In this episode, Liz Gillie shares her personal experiences with using ChatGPT as a tool to navigate various aspects of her life, particularly in managing chronic illness, mental health, and daily tasks. She discusses the benefits and challenges of integrating AI into her routine, emphasizing its role in providing medical insights, therapeutic support, and organizational assistance. Liz also invites listeners to engage with her community and share their own experiences with AI tools.

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Keywords: AI, ChatGPT, mental health, chronic illness, meal planning, therapy, organization, parenting, technology, self-care

Welcome to Besties Unfiltered, the podcast where real women share real stories. I'm Liz, and each week we dive into the authentic conversations that help women connect, build community, and feel empowered. Whether it's overcoming challenges, celebrating wins, or simply sharing the ups and downs of life, we're here to support one another, no filter needed. Grab a seat, grab your bestie, and let's get to it.

Hello, hello. Okay, so I had my first major technical difficulty where this morning it is May 19th. We have an episode coming on the 20th and I went to just double check it, make sure it's scheduled correctly, all that good stuff I just always get nervous about if I've hit AM or PM or you know, and I can listen to the episode in its draft form.

And I clicked on it just to double check the sound because I've had a few issues here and there with sound. And it was like this gurgled robotic voice. And I was like, no. So I deleted it, went back to my recording software to download the episode again, and it's still doing it. I don't know. I guess somehow the original is just corrupted. So I am re-recording with less than 24 hours. And I...

don't feel great today. I had to get a vaccine. I'm tired and my arm hurts and I'm grouchy. So we're gonna see how this goes. I'm worried that it's gonna be really discombobulated, like not as put together as I had hoped. But it is what it is and this is the unfiltered part of it. This is real life. So we're just gonna go with it. Okay, so today's episode is kind of a different one I never thought I would be doing, but here we are.

This is how I use chat GPT to make my life easier. Now, first and foremost, I recognize that there are people who are very against AI and honestly, like I have no issue with someone being against AI, refusing to use AI. There are problematic aspects of AI. There are environmental as well as privacy concerns and

other things to it. I know there's a whole host of reasons people choose not to use it and I totally respect that. For me personally, I see AI, specifically chat GPT, as a tool. Not something to replace using my own brain or you know whatever, but just as a tool to help me when I'm struggling. and we'll kind of get into some of those struggles, but I just kind of wanted to

address the elephant in the room right off the bat that yes, I know that there are some Nuanced ⁓ views with it and that's fine and that Like I'm surprised to be doing this episode myself but it really truly has been helping me through a really hard time of my life and I'm gonna share about it and Also, this is not sponsored in any way shape or form. It's just a real-life tool that has been helpful Okay, so

Why did I start using ChatGPT? ⁓ First time I used ChatGPT was a couple months ago. I waited a long, time before I ever used it. And for me, the very first time I used it was to learn more about POTS because chronic illness is a hot mess express. I think anyone that has dealt with anything like this before knows there's just so much information out there and sometimes

You can be going to a really good source, know, medical journals, things like that. It's confusing. They're long. It can be kind of hard. And then when you're dealing with a chronic illness that also includes brain fog, you're like, I don't have time for this nonsense. There's also a lot of misinformation out there. And so for me, being able to, go to chat GPT and be like, hey, I think I have POTS. These are the symptoms I'm experiencing.

is there something else that could be at play here? And then going back and saying, hey, I have been diagnosed with POTS. What are some things that I can do on my own at home to help alleviate symptoms? And it just puts all the information in a really concise way that makes it easy for me to understand what's going on. One thing that I will note, because misinformation is an issue with AI,

You can also ask chat GPT to give you their sources. So you can say, okay, this was super helpful. What are your sources for all of this information? And then you can open those links up and read more as well as double check. So I found that really helpful. ⁓ Especially I would say.

with mast cell and then trying to figure out like, am I having a POTS flare or a mast cell flare? like, what do I do in the meantime before I'm diagnosed and on medication for mast cell? What can I be doing on my own to help feel better? And so it's been really helpful in that way. ⁓ Again, I just feel like I'm not a medical professional. Doctors may be rolling their eyes right now. ⁓

I just want to emphasize like double check the advice, but I think it can be very helpful in starting conversations with providers and kind of giving you a jumping point for what to even research. I think it cuts back on the overwhelm of it all. So kind of in the same, I guess, field of like...

medical stuff. So I had, I'd seen it on reels and TikToks before, but I had a girl at work say, chat GPT is the best therapist I've ever had. And I was like, I've never considered using it that way. But it got me thinking. And so a couple of days later, something happened where I was like, I'm a little bit triggered by this. And this is something that has been triggering me for a while.

And I recognize like, ⁓ this brings up big feelings for me. tend to intellectualize things, I think. So I can understand why it bothers me. But actually moving through it is a lot harder for me. And this is not good therapy talk, but here we go. I cannot get over it. I am having a very hard time moving past it. So something's got to give. Something has to change, right?

