Have you ever replayed a conversation in your head for three days because someone might have been upset with you? Friend... same. This week on Laugh Lines, Penn and I sit down with psychiatrist and ADHD expert Dr. Sasha Hamdani to talk about something that completely changed the way we understand ourselves: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD).

If you've ever been called "too sensitive," taken criticism way too personally, or apologized a hundred times a day, this conversation might explain why. Dr. Hamdani shares the science behind why so many people with ADHD experience emotions so intensely, why hormonal changes like perimenopause can make it even harder, and what we can actually do about it.

We also talk about the surprising upside of feeling things deeply, because the same brain that feels rejection so intensely also experiences joy, awe, empathy, and connection in a really beautiful way. (And somehow we end up talking about WikiFeet. Because of course we do.)

Whether you have ADHD or you've simply spent your life feeling "too sensitive," this conversation is for you. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. (Also send us your weird summer jobs!) You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Learn more about Dr. Sasha Hamdani

Get Dr. Sasha Hamdani's book, Too Sensitive

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

00:00 Welcome to Laugh Lines!

2:41 Growing Up Sensitive

8:17 Welcome Dr. Hamdani

11:24 What is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?

20:32 RSD Without ADHD

26:36 Dealing With Criticism

30:43 RSD & Perimenopause

33:37 Best Practices for RSD

40:08 Movement Is Effective

44:48 Chronic Apologizing

47:59 RSD Advantages

51:17 RSD Calls from the Laugh Line

1:00:45 RSD Relationship Hack

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Penn and I have joked about gentle parenting on this podcast more than once. As Gen X parents, it always sounded a little... soft. So when parenting coach Jon Fogel joined us, we figured we'd have a lively debate. Instead, about halfway through the conversation, we looked at each other and thought, "Wait... have we been gentle parenting this whole time?" Also, what is gentle parenting? (Apologies in advance for the many references to Penn getting hit in the balls by a pool noodle.)

Jon helped us untangle why so much of what gets labeled "gentle parenting" online isn't really gentle parenting at all, and why kids actually learn better through connection than fear. We even put Jon through a round of our "Hill You'll Die On" game to find out where he stands on everything from pajamas at school and homework to smartphones and curfews.

Whether you're raising toddlers, teenagers, or just trying to recover from how you were parented yourself, this conversation might make you rethink a few things. It definitely did for us. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. (Also send us your weird summer jobs!) You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Laugh Lines, Penn and I not only strip down due to our A/C being out... AGAIN! We also tackle two things I never expected to happen in the same podcast: Becoming an (almost) empty nester and hunting down an estrogen patch like it was contraband due to a recent shortage.

We discuss my hormones going on strike, and a voicemail from a mom preparing to send her child to college inspired us to share the biggest lessons we've learned after Lola's first year away. We also revisit "Father of the Bride" through Gen Z eyes (Spoiler: George Banks was making a lot of sense), realize that 1991 was somehow 35 years ago, play a very heated game of The Price Is Right, and give a spirited tribute to the late Bonnie Tyler. Yes, Penn got out the recorder.

If you're navigating hormones, parenting grown kids, or simply trying to figure out how we all got this old, come laugh with us. We promise you'll leave feeling a little less alone. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube. And thanks to our partner, OLLY, for sponsoring this episode!

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do Blockbuster cards, Duke basketball, and a lifelong dream of writing a novel have in common? Somehow they all end up in this episode! This week, Penn and I are joined by #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin, whose books have defined the modern "beach read" for millions of readers. (And I love a beach read, y'all.) Her latest book, Love You More, just came out this month.

Emily shares the path that took her from practicing law to becoming a beloved novelist, and how she creates the messy, relatable characters we can't stop rooting for. Along the way, Emily joins Penn in encouraging me to write my own novel and we explore why there are no truly original ideas - only original voices.

Of course, this wouldn't be Laugh Lines without a healthy dose of Gen X nostalgia. We reminisce about Encyclopedia Brown, Blockbuster late fees, and play a game called "Plot Twist," where Emily turns the most ordinary situations into bestselling novels on the spot. We also answer your Laugh Line questions about pickleball etiquette, marriage with ADHD, and the mottos that have shaped our lives.

If you learned something from our conversation with Emily, share it with an aspiring writer or somebody who just has a dream that they have wanted to chase. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Learn more about Emily's new book, Love You More

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, I was the mom crying in the Target parking lot while buying dorm room supplies. This year? Our daughter Lola is back home after her freshman year of college, and apparently... she knows things. So we handed her the microphone.

In this episode of Laugh Lines, Lola shares everything she wishes she'd known before moving into her dorm - from making friends in those first overwhelming weeks to building good study habits, surviving finals, handling competitive clubs, and why you definitely do NOT need twenty athletic tops (I would like the record to show I tried to say this while we were packing). We also asked Lola your questions from Instagram about homesickness, roommates, calling your parents, transferring schools, ADHD organization, dorm must-haves, and what actually matters when you're preparing for college.

