The Joy Junkie Show

NEW FREE WORKSHOP ~> Let me ask you a question. What does “self-acceptance” mean to you? If you’re like many people, you may think that if you accept yourself as is, that must mean that you will become complacent and all of a sudden not want to accomplish any goals. If you accept yourself at this weight, does that mean you won’t try to tone up and get into those skinnies? If you accept yourself and you’re not in a job that lights you up, does that mean you’ll resign yourself to die in that damn cubicle? If any of those thought patterns sound familiar, you are certainly not alone. Many people think that if you choose to love and accept yourself NOW, then you are also accepting complacency and stagnation. In this episode, I debunk this myth and look at how loving and accepting yourself can actually catapult you into action… not only accomplishing goals and dreams, but also having a damn good time on the journey. If you often say, “I’ll be happy as soon as I lose this last 10 lbs.” or have only motivated yoursel

NEW FREE WORKSHOP ~> So… You’ve checked all the boxes. You got a good education. You settled down and got married. You pursued the career. You even bought the house, had the kids, the whole thing. And yet, you still wake up some days wondering, “Is this all there is? Is this it?” And maybe you even ask yourself, “What can’t I just be fucking HAPPY!? What is the secret to happiness!!?” I mean, you SHOULD be, right? You checked all those god-damned boxes. You did all the things. All the things that are supposed to yield happiness and somehow you’re still coming up empty. I mean… WTF!? You wouldn’t believe how incredibly common this is. Like, staggeringly common. We live in a society that tells us how we should live our lives and in turn, how we should feel about it. So, you get to this stage of the game and you’re like, wait a minute, why don’t I feel happy? In this week’s episode, I spill 6 suuuuper common ways you may be stifling your own happiness and ALL of them are typically done subconsciously… so yeah, y

NEW FREE WORKSHOP ~> It’s time for another Mailbag edition of the podcast! On these episodes, I take three listener submissions and give them tangible action steps on dealing with their current pressing issues and obstacles. One listener wrote in expressing frustration for catching her bestie in lie after lie and not knowing #WTF to do with that? I mean… just dump the friendship? But what if she apologizes profusely and expresses how important the friendship is to her? But, a lie’s a lie, right? Maybe not. Another listener asked about navigating a sticky family situation where all the grandparents in her son’s life are pretty much not interested in participating in his world. She has done everything in her power and now doesn’t know how to best take care of her son (and herself) and the litany of emotions that comes up around this topic. You may be a bit surprised about what my answer is for this fam. Hint: It involves giving her son a shit-ton more power. Our final submission for this episode comes from a ga

We’re switchin’ things up this week! We needed a week off from our regular format, but we wanted to leave you with something to brighten your day.  After years of threatening to do so, we finally decided to release a short blooper reel of our silly mic checks we do prior to recording each show. We will be back in your feed next week with a new episode, but thought you may get a kick out of this behind-the-scenes blooper track! Truly hope you enjoy! NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP READY TO GET RID OF PERFECTIONISM, SELF-DOUBT, AND OVERWHELM? OF COURSE, YOU ARE! Is this the year you go from a people-pleasing, guilt-tripped perfectionist to a bold and boundaried badass? Um, yeah. I think it is! If you’re DONE feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed out because you’re constantly doing, doing, doing for everyone else, then you must grab your seat in this brand-new workshop! You’ll learn the exact five-step process I take my clients through so they can let go of all the stress and angst of striving for “perfect” and carin

NEW FREE WORKSHOP ~> So… you know you need some downtime. You need some time to rest and recharge, but every time you do, that naggy, little voice in your head keeps hounding you about how lazy you are and all the things you should be accomplishing with your time. Or maybe you finally take some time to rest but your mind keeps spinning with all the things you need to accomplish and you find your “rest” is simply more time for you to ruminate on shit that stresses you out. Sounds familiar, right? Listen, we live in a society that glorifies productivity, busyness, and accomplishment, so it’s no wonder that taking a break seems like a luxury and not a necessity. Unfortunately, our bodies aren’t wired to be such a constant state of stress and it’s likely that you’ve seen the effects of lack of rest somewhere in your life: zero energy, exhaustion, not being present with those you love, less sexual connection/desire, reaching for unhealthy vices, and perhaps even disease or other physical ailments. So what the hell

