Uncomfy: Sticking With Moments That Challenge Us

  Airdate: February 4, 2026 Robert Coplan: It should be okay to say to a friend or a family member or a romantic partner, "I love you. I love spending time with you, but I'm gonna spend some time alone right now, and it's gonna be good," and, in fact, there's research to suggest, somewhat paradoxically, that if you have some good quality me time, the next time you interact with someone, you experience it more positively. Julie Rose: Hey, it's Julie. Welcome to Uncomfy . Staying open to other people is hard for a lot of us right now. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells in every interaction, always just a little, or sometimes a lot, uncomfortable, but I don't want to give up on connection or retreat into a bubble where everybody is just like me. I wanna stay curious, hopeful, and human, and that's what this show is about, so let's get Uncomfy . Robert Coplan: I remember thinking, you know, "Nobody knows exactly where I am. No one kn...

  Airdate: November 12, 2025 Julie Rose: Do you struggle to keep your cool when someone lashes out at you? Tim Shriver: "How could he be so stupid? How could he be so misguided? I'm so much smarter than he is. I'm so much," in the back of my, you know, ugly, unconscious thinking, "I'm a better person than the person who thinks the way he thinks." Julie Rose: Hey, it's Julie. Welcome to Uncomfy, a show about sticking with moments that challenge us even when they're uncomfortable. And I get it, nobody likes to be Uncomfy, but I've learned from experience, and you probably have too, that sometimes a little discomfort has benefits if we can stay open and curious about it. And that's what we're here to explore, so let's get Uncomfy. Today, I'm joined by Tim Shriver. He's the chairman of Special Olympics International and he is co-creator of The Dignity Index. It's an eight-point scale to determine how much contempt w...

Airdate: July 30, 2025 Julie Rose: Have you ever felt like a doctor just wasn't listening to you? Erin Nance, MD: It's really about the communication and the trust, because I think almost every patient understands that doctors make mistakes, people get complications, there are risks, but they want their doctor to be on their team. Julie Rose: Hey, it's Julie. Welcome to Uncomfy, a show about sticking with moments that challenge us even when they're uncomfortable. And I know you're probably wondering, "Why would anybody choose to be uncomfortable?" But I know from personal experience, and you probably do too, that sometimes a little discomfort has benefits if we can stay open and curious about it. And that's what we're here to explore, so let's get Uncomfy. Julie Rose: I'm joined by Dr. Erin Nance. She's a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. She's co-host of the Medical Detectives podcast. She's also CEO and founder of ...

  Airdate: July 23, 2025 Julie Rose: What is the right thing to say to somebody who's grieving? Matthew Whoolery: And I finally just went, "What am I doing? I'm sitting back when this person's suffering," and so I, I went to him and had a conversation with him. I said, "What do you want someone to say?" He said, "I don't care what you say, just come. Be there." Julie Rose: Hey, it's Julie. Welcome to Uncomfy, a show about sticking with moments that challenge us even when they're uncomfortable. And you're probably wondering, "Why would anybody choose to be uncomfortable?" But I know from personal experience, and you probably do too, that sometimes a little discomfort has benefits if we can stay open and curious about it. And that's what we're here to explore, so let's get Uncomfy. Julie Rose: Why are we so uncomfortable being around people who are sad or suffering? My guest today thinks American cu...

Airdate: June 25, 2025 Julie Rose: How do you stay open in a world that keeps telling you to close off? Anand Pandian: If you're hanging out, you do it on the back deck instead of on the front porch, such that you've completely lost an everyday culture of seeing strangers, of interacting with people that you don't know. All of these different dimensions of our daily lives have created almost a kind of infrastructure of discomfort with difference itself. Julie Rose: Hey, it's Julie. Welcome to Uncomfy, a show about sticking with moments that challenge us even when they're uncomfortable. And I know you're probably wondering, "Why would anybody choose to be uncomfortable?" But I know from personal experience, and you probably do too, that sometimes a little discomfort has benefits if we can stay open and curious about it. And that is what we're here to explore, so let's get Uncomfy. I read a new book recently that really has me thinking ...