A podcast to help you be well.
A human-forward podcast for those of us who want to feel better and don’t know where to start. Brain Health Besties brings practical tools, thoughtful conversations, and small moments of care into everyday life.
- Science-backed conversations
- Everyday brain-health tools
- Be Well moments on demand
All Podcast Episodes
Be Well Moment: Exploring Your Clothing Preferences
Getting dressed can be an act of self-trust. In this Be Well Moment, the Besties guide a short mindfulness practice for exploring clothing preferences, sensory input, and the small choices that can help us feel more grounded, confident, comfortable, or supported. This episode invites us to look at what is already in our closets with more curiosity and less judgment, using texture, color, fit, and personal preference as everyday tools for brain care. Your preferences are data, Besties, and getting dressed can be one small way to listen.
Hosts: Bailey Pyle, Nia Howard, Shelby Schneider
How Clothing Impacts How We Feel
Have you ever put on an outfit and immediately felt more confident, grounded, or overstimulated? In this episode, the Be Well Besties explore how clothing, sensory input, and personal preference can affect how we feel. From texture and weight to color and fit, what we wear can shape how supported and comfortable we feel throughout the day. Let's look beyond trends like “dopamine dressing” and talk about clothing as a simple, everyday tool for self-trust and brain care.
Hosts: Bailey Pyle, Nia Howard, Shelby Schneider
Be Well Moment: A Practice to Show Yourself Kindness
When you start with “I am,” what does your brain say next? In this Be Well Moment, Ben Dolowich, a predoctoral intern training to become a clinical psychologist, guides the Besties through a mindfulness practice inspired by Episode 11’s conversation about self-compassion. Sometimes when we practice this type of reflection, we can be pleasantly surprised, but other times our brains can struggle to have something nice to say. We encourage you to pause, go gently, and reach out to someone you trust if you need support. If you’re in crisis or need immediate emotional support, call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Why Self-Compassion Isn’t “Letting Yourself Off the Hook
A lot of us confuse self-criticism with motivation. In this episode, the Be Well Besties are joined by Ben Dolowich, a predoctoral intern training to become a clinical psychologist, for a conversation about self-compassion, accountability, and why being kind to ourselves is not the same as letting ourselves off the hook. If you’ve ever thought, “If I’m not hard on myself, I’ll never do better,” this episode explores how self-compassion can help us respond to mistakes, keep growing, and speak to ourselves with more care. Ready to practice? Episode 12 offers a short Be Well Moment for showing yourself kindness.
Hosts: Bailey Pyle, Nia Howard, Shelby Schneider
Be Well Moment: A Practice for Reconnecting with the World
We give care, receive care, and belong to a world that needs both. In this Be Well Moment, Nia guides us through a short mindfulness practice inspired by Episode 9’s conversation about volunteering, service, and connection. The exercise offers a gentle way to reflect on how care moves through our lives and how remembering our shared humanity can help us find our way back to the world around us.
Hosts: Bailey Pyle, Nia Howard, Shelby Schneider
How Volunteering Changes the Way Our Brains Feel About the World
Sometimes helping someone else helps us remember we are part of something bigger. In this episode, the Be Well Besties are joined by Alyssa Cline-Spencer, LCSW, Project Director and Clinical Coordinator at Centerstone in Illinois, to explore volunteering, advocacy, and how service can strengthen our sense that we have something meaningful to offer. Alyssa also shares her perspective as a clinician and advocate working to reduce stigma around substance use treatment and promote mental health services in criminal justice settings. In Episode 10, the Besties turn this conversation into a simple practice for finding our way back to the world around us.
Hosts: Bailey Pyle, Nia Howard, Shelby Schneider
