The Joy Junkie Show

FREE WORKSHOP ~> Tell me if this sounds familiar: Your partner/bestie/boss/mom says something snarky and you immediately make it all your fault and assume that you MUST have done something horribly wrong. And then, without asking for any type of clarity, you just stew on it, ruminating, and make up all sorts of stories about what that other person is thinking and how you must clearly be a total asshat. The tendency to self-blame around every corner is actually far more common than you may think. Even though you are perpetually making it “all about you” (even if it’s in your own mind), doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a narcissist or purposely trying to take the blame for everything. In this week’s episode, I discuss a multitude of reasons your knee-jerk reaction may be to self-blame (aka I must have done something wrong!!), four steps to dealing with this habit, and how to let go of some of this shit that is soooo not your responsibility. This pod explores: Why you tend to think that it’s all your fault

FREE WORKSHOP ~> You’re scrollin’ through Insta or Facebook and you see all these lovely inspirational memes about self-care and making yourself important and you’re like, “Yeah, lemme just book a facial. That should help me feel less stress from my shit job.” If you’ve been cynical about self-care, honey, I feel you. Self-care’s online reputation would have you believing that taking care of yourself is all about mani/pedi’s, bubble baths, and massages. While these things definitely fall in the self-care category, there are actually WAY more ways to take care of yourself… most likely in ways you haven’t even thought of. In this week’s pod, I share four-ish major categories of your life that are often overlooked when it comes to truly taking care of yourself. If you’ve been feeling like you just don’t have the desire for a home spa day, but you KNOW something’s gotta change or you’re going to lose your shit, this episode is a MUST-LISTEN. This pod explores: What-the-hell boundaries have to do with self-care T

FREE HYPNOSIS MEDITATION ON FEAR + ANXIETY We are living in a time where there is no shortage of news coverage about stressful, overwhelming, and scary shit, which often leaves us feeling anxious, fearful, and focused on the worse-case scenarios. The great news is that there are a TON of other amazing examples of people winning at human during this crazy time in history and there are many people doing some serious good in this world. Unfortunately, these stories just don’t get nearly enough air time. Two weeks ago, I took a bit of a departure from our typical format and decided to chronicle 30+ inspirational stories of people doing remarkable things for their fellow womankind. After producing that episode, I kept finding more and more examples of awesome humans, so I thought I’d do another episode with even MORE heartwarming tales. Although this episode will certainly have you laughing, you may want to grab a tissue as some of the examples of kindness and generosity may have you shedding a tear or twenty. Tru

FREE HYPNOSIS MEDITATION ON FEAR + ANXIETY No matter how grounded you are in your own personal growth, you are undoubtedly dealing with some #covid crazy hardship that is proving extremely challenging and trying. We’re in sort of a collective “shit hitting the fan” moment in history, no? So what is an evolved spirit to do when things beyond your control knock you flat on your ass; When you lose a job, fear contracting a gnarly virus, process a divorce, deal with a lawsuit or some other seriously effed up event? I mean… the easiest route is victimhood… to bitch and complain, but at some point we get to a point where we can clearly see that isn’t working. So, how do you acknowledge the pain you’re going through and at the same time, find some relief? And, what on earth are you supposed to do if you feel helpless, out of control, and super alone? Don’t worry… I gottchu. In this episode, I dig into how to stay grounded and positive during a really, rough life event… Like, #TheRona You’ll learn 8 tangible (and pre

FREE HYPNOSIS MEDITATION ON FEAR + ANXIETY We are living in a time where there is no shortage of news coverage about stressful, overwhelming, and scary shit, which often leaves us feeling anxious, fearful, and focused on the worse-case scenarios. The great news is that there are a TON of other amazing examples of people winning at human during this crazy time in history and there are many people doing some serious good in this world. Unfortunately, these stories just don’t get nearly enough air time. In this week’s show, I took a bit of a departure from our typical format and decided to chronicle 30+ inspirational stories of people doing remarkable things for their fellow womankind. I also give you a handful of things you can watch or do to laugh your ass off and keep your spirits up. Although this episode will certainly have you laughing, you may want to grab a tissue as some of the examples of kindness and generosity may have you shedding a tear or twenty. Truly hope this episode boosts your spirits and ins

