Why does healing feel harder when your inner voice works against you? What if the stories you tell yourself are keeping you stuck in flares and fatigue?
Join host Holly B. and Tenille Stewart—chronic illness coach, speaker, and 20-year lupus thriver—for an honest conversation about mindset shifts that actually work for autoimmune disease. This isn't toxic positivity. It's about using affirmations in a grounded way that meets you where you are.
What you'll learn:
The 60-second nightly affirmation practice Tenille has done for 1,000+ nights—and how it rewired her healing
How to write affirmations your nervous system can believe (not empty positive statements)
Why "being realistic" might be keeping you sick—and how to shift without toxic positivity
How two coaches healed with completely opposite diets (vegan vs. carnivore)—and why both work
Key Takeaway: You don't have to choose between acknowledging pain and choosing hope. Talk to yourself like someone you love—you deserve that compassion.
Connect with Tenille Stewart:
Instagram: @tenillethecaptain
TikTok: @tenillesosilly
Podcast: Happily Healed with Tenille
Resources:
Free daily lupus guide & symptom tracker: https://subscribepage.io/dailyguide
Free Health Breakthrough Call with Holly: https://tidycal.com/workwithhollyb/breakthrough-call
If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear this message.
Time Stamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Healing and negative self-talk
00:42 - Meet Tenille: 20 years with lupus
02:06 - Diagnosis story: 8 months to answers
04:33 - "You won't live past 30"
05:53 - Choosing hope over statistics
08:59 - Learning to change self-talk
10:22 - Talking to yourself like baby you
12:00 - Ad break
13:37 - 1,000+ nights of daily affirmations
15:28 - How to write effective affirmations
17:18 - Recognizing hidden negative thoughts
18:43 - Avoiding toxic positivity
20:47 - Motion creates emotion
23:45 - Flare-ups as wake-up calls
25:40 - Ad break
26:10 - Finding blessings in hardship
28:04 - Vegan vs. carnivore healing paths
30:02 - Why pills alone aren't enough
32:00 - Tenille's vegan journey
35:51 - Holly's carnivore experience
36:24 - Whole foods and seasonal eating
37:17 - Slow, consistent dietary changes
39:14 - Movement matters
41:07 - Building a morning routine
43:01 - One habit at a time
44:14 - Where to find Tenille
45:26 - Closing and resources
Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.
