What does “wellbeing” look like when it involves walking across hot coals, standing on broken glass, snapping wooden boards and bending metal with your throat? In this episode, Rachel returns from a retreat that was equal parts personal development and mild health & safety incident.

Joined by Susan, the pair explore the rise of extreme wellbeing experiences — from fire walking and glass walking to fear-based empowerment rituals. Are these powerful breakthroughs that help rewire the nervous system and shift limiting beliefs? Or are they just very well-marketed spectacles with great Instagram content?

This episode dives into fear, courage, mindset, and why sometimes stepping outside your comfort zone can genuinely change how you see yourself — even if it looks a little unhinged from the outside.

Honest, funny and refreshingly grounded, this is a conversation about the modern wellbeing industry, the psychology of fear, and the strange places we go in search of personal growth.

⚠️ Listener advisory: Please don’t try this at home.

Stay tuned — new episodes every week.

It’s midlife, unfiltered — with a side of laughter, mocktails, and mild oversharing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Well, That’s Awkward, Susan Osman and Rachel Branson explore the voice — how it changes as we age, how stress and hormones affect it, and why finding your voice in midlife can feel both empowering and uncomfortable.

From vocal coaching and communication styles to the age-old question of whether men and women really speak different emotional languages, this episode looks at how we express ourselves — and why so many women stop sugarcoating as they get older.

An honest, funny conversation about speaking your truth… even when your voice shakes.

New episodes every Monday at 6pm for Mocktail Monday 🍸

Stay tuned — new episodes every week.

It’s midlife, unfiltered — with a side of laughter, mocktails, and mild oversharing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Well, That’s Awkward, Susan Osman and Rachel Branson explore the world of Ayurveda — the 5,000-year-old holistic health system built around balance, energy and individual constitution.

Rachel has just returned from an Ayurvedic retreat in the Dolomites, and together they unpack what really happens at an Ayurvedic retreat, the three doshas (Pitta, Vata and Kapha), and why so many women turn to alternative health approaches in midlife.

They discuss oil massages, pulse diagnosis, herbal remedies, digestion, lifestyle balance — and the reality of trying to live Ayurvedically once you’re back home, juggling work and everyday life.

A thoughtful, funny conversation about ancient wisdom, modern wellbeing and finding balance without perfection.

New episodes every Monday at 6pm for Mocktail Monday 🍸

Stay tuned — new episodes every week.

It’s midlife, unfiltered — with a side of laughter, mocktails, and mild oversharing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Well, That’s Awkward, Susan Osman and Rachel Branson dive into the confusing world of modern supplements — from vitamins and minerals to sprays, drops, patches and tinctures that promise everything from better sleep to glowing skin.

They talk honestly about what they take, what’s helped, what was a complete waste of money, and how to tell whether a supplement is genuinely effective or just white-labelled marketing in a pretty bottle. From decoding ingredients with apps to understanding why delivery method matters, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating midlife wellbeing.

If you’ve ever stood in a health shop wondering whether that tiny capsule is actually doing anything… this one’s for you.

New episodes every Monday at 6pm for Mocktail Monday 🍸

Stay tuned — new episodes every week.

It’s midlife, unfiltered — with a side of laughter, mocktails, and mild oversharing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is meditation really about sitting cross-legged in silence with a perfectly blank mind… or is that just another Instagram myth?

In this episode, Susan Osman and Rachel Branson explore what meditation actually looks like in real life — from guided and silent meditations to breathwork, movement, Osho-style active practices, and even the slightly unhinged yoga shaking and gibberish that brought them together on a retreat.

They talk about how normal it is to have 200 thoughts racing through your head while you’re “meditating,” why stillness isn’t the only way to find calm, and how modern meditation is really about nervous-system regulation, not perfection.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “bad at meditating,” this episode is for you.

New episodes every Monday at 6pm for Mocktail Monday 🍸

Stay tuned — new episodes every week.

It’s midlife, unfiltered — with a side of laughter, mocktails, and mild oversharing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Well, That’s Awkward, Susan and Rachel explore what real friendship looks like in midlife. From soul-level connections and “mirror” relationships to being called out by the people who know us best, they ask the awkward but important question: how many truly good friends do we actually have?

An honest, thoughtful conversation about friendship, growth and the relationships that really support our wellbeing.

New episodes every Monday at 6pm for Mocktail Monday 🍸

Stay tuned — new episodes every week.

It’s midlife, unfiltered — with a side of laughter, mocktails, and mild oversharing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friendship is meant to be supportive… so why do some leave us emotionally exhausted?

In Episode 10 of Well, That’s Awkward, Rachel Branson and Susan Osman dive into the uncomfortable truth about toxic friendships — the emotional vampires, the one-sided relationships, and the guilt that keeps us stuck far longer than we should be.

We’re asking the awkward questions:

Is it ever okay to fire a friend?

What does ghosting do to your confidence?

And how do you know when a friendship has crossed from supportive to draining?

Expect honest conversation, laughter, and a few awkward truths — because friendship should fill your cup, not empty it.

Stay tuned — new episodes every week.

It’s midlife, unfiltered — with a side of laughter, mocktails, and mild oversharing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Digestive health may not be the most glamorous topic — but it’s one of the most important, especially for women over 40. In Episode 9 of Well, That’s Awkward, hosts Susan Osman and Rachel Branson dive into the messy, bloated, awkwardly honest world of midlife gut health.

From stubborn bloating to the infamous “hormonal hug” around the waist, this episode explores the digestive issues many women quietly deal with but rarely talk about aloud.

In this episode, Susan and Rachel unpack the mysteries of the midlife tummy — including:

• bloating and digestive discomfort
• the shift in how our bodies store fat
• how hormones affect the gut
• the mixed world of liver cleanses and detox claims
• what gut health fads actually do (or don’t do)

This is real-life wellbeing through a comedic, relatable lens — because sometimes the only answer to bloating… is laughing about it.

Stay tuned — new episodes every week.

It’s midlife, unfiltered — with a side of laughter, mocktails, and mild oversharing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.