Self-Conscious with Chrissy Teigen

Carl Radke—known for years as the “fun one” on Bravo’s Summer House—opens up to Chrissy about what happens when the party persona that kept everything light starts quietly destroying your life. In a raw, funny, and brutally honest conversation, Carl traces the pressure to perform, the role alcohol and cocaine played behind the scenes, and the moment he realized he had to save his own life—even if it meant disappointing everyone. He shares what recovery actually looks like in real life, why it isn’t linear, and how his memoir Cake Eater helped him reclaim “childhood Carl” and build a life that doesn’t require numbing to get through it.Key TakeawaysWhy “being the fun one” can become a survival strategy—and how it turns into a trap when your identity depends on keeping the party going.How sobriety forces an identity rebuild: who you are when alcohol, nightlife, and performance are no longer your personality.What rock bottom can look like when you’re high-functioning and hiding it well, including the ways addiction shows up off-camera.Why recovery isn’t a straight line—and what helped Carl find real support (therapy, AA, sponsors, community, and accountability).How grief, family addiction, and trauma shaped his emotional life, including the impact of losing his brother and the “that’ll never be me” illusion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the reason you're always overwhelmed isn’t because you’re doing life wrong—but because you’re following a plan that was never made for you? In this episode of Self-Conscious, Chrissy sits down with Kendra Adachi, bestselling author of THE PLAN: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius, to dismantle the hustle, perfectionism, and guilt so many women carry when it comes to managing time, energy, and expectations.Chrissy opens up about her own internalized pressure to “do it all,” her fear of being seen as lazy, and how small acts of presence—like saying yes to her kids' invitation to play outside—can feel more meaningful than any perfect plan.Key Takeaways:Start with what matters to you right now—not a fantasy future—and build small, sustainable actions from that place.Let go of the myth of being behind: your life doesn’t need a “catch-up plan,” it needs compassion.Energy, not time, should guide how you plan your day—honor your body and your bandwidth.The five-step Lazy Genius Method (prioritize, essentialize, organize, personalize, systemize) can help you solve real problems without burning out.Small things aren’t just enough—they are the point.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the biggest barrier between you and the life you want isn’t discipline or willpower, but how well you understand your own feelings? Dr. Marc Brackett, the director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, joins Chrissy to explain why emotions are data—not drama—and how learning to recognize, name, and regulate them can completely change your life. In this conversation, he shares tools like the Mood Meter, the Meta-Moment, and the RULER framework to help you respond as your best self, raise emotionally healthy kids, and build relationships rooted in safety, clarity, and compassion.KEY TAKEAWAYS• How learning to accurately name your emotions can shift your decisions, relationships, and daily life.• Why treating emotions as information—not problems—gives you more clarity and control.• How the Mood Meter and Meta-Moment help you pause, regulate, and respond as your best self.• Why most adults never learned emotional skills—and how you can build them at any age.• How offering non-judgment, empathy, and calm to others (and yourself) creates real emotional safety and connection.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert joins Chrissy Teigen for a raw, unfiltered conversation about codependency, emotional addiction, and the journey behind her new memoir, All the Way to the River. She opens up about love, loss, boundaries, and the spiritual surrender that helped her rebuild her life from the inside out. If you've ever lost yourself in a relationship or struggled to feel “enough,” this episode offers powerful insight, practical tools, and a path back to yourself.Key TakeawaysHow to recognize the early signs of codependency before they quietly reshape your life.Why surrender—not control—creates deeper emotional stability and real inner peace.How to break people-pleasing habits and rebuild a stronger, steadier sense of self.Why emotional sobriety matters and how to sit with hard feelings without acting on them.How Liz’s “Letters From Love” practice can ground you and transform your daily self-talk.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chrissy sits down with Jonathan Haidt to unpack The Anxious Generation—how the mid-aughts, smartphone/social-media surge “rewired” childhood, replacing play, sleep, and face-to-face friendship with dopamine-driven scrolling and an epidemic of anxiety. He lays out exactly what parents, schools, and communities can do right now to restore a healthy, play-based childhood.Five Key Takeaways:The Great Rewiring — How smartphones, cameras, and infinite feeds rewired childhood and attention.Girls vs. Boys — How social media drives anxiety and self-harm in girls and boys differentlyFour Rules — No smartphones before high school, no social media before 16, phone-free schools, and more free play.Home Habits — Ban phones from the table and bedrooms; swap TikTok scrolling for shared long-form stories.The Parent Playbook — Band with other parents, try summer camp resets, and reclaim evenings/mornings from screens.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When pregnancy veers off the script, what do you do next—and how do you reclaim your power? Chrissy talks to economist and parenting data expert Emily Oster discussing her bestseller The Unexpected: Navigating Pregnancy During and After Complications, translating the hardest parts of miscarriage, stillbirth, preeclampsia, hyperemesis, and postpartum mental health into clear questions, better conversations with your care team, and compassionate next steps. Five Key TakeawaysName it to navigate it: Understanding what actually happened (not just the label) is the first step toward clarity, closure, and planning.Ask the four questions: What happened? Why did it happen to me? Could it happen again (and how likely)? What can we do to lower the risk or prepare?Recurrence isn’t one-size-fits-all: Some complications (e.g., gestational diabetes, postpartum depression) have higher repeat risk; others (like many abruptions) are less likely to recur—plan accordingly.Advocacy is a skill: Decide the communication style you want (all the numbers vs. big-picture), switch providers if you don’t feel heard, and bring your true self to appointments.Postpartum is medical, not moral: Screening for depression/anxiety (for birthing and non-birthing partners), pelvic recovery, lactation after loss, and body-image grief deserve proactive care—not silence or shame.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matt Ritter and Aaron Karo, creators of the new Audible Original “The Buddy System,” help Chrissy and husband John Legend navigate the crisis of male loneliness; unpacking why men struggle with friendship, and how building rituals can literally save lives. With humor and heart, they explore why male friendships matter for health, happiness, and stronger relationships.Key TakeawaysThe rituals that help friendships endure across decades.Why male loneliness is a hidden public health crisis linked to depression, substance abuse, and even early death.How women can support partners in maintaining male friendships without carrying the whole emotional load.Simple frameworks like “TCS” (Text, Call, See) to keep friendships alive.Why vulnerability—saying “thank you” or even “I love you, man”—is real strength, not weakness.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chrissy sits down with Oliver Burkeman, author of Meditations for Mortals to explore why the obsession with “finally getting everything done” is a trap. Burkeman explains how embracing imperfection and accepting our limits can help us stop chasing control, start finishing things imperfectly, and actually live with more presence and ease. Five Key Takeaways:The Finish Line Myth: The to-do list will never be empty—your job isn’t to “catch up,” but to choose the next thing that matters.Imperf-Perfectionism: Starting and finishing something—messy or not—is better than waiting until it’s perfect.Small, Realistic Goals: Swap “do it perfectly” for “do it regularly” (like 20 minutes of writing or one load of laundry).Three Good Hours: Most of us only have three focused hours a day—use them for what matters most, and let the rest be messy.Celebrate Done, Not Perfect: Keep a “done list,” make small decisions to move forward, and see problems as part of real life—not signs of failure.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.