth shared with others, built through everyday interactions.
Modern life traps us in “narrow attention” (productivity, control, certainty), which can leave us efficient but emotionally undernourished.
Wide, relational attention fuels connection — pausing, listening, noticing, and letting go of control restores meaning.
Community grows through shared imperfection — messiness, experimentation, and even annoyance are signs you’re doing it right.
Look for “yellow doors” — unexpected opportunities just outside your comfort zone that can quietly reshape your life.
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Dr. Jessica Zucker—bestselling author of I Had a Miscarriage and Normalize It—joins Chrissy for a raw and honest conversation about the things women are rarely encouraged to say out loud. They talk openly about miscarriage, terminating a pregnancy for medical reasons, postpartum anxiety, body image, and the pressure to seem “fine” while quietly falling apart. Jessica shares her simple UPEND framework to help listeners name what happened, tell their story without shame, and move toward real self-compassion.

Listener Advised: This episode includes conversations about pregnancy loss, postpartum grief, anxiety, depression, and terminating a pregnancy for medical reasons.

Key takeaways
Why silence → stigma → shame is a cycle that quietly harms women’s mental health—and how naming the truth disrupts it.
What “Normalize It” really means: making space for the full spectrum of women’s experiences (periods, fertility struggles, miscarriage, TFMR, postpartum, menopause) without secrecy or self-blame.
The emotional reality of pregnancy loss: why time speeds up in hospitals, and why people often later regret not taking more time, asking more questions, or having more softness.
What not to say to someone grieving (no “at least,” no “God has a plan,” no platitudes)—and what actually helps: presence, consistency, and “I don’t know what to say, but I’m here.”
How grief can show up as postpartum anxiety/depression, sometimes months later—and why “looking put-together” can still hide real suffering.

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