Uncomfy: Sticking With Moments That Challenge Us

  Airdate: February 18, 2026 Shira Hoffer: There are ways to ask questions that feel genuine, and there are ways to ask questions that are really just kind of counter attacks where you, like, plop a question mark at the end so that you can, you know, feel like you've asked a question. Julie Rose:  Hey, it's Julie. Welcome to Uncomfy. A lot of us are feeling frustrated and confused right now about how to stay open to others when it seems like we live in different realities. I feel like I'm always walking on eggshells with people, but I don't want to give up on connection or retreat into a bubble where everybody thinks just like I do. This is a podcast about staying with the moments we usually want to escape: the awkward ones, the tense ones, the ones that might actually change us for good. There are not easy answers, but there is a lot we can learn from each other, so let's get Uncomfy. Shira Hoffer:  My palms definitely got sweaty, and I felt like everybody was...

  Airdate: January 28, 2026 Julie Rose: One in four Americans is estranged from someone in their family. Kelsey Blahnik: And I think our society's kinda done this pendulum swing over to a more extreme no-contact trend, cutting people out more aggressively. Julie Rose : Hey, it's Julie. Welcome to Uncomfy. Lately, it just really feels hard to stay open to others when it seems like we're all living in completely different realities. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells in every encounter, just constantly uncomfortable. But I don't wanna 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. Kelsey Blahnik: Oh, I know when I start to get really uncomfortable in a social setting, I start sweating. I get a little shaky, I get a little cold, and that's when I know there's a part of me that's wanting to shrink in and eve...

  Airdate: December 17, 2025 Julie Rose: How far would you go to brighten the Christmas of a stranger? Amy Dott Harmer: You know, sometimes the world looks really dark really difficult. It was just turning on a little light. You don't have to do something big, you just have to pay attention to what's around you. Julie Rose: Hey, it's Julie. Welcome to Uncomfy, a show about sticking with moments that challenge us even when they're uncomfortable. The story I have for you today is really lovely. It's that magical mix of Uncomfy and uplifting. Plus, it's an example of people caring for others at Christmas time, which is what the annual Light the World campaign from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is all about. So, let's get Uncomfy and Light the World. Our story starts today with Amy Dott Harmer, executive director of the Utah Refugee Connection. Amy Dott, welcome back to Uncomfy. Amy Dott Harmer: Oh, Julie, it's always nice to be w...

  Airdate: December 3, 2025 Julie Rose: Can you really help someone if you don't know how to give them what they need? Rachel Scholes: I told her I'd help, and I don't know what to do. All I thought about is that she's far away from services, and I need to get her somewhere closer. Julie Rose: Hey, it's Julie. Welcome to Uncomfy, a show about sticking with moments that challenge us even when they're uncomfortable. This is a special episode that's part of Light the World, which is a global invitation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to spread light and serve others during the holiday season. My team and I here at Uncomfy are members of the Church, and we have found this annual Light the World effort to be a great way to focus our thoughts on others during the holidays. So, let's get Uncomfy. Today, we're hearing how one ordinary morning in Tucson, Arizona turned into an extraordinary reminder that no act of kindness is was...

  Airdate: November 19, 2025 Julie Rose: So, last week we heard about the need for more dignity in our disagreements, but when it comes to really important political disagreement, what does that even look like? Alexis Morgan: The sponsors of this bill really frustrate me, but if I'm gonna throw contempt their way, one, they're never gonna wanna come to the table, and two, I'm never gonna be effective at the table. 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 maybe you 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. Last week on the show, we featured Tim Shriver, who co-created The Dignity Index, which is a tool for learning to respond with less contempt when we disa...

  Airdate: October 22, 2025 Julie Rose: How do you quiet that critical voice in your head? Anne Abel: The first class, they say, "Get on the floor and slither across like a snake," and I'm like, "I can't do this," but then I thought, "If I just stand here, I'm gonna stand out more than if I get on the floor and slither," so I slithered. 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 maybe you 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. I'm joined today by Anne Abel. She's an author and a former English teacher who suffers from severe recurrent depression. Her new memoir called "High Hopes" is about how when she was n...