The Weird Years

Why are we suddenly craving a "soft life"?

Why are we suddenly craving the "soft life"? You might know this term from polished reels of flawless women skipping out of pilates at 11am and into a matcha café, but the soft life philosophy has a much richer origin. It started with women in Nigeria reclaiming their time and energy, pushing back against hustle culture and the expectation to always grind, give, and self-sacrifice. Now more than ever, as the pressures of our thirties start to build, more of us are craving a dose of slow living. And with the dumpster fire of an economy we're trying to navigate, it's not any surprise. In this episode we get into: 🧘‍♀️ What the soft life philosophy actually means (and it's forgotten roots) 🧘‍♀️ How the broken promise of success has left millennials burnt out and wanting to clock out 🧘‍♀️ The quiet quitting approach 🧘‍♀️ The watch out: when soft life tips into financial dependence 🧘‍♀️ How to bring more slow living and nervous system regulation into the life you already have If you're one "I hope this finds you well" email away from lying motionless in a forest for a few days, then stick around. Follow the show on your favourite platforms: Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theweirdyearspodcast/?hl=en] Tiktok - @theweirdyears [https://https://www.tiktok.com/@theweirdyears]

Is Self-Improvement Making Us Selfish?

What if the version of “working on yourself” you’ve been sold is actually pulling you further away from other people? In this solo episode, I’m unpacking the strange relationship between self-improvement and selfishness, and the point where becoming your “best self” can turn into endless optimisation, isolation, and feeling like who you are right now is never enough. I get into how self-improvement shifted from something that happened naturally through life and connection… into a billion-pound marketplace selling us better skin, better habits, better nervous systems, better mornings, better relationships and somehow still leaving us exhausted. We’re talking: ✨ Why women are under more pressure than ever to optimise themselves ✨ How beauty, wellness and even spirituality became products to consume ✨ Whether “working on yourself” can become an easy scapegoat away from real connection ✨ And why the massive piece missing in self-improvement is connection If you’ve ever felt stuck between wanting to grow and wanting to just be enough already, this one’s for you. Follow the show on your favourite platforms: Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast [https://@theweirdyearspodcast] Tiktok - @theweirdyears [@theweirdyears]

Why Women Feel Guilty All The Time (and How to Stop)

Why does everything feel like it’s your fault… even when it isn’t?  In this solo episode, I’m unpacking guilt - that constant, low-level hum that seems to follow women everywhere. From work to relationships, money to motherhood, friendships to finances… why does everything feel like it’s somehow our responsibility? I get into the psychology behind why women experience guilt more frequently and more intensely than men - and how both nature and nurture conspire to keep us stuck in these guilt spirals. We're talking: ✨ Rational vs irrational guilt > and how to tell which one you’re feeling ✨ Why women feel responsible for other people’s emotions (and how this is costing you) ✨ How guilt becomes a hidden decision-making tool that keeps you small ✨ Practical ways to stop carrying guilt which isn’t yours Because if you’re making decisions just to avoid guilt… there’s a good chance you’re not actually choosing the life you want. If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly doing something wrong (even when you’re not), this one’s for you. Follow the show on your favourite platforms: Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast [@theweirdyearspodcast] Tiktok - @theweirdyears [@theweirdyears]

Is It Time to Stop Analysing and Start Feeling?

What if your “self-awareness” is just control in disguise? 👀 I hate to call you out like that… but I’m also calling out myself. In this episode, I unpack something that’s been sitting uncomfortably with me: I can explain my feelings perfectly… but I don’t always feel them. I dive into the sneaky coping mechanism of intellectualising emotions — how we analyse, rationalise, and “do the work”… without ever actually letting the feeling hit our body. And why so many of us (especially high-functioning, self-aware women) are stuck in this loop. I’m riffing on: ✨ Why emotions have started to feel inconvenient (and what that’s doing to us) ✨ How overthinking shows up - from productivity to humour to therapy-speak ✨ What happens when feelings don’t get released (they don’t just disappear) ✨ How to get out of your head and actually feel your emotions I also share a pretty raw personal shift 😅 the moment something cracked open for me, and I actually felt something fully for the first time in years. Because the breakthrough in your 30s isn’t becoming more self-aware…it’s learning how to stop controlling your emotions, and actually let them move through you. If you’re hyper self-aware but weirdly disconnected… this one’s for you. Follow the show on your favourite platforms: Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theweirdyearspodcast/?hl=en] Tiktok - @theweirdyears [https://www.tiktok.com/@theweirdyears]

Finding Love Without Burnout with Dating and Confidence Coach Laura Nagiel

What if it’s not dating that’s broken… but how we’re showing up in it? Stick with me for this.... I personally know so many amazing, sucessful, loving, and beautiful women who want to find a partner but are struggling in the dating world, so what's going on? In this episode, I'm joined by dating and confidence coach Laura Nagiel to get into how we can break the cycle of unsuccessful dating and find someone who is worth partnering up with. Laura's approach is rooted in awareness of what you want, direct honesty on who you need to become and never lowering your standard. We're getting into... ✨ The difference between confidence vs self-love and how it shows up in dating ✨ A new approach to avoid dating burn out ✨ Is "being realistic" a myth or a need? ✨ How we might be both the victims AND the cause of toxic dating culture ✨ The biggest mistake many woman are making in dating If you’ve ever felt like you’ve built a great life… but love is the one thing not clicking, this one's for you. Follow the show on your favourite platforms: Instagram - @theweirdyearspodcast [https://https://www.instagram.com/theweirdyearspodcast/?hl=en] Tiktok - @theweirdyears [https://www.tiktok.com/@theweirdyears] Follow Laura - https://www.instagram.com/lauranagiel/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/lauranagiel/?hl=en]