UnF*ck Your Brain: Feminist Self-Help for Everyone

If you feel like the world is on fire and the only appropriate response is constant outrage, this conversation will stretch you in the best way. I talk with psychotherapist and author Margaret Cullen about equanimity, what it actually means, and why it is not the same thing as apathy or disengagement. We unpack the idea that you can care deeply, take action, and still refuse to live in a state of emotional melodrama.
Margaret explains how equanimity helps you recover balance more quickly when you get hijacked by fear, anger, or despair. We connect this to nervous system regulation, the 24 hour news cycle, and the cultural pressure to prove you care by being constantly devastated. You'll walk away with concrete ways to engage in your personal and political life without burning yourself out or becoming what you are fighting against.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/472

Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

Learn more about Margaret Cullen's work at margaretcullen.com
Mentioned in this episode:
Join me for 30 Days of Coaching Myself Through Everyday BS
To follow along, all you need to do is head on over to Instagram, @karaloewentheil, and click follow!

Have you ever tried to teach thought work to someone you love, only to have them completely reject it? In this Coaching Hotline episode, I answer a question from a mom who wants her teenage son to benefit from thought work but keeps running into pushback. I explain why 15 is not too young to understand emotional processing, but it is old enough to resist being coached without permission.
I also answer a question from a listener who is struggling with a long standing fear of heights that shows up intensely on tall bridges and airplanes. If you have ever felt frustrated that you logically know something is safe but still experience panic, this will resonate. You will learn how to stop escalating anxiety by resisting it, how to work with your thoughts about panic, and how acceptance becomes the foundation for real change.

Submit your own question here and it might get answered on a future episode: unfuckyourbrain.com/coachinghotline

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/471
Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

Do you make decisions based on what you actually want, or based on what would make you feel the least guilty? In this Greatest Hits episode, I break down how guilt and shame quietly become the emotional compass guiding our everyday choices, from small obligations to major life decisions, and why that often leaves us exhausted, resentful, or stuck.

I share how women in particular are socialized to treat guilt and shame like flashing moral warning signs, assuming that if we feel bad about not doing something, it must mean we should do it. I walk you through how to recalibrate your emotional compass so you can stop making decisions just to avoid feeling like a bad person.
Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/470
Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/
Mentioned in this episode:
Join me for 30 Days of Coaching Myself Through Everyday BS
To follow along, all you need to do is head on over to Instagram, @karaloewentheil, and click follow!

Do social events drain you? In this Coaching Hotline episode, I dive into a listener's question about feeling exhausted at social events and why small talk often feels boring. I explore how your thoughts are creating that experience and why the key to enjoying social gatherings starts with shifting your mindset.

I also tackle a question about feeling like you have no desire for sex, and how to work through the thoughts causing fear and anxiety around intimacy. Tune in to discover how thought work can transform your experience at social events and in your intimate relationships, helping you reclaim energy, connection, and confidence.

Submit your own question here and it might get answered on a future episode: unfuckyourbrain.com/coachinghotline

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/469
Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

Do you find yourself avoiding negative emotions at all costs, distracting yourself with food, Netflix, or your phone? What if you could build the capacity to feel any emotion, no matter how uncomfortable, and still keep moving forward? In this episode, I’m diving into the concept of microdosing negative emotions and why this practice is the key to becoming unstoppable.
Instead of pushing away the discomfort, we need to practice building safety around it, which is exactly what microdosing does. I’m walking you through how the microdosing approach helps you tolerate your emotions in manageable doses, so you can stop avoiding them and actually feel them as they pass.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/468
Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/
Mentioned in this episode:
Join me for 30 Days of Coaching Myself Through Everyday BS
To follow along, all you need to do is head on over to Instagram, @karaloewentheil, and click follow!