Women Are Not Okay

Crystal A.
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Society & Culture

Women Are Not Okay™ is the podcast for women who are kind of a hot mess. Same. Hosted by Crystal, WANO is where we talk about the stuff we're all thinking, feeling, overthinking, avoiding, laughing about, and occasionally losing our shit over. Midlife, friendships, work, relationships, identity, mental health, adult kids, nostalgia, starting over... and everything in between. No experts telling you how to fix your life. No pretending we've figured it all out. Just honest conversations, a little humor, and the reminder that whatever you're going through, you're probably not the only one. Grab your coffee and come sit with us. Real conversations. A little chaos. A lot of us. 💋

  1. 2d ago

    Grateful... But Can I Be Honest? | S2 EP9

    Send us Fan Mail Grateful... But Can I Be Honest? | S2 EP9 It's November, ladies! Time to count our blessings, practice gratitude, and apparently pretend everything is wonderful for the next two months. 😂 But what happens when you're grateful for your life and still feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or just plain exhausted? This week on Women Are Not Okay, we're talking about gratitude without the guilt, the pressure to be thankful during the holidays, and why toxic positivity isn't doing anybody any favors. I'm also sharing reflections from my recent trip to Georgia, including 36 years of friendship with my bestie, an unexpected connection with a stranger, and why this year I'm experiencing gratitude in a way I haven't in a long time. Because gratitude doesn't require a perfect life, a perfect past, or perfect relationships. And appreciating what you have doesn't mean you're not allowed to struggle. You don't owe anybody a performance of gratitude. So grab your coffee, get comfortable, and let's have an honest conversation about what being grateful really means. 💕 Let's talk: What's something you're genuinely grateful for right now? If this episode resonates with you, share it with a friend, follow the podcast, and leave a rating or review. Your support helps more women find our little corner of the world. Women Are Not Okay. And that's okay. 💋 Women Are Not Okay™ Podcast Real life. Real struggles. Real conversations. Questionable coping skills. 😂 No perfection. No pretending. Just women figuring this shit out together. ✨ Follow & Connect:  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenarenotokay/ 📬 Join the community: linktr.ee/womenarenotokay 📬 Questions or comments? Email Crystal at hello@womenarenotokay.com

  2. Oct 30

    Midlife: The Ultimate Trick or Treat

    Send us Fan Mail Midlife: The Ultimate Trick or Treat 🎃 Remember when we thought that by this age we'd have our lives figured out? The career, the money, the confidence, the friendships, the fabulous luggage? Yeah... about that. 😂 Turns out, midlife is a lot like reaching into a Halloween candy basket. Sometimes you get a full-size Snickers, sometimes you get a stale Tootsie Roll, and sometimes somebody hands you raisins. And honestly, who the hell asked for raisins? In this Halloween episode of Women Are Not Okay, we're unpacking five tricks midlife plays on us and five unexpected treats we discover along the way. We're talking about the dreams that didn't quite work out, redefining success, finding confidence while still being scared as hell, the complicated reality of midlife friendships, rediscovering who we are beyond our responsibilities, and realizing that time isn't slowing down for anybody. I'm also getting personal about the difference between the life I imagined and the one I'm actually living, and why I'm finally learning to appreciate the woman I'm becoming. No toxic positivity. No pretending everything happens for a reason. Just honest conversations, a few laughs, and the reminder that we can be disappointed about what didn't happen while still being curious about what's next. Because maybe the ultimate trick of midlife is realizing nobody's coming to hand us all the answers. And maybe the ultimate treat is discovering we never needed permission to figure things out for ourselves. 🎙️ Grab your coffee, candy, or cocktail, and let's talk about it. What's been your biggest midlife trick, and what unexpected treat came along with it? Send me a DM or leave a comment. I'd love to hear your story! If this episode resonates, share it with a girlfriend, follow Women Are Not Okay, and leave a rating or review to help more women find our little corner of the podcast world. We are not okay. And we are SO over pretending that we are. 💕 Be sure to check out Toni and Cheese at Who's Sitting At Your Table Podcast!  Apple Podcasts  Spotify  💋 Women Are Not Okay™ Podcast Real life. Real struggles. Real conversations. Questionable coping skills. 😂 No perfection. No pretending. Just women figuring this shit out together. ✨ Follow & Connect:  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenarenotokay/ 📬 Join the community: linktr.ee/womenarenotokay 📬 Questions or comments? Email Crystal at hello@womenarenotokay.com

