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Helping you get clear on your best life, and then guiding you on how to get it.

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Do you ever make things harder for yourself? You do something that feels good in the moment, but you know it will make you feel worse later? And somehow you just can’t help yourself? People call this self-sabotage, but let’s explore it differently. We don’t self-sabotage on purpose. It’s not like we want to make […]

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Blog

How to Talk To Your Kids About Gender and Sexuality

Here are some themes that came up in this podcast episode. Listen or watch to get all the details. How to Start Conversations About Sex and Gender with Kids? How to Stay Open and Avoid Imposing Biases on Kids? Balancing Safety and Independence: How to Teach Kids Consent and Boundaries? Why Include the Pleasure Aspect […]

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Growth

Beyond Logic: Emotions In Decision Making

People always say we should make decisions rationally, logically, without emotion.  * Try telling that to someone is deciding if they should quit their job and give up everything to move across the country so they can live with someone they love.  * Try telling that to a woman who just had a miscarriage and is deciding […]

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Growth

Intentional Living While Staying True to Yourself

I’ve always been an independent thinker. I like to follow my own rules, I don’t like to be told what to do, and I am full of ambition (though what that ambition looks like has changed over the years).  While some little girls dream of their wedding day and who they will eventually marry, I […]

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Mental Health

Beyond the Label of Mental Health with Dr. Christina Bjorndal

In this episode, Dr. Chris Bjorndal shares her journey with mental health and how she is now helping others regain their mental health. She talks about her book “Beyond the Label,” where she discusses how labels for mental health diagnoses can be stigmatizing and contribute to suffering. Dr. Bjorndal has struggled with anxiety, depression, bipolar […]

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Blog

Strategies To Manage Difficult Emotions

Background Behind The Scenes Moment Today I’m talking with Dr. Joan Rosenberg, I actually had a major fan girl moment. So I have to share this story first, if you’ve taken my free workshop on emotional regulation, in it, I referenced this particular technique for managing unpleasant feelings. And the idea was to ride the […]

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Relationships

Is It Time To Curate Your Friendships?

Is it time to curate your friendships? From Embarrassment to Intentional Living When we first moved into our last home, it was a bit of a fixer upper. The kitchen cupboards were falling apart, the floors were banged up, the bathroom was painted blood red. Even the ceiling. I was having nightmares of the movie […]

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Finding Joy

Loneliness – Making New Friends

Have you ever felt alone? Even as you may be surrounded by other people, or interact with others on a regular basis? Do you want to make new friends and feel connected? Being physically alone is distinct from feeling alone, and the difference is a lack of connection and belonging. As humans we possess a […]

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Stress

Protecting Your Mental Wellness On Social Media

Welcome to the XO Conversations Podcast! I’m your curious host Rishma Walji. This podcast is all about personal growth and loving life, usually with a research and science twist.  If you want to live your own extraordinary life, take my free quiz to find out your decision style. And you can get insider access information […]

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line of people online to social media

Growth

Social Media: Love It or Leave It?

I have a love-hate relationship with social media. I’m perpetually on the verge of deleting all my accounts.  But even though many people want to limit their social media usage, it’s really hard to completely leave.  Let me start by confessing that a post on social media literally changed my life. Ok that might be […]

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Travel adventurer, joy seeker, book lover

Hi, I'm Rishma.
Your BFF + New
Life Strategist.

I ran a thriving healthcare practice as a Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist for over 20 years. I also earned my PhD and spent time in academic research and teaching positions. Now, I read scientific studies because I'm passionate about personal growth. I use the insights to help me, and our community, live our own XO life.

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