In this special episode of The Real Stuff, I recorded my very first LIVE podcast taping and used it as an opportunity to get honest about wellness, what actually matters, and the moment my body forced me to slow down.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how wellness culture has become overly complicated. We’re obsessing over tiny optimizations and trendy hacks while completely ignoring the foundational habits that actually impact how we feel. In this episode, I talk about why I believe real wellness needs to go back to the basics: getting enough sleep, eating real food, and moving your body (all while, of course, taking care of your mental health).

I also share how my relationship with sleep has completely changed over the years—from barely needing it as a teenager to treating it as one of the most sacred parts of my day as an adult. And then I open up about something I haven’t shared on the podcast before: a terrifying night terror that escalated into a physical injury and became a major wake-up call for me.

I walk you through exactly what happened to me, how stress and hustle culture played a role, and the changes I’ve made since to protect my nervous system, my sleep, and my overall health. This episode isn’t about perfection or wellness trends — it’s about listening to your body before it has to scream at you.

If you’ve been feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or like you’re constantly chasing “better” but still feeling exhausted, I hope this conversation helps you zoom out, reset, and focus on what actually supports your well-being. Thank you to Bayer for partnering with us on this episode. If you’re ready to get real about your wellness this year, check out Bayer’s trusted lineup of products available at Walmart, CVS, Amazon, and Walgreens. Use as directed.

Subscribe to Eric Villanueva’s substack, Syllabus Health: https://syllabushealth.substack.com

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.

Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod

Find Lucie here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink

Website: https://luciefink.com/

Subscribe to my free newsletter "The Lucie List" here: https://thelucielist.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to "The Creator Confidential": http://www.luciefink.com/confidential

Executive Producer: Cloud10

Produced by Dear Media.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The crazy experience that changed my approach to sleep