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

Have you built your entire life around waiting for motivation to text you back? In this episode, I explain why motivation is a fuckboy and why relying on it is the reason you start and stop, stall out, or never follow through on the things that matter most to you. Motivation feels amazing when it shows up, but it disappears the moment things get hard or uncomfortable, and when you treat it like a prerequisite, you give something unreliable total control over your progress. If you’ve been waiting to feel ready, excited, or inspired before you take action, this episode will help you understand why that strategy isn’t working. You’ll learn how to stop organizing your life around motivation and start following through from a place that is far more reliable, so you can actually create results whether motivation shows up or not. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/480 Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil

Do you worry that saying no makes you rude, selfish, or a bad person? In this Coaching Hotline episode, I break down why what you’ve been taught to call “politeness” is often just people pleasing in disguise, and how that conditioning keeps you stuck in self doubt. Then I answer a question I hear all the time in different forms, what do you do when you understand thought work but you still can’t change your thoughts? I explain why you are not missing a tool, why nothing has gone wrong, and why this frustrating in between stage is actually a normal and necessary part of the process. 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/479Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

My new book "Take Back Your Brain: How a Sexist Society Gets in Your Head... and How to Get it Out" is officially available as an audiobook and hardcover wherever books and audiobooks are sold!Click here to order yours: unfuckyourbrain.com/book

Have you ever felt stuck in your career or questioned whether you're on the right path? In this episode, I’m joined by my mastermind student Lisa who made the bold decision to transition from being a global CEO to pursuing her passion for running a dahlia farm. Her journey is a testament to the power of reinvention, and we dive into how she navigated that shift. Lisa shares how she was able to tackle the fears and self-doubt that came with stepping away from the corporate world and how she’s now embracing a different version of success. We talk about the importance of setting big goals, overcoming fear, and the emotional challenges of letting go of a well-established career to follow your passion. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/478To learn more about applying for Mission Impossible Mastermind, send an email to [email protected] Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheilFollow Lisa on Instagram: instagram.com/kayabloomstudio

Do you ever feel completely exhausted but can’t quite figure out if it’s because your body is physically tired or if it’s the thoughts in your head making everything worse? In this week's Coaching Hotline episode, I dive into the complex relationship between physical fatigue and mental thoughts, and how you can shift your thinking no matter how tired you are.Then, I dive into a question that comes up often in coaching: Should you focus on the immediate thoughts that are triggering your feelings or dig into the deeper, root cause of your beliefs? Tune in to hear my answer. Submit your own question here and it might get answered on a future episode: unfuckyourbrain.com/coachinghotlineGet full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/477Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

Have you ever been caring for someone you love and suddenly felt resentful, exhausted, or completely overwhelmed? And then immediately thought, “What kind of person feels this way?” In this episode, I talk about the emotional reality of caregiving, especially for those of us in the Sandwich Generation who are supporting aging parents while also raising kids, managing careers, and trying to hold our own lives together. You'll hear why caregiving guilt is so common and how socialization trains women to believe they should give endlessly without limits. I explore why the real problem isn’t the anger or resentment that can show up in caregiving, but the shame we pile on top of those emotions, and how shifting from either or thinking to both and can help you care for others without abandoning yourself in the process. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/476 Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

Does receiving feedback make you feel instantly defensive, embarrassed, or like you’ve done something terribly wrong?In this Coaching Hotline episode, I answer two listener questions about how to handle criticism at work and how to know when you’ve coached yourself “correctly.” You’ll learn how to manage your mind around feedback, understand why feeling defensive is optional, and recognize that sometimes the answers you already have are the ones you need to keep practicing.Submit your own question here and it might get answered on a future episode: unfuckyourbrain.com/coachinghotlineGet full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/475Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

What if one of the most important financial decisions you ever make isn’t about investing, saving, or budgeting... but about who you choose as your partner?In this episode, I’m joined by Vivian Tu, also known as Your Rich BFF, 2x New York Times bestselling author, and host of the podcast Networth and Chill. We discuss why money is not just about survival but about power, choice, and freedom. Vivian explains why women are often socialized to over compromise financially in relationships, how to adjust your mindset about money as a shared partnership decision, and why financial literacy is essential for protecting your future.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/474Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/Learn more about Vivian Tu and her work here: yourrichbff.com and on Instagram instagram.com/your.richbff