  3. Oct 23

    Insecure AF: Midlife Edition Part 2

    Send us Fan Mail Insecure AF: Midlife Edition, Part 2 Just when you thought we were done talking about insecurity... girl, there's more. 😂 In Part 2 of Insecure AF: Midlife Edition, we're digging into some of the quieter insecurities that show up in midlife. The ones that aren't necessarily about appearance, but can still mess with our confidence, our peace, and how we see ourselves. We're talking about feeling invisible in our relationships and everyday lives, questioning our value in the workplace, and the emotional roller coaster that comes with health anxiety. I'm also sharing some personal experiences, including what it feels like to struggle while everyone around you assumes you're doing just fine. Because sometimes the hardest part isn't feeling insecure. It's feeling like nobody notices what you're going through. This isn't an episode about magically becoming confident or having all the answers. It's about recognizing those feelings, giving ourselves a little grace, and realizing we're not the only ones navigating this messy chapter of life. So grab your coffee, your favorite drink, or whatever gets you through the day, and let's talk. Women Are Not Okay. And that's okay. 💕 If this conversation resonates with you, share it with a girlfriend who might need to hear it. And don't forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast! 💋 Women Are Not Okay™ Podcast Real life. Real struggles. Real conversations. Questionable coping skills. 😂 No perfection. No pretending. Just women figuring this shit out together. ✨ Follow & Connect:  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenarenotokay/ 📬 Join the community: linktr.ee/womenarenotokay 📬 Questions or comments? Email Crystal at hello@womenarenotokay.com

  4. Oct 16

    Insecure AF: Midlife Edition

    Send us Fan Mail Insecure AF: Midlife EditionAren't we supposed to have this confidence thing figured out by now? Apparently, insecurity didn't get the memo that we're grown! 😂 This week on Women Are Not Okay, we're getting honest about something that doesn't magically disappear with age: insecurity. From jealousy and comparison to trust issues and the fear of being left out, insecurities have a sneaky way of showing up in our friendships, relationships, and everyday lives. But here's the question: Are other people actually making us feel insecure, or are they triggering something we're already carrying? We're digging into why insecurity can look different in midlife, how our past experiences influence our reactions, and why recognizing our own patterns can be uncomfortable but necessary. I'm also sharing where I am in my own journey of building confidence, because being in your 50s doesn't mean you've suddenly mastered self-assurance. Sometimes growth isn't about becoming the most confident woman in the room. It's about understanding yourself well enough to stop letting insecurity make decisions for you. So grab your coffee, get comfortable, and let's talk about it. Because we're grown women, but we're still figuring some shit out. And that's okay. 💕 Women Are Not Okay. And we're talking about it. 🎙️ 💋 Women Are Not Okay™ Podcast Real life. Real struggles. Real conversations. Questionable coping skills. 😂 No perfection. No pretending. Just women figuring this shit out together. ✨ Follow & Connect:  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenarenotokay/ 📬 Join the community: linktr.ee/womenarenotokay 📬 Questions or comments? Email Crystal at hello@womenarenotokay.com

  5. Oct 9

    The Real Enemy — That Nagging B*tch in Your Head

    Send us Fan Mail You know her. The voice that tells you you’re not enough, not doing enough, not good enough, usually right around 2am. We all have one, so why do some women brush her off while others spiral? In this episode, Crystal gets personal about her own inner critic: where she came from, how she grew louder over the years, and how she quietly killed dreams, cost opportunities, crept into her marriage and work life, and pushed her into isolation. Then we talk about what’s finally helping her turn the volume down. In this episode: Why some women can ignore their inner critic while others spiralSelf-criticism vs. self-doubt (and how she uses both)How she kills motivation and fuels procrastination (spoiler: you’re not lazy)Where the inner critic comes from, and why she can get louder in midlifeWhat to do when she gets loud: name her, challenge her, and practice self-compassionThe big question: would you let anyone else talk to you this way?Your homework: Come up with ONE comeback line for her. Crystal’s is “not today, ma’am.” Share yours with us! If the voice in your head ever tells you that you’d be better off not here, please reach out. In the US, you can call or text 988 anytime. 💋 Women Are Not Okay™ Podcast Real life. Real struggles. Real conversations. Questionable coping skills. 😂 No perfection. No pretending. Just women figuring this shit out together. ✨ Follow & Connect:  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenarenotokay/ 📬 Join the community: linktr.ee/womenarenotokay 📬 Questions or comments? Email Crystal at hello@womenarenotokay.com

