being an introvert in an extroverted world with asha banks

will they take my pain seriously?

welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... on this episode, nikki is talking about something she has never admitted out loud before: sometimes she feels the need to exaggerate her pain so that people believe her. nikki opens up about the "how are you feeling?" and "what's your pain out of ten?" questions that have haunted her entire life - especially in hospital settings. but these numbers have never been simple for her.... nikki has learned early that people respond differently to those numbers. a six sounds manageable. a ten gets taken seriously. so she learned to reach for severity to be seen, heard, and cared for. she talks about the therapy she's going through to work through her complex PTSD, the loneliness of chronic illness and needing to "sit" through her situation. nikki talks about feeling like a broken limb versus a paper cut - always having to be the broken limb to be prioritized. but here's what she's learning: validation and attention should be the same whether she's a six or a ten. honesty doesn't erase pain. if you've ever exaggerated your pain to be heard, felt invisible because your struggles aren't "bad enough," resented people for being able to leave what you can't escape, or felt like you had to perform your suffering to matter... this one's for you. don't forget to subscribe and don't miss new episodes every thursday! Follow Live A Little with Nikki Lilly Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/livealittlepodcast] TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@livealittlepodcast] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepod [https://www.youtube.com/@livealittlepod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

being an introvert in an extroverted world with asha banks

you might recognise our guest from the hit film 'my fault: london', the bbc series 'a good girl's guide to murder' or even as one of the most exciting new artists... asha banks joins nikki lilly on this episode of live a little! on this episode, nikki and asha talk about being introverts in an extrovert industry, being accomplished at a young age and navigating a world that tries to put you in a box. asha opens up about her incredible career journey - starting in theatre before going into film and tv - and talks about the pressure of proving everyone wrong about their preconceived notions. they chat about stunt work (asha plays a racing driver in 'my fault'), and asha's current obsession with dissecting music and lyrics in depth. they finish with quick-fire questions - from subway takes (asha's hot take: she doesn't like feta cheese) to her final thought about simple joys: buying flowers for people, spending time with friends, and making the most of sunny days. if you've ever struggled with social anxiety or wondered how to make something your own... this one's for you. don't forget to subscribe and don't miss new episodes every thursday! Follow Live A Little with Nikki Lilly Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/livealittlepodcast] TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@livealittlepodcast] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepod [https://www.youtube.com/@livealittlepod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

how to feel loved, even if you feel unlovable

on this episode of live a little, nikki is getting deeply vulnerable talking about why she feels unlovable, despite knowing logically that people love her. there's a crucial difference between knowing you're loved and believing you're lovable, especially romantically. nikki gets brutally honest about her rejection sensitivity - she's never been in a "proper" romantic relationship at nearly 22, so when she has a crush, her brain defaults to catastrophizing. underneath it all are deeper layers: growing up with a facial difference in a beauty-obsessed world, health struggles that made her feel like a burden, and the fear that if someone's interested, they must want something from her... but this episode shifts into something hopeful. nikki shares what she's learning in therapy, talks about distinguishing between intuition and fear wearing intuition's outfit and most importantly, she's learning that rejection doesn't have to be a bad thing. it's part of life. nikki's closing message is powerful: you are not hard to love just because you needed care. grab a cup of tea, get cosy and remember - be kind to the parts of you that panic when you want something. don't forget to subscribe and don't miss new episodes every thursday! Follow Live A Little with Nikki Lilly Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/livealittlepodcast] TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@livealittlepodcast] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepod [https://www.youtube.com/@livealittlepod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

add compassion and whimsy into your life with dodie

welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week nikki is reunited with someone she's known for a very long time: musician, songwriter, author and youtuber dodie. they kick things off reminiscing about the first time they met (when nikki had a massive nosebleed!!) and they became best friends from that moment. they dive deep into something that both of them struggle with - the curse of the youtube brain (that constant feeling of "should i be filming this?"). dodie opens up about how she used to love recording every moment to chronicle her life, but now even in offline moments with friends, there's still that nagging voice asking "is this a wasted opportunity?" they talk about being introverted despite being online creators, how your sacred time to yourself becomes even more important the more you're visible, and the struggle of figuring out where you begin and where your persona ends. but the bigger conversation? nikki and dodie explore how social media has shifted, how human connection is so grounding, and how coming back to real life is the antidote to always feeling like you need to be doing more. but here's the thing they keep returning to: it's okay to just be. you don't need to constantly evolve or optimise yourself. you are enough right now. they also chat about dodie's incredible collaboration with jeff goldblum (yes, really) and quick-fire questions! if you've ever felt like you're constantly performing, burnt out from being online, or wondering when being productive became your entire personality... this one's for you. don't forget to subscribe and don't miss new episodes every thursday! Follow Live A Little with Nikki Lilly Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/livealittlepodcast] TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@livealittlepodcast] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepod [https://www.youtube.com/@livealittlepod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

you're not broken, even if you feel it with katie piper

welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week comes with a content note for conversations around trauma, disability and health struggles. nikki is reunited with someone incredibly special - katie piper. it's been 8 years since they last sat down together for an interview. they're each other's "safe person" - the kind of no-BS zone where they don't need small talk or pretence, which is rare in the performative spaces they both navigate. they dive straight into the loneliness of being in the industry when you've been through things that aren't the norm. katie and nikki talk about showing up as their "best selves" when showing up itself takes so much more than the average person - the invisibility of hidden disabilities, the constant hospital appointments, and how choosing what you do becomes a way to reclaim agency. they get real about working at unsustainable levels because of health fragility and the anxiety that comes with cancelling plans and worrying you'll lose opportunities forever. the episode explores the freedom of losing fomo in your 40s, how every day is a new opportunity to restart your life (not just your prime years at 20), and how forced solitude became a strength for both katie and nikki. katie's closing message is pure gold: the human spirit is unbreakable. even if your life has been derailed and you feel broken, you're not - because you're still here telling your story. if you've ever felt like your life was derailed, wondered if you could survive what you've already survived, or needed permission to live fully despite your circumstances... this one's for you. don't forget to subscribe and don't miss new episodes every thursday! Follow Live A Little with Nikki Lilly Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/livealittlepodcast] TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@livealittlepodcast] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepod [https://www.youtube.com/@livealittlepod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]