This week, twin sisters Dr. Lexie Kite and Dr. Lindsay Kite join me for a discussion on body image resilience. As women, we've been conditioned to care about how we look and as such, become fixated on our beauty and body. And for many women, only when we feel we have conformed, do we feel confident. In addition to informing us how to step into body image resilience and away from body shame, Lexie and Lindsay offer their insight about topics such as self-objectification, body shame, and how internalized misogyny is central to our self-perceptions. 

“Body image resilience provides the opportunity to see the trigger as a stepping stone instead of a burden you carry around the rest of your life and cope in the same ways you’ve always had.” Dr. Lexie Kite

Lexie and Lindsay received their PhDs from the University of Utah. Their academic research on media studies and body image inspired them to establish the non-profit Beauty Redefined in 2009 (while concluding their co-written master’s thesis and beginning their doctoral research) to help women recognize and reject harmful messages about their bodies, worth, and potential, and redefine the meaning and value of beauty in their lives.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• Lexie and Lindsay’s book, More Than a Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament, takes on the topics of body image positivity and a reclamation of a woman's body. They share what inspired them to write this book. (6:30)
• Body image resilience: what it is and why it is important for women to work to raise theirs. (8:35)
• Why it is important to normalize the diversity of all bodies. (28:25)
• Many of us are disordered eaters and we don’t know it because it has been normalized in our culture. (36:12)
• We can prove the worst fears about ourselves are wrong. (39:44)
• The first step towards body image resilience includes taking inventory of your environment. (51:41)

http://andreaowen.com/412

It’s listener storytime! A few months ago I put out a call to share a personal story about making noise in your life. Several listeners answered the call; I am so excited that the time has come to share their experiences with you! This episode focuses on the topic of drinking and sobriety, coping with loss, and upholding boundaries.

Making noise is not necessarily about shouting from rooftops. It’s about pushing up against conditioning and social programming that tells you, you should not do something. You’ll hear how both Jill and Amy are making noise in their lives. 

Jill shares how a 90-day sobriety challenge turned into two years of sobriety (and still going). Following her sobriety, her life saw many major shifts and has allowed her to make and uphold boundaries in her life. Later, Amy bravely opens up about using alcohol to cope with a stroke she suffered in 2019. Making noise is also about speaking courageously and vulnerably in order to make a change in your life, much like Amy does here. Her story is one that also brings up the question, “How can you keep rising when you have evidence that sometimes things don’t work out?” I share some of my thoughts and lessons from Dr. Brené Brown’s Rising Strong curriculum to help Amy work through some of the reasons for her coping mechanisms.

http://andreaowen.com/411

Kacia Fitzgerald, host of the popular EmpowerHER podcast, joins me this week for a discussion about betting on yourself and going after whatever it is you want in life. 

Kacia is the Founder & CEO of She Goes company which is designed to empower women with the tools and community so they never have to GO alone.  In this episode, we also talk about trusting yourself, why it is important to show up for the, “why,” as opposed to getting caught up in the, “how,” and so much more. I love Kacia’s energy and know you will too. 

“When you trust yourself enough, then you can hear other people’s feedback but still do what feels aligned.” Kacia Fitzgerald

In this episode you’ll hear:

• The story behind Kacia’s Instagram post that said, “Worrying is literally betting against yourself.” (6:14)
• Why it’s important to not confuse inexperience with inability. (9:12)
• Some routines and rituals Kacia turns to in her daily life, which helps her to manage anxiety, reconnect, and decompress. (12:36)
• Kacia wants women to write their own damn permission slip. (21:49)

Instead of getting stuck on the” how,”, show up for the, “why.”(39:26)

http://andreaowen.com/410

I recorded this episode on September 27th, 2021. That day is of significance because it was my 10-year anniversary of sobriety. There’s a part of me that thinks, “I can't believe I've survived this long without drinking.” And another part of me that says, “Well, yes, it does feel like 10 years.”

10 years of clarity.
10 years of wisdom.
10 years of groundedness and feeling anchored in who I am. 

So, I wanted to take this opportunity to share my recovery and sobriety story with you. While I’ve shared my story before, it’s now many years out; therefore, I'll probably tell it a little bit differently than I did when I was a year out, which was the first time I talked about it publicly.

If you don't have a problem with alcohol maybe you have a loved one who does or maybe you are struggling with something else. I believe we all are recovering from something. Recovery is a lifelong journey. I hope you find some insight, clarity, support, or wisdom from this episode.

http://andreaowen.com/409