Does your brain love to tell you you're ugly, incapable, or untalented? What if it's right? In this Coaching Hotline episode, I dive into a listener’s question about those persistent negative thoughts that tell us we’re not good enough. You’ll discover why it doesn't actually matter if they are objectively true or not, and why intentionally deciding how you think about yourself does.I also answer a question about the concept of vibrations and energy, where a listener is struggling to understand how thought work connects with things like chemistry, energy healing, and even Reiki. Tune in to learn how to approach these concepts with clarity, and why your beliefs about them are just as powerful as any physical sensation.Submit your own question here and it might get answered on a future episode: unfuckyourbrain.com/coachinghotlineGet full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/473Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

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/472Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/Learn more about Margaret Cullen's work at margaretcullen.com

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/471Follow 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/470Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

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/469Follow 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/468Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

Do you feel like you’re stuck in a toxic relationship, but aren’t sure if it’s really the relationship or just your thoughts? In this Coaching Hotline episode, I dive into a listener’s question about how to tell if your relationship is toxic and how much of the issue comes down to your own thinking. I also tackle a question on health anxiety, where the listener is worried that their weight isn’t going down despite making healthy changes, and fears they’re damaging their health. Discover how thought work can help you take control of your emotional experience, whether in relationships or health, without falling into the trap of self-judgment and fear.Submit your own question here and it might get answered on a future episode: unfuckyourbrain.com/coachinghotlineGet full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/467Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

How many times have you turned to Netflix, shopping, or a glass of wine to avoid feeling something uncomfortable? This is a pattern so many of us get stuck in. In this episode, I’m joined by my best friend, Master Certified Life Coach Rachel Hart, to explore why we do this and what actually helps us change it. This episode is the perfect starting point for understanding why we numb our emotions in the first place, and why learning to feel them instead of avoiding them is the key to creating lasting change in your life.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/466Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/Learn more about Rachel Hart's work at rachelhart.com/

Do you ever look at your life on paper and think, I should feel proud of this, while inside you feel trapped, empty, or quietly panicked? In this Coaching Hotline episode, I answer a question from a listener who hates her career choice and feels crushed by debt, regret, and the belief that she ruined her life by making the “wrong” decision.In the second question, I address what it means to feel numb or disconnected inside and why that emptiness can make thought work feel pointless or hopeless. This episode will help you see how your thoughts, not your past decisions or your emotional state, are creating the suffering, and how learning to question what you’re making your circumstances and feelings mean is the key to reclaiming agency, clarity, and self-trust. Submit your own question here and it might get answered on a future episode: unfuckyourbrain.com/coachinghotlineGet full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/465Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

There’s a word many of us use to feel validated or justified that actually keeps us stuck in self-doubt. Whether it sounds like “I deserve this” or “maybe I don’t deserve that,” this way of thinking quietly turns your life into a moral evaluation instead of a place where you get to make choices.In this episode, I explain why the idea of “deserving” is a mental trap and how it reinforces shame, second-guessing, and the belief that you need permission to want, enjoy, or change something. I share a different framework for relating to desire, hardship, and agency so you can stop debating your worth and start deciding what you want to experience instead.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/464Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

When you’ve spent most of your adult life believing your body has to look a certain way to be desirable, it can feel impossible to think anything different. In this Coaching Hotline episode, I answer a listener who feels stuck believing her body must change for men to be attracted to her, even after years of thought work. I also respond to a question about struggling to identify emotions beyond anxiety and feeling empty or disconnected. I explain why strong emotions are often the easiest to access at first, what it actually means to describe a feeling physically, and how learning to stay with sensations without judgment builds emotional awareness over time.Submit your own question here and it might get answered on a future episode: unfuckyourbrain.com/coachinghotlineGet full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/463Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

Do you ever fall off a goal, get back on, and then fall off again in the exact same way? In this episode, I explain why setbacks aren’t the problem and why the way you respond to them determines whether you actually make progress or quietly give up.You'll hear why simply vowing to “do better next time” doesn’t work, how shame blocks analysis, and how the combination of self-compassion and strategy is what actually creates lasting change. If you want to stop repeating the same setbacks and start building momentum, this episode shows you how.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: schoolofnewfeministthought.com/462Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/

Do you ever feel like if you could just find the right outfit, you’d finally feel confident? Or like the only way to calm your anxiety in dating is to get reassurance from the person you’re seeing?In this Coaching Hotline episode, I answer two listener questions that show how easy it is to look outside yourself for emotional safety. You’ll learn how to stop outsourcing your confidence to clothes or other people and start creating emotional security from the inside out. 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/461 Follow along on Instagram: instagram.com/karaloewentheil/