Whether you're sending your first kid to college, heading there yourself, or just wondering how someone can get hit by a car and still make it to a meeting on time (yes, that happened), we hope this conversation makes the whole transition feel a little less scary. If you have more college questions, let us know - we may have to bring Lola back for another round. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Pre-order Get It Done & Have Fun

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Laugh Lines, Penn and I cover a lot of ground... from career advice for creative dreamers to one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of our childhood: Whatever happened to the prize inside of box of Cracker Jacks? We discuss the World Cup reactions, answer your questions about public speaking and irrational fears, and explain why I identify as an iPhone with a very questionable battery. We also issue a challenge to our listeners... how long can you watch a TV show without your phone?

Plus, Penn debuts a brand-new segment called Gen X Cold Case, and let's just say if you ever earned a Pizza Hut personal pan pizza for reading books or treasured a temporary tattoo from a cereal box, this one's for you. What's the biggest Gen X "cold case" you still wonder about?

We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Pre-order Get It Done & Have Fun

Visit Our Shop

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Laugh Lines, I learned two things about myself: I'm deeply triggered by people yelling at graduation ceremonies and I'm officially old enough to be attacked by Love Island. I also learned that I seriously dislike the phrase "that's the way it is" and feel it needs to be banned immediately.

Penn and I cover a lot of important topics from our couch this week, including: Our week without air conditioning, "Gen X revenge" involving a dumpster, and what it's like having a son away in France for 3 weeks. We also spend way more time discussing bidets than any respectable podcast should.

Thanks for being here with us... let us know if you're Team Hoot & Holler or Team Follow the Rules, if you're saying yes to more things as you are getting older, and if you unpack immediately or live out of your suitcase. (Also, should we take a shing-cation?)

We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Pre-order Get It Done & Have Fun

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Laugh Lines, we're making a strong case that the Running Man may be more powerful than we ever realized. After reading a fascinating study on dancing and brain health, I convinced Penn to join me for one of my dance classes to see if shaking it off could help keep cognitive decline at bay. What followed was a reminder that Gen X may have one competitive advantage over younger generations: We absolutely crush the Running Man. (Why can't Gen Z do this?!)

We talk about the surprising importance of community as we get older, and why getting outside your comfort zone never becomes easy, and we share what we learned speaking to a group of lifelong learners. Plus, we dig through some classic Gen X relics from our attic, including a Trapper Keeper, boombox, globes, metal lunch box, and flip phones. Along the way, Penn debuts options for an Alzheimer's jingle, we discuss a meteorite over Martha's Vineyard, and I continue my quest to get more than one-word text messages from our son on a foreign exchange student trip. Dust off your best Running Man, and join us for a conversation about staying curious, connected, and (hopefully) mentally sharp.

We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

More information on the dance study

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever found yourself stuck in the paralysis of too many choices? This week, we're joined by Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East to talk about their new book, Courage to Commit. Yes, Shawn is an Olympic gold medalist. Yes, Andrew played in the NFL. And while they are both super talented and successful, their lives have taken commitment and work.

We live in a world that constantly tells us to keep our options open. But when you choose something, whether it's a relationship, a career path, a healthy habit, or even a workout routine, it can actually bring more peace and less anxiety. Shawn and Andrew share stories from marriage, parenting, athletics, and business, including the lessons they've learned from sticking with hard things and the mistakes they've made along the way. (Plus, Penn learns more about presidential biographies than he ever wanted to.) 

If you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or just need a reminder that growth usually happens one small commitment at a time, I think you'll really enjoy this one. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Pre-order Get It Done & Have Fun

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a visit to a memory care facility turns into a brainstorming session for the ultimate Gen X Retirement Home "in the year of our lord Dolly Parton 2026"... This week on Laugh Lines, Penn and I reflect on a visit with his mom and find ourselves imagining a future filled with Oregon Trail reenactments, Running Man lessons, prank calls, and Pantera during music hour. We talk about the surprising connection between music and memory, why laughter and grief often show up together, and what we'd want waiting for us in our own retirement community.

We also dive into a conversation about aging after someone on the internet suggested my eyebrows needed help. That leads to a bigger discussion about beauty standards, the pressure women feel to age "correctly," and why it's so hard to stop caring what other people think. We also explore women supporting women, the loneliness epidemic among men, and what healthy community and connection might look like for all of us. Plus a walk down memory lane with Mr. Microphone, if we should do a psychic podcast, and more Gen X nostalgia. Laugh Liners, don't forget your homework assignments!

We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Pre-order Get It Done & Have Fun

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Penn and I are back from vacation and sharing our biggest realizations… including why people who travel with carry-on luggage only might actually be in a cult (but after losing our luggage twice in one trip, we are joining it!) We take official carry-on vows, talk about why you should never have a massage if you think you might crap your pants, and we time travel with music from scrubbing grout on Saturday mornings with Chuck Mangione and to the orthodontist chair with The Alan Parsons Project. (Send us your time travel songs!)

We also unpack hearing tests, first class passenger behavior, and why lesbians may be the last remaining defenders of the compact disc. This episode is equal parts chaotic travel reflections, childhood therapy session, and a digestive emergency cautionary tale. (And to the man who proudly knew the Laugh Lines phone number by heart at Jen Hamilton’s book event… this is your official invitation to call in and do the credits next episode. We’re still impressed.) We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Pre-order Get It Done & Have Fun

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.