Hannah Berner Gets Real: Dating Advice, Feminism, Self-Love, Confidence & Her Career Evolution
In this episode of Pursuit of Wellness, Hannah Berner opens up about her career evolution, relationships, and personal philosophies. An advocate for authenticity, she shares insights into her wellness routines, emphasizing holistic self-care practices from fitness to beauty.
Berner also discusses her comedic journey, from transitioning into stand-up to crafting her Netflix special. On a personal note, she reflects on lessons from past relationships, offering dating advice rooted in vulnerability and self-love. Additionally, Berner delves into her perspectives on feminism and female empowerment, aiming to challenge societal norms and inspire other women in creative fields.
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1-Page Summary
Wellness and Self-Care Practices
Hannah Berner, an artist and performer, underscores the importance of wellness routines in artistic communities. She values proper nutrition, hydration, and sleep before shows. Tennis and hip-hop yoga are part of her fitness regimen for mental health benefits.
Hannah embraces a minimalist approach to beauty, favoring ancestral practices and individual needs over consumerism. She aims to normalize discussions around bodily functions like queefing and menstrual discharge to destigmatize these natural occurrences.
Comedy Career and Creative Process
Hannah transitioned from a competitive tennis career to comedy, finding serenity in performing her true calling. She utilizes her podcast "Giggly Squad" as a testing ground for new material, refining spontaneous jokes into structured comedy numbers.
Her Netflix special "We Ride at Dawn" involved meticulous collaboration, from set design to editing with her best friend Paige. Hannah's comedic process blends her athletic discipline with an authentic passion for unbounded creative expression.
Relationships and Dating
After unsuccessful relationships in her 20s, Hannah took time for self-reflection before meeting her husband Des. Their connection was immediate, leading to an engagement within six months – a testament to the certainty and comfort Hannah values in a partnership.
Hannah advises authenticity in relationships. She believes the right person will appreciate you as you are, echoing her mother's guidance on moving on from unions without a future. While acknowledging effort is still required, Hannah suggests a romantic connection should feel natural and effortless.
Feminism and Female Empowerment
Hannah challenges gender norms in comedy by portraying women as multifaceted and confident. Her material normalizes discussions around women's bodies and experiences while encouraging self-worth independent of men's approval.
Determined to disrupt male-dominated spaces, Hannah aims to inspire other women comedians. She fosters female collaboration over competition and advocates for women pursuing creative passions regardless of societal expectations.
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Actionables
- You can create a personal wellness chart to track your daily habits like nutrition, hydration, and sleep, ensuring you're meeting your own artistic community's wellness standards. Start by listing your goals for each category and check them off daily. For example, aim for 8 hours of sleep, drink 2 liters of water, and eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. This visual accountability can help maintain a consistent routine.
- Develop a "Creative Expression Workout" by combining physical activities you enjoy with moments of spontaneous creativity. For instance, after a yoga session, take ten minutes to jot down any funny thoughts or ideas that come to mind. This practice can help you channel the mental health benefits of exercise into your creative pursuits.
- Initiate open conversations with friends about often-stigmatized topics like bodily functions to foster a more accepting and informed community. Start a book club or discussion group focused on literature that explores these themes, which can serve as a springboard for deeper, destigmatized conversations about the body.
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Wellness and self-care practices
Hannah Berner, an artist and performer, shares insights into her wellness routine and the normalized discussion of bodily functions to promote self-care and destigmatize natural occurrences.
Hannah's wellness routine and regimen
Hannah Berner underscores the importance of wellness, especially within artistic communities. She draws inspiration from the regimens of top performers, focusing on proper nutrition and recovery to support her own life as a performer.
Pre-Show Rituals and Fitness
Before her shows, Hannah values ample sleep, often waking up around 5:30 PM for a 7:00 PM performance. Hydration is key in her pre-show ritual; she sips on infused water because she finds plain water uninspiring. Before heading out, she chugs Gatorade Zero as a nod to her junior tennis days. Hannah does her own minimal makeup and selects stage outfits that make her feel authentic and confident, echoing male standups' simplicity.
