In this episode of Self Help(ed), the girls chat all things reinvention - and how it used to be as simple as a haircut and a new postcode, but now social media now makes it nearly impossible to start fresh. From cringe-worthy old posts to cancel culture panic, they argue that reinvention isn’t fake, it’s growth.
Plus: a scoop on Craig McLachlan’s Cluedo controversy, and a fiery “Change My Mind” debate, this time tackling Reality TV vs. Coffee. Big laughs, bold takes, and maybe a nudge to try your own mini reinvention (offline, for once).
Chapter Notes:
02:00 – Reinvention in the Social Media Age
06:00 – Pressure to Stay Consistent (Cancel Culture, Tall Poppy Syndrome)
13:00 – Cancel Culture, Comparison & TikTok Inspiration
17:00 – Therapy Notes: Reinvention as Integration, Not Erasure
19:00 – Scoop of the Week: Craig McLachlan & Cluedo Controversy
23:00 – Change My Mind: Reality TV vs. Coffee
28:40 – Homework & Closing Thoughts
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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29:52
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29:52
Is Anybody Sleeping?!
Call it age, call it stress, call it toddlers… but it feels like no one is sleeping anymore. This week, Maggie brings one of her most tired topics to the table: sleep. From random bouts of insomnia to 3.30am cats demanding breakfast, the dream of a solid eight hours feels like exactly that- a dream.
Tully and Maggie unpack the ever-popular concept of “sleep hygiene” and confess their own questionable bedtime habits. They explore what sleeplessness is doing to our energy, moods, relationships, and mental health long-term. Spoiler: the effects aren’t pretty.
Then, in classic Self Help(ed) fashion, the girls veer into the idea of “Frog Day”- a quirky tool for tackling your most dreaded tasks before they snowball into stress monsters. And of course, they close out with a spirited round of Walk Of Shame, because no episode is complete without a little ribbing.
So if you’ve ever stared at the ceiling at 2am replaying tomorrow’s to-do list- or if your pet thinks breakfast is a pre-dawn activity -- you’ll enjoy this one.
CHAPTERS:
00:58 – On the Couch: Cat vs sleep
01:37 – Why we’re all so tired
03:59 – Sleep as a productivity killer
05:14 – Sleep hygiene myths
06:51 – ADHD, anxiety & bedtime brains
10:00 – Good night vs insomnia night
18:00 – Medication as reset
20:09 – Screen time & frazzled brains
23:04 – Brain dumps & lists
24:46 – Dressing gown upgrade
26:58 – Therapy notes
30:05 – Homework: Sleep diary
31:28 – Internet Genius of the Week
32:22 – What is Frog Day?
35:13 – Walk of Shame
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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42:07
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42:07
The Nostalgia Trap
Remember when low-rise jeans, MSN Messenger, and disposable cameras ruled our lives? Same. And apparently, so does the entire internet. From Y2K fashion comebacks to remakes of the shows we binged as teens, nostalgia has us in a chokehold.
In this episode, Tully and Maggie unpack why we’re so obsessed with reliving the past. Is nostalgia a comforting escape from an overwhelming world, or are we stunting our growth by clinging to old aesthetics and teenage fantasies? Expect tangents about butterfly clips, dial-up trauma, and why Tully still misses her pink Motorola flip phone.
Because sometimes looking back is fun… but is it stopping us from moving forward? If you were a 90s kid raised in the noughties (and your MSN status once held the fate of your crush), this one’s for you.
CHAPTERS:
00:33 – Y2K fever hits
00:50 – Cakes, fashion, fury
03:10 – Why we live in rewind
04:06 – Playlists, remakes, disposables
05:12 – Name it: The Nostalgia Trap
10:31 – Confession: The Sims spiral
15:52 – Romanticising the ex era
17:13 – World on fire. Comfort food brain
24:04 – Music time-travel
25:52 – Seasoning, not the meal
28:08 – Therapy notes: edit the edit
30:55 – Own your present taste
33:16 – Cake showdown
35:05 – Rubber duck terror. Jelly crimes
38:11 – Justice for Candy Castle
38:33 – Y2K fashion fails rapid-fire
41:02 – Capri pants vs everyone
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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48:02
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48:02
Baby on Board? The Myth of Being 'Ready'.
This week on Self Help(ed), we’re asking one of life’s biggest, messiest questions: are we ever truly ready for kids? From emotional readiness to the realities of rising living costs, shifting timelines, and the infamous biological clock, Tully and Maggie dive into the push-pull of modern motherhood.
Tully shares her own story - a decade of longing to be a mum, egg-freezing (twice), and the occasional 4pm forgotten lunch moment that makes her wonder if she’s really as prepared as she thinks. Meanwhile, Maggie opens up about whether she was ready, and the ever-changing question of whether she wants more kids down the line.
Together, they explore how social media has turned parenthood into a performance, why “perfectly prepared” is often a myth, and why maybe “ready” isn’t about having it all sorted - but about having love, resilience, and the willingness to figure it out as you go.
Because when it comes to babies, the truth is: no one has all the answers, but everyone has a story.
CHAPTERS:
00:28 – Are We Ever Ready for Kids?
00:56 – Clocks, Chaos & Chocolate YoGo
03:29 – The Fertility Stats No One Wants to Hear
06:17 – Emotional Readiness or Houseplant Energy?
08:10 – Money vs Motherhood
08:43 – Tick Tock, Baby Clock
10:12 – Maggie’s Surprise Story
17:47 – Tully’s Baby Fever
30:29 – What Kids Really Need
34:03 – Homework: Readiness Reality Check
35:35 – Tinder’s Double Date Drama
41:03 – Overrated or Underrated
49:02 – Friendship on the Rocks
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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42:43
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42:43
Internet Face vs. Real Face: Who Are We Even Anymore?
This week on Self Help(ed), Maggie brings a big one to the therapy couch: Internet Face. You know the one- the airbrushed, filter-heavy, best-angle-only version of ourselves that’s quietly become the new normal. From ‘bad angles on tv’ spirals to Botox confessions and the constant tug-of-war between how we think we look and how we really look.
Why are women chasing their filtered selves in real life? When did aging become something we’re supposed to hide away? And how do we start making peace with our unfiltered faces staring back at us? We dive into how the rise of filters, constant high-res streaming, and an online culture obsessed with “perfection” has left so many of us feeling like we’re falling short of our own fake selves.
Tully reflects on what it’s like to have had a camera pointed at her since she was 15 - from being “discovered” in the Girlfriend Model Search, to Big Brother, to over a decade of selfies on Instagram - and why even now she still struggles to resist the edit button.
Together, they explore how Internet Face can feel empowering in the moment but often morphs into self-surveillance, why women are starting to feel pressure to look like their filtered selves offline, and how hard it can be to make peace with the natural process of aging.
It’s a raw, funny and deeply relatable conversation about worth, filters, and the radical idea of letting your “bad angles” live. Because growing older is a privilege, and maybe the most rebellious thing we can do is love our Real Face exactly as it is.
CHAPTERS:
01:12 – Armchair Therapy Begins
02:13 – Defining Internet Face
08:22 – The Feminist Struggle With Ageing
14:08 – The Beauty Trap
18:19 – Mummy Makeovers & Moving the Goalposts
22:54 – Exposure Therapy For Ageing
27:00 – The Girls Remove The Masks
32:18 – Self Help(ed) Scoop of the Week
35:07 – Baby Name Notes App Game
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.
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.
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