  6. Oct 2

    Women Supporting Women (Sisterhood: Myth or Reality?)

    Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ NEW EPISODE: Women Supporting Women (Sisterhood: Myth or Reality?) We say it all the time, but do we actually live it? In this episode I'm getting real about:  💔 Friendships that show up for the wins and fade during the hard stuff  📱 How social media turned "support" into a transaction  🪞 My own part in it, as the over-giver and the one who dropped the ball 💜 What "women supporting women" should actually mean, and why it matters so much in midlife And I'm sharing a story about Cheese and Toni from @whossittingatyourtable (Who's Sitting at Your Table), who showed me the real version of this is still out there. Go give them some love. 🫶 Your homework this week: pick one woman and support her for real. Not a like. A text, a call, an "I've got you." 💌 🎧 Listen now, link in bio.  Then tell me: who showed up for you when it really mattered? #WomenAreNotOkay #WANOpodcast #WomenSupportingWomen #Sisterhood #MidlifeWomen #WomenOver40 #FemaleFriendship #PodcastForWomen #WhosSittingAtYourTable 💋 Women Are Not Okay™ Podcast Real life. Real struggles. Real conversations. Questionable coping skills. 😂 No perfection. No pretending. Just women figuring this shit out together. ✨ Follow & Connect:  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenarenotokay/ 📬 Join the community: linktr.ee/womenarenotokay 📬 Questions or comments? Email Crystal at hello@womenarenotokay.com

  7. Sep 25

    The WFH Lie Nobody Talks About

    Send us Fan Mail Working from home sounds like the dream, right? No commute. Comfy clothes. Your own coffee. Maybe a little laundry between meetings. What could possibly go wrong? Well... A LOT. 😂 This week on Women Are Not Okay™, we're talking about the side of working from home that doesn't make it into those perfectly curated "day in my life" TikToks. I'm sharing my own experience working remotely for years and how something that once felt like freedom slowly became isolating, exhausting, and honestly... not so great for my mental health. We're talking about loneliness, burnout, productivity tracking, micromanagement, the pressure to always look "available," and that weird reality of having your job physically inside your home. Because when your office is ten feet away, when exactly do you leave work? I also get into the part we don't talk about enough. Sometimes a job can look great on paper. Good pay, great benefits, flexibility, no commute... and still not be good for YOU. And yes, we're talking about the surveillance too. Screen monitoring, productivity checks, QA scores, bathroom breaks... because apparently working from home means Big Brother gets a cubicle in your house. 👀 Plus, I'm giving a shoutout to Call Center Uncut, a community that's been keeping it VERY real about call center life, burnout, metrics, office politics, and all the other nonsense workers deal with behind the headset. This isn't an "office good, remote work bad" conversation. Some people thrive working from home. Some of us slowly realize we're becoming one with the desk chair. 😂 It's about recognizing what work is doing to you mentally, figuring out what you actually need, and remembering that a job can be convenient without being healthy. So grab your coffee, close Teams for a minute, and come sit with me. Because the WFH dream? Yeah... we need to talk about it. 💋 🎙️ Women Are Not Okay™ Real conversations for women figuring it out as we go. Call Center Uncut: https://www.instagram.com/callcenteruncut/ 💋 Women Are Not Okay™ Podcast Real life. Real struggles. Real conversations. Questionable coping skills. 😂 No perfection. No pretending. Just women figuring this shit out together. ✨ Follow & Connect:  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenarenotokay/ 📬 Join the community: linktr.ee/womenarenotokay 📬 Questions or comments? Email Crystal at hello@womenarenotokay.com

