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Tired? Same. Women today are immersed in self-improvement culture, driven by social media and wellness trends promising endless transformation.
From cold plunges to productivity hacks, the chase for a “better” self never stops. For some, it’s empowering: access to therapy, financial tools, and wellness has never been greater, and the language of “boundaries,” “manifestation,” and “side hustles” is now everyday. Yet the pressure to optimise everything can be draining, turning love and hobbies into boxes to tick.
Still, this movement has opened space for vital conversations about money, burnout, and mental health, all while raising the challenge of balancing growth with self-acceptance.
Where do you stand in the Self-Improvement Epidemic?
CHAPTERS:
00:50 — Hat Chat: Easter Bonnet energy, Jamiroquai vibes
01:49 — Staycay Diaries
03:10 — Red Hill Romantics
04:28 — Goldfish Brains
06:58 — On The Couch: Are we in a self-improvement epidemic
10:03 — Homework Hangover
16:26 — Maggie’s Greatest Hits: Ecstatic dance and hug therapy horrors
20:59 — Tully’s Toolbox: Kinesiology and a crystal in the clutch
22:25 — Red Flags in Wellness
25:02 — Actual Keepers
26:28 — Enoughness Moment
27:32 — Rest Without Permission
28:24 — Therapy Notes
34:32 — Listener Homework
36:47 — Scoop of the Week: Swift engagement
40:19 — Why We Care
44:27 — Saved and Shamed
If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials at @selfhelpedpod.
You can find Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.
New episodes dropping every Thursday. #SelfHelpedPod
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48:36
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48:36
The Hyper-Independence Hangover
After years of “doing it all” - careers, crises, and the day-to-day grind - Tully and Maggie have mastered the art of hyper-independence. But here’s the thing: once you get used to carrying everything alone, it’s hard to let anyone else take the weight… even when someone wants to.
In this episode, the girls dig into the emotional gymnastics of refusing help until they inevitably explode - or, as Maggie puts it, become “champagne bottles that get shaken up until they pop.”
They talk about the messy reality of vulnerability when it’s not cute, the ugly side of mental health, and the awkward dance between self-reliance and letting people in.
Whether you’re an A-type personality with a colour-coded calendar or just someone who hates asking for help, this one will feel uncomfortably familiar.
01:05 – Sock Merch & Chart Bragging
01:30 – Weekly Life Chaos
04:30 – On the Couch: Hyper-Independence
13:00 – Teenager to Caretaker
17:00 – Champagne Bottle Analogy
20:00 – Ned the Golden Retriever Boyfriend
22:00 – Ugly Cry + Guilt Spiral
25:00 – Microdosing Vulnerability & Asking For Help
29:00 – TeaOnHer: Are we hypocrites?
33:00 – Digital Overshare Trauma
35:00 – Shag V. Taylor Swift
39:00 – Troll Dolls & Bridges
42:00 – Therapy Homework
If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials at @selfhelpedpod.
You can find Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.
New episodes dropping every Thursday.
#SelfHelpedPod
This podcast episode is brought to you by Go-To: quality, effective skincare that actually works.
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43:07
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43:07
The Surprising Joy of Rock Bottom
Hitting rock bottom sounds terrifying - but what if it’s actually the start of something better?
In this episode, Maggie and Tully open up about the times they burned it all down and had to rebuild from scratch. From ending marriages to walking away from entire lives, they share why starting over can feel freeing, what it teaches you about yourself, and why 'rock bottom' might just be your launch pad.
Expect honest stories, some tough therapy-style notes, and a homework assignment designed to help you let go of what’s holding you back. Because starting over isn’t about becoming someone new - it’s about shedding everything that was never truly you.
Along the way, they dig into Pamela Anderson’s surprise glow-up romance, call BS on toxic self-help clichés, and dish out their own therapy homework for anyone facing a fresh start.
Chapters:
0:00 – Introducing Self Help(ed)
2:00 – Back on the Couch: Maggie’s Rock Bottom Story
4:00 – Divorce, Moving Cities & Survival Mode
8:00 – Trusting Your Gut vs. Pleasing Others
13:00 – Firemen, Fake Tan & Feeling Alone
18:00 – Naming Grief & Learning to Befriend It
22:00 – Dad, the Aisle, & a Wedding on Fire
26:00 – Therapy Notes: Awakening Self-Betrayal
29:00 – Homework: Write a Closure Letter
31:00 – Self Help(ed) Scoop of the Week: Pamela & Liam?!
33:30 – Shitty Self-Help Tip of the Week (Manifesting & 5-to-9s)
If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials @selfhelpedpod.
You can find Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.
New episodes dropping every Thursday. #SelfHelpedPod
This podcast episode is brought to you by Go-To: quality, effective skincare that actually works.
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36:53
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36:53
A Woman's Roman Empire
Friendship Breakups: A Woman’s True Roman Empire.
Maggie and Tully crack open the vault on their own friendship split - and unpack why losing a bestie can sting harder than losing a boyfriend. Along the way, they dissect the infamous Skims ‘face bra’ and take a nosy dive into their 2022 notes app receipts.
Chapters:
0:00 Introducing Self Help(ed)
2:00 Friendship Breakups: A Woman’s Roman Empire
8:16 A Dramatic Re-enactment of Our Own Friendship Breakup Emails (Oscar-worthy)
10:05 Reflecting back through older + wiser eyes
11:25 Are we the drama?
14:00 “Friendship is also a love story.”
16:01 The delicious irony of this entire affair
16:36 Therapy Homework - yes, we’re setting you work
18:20 Self Help(ed) Scoop Of The Week
19:03 Maggie’s Brief & Brutal Home and Away Audition Era
22:16 Tully’s *interesting* PR gift
23:05 Note To Self
25:06 Maggie’s a poet, and she didn’t even know it
If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on socials @selfhelpedpod.
You can find Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.
New episodes dropping every Thursday. #SelfHelpedPod
This podcast episode is brought to you by Go-To: quality, effective skincare that actually works.
A brand new podcast hosted by writers and best friends, Maggie Kelly & Tully Smyth.
"We've done the therapy, so you don't have to."
Modern women are done with hiding. Divorce, infertility, fledgling careers, single parenthood - the so-called taboos of female ‘failure’ are quickly becoming our favourite topics. Why? Because we’ve all been there.
Under the glossy exterior of success, we’re all just trying to dodge the demands: be sexy, be smart, be brave, be a wife, be a mother, be a feminist, be fit, be fun… but don’t talk about it. We’re burning down the facade and telling it like it is.
Self Help(ed) is where those stories live - unfiltered, hilarious, vulnerable and real. Each episode dives into the messiness of modern womanhood with honesty, humour and hindsight. It’s second-hand therapy, the space we wish we had during our hardest chapters… and now, it’s yours too.
This is, Self Help(ed).
If you enjoyed your Self Help(ed) session today, please hit subscribe, leave us a glowing review and follow us on Instagram at @selfhelpedpod, TikTok at @selfhelpedpod or YouTube.
You can follow Maggie online at @maggiekellywriter and Tully over on @tee_smyth.
New episodes dropping every Thursday.
New Zealand