Self-Conscious with Chrissy Teigen

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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Carl Radke—known for years as the “fun one” on Bravo’s Summer House—opens up to Chrissy about what happens when the party persona that kept everything light starts quietly destroying your life. In a raw, funny, and brutally honest conversation, Carl traces the pressure to perform, the role alcohol and cocaine played behind the scenes, and the moment he realized he had to save his own life—even if it meant disappointing everyone. He shares what recovery actually looks like in real life, why it isn’t linear, and how his memoir Cake Eater helped him reclaim “childhood Carl” and build a life that doesn’t require numbing to get through it.

Key Takeaways

Why “being the fun one” can become a survival strategy—and how it turns into a trap when your identity depends on keeping the party going.
How sobriety forces an identity rebuild: who you are when alcohol, nightlife, and performance are no longer your personality.
What rock bottom can look like when you’re high-functioning and hiding it well, including the ways addiction shows up off-camera.
Why recovery isn’t a straight line—and what helped Carl find real support (therapy, AA, sponsors, community, and accountability).
How grief, family addiction, and trauma shaped his emotional life, including the impact of losing his brother and the “that’ll never be me” illusion.

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Gretchen Rubin shares insights from her new Audible Original, Get It Done: Complete Your Dream Project, reframing procrastination not as laziness but as a mismatch between strategies and personality. She offers listeners a framework for understanding their tendencies and unlocking the right tools to finally move forward on stalled projects.

Key Takeaways
Procrastination isn’t laziness — often, we’re simply using the wrong approach for our natural tendencies.
Personality matters — knowing your type helps you choose the strategies that will actually stick and motivate you.
Small wins build momentum — breaking projects into manageable steps makes daunting tasks feel achievable.
Self-awareness is a productivity tool — understanding your triggers and habits can help you avoid the guilt cycle of avoidance and self-blame.
The right system brings relief — when your tools match your personality, stalled projects become energizing rather than overwhelming.
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What if the reason you're always overwhelmed isn’t because you’re doing life wrong—but because you’re following a plan that was never made for you? In this episode of Self-Conscious, Chrissy sits down with Kendra Adachi, bestselling author of THE PLAN: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius, to dismantle the hustle, perfectionism, and guilt so many women carry when it comes to managing time, energy, and expectations.

Chrissy opens up about her own internalized pressure to “do it all,” her fear of being seen as lazy, and how small acts of presence—like saying yes to her kids' invitation to play outside—can feel more meaningful than any perfect plan.

Key Takeaways:
Start with what matters to you right now—not a fantasy future—and build small, sustainable actions from that place.
Let go of the myth of being behind: your life doesn’t need a “catch-up plan,” it needs compassion.
Energy, not time, should guide how you plan your day—honor your body and your bandwidth.
The five-step Lazy Genius Method (prioritize, essentialize, organize, personalize, systemize) can help you solve real problems without burning out.
Small things aren’t just enough—they are the point.

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In a deeply vulnerable conversation with therapist and KC Davis, author of Who Deserves Your Love, Chrissy opens up about the emotional complexity of her relationship with her mom: the years of silence, the heartbreaking attempts to reconnect, and the weight of carrying unmet needs into adulthood. It's not about blame—it’s about honesty, grief, and the quiet hope that healing might still be possible.

Together, Chrissy and KC explore what it means to love someone who can’t always love you back the way you need—and how to stop losing yourself in the process.

Key Takeaways
How to tell the difference between a hard relationship and an unsafe one
What real boundaries look like—and why they’re not about control
Why “being the good daughter” sometimes means betraying yourself
How to grieve the parent you wish you had while still showing up for the one you do
Simple tools to regulate your nervous system in the middle of emotional overwhelm

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