In terms of physical activity, tennis is her go-to sport for mental health benefits, craving healthier foods, improved mood, and positive thinking, although she admits it's difficult to play year-round. Moreover, hip-hop yoga is part of her regimen, assisting her anxiety management during times when tennis is less accessible.
Emphasis on Simplicity
Hannah feels more herself with minimal makeup on stage, believing that her jokes work best when her appearance reflects her true self. She also advocates for outfits that enhance her self-assurance while performing.
Normalizing discussions of bodily functions and experiences
Open Conversations to Destigmatize
Hannah aims to dismantle taboos by discussing topics on "Giggly Squad" such as queefing and menstrual discharge. She believes in fostering an environment where achievements and bodily functions can be discussed openly, defying the notion that humor and attracti ...
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Wellness and self-care practices
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Counterarguments
- While Hannah Berner emphasizes the importance of wellness in artistic communities, it's important to note that wellness routines are highly individual, and what works for one artist may not work for another.
- The focus on nutrition and recovery inspired by top performers may not be accessible or practical for all individuals in artistic communities due to varying resources and personal circumstances.
- Ample sleep is generally beneficial, but the specific timing of waking up at 5:30 PM for a 7:00 PM show may not align with traditional circadian rhythms and could be impractical for those with different schedules or responsibilities.
- Hydration with infused water and Gatorade Zero might be helpful for some, but others may find plain water sufficient or prefer other hydration methods.
- While tennis and hip-hop yoga may offer mental health benefits for Hannah, they may not be universally accessible or enjoyable, and other forms of exercise could be equally or more beneficial for different individuals.
- The belief in minimal makeup and authentic stage outfits for confidence is subjective; others may feel more confident and authentic with a different approach to their appearance.
- Promoting open discussions on bodily functions is progressive, but it's important to respect that some individuals may prefer privacy in ...
Actionables
- You can enhance your pre-performance routine by experimenting with different types of hydration, such as coconut water or herbal teas, to find what makes you feel most energized and focused.
- Trying various natural hydrating options could lead to discovering a personal favorite that boosts your performance without relying on commercial sports drinks. For example, you might find that a homemade blend of cucumber, mint, and lemon in water not only hydrates but also calms your nerves before a show.
- Incorporate a new physical activity into your weekly schedule that combines exercise with mental relaxation, like aquatic yoga or dance meditation.
- These activities offer a fresh perspective on combining physical fitness with mental well-being, potentially uncovering new ways to manage stress and anxiety. For instance, joining a local group that practices dance meditation could provide both a supportive community and a novel approach to self-care.
- Start a personal tradition of "celebration and reflecti ...
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Comedy career and creative process
Hannah Berner has crafted a successful path from tennis player to comedian, with a comprehensive approach to her work that reflects both discipline and a willingness to experiment.
Hannah's transition from tennis to comedy
Hannah Berner opened up about the stark contrast between her anxiety-ridden tennis career and the serenity she feels performing comedy. For her, stepping onto the comedy stage felt like an awakening, an arrival at her true calling. Berner reflects on not loving the competitive aspect or the intense energies of competing in tennis, despite being competitive. This pivot from tennis to comedy hasn't discarded her disciplined and competitive nature; instead, she's transferred these attributes to a diligent, strategic approach to her new craft.
Hannah's collaborative, experimental creative process
Podcast as a comedic laboratory
Hannah utilizes her podcast, "Giggly Squad," as a proving ground for new material, testing out jokes and bits live to suss out what resonates with her audience. The initial success of a joke about vibrators, first mentioned on a "Giggly Squad" live show, encouraged her to adopt it for the stage. Likewise, a bit about Delta headphones that garnered laughs was further developed from podcast to performance, showing Hannah's process of refining spontaneous ideas into structured comedy numbers.
Crafting the Netflix special with close collaboration
Her Netflix special "We Ride at Dawn" is the result of meticulous collaboration and editing. Berner was immersed in every aspect of production, from set design to lighting. Moreover, the intimate involvement of her best friend Paige exemplifies the collaborative effort behind Hannah's humor; Paige's feedback on early drafts and the mutual experience shared—as seen in the special's closing credits where Paige spray tans Hannah—have imbued ...