NEW *FREE* HYPNOSIS MEDITATION ON FEAR + ANXIETY Well, shit. Can we just start 2020 over? I mean… I was looking forward to some awesome fashions like bowler hats, long-string pearls, feather headbands, and flapper dresses. I sure-as-shit wasn’t looking for a world-wide pandemic a la turn of the century. But, alas, here we are. [insert virus emoji] And, if you are anything like me (and everyone I’ve been six feet away from), it’s likely that you’ve been battling a myriad of feelings. I’m guessing a bit shit-ton of fear, anxiety, overwhelm, stress, and possibly irritation at all the “here’s how we’re addressing Corona” emails bombarding your inbox. Same, girl, same. In this week’s show, I break down a list of things you can do to feel more in control and peaceful during this time. And, not on the list? Washing your hands or taking time to soak in a bubble bath. You already know that shit. Get your pen and paper ready to jot down all of the ways you’re going to slay this pandemic’s ass. This pod explores: The n

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP ~> Have you ever felt anger boiling up inside of you but instead of processing it, you drink a bit too much, throw yourself into your work, try to “mantra” it away, or ignore it altogether? Or how about situations of extreme sadness? Tell yourself, “You have nothing to be sad about. Stop being so dramatic. Other people have it so much worse than you.” If you have ever found yourself feeling down in the dumps or super pissed, but ended up concluding that you “just need a drink” or decide to chant a positive mantra like “This too, shall pass” instead of actually dealing with said emotion, you are certainly not alone. Our culture does not, by a long shot, promote processing and dealing with emotions. We are taught to run from them and “sweep them under the rug” or “buck up, Buttercup”. Last week I dug into the true source of sadness and anger… Grief. And, I know that sounds super dramatic, right!? I mean… you aren’t dealing with a death or anything. So, it couldn’t be grief. If that word seem

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP ~> Ever have that experience of getting rid of an old car and getting an amazing brand new one, but you still find yourself a bit sad to let go of your sentimental junker? Or maybe you get a new job that is totally perfect for you, but you can’t shake the feeling of sadness surrounding leaving your current dead-end workplace? Or perhaps you’ve moved to an incredible new home/town/country, but you find yourself distraught over what you left behind? If so, you are likely dealing with a form of loss… namely, Grief. Our society reserves the term “grief” for things like death or maybe divorce, but if you need to process losing out on a promotion, adjusting to a new diagnosis, or even letting go of an illness, that certainly can’t be grief! Ahh… but it actually is. The Grief Recovery Method defines grief as, “the conflicting feelings caused by the end of or change in a familiar pattern of behavior.” Literally ANY change of pattern or behavior. And, guess what? Two of the stages of grief are Sadn

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP ~> Hey everyone, Darlene here, Amy’s behind the scenes podcast ninja. The week Amy was supposed to record the episode, she got extremely sick. She felt the right choice was to take the week off from the podcast. This means we won’t have an episode this week, but there’s still some really great news. 1. We’ll be back in your feed next week with a brand new episode. We promise. And 2. Amy has a freebie for you. If you have not been to her free workshop yet, what are you waiting for?  She shares 5 strategies to help banish self-doubt and perfectionism, help you access killer confidence + 'enoughness' and finally find your voice. If you’re DONE feeling like your own worst enemy, constantly beating yourself up, and overwhelmed because you’re constantly doing, doing, doing for everyone else, then you must grab your seat in this brand-new workshop!  Get all the deets and register at TheJoyJunkie.com/Workshop. Mr. and Ms. Smith will be back in your ears next week with an all new episode.

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP ~> If you’ve hung around these parts for awhile, you know that I love to GO OFF about how to establish and enforce a boundary. Of course, this is super helpful when you have a solid understanding of your boundaries, but what’s a gal to do if you have no fucking clue what your boundaries even are!? I mean… how do you even figure that out? Where to start? If you’ve ever found yourself wondering the same thing, you certainly are not alone. Recently a PODiance member reached out to me with this exact conundrum. If you’ve heard this personal development buzzword floating around, but you’ve felt a little lost on how to apply it to your world, this episode is for you. In this episode, I explore 5 places you can look to figure out what your boundaries actually are, where you may need to speak up for yourself, and how to honor what feels right for you. If you identify as a (recovering) people-pleaser or just care waaaaay too much about what others think, you’ll want to grab a notebook and pen and d

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP We all want to consider ourselves honest people, but when it comes down to it, we spend quite a bit of time avoiding, fibbing, and sugar-coating our true thoughts and feelings out of fear of what others may think or say. Don’t get me wrong-I don’t think for one minute you’re intentionally lying to everyone (or to yourself), but more often than not, you’ve bought into the fallacy that you must take care of everyone’s response which may leave you less than truthful. The first item of business is shining a light on where you may be skipping the truth in order to “not rock the boat”, “open a can of worms”, or whatever other bullshit is keeping you silent. In this episode, I look at six super common ways we tend to lie our faces off… both to others and to ourselves and um… you likely have noooo idea you’re even doing it. If you struggle with how to speak up for yourself and often tell a little fib instead, you’ll want to tune in. Have a little listen and see if there is room for you to be a bit

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP ~> Are people-pleasers liars? Is putting yourself first selfish? If you feel you have “let someone down” does that mean the emotion you are feeling is ‘guilt’? I’m guessing you have a gut response answer to all of these questions and those answers may be informed by faulty logic. Hear me out… Most of us grow up hearing that we “shouldn’t rock the boat”, we shouldn’t “open a can of worms”, and that we should simply “sweep it under the rug”. In my not-so-humble opinion, these are all idoms for “shut the fuck up and suffer in silence”. That may be a bit hyperbolic, but seriously though… how often have you felt like you couldn’t speak up because it would simply destroy the other person? Better suffer in silence, amiright!? Unfortunately, when we chronically stifle our voice, we are sending a subconscious message to ourselves that we simply don’t matter as much as everyone else. Taking care of the other person’s emotions is FAR MORE important than your own. So no wonder you’ve been struggling w

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP ~> Flip through Insta or Facebook and you’ll find a litany of “Love Yourself” and “Just Think Positive” memes and you’re likely over here like, “Lemme get right on that.” When you’ve been struggling to simply accept yourself, actually loving yourself can feel like it would take an act of god. Perhaps you see super confident people and wonder how the hell they actually like themselves so much? Like, how can I get a piece of what she’s having? Here’s the problem: No one ever teaches you how to love yourself… or speak kindly to yourself… or pay attention to your needs. Lucky for you, I’ve put together 10 simple things you can start doing TODAY to help catapult your journey of self-love. [Hint: It’s actually not about finding the perfect job or the perfect mate that allows you start loving yourself. #spoileralert This pod explores: How to make sure you have time for YOU on your calendar How to make friends with the voices in your head How pride can actually be one of the biggest helpers in se

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP ~> Recently a listener wrote in to the show, asking what to do when you find yourself feeling stuck. You know that racket, no? Stuck in a relationship… stuck in a soul-sucking job… stuck in a friendship that doesn’t serve you. The list goes on. Many times, when we feel “stuck”, we look outside ourselves for the magic answer instead of addressing things that are totally within our power. Without knowing it, we fall into patterns and habits that ultimately leave us feeling stagnant and we forget to take action on the things that we already know bring us joy. Like, getting back to that knitting project you loved. Or picking up your guitar again. Whatever… you get the picture. In this episode, I dig into six different strategies and questions you can ask yourself to break out of your stuck-ness in order to create much more happiness and fulfillment. You may actually be super surprised how easy it can be! This pod explores: Why you think you “don’t have a choice” and what the real truth is Ho

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP ~> You’re no stranger to personal growth. You’ve read the books (or listened to them). You know the tools. And, yet, lately something has just felt a bit, well… off. Perhaps the positive self-talk has taken a back seat. You’ve slacked a bit on your boundaries. Maybe you’ve dropped some of the habits that keep you grounded and flourishing. Just maybe… you’ve fallen off the personal growth bandwagon. And, you can feel it. Big time. Listen, Love, what you need to know is that this shit right here is a whole-hella Normal… with a capital “N”. Our growth journeys are faaaar from linear and it is super common to have some ebbs and flows on your path. Any time you make any kind of change in your life, your habits can get uprooted, and that includes your good ‘ol Personal G. In this week’s episode I cover five tactics you can employ to jumpstart your personal development and get back to biz with all that self-lovin’, confidence, and “enoughness”. Think of this episode as a Vitamin B shot for your g

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP ~> Ever find yourself cruisin’ through Facebook, just minding your own business, and then BOOM! You see someone who is thinner than you posing in her bikini in her exotically sexy, annoying vaca pics and you instantly start comparing yourself to her. Or maybe it’s that one guy you used to work with sharing about his amazing work promotion for his new, totally awesome company, and your mind starts GOING OFF about how you just aren’t smart enough… not good enough… not accomplished enough. Just. Not. Enough. Maybe it’s not even Facebook or Insta… although they can be BEASTS in the whole comparison thing. Maybe it’s your co-worker, your neighbor, your bestie, or even your spouse that you constantly compare yourself to. And it usually ends the same way… with you CONVINCED that you totally suck. How do I know? Oh, honey, because I have soooo been there. And you are certainly not alone. In this week’s episode, I share four ways you can change how you address the comparison trap which will allow y

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP ~> You want to start your own biz, but you’re not sure you’re ‘good’ enough. You want to put your name in for the promotion, but you often think, “I’m not experienced enough”. You want to go back to school, but you often feel like you’re not young enough to start over. No matter what the goal… there is this constant phrase on loop in your mind… Not enough, not enough, not enough. UGH! Sound familiar? If so, join the club. No, seriously. In my decade+ of working in personal development, I can tell you that the idea that “I’m not enough” is probably one of the most common, deep-seated beliefs people hold. And, the bitch of it all, is that it damn-near always stifles your growth and keeps you from going after what you really want in your life. In essence, feeling “not enough’ can contribute to a shit-ton of unnecessary heartache and unhappiness. In this week’s show, I look at four concepts you can employ to bust out of feeling ‘less than’ and step into some serious worthiness and self-confide

FREE WORKSHOP ~> At the start of every year, it’s likely you get pumped up and excited to make some serious change. You decide on a handful of things that you are GOING to conquer this year, god-damn-it! But what actually makes those goals a reality? Throughout my decade-plus in this work, I have found that noble intentions have very little to do with bringing goals to fruition. Good ol’ fashioned gumption and desire are not enough to make your dreams come true. [sad trombone ]In fact, a recent Inc.com article indicated that only 8% of people actually accomplish their goals. WHOA!! 8%!? Well, fuck. But, wait. Never fear, Babycakes, because this episode targets seven ways people tend to sabotage their own goals (without even realizing it) and how you can set yourself up to slaaaaay all your goals. It’s not rocket science, but if you employ some of these easy tactics, you will kill all your 2020 goals! Yes, please! This pod explores: My favorite tool to use to ensure you are tackling this goal for YOU (instead

FREE PLANNING GUIDE WITH THIS EPISODE ~> If you’re like most people, you have an overwhelming sense of excitement and ambition come the new year. Also like most people, perhaps you hit Jan gang-busters-style, but when Feb rolls around you have slowly begun to lose steam, fervor, and action. Many people (and maybe YOU) enter the New Year with many plans and intentions, but somehow end up a bit off track sooner than later. In this episode, I address the biggest obstacles people unknowingly establish for themselves when crafting New Year’s goals and “resolutions”. Yep, you read that right… many people actually make their job a shit-ton harder by not setting themselves up for success to begin with. I also share my personal planning tool I use to ensure I establish solid goals in aaaaall areas of my life (not just fitness and money… but, yes, those too). Be sure to grab your free planning guide so you can plan and organize a seriously epic 2020 by figuring out what categories in which you would like to make headwa

NEW *FREE* WORKSHOP ~> Even though the holiday season is supposed to be all merry and bright and full of glad tidings, it’s quite certain that you’ve found yourself engaged with total overwhelm, buckling from the stress, and dangerously approaching burnout. Although fun and festive, it can take a sheer act of god to keep you from losing your ever-lovin’ mind during the chaos of this time of year, amiright!? If it’s not the multitude of gifts to buy or the food to prep, then it’s surely the family drama or workplace obligations that bring you to your breaking point. And while you’re spending money on shit you don’t want to buy or baking food for people you don’t even enjoy very much, you find yourself wondering why the fucking peace on earth has eluded you. But, lord help you if you don’t show up to the office party with the secret santa gift or all hell might break loose if you tell the in-laws you can’t make it this year. If you have found yourself overloaded by holiday stress and obligations, get ready for