Chatting (un)comfortably Serena Aswani

Toxic relationships can be emotional and/or physically damaging. On this episode, we'll talk about the emotional side. Being in my mid 20s I’ve unfortunately witnessed friends in toxic relationships, and the sad reality is you don’t always see the signs. You may think you have control of the situation, a sense of guilt, wanting to fix your partner, but actually a lot of this comes down to manipulation. It can make you feel really lonely and trapped being in a toxic relationship because your partner may subtly move you away from your friends/family. 

I really wanted to do an episode to raise awareness of the signs because it’s not like physical abuse where you're more likely to walk away from that relationship.

To respect the identities of the my guest and his ex-partner, I have changed the names in this episode. I’m so grateful that “J” was able to share his story because I also think that sometimes it’s more difficult for males to share such deep parts of their relationship, where they were on the receiving end of the toxicity.

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We experience 70,000 thoughts each day. Do you ever stop to question it? If you have a brain, you have a bias. On this episode i’m joined by Tanvi, a corporate girl by day and lifestyle blogger by night. We explore the topic of unconscious bias. Working with South Asian fashion brands, Tanvi has experienced having biases towards fairer skin, which unfortunately is still prevalent and championed in the culture. She shares her thoughts on why it’s important to call out such biases. A keen sportswoman, Tanvi speaks openly about being the only South Asian girl in many of her sports teams. Finally, we explore the biases that can occur in the workplace and how we can challenge them. 

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Please follow the IG page @chatting_uncomfortably I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode.

Please also hit the follow button on your podcasting platform so you don't miss an episode.

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On this episode i’m joined by Dilan - a Stage 4 cancer survivor. He quotes that this was the wake up call he needed to lead a more meaningful and fulfilling life. After going through chemotherapy and surviving cancer, Dilan states that this was the "best thing" to ever happen to him. Working long hours in Finance and Recruitment, and realising life was too short, Dilan then set up DNA fitness and now makes health his top priority as he mentions, "without your health, you have nothing." 

This episode has some powerful lessons on fitness being more than the physical, the power of habits, and how motivation is overrated. We also discuss the importance of dissecting your life, in order to reflect and think about areas that you wish to change or improve. 

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Please follow the IG page @chatting_uncomfortably I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode or future episodes you'd like to hear. 

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Divorce is difficult to go through, especially in the South Asian community where the taboo is still prevalent. On this episode I’m joined by Jigna, and we discuss the various struggles of going through a divorce. We delve into the pressure society puts on us to be in a relationship/get married and the consequence it can have on you mentally. Jigna tells an incredible story on her mental struggles of losing herself during her marriage, including her suicidal thoughts that finally triggered her to file for divorce. Now thriving in her 30s, Jigna is living proof that there is life after divorce, and her platform shares this message loud and clear! This episode will reshape the way you think about divorce through Jigna's positive spin and her new outlook on life. 



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Please follow the IG page @chatting_uncomfortably I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. 

Please also hit the follow button on your podcasting platform so you don't miss an episode. 

If you like this episode, please rate it 5* on Apple Podcasts and leave a review. Thank you! 

On this episode i’m joined by Jakk Gerard, who shares his compelling story from suicidal thoughts to taking back control of his life, continuing a remarkable journey of working out in the gym for 1200+ days consecutively.

This episode is very fitting for the current climate - where we’re in lockdown for the third time, there’s a lot of us that have our lives turned upside down, feeling really low.

Jakk and I talk about how to shift your mindset from the victim to the victor, being the architect of your life and not allowing yourself to wait for someone to come and ‘save’ you. let that someone be YOU - the victor.

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on the ep! 

Society imposes expectations and judges people when they’re grieving - by telling them what they ‘should do’, and how they ‘must’ feel.

On this episode, I’m joined by Amber, who’s faced losing many loved ones in a very short space of time. We discuss anxiety over loss and that ultimately it’s almost impossible to predict how you’re going to feel when you lose someone.