Glennon Doyle on How to Be Broken

Glennon Doyle on How to Be Broken

Author: Pushkin Industries May 12, 2025 Duration: 41:38

For as long as writer Glennon Doyle can remember, she’s felt that something inside her was broken. 'Who am I really? What am I meant to do? And why does it feel so bad to be in this body?' These are the messy questions that Glennon has been grappling with for years. On today’s episode, Glennon, who hosts the wildly popular podcast We Can Do Hard Things, details her perpetual search for belonging, and shares the wisdom she's gained along the way.

Glennon’s new book, also called We Can Do Hard Things, is out now. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, visit the National Eating Disorders Association for support, resources, and treatment options: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help/

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Life has a way of rewriting our scripts, often when we least expect it. A Slight Change of Plans, from Pushkin Industries, sits with that universal truth through conversations that feel both intimate and expansive. Hosted by cognitive scientist Dr. Maya Shankar, the podcast is shaped by her own pivotal shift-a violin career ended by injury, which led her to professionally examine how we process transformation. Each episode moves beyond theory, featuring deeply personal stories from a wide range of guests who share their own encounters with upheaval. What you’ll hear isn’t just about resilience, but the nuanced science and practical strategies that can help anyone navigate a redirected path. It’s this thoughtful blend of human experience and grounded research that earned the series Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year. Listening feels like gaining a wiser friend, one who helps you reframe life’s unexpected turns not as disasters, but as complex chapters in a continuing story. The podcast ultimately explores how our identities adapt, how we find meaning, and how even the most disruptive changes can lead to growth we never planned for.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

A Slight Change of Plans
Podcast Episodes
Cynicism is Exhausting. There’s an Alternative. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:49
Psychologist Jamil Zaki studies the science of human connection and he believes cynicism is holding us back. Cynicism isn't just harmful for our health, he says, it’s also misguided. He talks to Maya about a powerful, al…
The Grief of Empty Nesting with Kelly Corrigan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:41
Sometimes, even when things go precisely as you hoped they would, change hurts. Writer Kelly Corrigan talks to Maya about wrestling with the reality that her daughters' childhood was ending, and that her role as their pa…
Olympian Gabby Thomas On Choosing Happiness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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U.S. track star Gabby Thomas recently won three gold medals at the Paris Olympics. To celebrate, we’re sharing Maya’s conversation with Gabby that took place shortly after the athlete’s Olympic debut in Tokyo. Gabby expl…
Part 2: A Million Little Losses [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:08
Just a few days after Kelsie first talked with Maya for the podcast, Kelsie's husband, Chris, was rushed to the hospital after he didn’t wake up from a nap. He died a few days later, as a result of complications from ALS…
Part 1: A Million Little Losses [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:06
When Kelsie first met her co-worker Chris, she fell hard. They soon fell in love, got married, and had two kids. But then, Chris received a devastating diagnosis. In conversation with Maya, writer Kelsie Snow explores th…
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Duration: 33:10
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Real Talk: The Transition to Motherhood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:24
Motherhood can be a time of profound internal upheaval, says clinical psychologist Molly Millwood. Molly offers an honest look at the transition into motherhood, drawing from scientific research, stories from her private…
A Syrian Refugee Fights for Olympic Dreams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:04
Swimmer Yusra Mardini grew up in Syria and dreamed of one day representing her home country at the Olympics. But when the civil war in Syria intensified, she fled the country and had to put that dream on hold. After esca…
“Surrender is not in my DNA” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:22
Brad Snyder was part of the U.S. Navy’s most elite bomb squad. In his role, he was rewarded for his intense independence. But after a bomb blast left him blind, he had to relearn how to depend on others. He talks with Ma…
What Comes After Gold, With Olympian Missy Franklin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:51
Swimmer Missy Franklin won four gold medals at her first Olympics. But as she trained for her second trip to the world stage, her mental health began to crumble. With so much to defend, the pool suddenly felt like a pres…