Life Talks with Lauren

Ep. 166: Wearing Less, Stressing Less: Body Acceptance in Summer

As the weather warms up, so does the pressure to achieve the so-called “summer body.” Social media is once again flooded with weight loss tips, body “fixes,” and the outdated idea that only certain body types are worthy of showing up in the sun. In today’s episode, we’re cutting through the noise and talking about body acceptance and neutrality—practices that can help you show up confidently and comfortably, no matter your size or shape.

I’ll share my thoughts on the resurgence of 90s-style body messaging, the impact of comparison, and the ways I navigate dressing for my body while prioritizing confidence and comfort. Plus, we’ll get into practical strategies for shifting negative self-talk, setting boundaries with body commentary, and embracing the experience of summer without body-related anxiety taking over.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🌞 Why summer tends to bring up body insecurities
🌞 How to shift your focus from appearance to functionality
🌞 The power of body neutrality and actionable mindset shifts
🌞 How to dress in a way that makes you feel comfortable and confident
🌞 Tips for handling unsolicited comments and setting boundaries
🌞 How to curate a social media feed that supports your body journey

Key Takeaways:
✨ Your body is not a problem to be fixed—every body is a summer body.
✨ Comparison is natural, but admiration is a powerful alternative.
✨ Body acceptance is a daily practice, not a final destination.
✨ You deserve to enjoy summer fully—without shame, stress, or restriction.

Resources & Links:
📲 Let’s connect on Instagram: @laurenmkepler
💌 If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend! Word of mouth helps this podcast grow and reach those who need it.

💛 Thanks for listening, and remember: your body deserves kindness, no matter the season.

Ep. 165-Upgrade Your Discipline From Self-Criticism to Self-Care

What if discipline wasn’t about punishment, but about self-respect? In this episode of Life Talks with Lauren, we’re rethinking the way we approach discipline—shifting from shame to self-love. Inspired by a quote from @bluewmist, I’m sharing how this mindset shift changed my life and how it can transform yours, too.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Why discipline rooted in shame leads to guilt, burnout, and inconsistency.

• How reframing your habits as acts of self-care can make them more sustainable.

• My personal experience with exercise—from using it as a punishment to embracing it as self-love.

• The emotional toll of a “no excuses” mindset and how to break free from it.

• Practical ways to shift your mindset and build habits that feel good and last.

Reflection Questions for You:

• What’s one area of your life where discipline feels like punishment rather than self-care?

• How do you typically talk to yourself when you don’t follow through on a habit or goal?

• Can you reframe one of your “I have to” statements into an “I deserve to” statement?

• How would your daily habits change if you approached them from a place of love rather than obligation?

• What’s one small act of self-discipline you can commit to this week that feels like self-respect rather than self-punishment?

Let’s Continue the Conversation:
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your takeaways on Instagram and tag me @laurenmkepler. If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review and share it with someone who might need to hear it.

Listen Now: https://open.spotify.com/show/62EFL7WqMBBy83zcRDNmyH?si=61e3b4cb30ec4883

 

Ep. 164-Not Where I Thought I'd Be - And That's Okay

Turning 35 brings up a lot of emotions—gratitude, reflection, and sometimes, self-doubt. In this episode of Life Talks with Lauren, I’m opening up about the expectations I had for my life by this age versus the reality of where I am. We’ll talk about societal pressures, personal growth, and learning to embrace the journey, even when it looks different than expected. If you’ve ever felt like you’re falling behind in life, this episode is for you.

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What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
✅ The pressures and expectations around aging and milestones
✅ My personal journey: where I thought I’d be vs. where I actually am
✅ How I’ve learned to embrace uncertainty and redefine success
✅ The importance of gratitude, personal growth, and self-acceptance
✅ Encouragement for anyone feeling "behind" in life

 

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Listener Reflection & Engagement:
📢 What were your expectations for yourself by this age? How has your reality been different? Share your thoughts on social media and tag me @laurenmkepler!
💌 Subscribe & leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!
🎙️ Stay tuned for next week’s episode: "How Shame Influences Our Habits and Behaviors—And What We Can Do About It."

Ep. 163-Confidence, Freedom, and Embracing Aging as a Woman with Sami

Turning 40 can feel daunting for many women, but what if this milestone is actually a gateway to greater confidence, freedom, and self-acceptance? In this episode of Life Talks with Lauren, I’m joined by Sami from SHE Unbound to explore how women can embrace aging with empowerment rather than fear. We dive into the myths surrounding aging, the newfound confidence that comes with life experience, and why midlife can be one of the most exciting chapters yet.