  8. Sep 18

    Toxic Positivity | Why It Hurts, and What to Say Instead

    Send us Fan Mail Toxic Positivity, Why It Hurts, and What to Say Instead Crystal opens this solo episode with gratitude for listener support, then moves into a clear explanation of toxic positivity and how it shows up in everyday conversations. The episode matters because it names a pattern many people have absorbed from family, self-help culture, and social media, and offers a healthier way to respond to pain.In this episode, Crystal shares how toxic positivity can make people feel isolated, guilty, and unheard when they are already struggling. She also offers practical language and small exercises for sitting with hard feelings instead of rushing past them. Key topics Crystal reflects on the response to episode one and explains why the podcast exists: to name real struggles that women often hide.She defines toxic positivity as forced positivity that skips over pain and replaces it with quick silver linings like “everything happens for a reason.”She explains why forced optimism can be isolating, because it adds guilt on top of the original hardship.Crystal traces where this behavior comes from, including social media highlight reels, spiritual “high vibration only” culture, and decades of self-help messaging.She connects toxic positivity to how many women were raised, especially Gen X women who were taught to minimize feelings and “be fine.”She shares her own habit of reframing pain too quickly, describing it as avoidance dressed up as optimism.She explains that naming emotions honestly, like saying “I feel devastated,” is part of nervous system regulation and real processing.Crystal describes how toxic positivity shows up in friendships, family, and everyday check-ins when people respond with “at least” or “focus on the positive.”She gives five signs you may be doing it yourself, including feeling guilty for sadness, reaching for quotes too fast, hiding feelings, ignoring problems, and dismissing others.She closes with practical alternatives: sit with the hard thing for 60 seconds, validate the feeling, and respond to others with empathy instead of a silver lining.Timestamps 00:00 - Listener gratitude and why the show exists 02:23 - Introducing toxic positivity and how it shows up in real life 04:19 - Why positivity is not the problem, but forced positivity is 06:01 - Where we learn toxic positivity from 08:27 - Social media highlight reels and the pressure to look okay 09:46 - “High vibration only” thinking and spiritualized avoidance 10:36 - Self-help culture and the myth that happiness is always a choice 12:02 - How family messaging trained many women to swallow hard feelings 13:35 - Crystal’s own habit of reframing pain instead of feeling it 16:41 - Why naming emotions honestly helps you process them 17:38 - How toxic positivity sounds when other people use it on you 19:08 - Why women often hide real feelings to protect others 20:18 - What to do instead when you are hurting 21:12 - Five signs you may be using toxic positivity yourself 23:56 - A better response: “This really sucks, and that’s allowed” 25:33 - How to support someone else without cheering them up too fast 26:35 - Crystal’s closing question and invitation to reflect Action items Practice saying, “This really sucks, and that’s allowed.”Give yourself 60 seconds to feel something before reaching for a lesson or silver lining.When someone shares pain, respond with validation instead of advice or a quick positive spin.Notice when you use phrases like “at least” or “everything happens for a reason.”Check whether your positivity is comfort, or avoidance.💋 Women Are Not Okay™ Podcast Real life. Real struggles. Real conversations. Questionable coping skills. 😂 No perfection. No pretending. Just women figuring this shit out together. ✨ Follow & Connect:  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenarenotokay/ 📬 Join the community: linktr.ee/womenarenotokay 📬 Questions or comments? Email Crystal at hello@womenarenotokay.com

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Women Are Not Okay™ is the podcast for women who are kind of a hot mess. Same. Hosted by Crystal, WANO is where we talk about the stuff we're all thinking, feeling, overthinking, avoiding, laughing about, and occasionally losing our shit over. Midlife, friendships, work, relationships, identity, mental health, adult kids, nostalgia, starting over... and everything in between. No experts telling you how to fix your life. No pretending we've figured it all out. Just honest conversations, a little humor, and the reminder that whatever you're going through, you're probably not the only one. Grab your coffee and come sit with us. Real conversations. A little chaos. A lot of us. 💋

Information

  • Creator
    Crystal A.
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Women Are Not Okay
  • Show Website
    Women Are Not Okay

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