NEW FREE WORKSHOP ~> Ever feel like… If only my boss wasn’t such an idiot, our workplace would be so much better. Or, if only my ex wasn’t such a douchebag, then my life would be so much easier. Or, if only our economy was better, then I’d be able to take care of my finances. Or, if only my mom wasn’t so damn irritating, I’d totally be happy. If any of this sounds familiar, congrats, you’re totally normal. We don’t consciously decide to become blamers, but it often becomes our go-to behavior when we’re unhappy with something or someone in our lives. It’s MUCH easier to stand in blame (and we’re also conditioned to do so) than it is to search for your role in the matter. So, how does one go about letting go of blame? In this week’s episode, I look at why we tend to immediately blame others, or things outside our control, why it’s a trap and totally ineffective, and what you can actually DO about it. And, trust… Get ready to feel a shit-ton better and massively more powerful. This pod explores: Our biological

FREE WORKSHOP ~> Ever find yourself replaying a scenario or conversation of the past (like, yesterday) and wishing you would have said something different? And maybe you ruminate on it and hash out a completely new dialogue that only leaves you feeling pissed off that you didn’t speak up to begin with? Or maybe you find yourself super confident speaking up in your workplace, but you have a hellova time with your family… or spouse… or bestie. Some of us would never “identify” as people-pleasers, but truth be told, there are numerous times when we bite our tongues out of fear of what others may think. Or the awkward-ass conversation that may follow suit. If you find yourself constantly complaining about shit your partner does, or are constantly frustrated with the behavior of Susan in Accounting, but you have yet to speak up, this pod is going to be your jam. Whether you’re caught off-guard, need to deliver a stern boundary, or need to engage in a deep, tough conversation with someone, this pod will help you na

FREE WORKSHOP ~> Ever find yourself reaching out to someone or something that you know isn’t in your best interest but you can’t seem to stop yourself from doing so? Maybe it’s having a few too many drinks when you’ve been trying to quit or reaching out to an ex who is beyond bad for you. Or maybe you’ve found yourself so stressed out over your intimate relationship that you’ve thrown yourself into work so you don’t have to address the sadness and isolation you feel in your relationship. What do all of these scenarios have in common? Emotional intelligence. The Oxford Dictionary defines emotional intelligence as “the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.” Whew – great. I’ll get right on that, amiright!? Listen, if you’re like many of us, you didn’t grow up learning how to emote freely and express the depths of your feelings without some kind of negative repercussion. Which leads to plenty of adults feeling all th

FREE WORKSHOP ~> Listen. ⁠⠀ I don’t know ANYONE who is thriving right now. Seriously a n y o n e Shit is beyond crazy.⁠ Like many of us may not see again in our lifetime. If you have been trying to operate like “business as usual” you probably need to knock that shit off. It is NOT business as usual. ⁠⠀ ⁠Nothing is business as usual. Nothing.⁠⠀ We are dealing with copious amounts of stress, massive civil unrest, loss of personal freedom, loss of safety, extreme changes in our work/financial/child-rearing/social lives, grappling with our white supremacy, and overall grieving our mutha-fuckin’ asses off. ⁠Not to mention this isolation has us lonely AF. And if you tend to like to control things, well, it’s likely that you’ve been having one hellova time. ⁠ And what does all that grief and loneliness lead to?  You guessed it… a severe lack of motivation.  It’s time to stop acting like it’s business as usual. ⁠⠀ Give yourself extra time. ⁠⠀ Extra grace. ⁠⠀ Loosen up on those expectations.⁠⠀ Settle into some seriou