Tune in as we discuss:
✔️ Why so many women fear aging—and how to shift that mindset
✔️ The confidence and freedom that come with turning 40
✔️ Body acceptance and self-care in midlife
✔️ Reinventing yourself at any stage—career, passions, and relationships
✔️ Practical tips for embracing 40 with joy and empowerment

If you’ve ever worried about getting older, this conversation is here to inspire and uplift you!

✨ Let’s connect!
📲 Follow me on Instagram: @laurenmkepler You can also connect with Sami @sheunbound
💬 Join the conversation and share your thoughts on aging! Tag me on social media or use #LifeTalksWithLauren
📩 Have a topic you’d love me to cover? Send me a DM!

Ep. 162-Managing Goals and Habits When Motivation is Low

Ever have those days—or even weeks—when motivation is nowhere to be found? You’re not alone. In this episode of Life Talks with Lauren, I dive into practical ways to stay consistent with your goals and habits when you’re feeling low on energy or motivation. I’ll share personal stories, simple strategies for maintaining progress, and tips on when it’s best to push forward versus when to rest. Whether you’re working on personal goals, wellness habits, or creative projects, this episode will help you navigate those tough days with kindness and purpose.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How I use motivation to structure my daily flow + how I adjust my goals when I'm not feeling my best
✅ Practical strategies to maintain habits during low-energy periods
✅ The importance of self-compassion in staying consistent
✅ How small wins can build momentum on tough days
✅ Mindset shifts to overcome all-or-nothing thinking

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Why You Should Listen:

If you’ve ever felt guilty about taking a break or wondered how to keep moving toward your goals when life feels overwhelming, this episode is for you. You’ll walk away with actionable tools to manage habits and goals—even when motivation is low—without sacrificing your well-being.

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Resources & Links:

✨ Follow me on Instagram: @laurenmkepler
🎧 Listen to more episodes of Life Talks with Lauren: Click here

📖 Check out the Body Acceptance Workbook: Click here

Other links mentioned in the episode: Resource 1, Resource 2, All in Her Head by Elizabeth Comen

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Let’s Connect:

What’s your go-to strategy for staying consistent when motivation dips? DM me on Instagram or share your thoughts using #LifeTalksWithLauren—I’d love to hear from you!

Ep. 161-Hi, I'm a Recovering Perfectionist

It was a typical Wednesday evening roller derby practice. We had split into groups where half the skaters were doing laps while the other half stayed in the middle to do push-ups, squats, arm circles, etc. while waiting their turn. I was with the group in the center, and we were doing our usual chatting between sets. We started talking about comparison and how it affects us on the track - both during practice, and in bouts. Derby is a community where we make it a point to uplift and encourage each other, because we recognize how hard we can be on ourselves. It isn’t a sport by any means. Simply learning the basics of skating took me months and was something I agonized over for a long time. 

 

My teammates and I started talking about how easy it is to compare where we are in our skating and derby journey, and how discouraged we can feel when we aren’t “far enough” along. I especially felt that way after breaking my ankle and getting surgery at the start of 2023. I had worked so hard to build up my skills, and in an instant I was back to square one. When I finally made it back onto the track six months later, I had watched my peers grow in skill exponentially. And I felt left behind. It was as if I was learning to skate again for the first time. I had to be patient with myself and learn to embrace the imperfection within the journey. Thankfully, I had my derby family there to lift me up and remind me what I had overcome in the early days back. And still -- my desire to be perfect often holds me back from being the best player I can be. There are times when I get embarrassed at practice when I suck at something and I feel like…oh, I’ve been doing derby for over 2 years now and I make it a point to exercise so often outside of practice. I shouldn’t feel so behind or tired. But then I have to remind myself that struggling as I’m learning or gaining experience in something I care about isn’t something to be embarrassed of. Even now as I’ve picked up bowling as a hobby with my boyfriend, and he’s teaching me how to hook the ball and completely revamp my technique - some days it feels impossible not to beat myself up or feel discouraged. 

 

After sharing with my derby fam about these things, I began to wonder - where does perfectionism, especially in women, usually stem from? In what ways do we tend to allow it to hold us back from doing what lights us up? Are there tangible ways we can learn to work with our perfectionistic tendencies so they don’t hold us back as much? That’s what I intend to explore in this week's episode.