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Comedy career and creative process
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- The transition from sports to comedy might not be solely due to a sense of fulfillment; other factors such as the sustainability of a sports career, market opportunities in comedy, or personal circumstances could also play significant roles.
- While discipline and competitiveness are transferable skills, the nature of comedy as an art form requires additional, distinct skills such as timing, wit, and the ability to connect with diverse audiences, which may not be directly derived from sports.
- Using a podcast as a testing ground for material is common, but it may not always provide a representative sample of a broader audience, potentially limiting the effectiveness of the feedback received.
- Close collaboration in crafting a comedy special is valuable, but it could also introduce bias or limit creative diversity if the collaborative circle is too narrow or homogeneous.
- A 10-hour editing marathon might indicate a strong work ethic, but it could also suggest ineffic ...
Actionables
- You can harness your existing skills from past experiences to fuel a new hobby or career path by identifying transferable skills and actively applying them in a new context. For instance, if you were once a meticulous planner in your academic life, use that attention to detail to organize community events or plan intricate travel itineraries for friends and family, turning a natural ability into a valuable service for others.
- Improve your public speaking or performance skills by recording yourself in a comfortable setting and then reviewing the footage to refine your delivery. Start by telling a story or explaining a topic you're passionate about, record it on your phone, and then watch to observe your body language, tone, and pacing. Use this self-feedback loop to make adjustments and improve over time.
- Develop a method for collect ...
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Relationships and dating
In the ever-evolving landscape of modern love, Hannah Berner shares her own illuminating journey and insights on finding that special someone and navigating the complexities of dating.
Hannah's journey to finding her soulmate
After navigating through a series of unsuccessful relationships in her 20s, Hannah Berner found herself taking time for self-reflection and personal growth. This critical period in her life paved the way for her to meet her husband Des. She explains that despite being single, living with her parents during COVID at 29, and her mother's worry about her well-being, she knew that none of her exes had truly gotten away. She hadn't done anything wrong, but simply hadn't met the right person yet. Once Hannah met Des, their connection was immediate, and they became engaged within only six months, underscoring a swift and confident bond.
Hannah draws a parallel between her parents’ quick engagement and her own, suggesting that having certainty and comfort with a partner, similar to a deep and effortless friendship, is an indicator of having found "the one." This notion of rapid engagement resonated deeply with her, as she felt that if one doesn't feel certainty about a partner within a year and a half, he likely isn't the right match. With Des, Hannah experienced this certainty and comfort akin to those warm, easy connections we find in deep friendships.
Advice on navigating relationships and dating
Hannah emphasizes authenticity in relationships. She insists that being open and true to oneself is vital, rather than trying to force connections or fit into a certain mold. Hannah believes firmly that if a relationship is meant to be, it can't be ruined by petty mistakes or mishaps – the right person will appreciate you for who you are. She mentions her mother's advice on the importance of moving on from relationships that have no future, underlining the ...
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Relationships and dating
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Counterarguments
- While Hannah and Des's quick engagement worked for them, it's not necessarily a one-size-fits-all indicator of a strong relationship; some couples may benefit from a longer courtship to ensure compatibility.
- The idea that certainty and comfort are signs of having found "the one" can be misleading, as relationships can also require work, compromise, and growth, which may not always feel comfortable.
- Authenticity is important, but relationships also often require a degree of compromise and adaptation, which can sometimes mean not always being able to be fully authentic.
- The notion that a relationship meant to be cannot be ruined by petty mistakes may overlook the complexity of relationships and the fact that sometimes small issues can escalate if not properly addressed.
- Moving on from relationships with no future is sound advice, but determining the potential future of a relationship can be complex and subjective.
- The idea that a partner should be an asset to one's life might be seen as a utilitarian approach to relationships, which traditionally priorit ...