FREE WORKSHOP ~> Hey everyone, Darlene here, Amy’s behind the scenes podcast ninja. Amy and Mr. Smith are taking some vacation time this week. So, I am stepping in to share a popular archived, Community Favorite episode: Six Things You Must Address for a Happy Life.  Mr. and Ms. Smith will be back in your ears next week with an all-new episode! So… You’ve checked all the boxes. You got a good education. You settled down and got married. You pursued the career. You even bought the house, had the kids, the whole thing. And yet, you still wake up some days wondering, “Is this all there is? Is this it?” And maybe you even ask yourself, “What can’t I just be fucking HAPPY!? What is the secret to happiness!!?” I mean, you SHOULD be, right? You checked all those god-damned boxes. You did all the things. All the things that are supposed to yield happiness and somehow you’re still coming up empty. I mean… WTF!? You wouldn’t believe how incredibly common this is. Like, staggeringly common. We live in a society that tel

FREE WORKSHOP ~> If you took a look around you… to all of your close relationships, would they all be reciprocal? Do you have people in your world who constantly deposit into the “account” of your life or are they perpetually withdrawing? Do you ever feel like you give, and give, and give, and get nothing in return? This episode is all about looking at your relationships through a different lens… by looking at who is and who is not contributing to your life. Have a listen and learn exactly how to identify the “energy vampires” in your life, where we usually get tripped up, and what to do about it. This pod explores: Perhaps the best metaphor EV-AH to analyze your relationships Where we usually get tripped up in wanting the best from people in our lives How to take an inventory of the people in your life and decide where you need to scale down What “charity” has to do with the vampires in your life NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP READY TO GET RID OF PERFECTIONISM, SELF-DOUBT, AND OVERWHELM? OF COURSE, YOU ARE! Is this

FREE WORKSHOP ~> Recently, in one of my classes, the topic came up about how our relationships start to change as we get further and further into personal development. Sometimes you come up against some opposition from a handful of peeps in your life who don’t really love the “new, empowered you”… The “you” who is setting boundaries. The “you” who is standing up for themselves. But… something we haven’t talked about as much on the pod is the multitude of other ways that your relationships start to change as you begin to grow and take a stand for yourself. When you start to actually believe that you’re “enough”. And, often, when you’re in the painful, murky waters of looking at all your shit, you just want to know that something good is going to be on the other side. I mean… tell me that I will love my life even if I’m setting all these boundaries… it won’t always be this hard, right? RIGHT!? So, this week, I thought I would dig into 6 ways that a strong sense of self-worth radically impacts your relationships

FREE WORKSHOP ~> If you’ve been involved in personal development or self-help for a while, surely you have come into some conflicting information around managing your inner critic, what that actually means, and how to really do it. Although it’s #amaze that there are so many people spreading positive messages out there, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t some seriously problematic ideas being conveyed about what it means to “successfully” contend with your inner voice. If you’ve seen memes floating around Facebook or Insta telling you to just love and accept yourself and speaking kindly to yourself and all your problems will magically disappear, honey, you are not alone. And, it can feel downright discouraging and defeating when you actually DO start speaking kindly to yourself and the heavens don’t part and make way for unicorns giving out ice cream. In this episode, I thought it would be fun to do a little game of True or False with Mr. Smith to see if I’ve been accurately painting a realistic picture of wha

FREE WORKSHOP ~> Tell me if this sounds familiar: You get all pumped up about a new love interest or an exciting new job opportunity and then BAM! All of a sudden you feel a sinking feeling in your belly and a barrage of commentary starts in your mind. What if he thinks I’m too high-maintenance? What if they think I’m under-qualified? What if her family hates me? What if they think I’m incompetent? You know that mind vortex, amiright? This, my friend, is the lovely little dance between Fear and your Inner Critic: the hybrid of how you FEEL and what you are SAYING to yourself in your own mind. Much of the time they work very much in tandem, but there is a subtle difference. Why does this matter? Because the more you can understand what negativity is happening in your mind and body, the more equipped you are to combat it… And overcome it. In this episode, I tease apart the differences between these two concepts and show you ways you can “catch” either one. The more you understand, the better you will be at choo