 

If you enjoyed the episode, hit that subscribe button! I'd also love to connect with you on IG. You can find me there @laurenmkepler. 

 

Talk to you soon!

Ep. 160-What Makes Women Feel Beautiful?

On November 12, 2024, I journaled about my confidence wavering. I wrote that I felt neutral about my body and not-so-confident in my social abilities. BUT that I felt good about that day’s work out, because it left me feeling strong and capable. At one point, I wrote: “I feel most beautiful when I feel most connected to myself.” Then, I elaborated:

 

When I’m taking care of myself (i.e. walking, working out, eating well--and by that I don’t mean eating “perfectly,” I mean eating regularly and feeling satisfied with my choices). When I’m connecting to the way my clothes fit. And taking the time to put on makeup. Maybe doing my hair. Putting on lotion. Setting aside quality time for me. Journaling. Being present with the people I care about. Showing up for myself and others through fear and doubts and “I don’t wanna’s.” Beauty feels holistic to me. It’s an inner and outer thing. I know that’s cliche, but it really makes a difference.

 

And it is a cliche statement to make. But it’s popular for a reason. And why do I think this? Because I checked Google. And a popular online forum. Then, I consulted a blog post written by the owner of a bath & body care company. Finally, I asked my online community to share their thoughts. The responses were mixed yet cohesive. 

 

Here’s what I discovered: Every woman has a unique blend that makes her feel like a baddie. And each formula contains a combination of actions any woman can take to radiate from the inside out. I'll tell you all about what I learned in today's episode. 

 

To access the blog version, check out my Substack. 

Ep. 159-How I Went from "I Just Don't Get Along with Other Girls" to Becoming an Unapologetic Girl's Girl

What does it even mean to be a “girl’s girl?” Does it mean we only respect women, and we hate on men? Do we have to unfailingly support each other, even when we’re in the wrong? And also - what can we do to celebrate and show up for the women in our lives? Those are questions I had, so I did some research.

Listen to the episode now to find out what I discovered, or if you prefer you can read the blog post version here. 

And as always, subscribe to stay in the know for future episodes and connect with me on Instagram @laurenmkepler!

Ep. 158-What Do Seasons Have to Do with Mental Health & Joy?

On January 6, 2025, I sent a 15-minute voice message to my good friend, Sami. She and I have gotten in the habit of sending weekly voice messages back and forth as a way to check in, motivate each other, and share what’s going on in our lives and minds. In my message to her on the 6th, I reflected on my thoughts about the upcoming year, and how it relates to my feelings about seasons. It inspired me to write a post on my exploration of embracing the push and pull of the seasons. Not just literal seasons based on weather, but also life’s seasons. How is it all intertwined? And how can we find beauty and comfort in different phases, especially the ones we enjoy the least?

 

What can we learn from women’s menstrual cycles, video games, and even goths about how to slow down and enjoy the seemingly unenjoyable? That’s what I intend to explore in this week's episode. To read the blog post version, click here. 

 

If you enjoyed this episode, connect with me on Instagram and make sure you subscribe so you don't miss future episodes!

Ep. 156: Did I get the job? | How the job hunt is going | My past experiences in finding work

You know how some things in life can bring up insecurities you thought you'd overcome? Like getting back into the dating world for the first time in a while. Or trying a new hobby. Or job hunting after being out of work for a while (or just getting your first job). That's been me lately. I've started looking for work as I make my way through a divorce, and let me tell ya--it's not for the faint of heart. BUT the good news is there are so many resources to help prepare. And it helps to have a community of supportive people that love me and see the best in me. They genuinely keep me afloat. So in this episode, I'm sharing my past history with finding jobs, how that's changed this time around, and what I did to prepare for my most recent job interview. 

Much like anything scary in life--there is so much to learn! And this experience has been no different. So come hang out with me while I share all the ups and downs of being on a job hunt. Hopefully you'll learn a thing or two :) If you wanna talk about it, come find me on Instagram! I'm @laurenmkendrick. 

Oh, and here are some of the YouTube videos I watched to help me prepare: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOpVzPapMws

https://youtu.be/prW5jqJ6xwA?si=-sgMgajKZIQd3cns

https://youtu.be/IV30jAw7dxA?si=xYQUr189_pfGI1n6

https://youtu.be/-QXAG3AT1p0?si=8zdFUyJi8gQXnv34

https://youtu.be/fYHR0KgnGHU?si=y0HqC6m2_h7or5jX

 

Talk to you soon!

Lauren