My guest today is Bryony Gordon - journalist, author, mental health advocate and host of The Life of Bryony podcast. Bryony has written extensively and honestly about OCD, addiction, depression and disordered eating, and her new book, People Pleaser, is her first novel. It follows a chronically people-pleasing woman who wakes up one day to find she's lost the ability to put anyone first but herself - and the chaos that follows.

Bryony talks to me about why people pleasing is at the root of so many of the issues women face, what "good girl conditioning" actually costs us over a lifetime, and why hitting your 40s can feel like finally running out of patience for everyone else's bulls**** - in the best possible way.

We also chat about:

• Why people pleasing is actually manipulative - and why that's not the judgement it sounds like
• What she'd do differently if she woke up tomorrow unable to people please
• How early perimenopause brought back her OCD symptoms, and what finally getting her HRT right changed
• The three things she does every day to keep her mental health in check
• Why she deliberately picks the least flattering photo to post on Instagram
• Her female elder in her 60s who responds to every crisis with "so what?", and why everyone needs one of those

Follow Bryony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryonygordon/

Listen to her podcast: https://www.instagram.com/lifeofbryonypod/

Buy People Pleaser: https://amzn.to/4scaxYR

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Not Another Mummy Podcast is brought to you by me, journalist and author Alison Perry. I'm a mum of three and I love interviewing people about parenthood and confidence on the podcast. You can check out my other episodes and you can come chat to me on Instagram: @iamalisonperry or on Threads: @iamalisonperry. You can buy my book OMG It's Twins now.

Music: Epidemic Sound

Artwork: Eleanor Bowmer

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