Actionables
- You can start a "relationship reflection journal" where you document your feelings and experiences after each date or significant interaction with a potential partner. This will help you track your emotional responses and identify patterns that signal comfort and authenticity in your connections. For example, if you consistently feel at ease and can be your true self with someone, it may indicate a strong, natural bond.
- Create a "relationship asset list" to evaluate how a partner contributes to your life. Write down the qualities and actions that you value in a partner, such as support during challenging times or shared goals and interests. Regularly review this list to assess if your current or potential relationship aligns with these assets, which can guide you in deciding whether to continue investing in the connection.
- Develop a "relationship res ...
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Feminism and female empowerment
Hannah leverages her role as a comedian to challenge traditional gender norms and stereotypes, insisting that women can be multifaceted individuals and should have a say in male-dominated spaces like comedy.
Hannah's mission to empower women through comedy
Hannah is praised for shattering conventional gender roles, illustrating women as complex, confident, and of course, decidedly humorous within her comedy routines.
Challenging Gender Norms in Comedy
She disrupts traditional norms by showcasing women in her comedy as multi-dimensional and confident. Her material normalizes discussions about women’s bodies and experiences, conveying the message that women can be simultaneously boss-like and depressed, funny and sexy, without fitting into a singular, stereotypical mold.
Normalizing Discussions on Women’s Experiences
Hannah’s comedy serves as a platform for normalizing discussions around women's bodies and experiences. She approaches comedy as a form to express and share thoughts on topics typically seen as taboo such as bloating, farting, and queefing in the bedroom, thus empowering her audience.
Emphasis on Self-Worth and Decentering Men
Hannah's comedy often centers on women's self-worth and life apart from men. She encourages humor that comes from a place of self-care and recognizes one’s value without being dependent on the detrimental attention or approval of men.
Hannah's advocacy for women in male-dominated spaces
Determined to shake up the patriarchal norms within comedy scenes, Hannah aims to inspire other women to seize their comedic and creative ambitions with unabashed confidence.
Disrupting Male-Dominated Spaces
Manifesting her disruptive approach, she deliberately inserts herself into male-dominated spaces in comedy, promoting a change to the status quo. In these efforts, she takes inspiration from other female comedians like Nikki Glaser who demonstrate the power of female representation in otherwise masculine arenas.
Fostering Female Collaboration in Comedy
Hannah highlights her transition from seeing women as competitors to embracing them as collaborators, which she finds not only powerful but ...
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Feminism and female empowerment
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Counterarguments
- While Hannah's approach to comedy is empowering for many, some may argue that her style of humor might not resonate with or be appropriate for all audiences, particularly those who prefer more traditional or conservative comedic styles.
- Discussions about women's bodies and experiences, while normalized by Hannah, could be seen by some as oversharing or focusing too much on gender-specific issues, potentially alienating those who seek more universal comedic themes.
- The emphasis on self-worth and decentering men in comedy might be criticized for potentially neglecting the importance of healthy relationships and interactions between genders in favor of a more individualistic approach.
- Disrupting male-dominated spaces is a powerful move, but it could be argued that true equality in comedy should focus on merit and talent, regardless of gender, rather than deliberately seeking to alter gender ratios.
- While fostering female collaboration is positive, it's important to recognize that competition can also drive innovation and excellence in comedy, and that both dynamics can coexist in a balan ...
Actionables
- You can create a humor journal where you jot down funny observations that challenge gender norms, focusing on the multifaceted nature of women. Start by writing down daily experiences or thoughts that highlight the complexity of women's roles and personalities, which often go against societal expectations. For example, if you notice a situation at work where a woman is pigeonholed into a traditional role, write a comedic twist on how she could break out of that stereotype.
- Develop a personal mantra that reinforces your self-worth without reference to men, and use it in moments of self-doubt or when creating content. Craft a short, empowering statement that centers on your individual value and repeat it during your daily routine or before engaging in creative work. This could be something like, "My worth is defined by my creativity and achievements, not by my relationship to men."
- Start a virtual book club or discussion group focused on literature or media created by women, for women, to enco ...
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