So for me personally, I went onto chat GPT and I was like, Hey, I'm really triggered by this situation that has happened. And it was like, yeah, okay. So here's some reasons why that might be triggering. And I was like, yep, that makes sense. And then it kind of went through and was like, you know, what is your perfect outcome in this? And I was like, Oh, I have to actually sit and think about this and like feel my feelings. And it was actually really helpful to be able to say, okay.

This is, yes, this is why I'm feeling this way. But moving forward, what do I want? what is my end goal here? And then it also was like, would you like some scripts for things that you can say in these situations when you are triggered? And I was like, yes. Yes, I would. And it gave me some really helpful examples of how to kindly address someone who is.

unintentionally, I want to emphasize like we can be triggered by people who are not doing anything wrong. ⁓ Like this trigger I'm dealing with is 100 % me. And I just really appreciated being able to see a script to practice and get comfortable with. So it was really helpful in that way. And then a couple of weeks later...

I had another thing happen where I received a message from someone and again it was just I was very triggered it was a hurtful message although well intentioned and so I just straight up copied and pasted that right into chat GPT and before I could even start typing like I am triggered by this they're like we can see why you are triggered by this now obviously I have been logged in it knows my history

It knows like, here are some of the things she has talked about before. So it had that context already. ⁓ Which I guess that is a thing to know as well. Like with your privacy, you can stay logged out. I don't tell chat GPT everything, but on this stuff, I don't care. But I went ahead and put this message in there and it broke down all the different ways

that it was hurtful and validated like, hey, this would be hurtful to you right now given X, Y, and Z. And then it kind of just talked me through how to respond. And it was even like, do you need some grounding exercises to work on? Do you feel like you can do this, you know, now, or do you need some self-care advice?

And so it is helpful in that way, I think, so that to me has been good. I am curious about, I haven't used it this way. A real I saw, ⁓ it was a while ago, was talking about using it like a cognitive behavioral therapist,

So it's a little more of like talk therapy and changing your thought process to helping you to like reframe things, right? And so I just had it in the notes section of my phone, a prompt that said, act like a CBT therapist and walk me through identifying an unhelpful thought. Help me reframe the thought, I'm lazy, in a more compassionate way. And I was like, ⁓ that's really helpful.

Because sometimes we do get stuck in those thought patterns of like, I'm so dumb, I'm so lazy, like negative self-talk, or even like, I'm not worthy of X, and Z, and being able to say help me reframe this in a more compassionate way, help me work through these thoughts. So I thought that was kind of, honestly kind of cool. I also think it can be really helpful in preparing, I have used it to help me prepare for doctor's appointments. Just, you know,

with all the health stuff I've done, being able to go on and say, I have an appointment with a specialist to be evaluated for mast cell, I'm feeling very apprehensive about meeting with a new doctor. Help me come up with a script for advocating for myself. And that, I ended up not even needing it. But for someone who has a lot of anxiety around going to the doctor's office, it...

was helpful again just to have that script in the back of my mind of like I am allowed to advocate for myself and this is a healthy way to do it.

It is important to get the most out of it, to be really specific. ⁓ And this is where, again, treat it like a conversation because you're probably gonna get more out of it, but also recognize it.

it wants you to keep, like any website or app, it wants you to keep interacting with it. And so it is going to continue to ask questions at the end and you don't actually have to respond to those questions. Okay? It's okay. I personally, if you're logged in, it will save conversations you've had. can go in and delete them, but it will save them so that you can revisit, but you can also copy and paste them into your notes or Google Docs. I sometimes email myself. So.

That's really helpful. Okay, so other ways that I have used chat GPT, I really like it for helping me with mental load management, especially as I've been dealing with health issues and as we've been getting ready to move. It's overwhelming. My brain fog sometimes I struggle, ⁓ honestly, just being really fatigued. And so having this, it's

You know, it's more than a search engine. It actually is like a second brain, a personal assistant helping me out. So one way that's been really helpful for me is meal planning and being able to say, hey, I have pots and mast cell. I cannot eat list all my food allergies along with Jimmy's X, Y, and Z. Help me plan kid friendly, easy meals. it will. And honestly, a lot of times I'll be like, I want

30 meal ideas and then you know with our specifications and then it'll list them and I'll say do you want the recipes for these and I'll be like if I like them I'm like yes absolutely if I don't like them I'll be like you know I want ones that are more vegetarian or whatever and then you know again do you want the recipes I say yes and I copied and pasted those in email to myself and honestly recipes have been a hit so far so that's really helpful especially again dealing with

chronic illness stuff where like dietary restrictions are happening and lots of new moving parts to it, it's really helpful. Same thing with like exercise routines. I can't exercise the way that I used to and my exercise tolerance is way, down right now. And so being able to say, like I spent so much time.

searching and saying, know, with pilots, what are some good exercises I can do that won't send me into a flare? Because exercise has kind of been a little bit of a trigger for flares. And so that's how I learned that swimming is a really good one. Like water walking and water aerobics are some of the best ones you can do or recumbent ⁓ exercises. And so then I was like, OK, that sounds great. Can you make me a ⁓ routine and

That was really, really helpful. And if I had been trying to research this on my own and create on my own, it probably would have taken me days or weeks to get it figured out. And instead it took me like 20 minutes on chat. JPT, I printed it off. I read it, you know, a couple of times to like get it locked in my brain. So I really like that aspect. I've used it to help me with cleaning checklists, with getting ready to move. Honestly, like organizing our move and

just a full checklist for that of things we need to get done, packing lists, all of that kind of stuff has been really, really helpful. I think you could even use it for chore charts with kids, especially if you're struggling to find out like what's age appropriate. I even used it the other day. I would like to dip back into minimalism.

