Your Life Lived Well

Men don’t do well at being “sick.” So what happens when we’re stuck with a chronic illness that won’t go away? These are the challenges (that we …

In recognition of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, I shed some light on what Multiple Sclerosis is and the surprising ways it affects our lives — …

This episode digs into the words surrounding health, illness, and disability. We look at how words shape our thoughts, the surprising meanings of some common medical words, and how words can both tear us down and lift …

Why do we have such a difficult time accepting the reality of mental illness? In this episode, we’ll talk about the reasons why many are …

Everyone thinks they should relax more, but we can’t make ourselves relax. It doesn’t work that way. Here’s why relaxation is important, what’s …

96% of us with lasting health conditions are largely or completely “invisible.” We don’t have any external signals that remind others of the battles we are fighting inside. That’s confusing to others and they don’t …

Pain is sending you a message, but we tend to misinterpret what it’s trying to tell us. Our pain systems also get confused and overwrought. Chronic …

Stress is a part of life. Sometimes, it’s even a good part of life. It’s always there, so we must learn better strategies to cope. In this episode, …

Fear is part of being human. We’ve all experienced it — whether we admit it or not. But for such a common experience, we misunderstand it far more than we realize. This episode is a deep dive into what fear really is …

“Burnout” is rampant in the healthcare and caregiving professions. “Compassion fatigue” strikes even the most devoted loved ones and caregivers. These can leave us feeling angry, guilty, confused…or just empty. But they …

Staying hopeful is a real challenge with chronic illness — for those diagnosed and for their closest loved ones. In this episode, I invite you into a …

Most of us aren’t very kind to ourselves, but we need to be. This episode dives into what it really means to be kind to yourself, as opposed to just occasionally “nice.” Along the way, we understand what self-esteem and …

We all need better sleep. Better sleep is a necessary key to a better life. But good sleep seems to be in short supply. In this episode we talk about why so many of us sleep so poorly, and we suggest the most important …

We know we’re supposed to exercise. So why is it so hard? What should we do? Why should I care, especially when I already have a chronic health …

In this second episode on meditation, we discuss research supporting its benefits (and its limitations). Dr. Payne also introduces you to several …

There’s a lot about life with a chronic health condition that rightly gets us down. When we’re feeling bad, those around us often resort to advising that we need to “look on the bright side” — as if that were the actual …

Grief is not what we expect. It’s messy. It doesn’t follow a neat path. And it’s not always neatly resolved. Yet loss is a necessary part of living — …

Meditation isn’t what you probably think it is. We dive in to meditation as exercise for the parts of our mind we want to be strong, a way to become …

I’m happy to welcome Joe Mays, former NFL player (and Kansas City Chief) and co-owner of Kansas City’s Laya Center, a holistic wellness spa. We share …

You, or someone you love, has just been diagnosed with a life changing — maybe life threatening — medical condition. It’s big. It’s scary. It’s overwhelming. And life won’t be the same. Here’s how not to lose yourself …

It’s an innocent little question, and maybe the most difficult one we face with a chronic illness. We’ll unpack the minefield of, “how are you …

Join us for a wide-ranging conversation with veteran and VA Social Worker, Jason Dye. How to encourage veterans to get help. Handling Post Traumatic Distress and supporting your loved one’s battle with PTSD. Better …

Why does a guy with multiple sclerosis jump from a perfectly good plane…a lot? Probably not why you think. It’s about fear and dreams. In this …

Dr. April Seifert is a social cognitive psychologist, data scientist, entrepreneur, wife, mother, thriving with MS — and skydiver. She is the …

The rest of the world has learned what life with a longterm health condition is like. We dive into why we're not handling this well, what this means for the next few months, and how you can use it to educate those …