Disclaimer/Trigger Warning: This week’s show is a discussion directed towards white people and encourages a deeper understanding of white people’s role in social injustice and racism. BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) are absolutely more than welcome to listen and contribute, but I fully acknowledge and support that your mental and emotional health comes first. It’s no secret that the current events of police brutality and social unrest have left many white individuals floundering and seeking answers on how to support BIPOC and not cause further damage or compound the problem. Perhaps you are one of them. Perhaps you have been afraid to speak up for fear of saying the wrong thing. Maybe you’ve been curious about what your role is or what your next move should be. Maybe you are so ready to look at your role in systemic racism, but you’ve been paralyzed with the inundation of information over social media as of late. Listen, I feel you. It’s a lot to wrap your head around. And, and we have to keep look

You can find the resource document mentioned in the episode HERE.  Just start somewhere. One small step at a time.  Time to be better. Way fucking better. 

FREE WORKSHOP ~> One. More. Thing. One more thing and you may just lose your god-damned mind. If one more person asks something of you… If one more task gets added to your to-do list… You may just Lose. Your. Shit. We’ve all been in this crazy-ass-stressed-the-fuck-out place where we become, uh-hem, a little less than the best version of ourselves. We scream at our kids when they need something minimal. We lash out at our spouse, or friend, or co-worker when they are just trying to help. In essence, we become committed to being super stressed out and overwhelmed. If this sounds like I have a hidden camera installed in your place, dude, you need to have a listen to this week’s pod. BTW, no camera (#creepy)… I’ve just been in this place far too many times to count. And in this episode, I discuss 8 simple things you can do to let go of the overwhelm, stress, and mortal combat that may be driving you to the brink of insanity. Say hello to some serious peace, tranquility, and happy spouses. This pod explores: The

Forgiveness, especially SELF-forgiveness, can be one of the most challenging concepts to grasp on the up and down road of personal development. How on earth are you supposed to forgive yourself for past mistakes? I mean… if you forgive yourself, won’t you be letting yourself off the hook? Or if you forgive yourself are you saying that it’s actually okay that you fucked up that relationship or that job? It seems much easier to simply talk mad shit to yourself than to actually entertain the concept of forgiving yourself. And the cycle continues, right? You beat yourself up for your past and without realizing it, you pave the way for your future. What if… what if you could actually forgive yourself AND still feel remorse? Whaaaaa!!? In this episode I hash out the biggest misconceptions around self-forgiveness, how it affects your self-talk, and why it may be causing you to NOT forgive others…. Which, as you know, equals being kind of a pissy-pants most of the time. This pod explores: How to understand what forg

FREE WORKSHOP ~> If you’ve hung out with me for a while, you know that I’ve spoken often about NOT apologizing for yourself in regards to your wants, opinions, needs, and desires… As long as you express those wants, opinions, needs, and desires with grace + kindness. Through my work, and talking on this subject frequently, I’ve realized that there is a slippery way we apologize for ourselves through over-explaining. Perhaps you can identify with this idea. I mean… the last time you were unable to make it to an event, did you simply decline or did you give a lengthy explanation why you couldn’t make it? Or how ’bout over-explaining a decision you’ve made… like, not wanting kids or opting to be vegan or moving across the country or getting tattooed. Are you comfortable just stating that or do you feel the need to explain WHY you made those choices? Listen, there are certainly going to be those people in your life who you love having convos with about the various choices you’ve made. And then… And then, there ar

FREE WORKSHOP ~> You spent years in therapy dealing with your “family of origin” issues, so #WTF does dad still trigger you like crazy? Especially now during this whole quarantine bullshit? You learned how to deal with your inner critic and were handling it like a #boss, so why has Covid been bringing out your inner shit talker in full force? You know how to speak up for yourself, but you let your MIL run all over you yesterday. So what gives? Well, my friend, this lovely little personal development journey you’ve got here… NEVER ENDS. And, that doesn’t mean that your life doesn’t get a shit-ton better and have you all empowered, but it DOES mean that you will likely contend with hardship and triggers for the rest of your life… PD just helps you engage with those triggers and hardships in a more empowered way. PLUS… whenever you experience a new trauma (a la coronavirus) it naturally kicks up old trauma. Yay. Great. If you’ve been at a loss as to how to address this collective grief and trauma we’ve all been