I would say compared to most people, we are still on the more minimalistic side, but I have let a lot of things slide over the last few years and I'm nowhere near where I used to be and I'd like to return to that a little bit. Moving is a great time to do it. I thought about downsizing a lot of our stuff before packing, but I've honestly just been, I've been too sick to do that. And so at this point I'm like, it's either getting trashed or it's moving with us and we'll deal with it on the other side. And

the other day I did, I want to start packing my clothes, give me a minimalist wardrobe checklist because I wanted to see what's that gonna look like and let's just live it for the next four weeks and see how that goes. It did kind of bite me in the butt because Minnesota decided to drop into the 40s again even though it's May.

with all the things I have to do and so I just like end up sitting there staring off into space doing nothing and this has this has been a tool that has helped me a lot with that. few other ways I've used it. I kind of mentioned the medical side of things like being able to help me understand topics and summarizing

articles, especially medical research articles I haven't used it for books as much, but I could see it being a helpful tool with someone who is getting back into reading or wanting to get into reading.

So one other thing that I have written down, but I haven't personally done is using it in parenting. So scripts for tough conversations or creative ideas for handling some of the struggles that you're having with your kids. I could see how that would be helpful.

creating routines, like a bedtime routine. We really struggled with Noah and I ended up reading so many articles and a couple books before I came up with like a good bedtime routine that got him, he spent years sleeping in our room and then we finally got him to sleep outside of our room. He'd sleep like literally in our door jam right outside our door. And we kept telling him, when you turn seven, you have to sleep in your room. And

creating a routine that helped him with that and kept him from being right outside of our door or in our room. It's not perfect. He has slept on the couch at least three times in the last week, but he's not in our room, not in our bed. So I'm calling that a win. But I could see where chat GPT could actually be helpful in that situation. I am curious to hear how you guys have used it. If you are someone that uses chat GPT, ⁓

Please send me a DM on Instagram is the best place I just am really curious to hear how other people are using this. Maybe that could be a whole nother episode or if you have alternatives that you like, that would also be really interesting to me.

I do have to give a shout out again. This is like not sponsored in any way. I will see if I have a promo code I can give you. I also, we just got the Skylight calendar. I got it. It was for Christmas and it is a digital calendar that really is meant to be like a personal assistant. I believe it does use some AI, but you can menu plan on it. It's not perfect yet, but you can also link.

to recipes like email recipes to the calendar. So then they pull up to help with the menu planning. You can copy and paste them. so it's another really helpful tool. And I don't feel like I've had the chance to even fully explore it, even though we've had it for five months, just because of how busy we've been. So I'm really excited to start utilizing it to its fullest potential. But that is another...

really cool tool that I think is helpful for, I was gonna say families and moms, but really anyone. It keeps your life organized. And if you're like me and you struggle with a daily planner like a paper one, this is a nice alternative.

it's given my family awareness and a certain level of accountability. Now do they actually follow it all the time? Absolutely not. But it is nice to be able to, you know, when they're like, oh, do you have work today? Be like, I don't know. Look at the calendar. What does the calendar say? And it says, oh yeah, mom work, 12 to 6 30. And so then they're aware of what's going on too. I think that is everything.

that I wanted to talk about in this episode. Again, send me DMs if you have other ways that you like to use it or even just stories or your experience with it. I think that could be really helpful. Next week's episode is going to be our hot takes episode. This is final call. If you have a hot take to submit, please do so. I'm also planning episodes right now that will deal with kind of parenthood and motherhood in general, as well as

one about finding friends as an adult. So if you have any feedback on that, you could visit my link in bio. also link it in the show notes. And I have a Google form. You can do it anonymously. none of the questions are required. So you can answer any of the questions you want to. If you want to be interviewed, you can also put that on there, or you can send me a message. I would love to get a variety of people.

I think that's everything. So definitely go check out that Lincoln bio. There are a few little maybe surprises in there. Things to come that are already linked. So go check it out and let me know any of your questions or thoughts because this is a community and I love getting to build this community with you guys. That is it for today and I will see you guys.

next week.

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Besties Unfiltered. I hope today's conversation left you feeling inspired and connected. Remember, we're all in this together and there's power in sharing our stories. If you loved today's episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your besties. And as always, keep being real, keep being you, and I'll catch you next time. No filter, just friendship.