This week Francesca and Louise dive into the tricky topic of dealing with criticism and negative thoughts. They're joined by psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald, who shares his expertise on how to navigate negative feedback and the feelings that come with them.

 

Kyle offers practical advice on how to build resilience and maintain a positive outlook while Francesca and Louise give context to why criticism seems to hit harder in midlife. 

This week Francesca and Louise dive into the tricky topic of dealing with criticism and negative thoughts. They're joined by psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald, who shares his expertise on how to navigate negative feedback and the feelings that come with them.
&nbsp;
Kyle offers practical advice on how to build resilience and maintain a positive outlook while Francesca and Louise give context to why criticism seems to hit harder in midlife.&nbsp;

In a world where well-being influencers are driven by endorsements, wellness trends generally come at a cost, and busy lives disrupt our best intentions, all many women want are simple, science-based facts to help us live a productive, happy balanced life.   

Enter The Little Things. Broadcaster Francesca Rudkin and health researcher Louise Ayrey have been friends for over a decade and have been through it all, and along the way have learned the benefits of practical information over costly fads. Join them for new episodes on Saturdays where they talk to experts on health, wellbeing, parenting and relationships to give you the information you need to thrive!

In a world where well-being influencers are driven by endorsements, wellness trends generally come at a cost, and busy lives disrupt our best intentions, all many women want are simple, science-based facts to help us live a productive, happy balanced life.   
Enter The Little Things. Broadcaster Francesca Rudkin and health researcher Louise Ayrey have been friends for over a decade and have been through it all, and along the way have learned the benefits of practical information over costly fads. Join them for new episodes on Saturdays where they talk to experts on health, wellbeing, parenting and relationships to give you the information you need to thrive!

The Little Things

Why midlife criticism hits so hard - and how to handle it

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/44d14c7b-b82b-483c-9199-b4360035ee89/transcript

Broadcaster and No Such Thing As Normal host Sonia Gray joins Fran and Lou to unpack what happens when  ADHD and perimenopause collide, and why so many women are only being diagnosed later in life.

From burnout and masking to hormones, anxiety and losing your ability to cope, Sonia shares her own late diagnosis journey and explains why understanding your brain can be life changing.

Broadcaster and No Such Thing As Normal host Sonia Gray joins Fran and Lou to unpack what happens when&nbsp; ADHD and perimenopause collide, and why so many women are only being diagnosed later in life. From burnout and masking to hormones, anxiety and losing your ability to cope, Sonia shares her own late diagnosis journey and explains why understanding your brain can be life changing.

When ADHD and perimenopause collide

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/1cf6b156-2ecf-444c-9820-b4510176a5ac/transcript

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales joins Francesca Rudkin and Louise Ayrey for a chat about trust, outrage and what the internet is doing to the way we see each other.

From doomscrolling and toxic algorithms to political division, online arguments and the collapse of nuance, Wales explains why social media can make humanity seem far worse than it really is, and why he believes algorithms are “feeding the trolls”.

He also shares why he deleted social media from his phone, what it really means to be informed in 2026, and why assuming good faith might be one of the most important skills we’ve lost online.

Plus:
Why outrage spreads faster than kindness online 
The danger of mistaking social media for real life 
How politicians and algorithms exploit division • Why most people are more moderate than the internet suggests 
The surprising role trust plays in healthy societies and relationships

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales joins Francesca Rudkin and Louise Ayrey for a chat about trust, outrage and what the internet is doing to the way we see each other.
From doomscrolling and toxic algorithms to political division, online arguments and the collapse of nuance, Wales explains why social media can make humanity seem far worse than it really is, and why he believes algorithms are &ldquo;feeding the trolls&rdquo;.
He also shares why he deleted social media from his phone, what it really means to be informed in 2026, and why assuming good faith might be one of the most important skills we&rsquo;ve lost online.
Plus:
<ul>
<li>Why outrage spreads faster than kindness online&nbsp;</li>
<li>The danger of mistaking social media for real life&nbsp;</li>
<li>How politicians and algorithms exploit division &bull; Why most people are more moderate than the internet suggests&nbsp;</li>
<li>The surprising role trust plays in healthy societies and relationships</li>
</ul>

Jimmy Wales on why the internet is such an angry place

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/0b8c0e6e-af55-49ed-8ca4-b442003aae9d/transcript

Menopause expert Niki Bezzant has some bad news for us: we can't blame our midlife weight gain on menopause. Niki joins Francesca and Louise to discuss what's really behind that sneaky middle age spread and what role menopause plays if it doesn't directly cause it. They also discuss hormone therapy, breast density, and how to manage perimenopause and menopause symptoms.

Menopause expert Niki Bezzant has some bad news for us: we can't blame our midlife weight gain on menopause. Niki joins Francesca and Louise to discuss what's really behind that sneaky middle age spread and what role menopause plays if it doesn't directly cause it. They also discuss hormone therapy, breast density, and how to manage perimenopause and menopause symptoms.

Why you can't blame menopause for weight gain

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/02a5ce8e-bafb-48f8-b4f9-b4270167ceda/transcript

Why midlife criticism hits so hard - and how to handle it

In 1 playlist(s)

The Little Things

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips