Pain is sending a message, but we misinterpret what it’s trying to tell us. Our pain systems get confused and overwrought. And our healthcare system mishandles our treatment. In this episode, we’ll dive into the weird world of pain and discuss

Grief, revisited

Jan 11th, 2024 44m 49s

Grief is messy and surprising. It is, ironically, a side effect of living and loving. But we’re not taught how to grieve well — or to support another’s grief. This episode is a small reflection on what grief means, why it happens, and how we ca

Behavior Change, revisited

Jan 4th, 2024 37m 21s

If you need to change something about yourself and yet you keep failing, I guarantee you’ll have a better understanding of what works after listening to this episode. Share this with someone who needs to listen.https://www.yourlivelivedwell.co

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We're Back for Season 4!

Jan 2nd, 2024 2m 6s

I’m Dr. Kevin Payne and the Your Life Lived Well podcast is back for Season 4.We went silent for a while because…well, I lost my voice. Multiple sclerosis can be frustrating. Over a year ago, I was stricken with dysphonia.It’s really hard to

Being a 'Sick' Man

Apr 22nd, 2022 50m 47s

Men don’t do well at being “sick.” So what happens when we’re stuck with a chronic illness that won’t go away? These are the challenges (that we don’t want to talk about) arising from the collision between sickness and manhood. More important,

Life with Multiple Sclerosis

Mar 26th, 2022 43m 30s

In recognition of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, I shed some light on what Multiple Sclerosis is and the surprising ways it affects our lives — especially my own.https://yourlifelivedwell.cohttps://patreon.com/yourllwell

Words have Power

Dec 2nd, 2021 48m 36s

This episode digs into the words surrounding health, illness, and disability. We look at how words shape our thoughts, the surprising meanings of some common medical words, and how words can both tear us down and lift us up. Your words matter a

Stigma, Acceptance & Mental Illness

Jul 21st, 2021 46m 23s

Why do we have such a difficult time accepting the reality of mental illness? In this episode, we’ll talk about the reasons why many are uncomfortable with mental illness, and we’ll suggest some better ways to think about what mental illnesses

Relax!!!

Jul 14th, 2021 45m 1s

Everyone thinks they should relax more, but we can’t make ourselves relax. It doesn’t work that way. Here’s why relaxation is important, what’s getting in our way, and how we can really get to it.

"You Don't Look Sick"

Jul 7th, 2021 50m 58s

96% of us with lasting health conditions are largely or completely “invisible.” We don’t have any external signals that remind others of the battles we are fighting inside. That’s confusing to others and they don’t understand. Here’s why we’re

Pain isn't What You Think

Jun 17th, 2021 54m 24s

Pain is sending you a message, but we tend to misinterpret what it’s trying to tell us. Our pain systems also get confused and overwrought. Chronic pain also easily becomes “noise,” and not a meaningful signal. In this episode, we’ll dive into

Stress isn't What You Think

Jun 2nd, 2021 51m 57s

Stress is a part of life. Sometimes, it’s even a good part of life. It’s always there, so we must learn better strategies to cope. In this episode, we’ll discover what stress really is, distinguish between its helpful and harmful forms, and lea

Fear isn't What You Think

May 27th, 2021 50m 7s

Fear is part of being human. We’ve all experienced it — whether we admit it or not. But for such a common experience, we misunderstand it far more than we realize. This episode is a deep dive into what fear really is and what it’s doing for us.

Burnout & Compassion Fatigue

May 19th, 2021 46m 13s

“Burnout” is rampant in the healthcare and caregiving professions. “Compassion fatigue” strikes even the most devoted loved ones and caregivers. These can leave us feeling angry, guilty, confused…or just empty. But they are natural, understanda

Finding Hope when Hopeless

May 12th, 2021 50m 23s

Staying hopeful is a real challenge with chronic illness — for those diagnosed and for their closest loved ones. In this episode, I invite you into a raw conversation about becoming hopeless and finding hope again in your own life. Hope is a pr

Be Kinder to Yourself

May 5th, 2021 55m 10s

Most of us aren’t very kind to ourselves, but we need to be. This episode dives into what it really means to be kind to yourself, as opposed to just occasionally “nice.” Along the way, we understand what self-esteem and self-compassion are doin

A Good Night's Sleep

Apr 29th, 2021 58m 56s

We all need better sleep. Better sleep is a necessary key to a better life. But good sleep seems to be in short supply. In this episode we talk about why so many of us sleep so poorly, and we suggest the most important things research says we c

Move It!

Apr 21st, 2021 52m 57s

We know we’re supposed to exercise. So why is it so hard? What should we do? Why should I care, especially when I already have a chronic health condition? How can we get started and keep going? We’ll answer these questions and more as we talk a

Meditation…YES!

Apr 14th, 2021 54m 2s

In this second episode on meditation, we discuss research supporting its benefits (and its limitations). Dr. Payne also introduces you to several kinds of meditation that can be useful for improving quality of life with chronic illness. And we

Look on the Bright Side!

Apr 7th, 2021 52m 10s

There’s a lot about life with a chronic health condition that rightly gets us down. When we’re feeling bad, those around us often resort to advising that we need to “look on the bright side” — as if that were the actual problem. However, our mi

Good Grief!

Mar 31st, 2021 47m 57s

Grief is not what we expect. It’s messy. It doesn’t follow a neat path. And it’s not always neatly resolved. Yet loss is a necessary part of living — and it’s something that a life touched by chronic illness must navigate. Here’s a better way t

Meditation…Really?

Mar 24th, 2021 53m 24s

Meditation isn’t what you probably think it is. We dive in to meditation as exercise for the parts of our mind we want to be strong, a way to become more aware and forgiving of ourselves, and an indispensable tools for improving your quality of

Joe Mays on Football, Health & Life

Mar 17th, 2021 53m 42s

I’m happy to welcome Joe Mays, former NFL player (and Kansas City Chief) and co-owner of Kansas City’s Laya Center, a holistic wellness spa. We share a wide-ranging conversation about everything from holistic healing, the lasting health consequ

Help! I was just diagnosed!

Mar 13th, 2021 51m 59s

You, or someone you love, has just been diagnosed with a life changing — maybe life threatening — medical condition. It’s big. It’s scary. It’s overwhelming. And life won’t be the same. Here’s how not to lose yourself or the things you love abo

“How You Doin’?”

Mar 3rd, 2021 40m 33s

It’s an innocent little question, and maybe the most difficult one we face with a chronic illness. We’ll unpack the minefield of, “how are you feeling today?” Do we tell the truth? A casual lie? Where do we draw the boundary of disclosure and h