WANT: Women Against Negative Talk

01/09/2026

Introducing LANGUAGE FOR THE LONG RUN: a January self-talk boot camp focused on building internal language that actually helps when things get hard 🗣️ 💪✨ ⬇️

This MONDAY, I'm launching the very first program I've ever done in the almost-two decades I've been doing this work. It's a longgggg time in the making...but also, I think, right on time.

THE DETAILS:
•Short daily posts/emails between Jan 12th-31st
•A quick daily reflection, a clear prompt or question, and a self-talk phrase or visualization to try IRL
•A clear structure (so you don’t have to decide what to do each day!)
•Self-talk you can use in real moments, not just reflect on before or after the fact

WHO IT'S FOR:
•People who are thoughtful, self-aware, and tired of turning tough seasons into a referendum on their worth
•Anyone who wants steadier, more supportive self-talk to lean on as the year unfolds
•Pragmatists who know that no single tool magically solves everything, and instead are committed to building a robust toolkit that can help them through good times AND bad

WHAT IT'S NOT ABOUT:
•Becoming more positive or "fixing yourself"
•Performative productvity or quick hits that feel good in the moment but don’t hold up later

WHAT IT IS ABOUT:
•Noticing the patterns that make things harder and heavier than they need to be — and building steadier, stronger responses you can rely on throughout the year
•Developing language, ideas, and reframes you can actually use, practice, and internalize over time

LFTLR (i really love this acronym for some reason?) is a PRIVATE boot camp, meaning it's just for paid members of the Self-Talk Studio on WANT. So if you’re already a paid-tier WANT member on Substack, you’re automatically included! And if you're already subscribed to the free newsletter, upgrade now and you'll be included.

Does this feel like something you’d want to start your year with?
If so, YAY.

Join us by signing up here: https://womenagainstnegativetalk.substack.com/subscribe

11/30/2025

This year has been filled with so much uncertainty, and being able to meet you here on WANT each week has been something that’s provided me some necessary grounding, reignited my sense of purpose, and — dare I say — revived a bit of hope.

As a thank-you, I’d love to gift you 40% off a LIFETIME annual membership to WANT. That means your rate of $3.50/month — the lowest it’s been and the lowest it will ever be — is locked into place forever.

(It’s also 50% less than a monthly membership, so technically, you’re getting an even better deal than Substack will let me advertise. So....a win no matter how you spin it!)

Simply click the link below and check the “Annual” box to activate your membership. Deal is only valid this week!

Claim your 40% OFF membership here:

https://womenagainstnegativetalk.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=17a12e5d

11/10/2025

November means we’re officially entering into The Holiday Season, and therefore, The Season Of Socializing With People Who Might Not Have The Healthiest Self-Talk Going On.

So for this month’s Self-Talk Scripts, let's do something different: talk about concrete ways you can help someone you love shift their negative self-talk.

Subscribe to read more:

Five non-intuitive yet concrete ways to help a loved one who's struggling with their negative self-talk (hint: it's not telling them to "stop being a dick to yourself.")

11/08/2025

Know someone who could use a dose of pragmatic positivity in their week?

You can now gift your loved one a subscription to Self-Talk Sundays by WANT: our weekly publication designed to meet you where you're at and help you shift your negative self-talk in a real, lasting way.

Use this link to send a gift subscription:

You talk to your self all day — make sure it's a good conversation. A weekly ritual to help you shift your self-talk, set you up for the week ahead, and build a better relationship with who you are. From Katie Horwitch of WANT: Women Against Negative Talk. Click to read Self-Talk Sundays, by Katie...

10/30/2025

We live in a world that treats rest like a reward you earn when you’re exhausted. But Karen Walrond compares rest to breathing: you don’t exhale until you’ve got zero air left, waiting to inhale until your lungs are totally empty. You inhale and exhale on a natural rhythm.

That metaphor BLEW MY MIND. Rest isn't a reward or something you do when you're absolutely spent. It's a part of the natural cadence of LIFE.

Subscribe for free and read the whole thing here:

What if the goal was to be the okayest at something?

10/24/2025

Have you ever heard of *horticultural therapy*?

I hadn't, until Jessica Murnane introduced me to it!

Now, I can't stop thinking about all the very real mental, physical, social, and emotional benefits of getting your hands in the dirt (or just maybe dirt-adjacent to start :)).

Jessica is on the this week, and we're talking community vs. solo practices, rethinking social media for your values (and sanity), how nature rituals can rewire scarcity mindset, and so much more. It's so easy to feel hopeless lately...but Jessica's words reminded me that we have the power to turn that defeat into hope by doing very simple things.

I hope this episode inspires you to LOG OFF and get into nature. It's 1pm here and the sun is shining, so I'm going to go take a break and do the same 🤗 🌱

Listen here on Apple Podcasts while you go take your nature walk: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/horticultural-therapy-how-nature-can-heal-stress-burnout/id1031793292?i=1000732961778

Or on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7zElwXsZ0cZ5zZ5CVGuSO6?si=fb826b2e8c08498c

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

10/21/2025

Potentially controversial opinion: I have a big problem with the terms “Side Hustle” and “Day Job.”

Just like Day Jobs aren’t always the boring jobs we “have to do,” Side Hustles aren’t always “passion projects.” Many Side Hustles are born out of utility, not joy — and then workers are penalized for trying to make enough money to live, instead of being paid wages that would facilitate that.

But THIS conversation isn’t about that.

This conversation is for the authors, the artists, the actors, the playwrights, the builders, the entrepreneurs, the creatives, the consultants, the people who might not be able to focus their sole attention toward their THING right now. Who maybe struggle to explain their work to others, but even if they don’t, often are met with raised eyebrows and shades of doubt in other people’s voices.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this one:

If you’re constantly referring to what you love as unworthy of the spotlight, then how can you ever expect it has a fair shot at success?

09/14/2025

I’ve been writing and speaking about self-talk for close to two decades now. In that time, I’ve heard pretty much every single question, comment, and “what about…” you can think of. By far, the most common one I’ve gotten is: “I don’t want to be an as***le to myself anymore — so what should I say to myself instead?”

Historically, I’ve steered the conversation in a different, deeper direction. Not because there’s not an answer, but because everyone’s answer is different. Self-talk is complex. There’s so much intricacy and depth that goes into learning that new language, and even more into becoming fluent. (Which is why I wrote a whole book about it, I guess :))

But I get where the question comes from, and why people are so eager for a quick n’ clean answer. People (including me, hi I am also people) want tools they can use right when they need them. Most of the time, if they’re really interested in making a change, they’ll do the ground work to make that change sustainable. But they also want to know what they can do NOW, when things suck.

No one phrase is going to work for everyone. But…in a suite of self-talk scripts…there’s a good chance that at least ONE might resonate. So here we are: A SUITE OF SELF-TALK SCRIPTS TO SHIFT YOUR SELF-TALK.

I did a poll last week on my Instagram stories, asking you what self-talk you wanted the most help shifting right now. I wanted to see what YOU said you needed, not just go with what I THOUGHT you might need.

The self-talk scripts you said you needed most this week: ones to help you ✨TRUST YOURSELF✨

I’ve created a handful of statements to try and questions to ask based on each category in the carousel above — and if your self-talk shows up more like images or sensations than words, there’s a visualization exercise to walk yourself through at the very end to help you spark those self-talk sensations, which you can either listen to or read. TLDR, no matter how your self-talk shows up, I’ve got you.

Comment “TRUST” and I’ll DM the post to you…or if you’re already subscribed, check your inbox.

Happy ☺️

08/07/2025

✨ A REMINDER: ✨

You’re allowed to pivot.

You’re allowed to change, then change again, then change again.

You’re allowed to add pages to your story. (You’re the author, after all.)

The narrative that you’re too [young, old, established in one arena, known for a thing, inexperienced, settled] to evolve is a lie created to keep you small and controlled. Because if you think you can’t move on or up or just plain add something new into the mix, you’re going to keep trying to find quick hits of fulfillment that serve everyone else but you.

So. You are allowed to go through V1, V2, V3, and so on and so forth. AND...you’re not only allowed to, but it’s your born right to. What is life if not a constant unfolding?

✨

via

07/03/2025

ISO sponsors for our upcoming LIVE cabaret, MILLENNIAL CRINGE, on July 20th in Los Angeles!!

Looking for a select number of millennial-founded brands, podcasts, and small businesses who want to get in front of in front of both a values-aligned, niche, and loyal in-person audience via program placement AND cast a wider net to an online audience via social media, newsletter, and podcasts. Each sponsorship tier involves a mix of show program, podcast, social media, and newsletter opportunities, and we're totally down to work with you to create the combo that feels best.

Event link: https://www.thekookaburralounge.com/events/millennial-cringe

If you're into it and want to learn more, leave a comment below and we can chat details 🙌

03/12/2025

The WANTcast is now on YouTube! For the first time in our entire decade of episodes, you can watch the video of our interviews. New episodes posted each week. Go subscribe and show us some love!

This week, we've got Jess Weiner and Katie Horwitch talking about revolutionizing the idea of self-esteem, challenging cultural norms, and how she's been able to make society-shifting changes through huge brands like Barbie, Dove, and more. You're going to love this one.

Watch and subcribe here:

Have you ever thought, "I wish the kind of body positivity and inclusivity we see today had existed when I was growing up"? If so, you’re not alone. The conv...

12/15/2024

“Rewilding is a progressive approach to conservation. It’s about letting nature take care of itself, enabling natural processes to shape land and sea, repair damaged ecosystems and restore degraded landscapes. Through rewilding, wildlife’s natural rhythms create wilder, more biodiverse habitats.”

I () found this definition online and was struck by how infused “rewilding” is in ALL of ’s work. Lily is a writer, editor, educator, and rewilding enthusiast exploring interdependence and resilience within our earth and human communities. We are no different than the trees and the earth, and Lily knows that.

Thrilled to have her on WANT today! Link in bio to Substack, where you’ll find the entire interview. Sharing some gems in the slides above 💛 🌱