Wholistic Wednesdays

Amy Barriga & Shelly Berkowitz

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Mental Health
Updated Weekly

Join Integrated Healing Arts Practitioner's Amy Barriga and Shelly Berkowitz every Wednesday as they dig deep into a New Holistic topic to offer hope, healing and transformation.

6d ago

What If Your Weird Little Habits Are Actually Telling You Something?

Why do we knock on wood? Why do we have a favorite mug, a certain bedtime routine, or that one little ritual we have to do before something important? In this fun and fascinating episode, Amy & Shelly explore the psychology behind our everyday rituals, habits, superstitions, comfort objects, and quirky little routines—and what they might reveal about how we create safety, predictability, connection, and even joy. We’ll talk about the difference between a harmless habit and a behavior that starts controlling us, why our brains love rituals, the emotional comfort behind certain routines, and how we can intentionally create rituals that support the life we actually want. And, of course, expect some real talk, laughs, relatable stories, and a few moments where you might catch yourself thinking, “Wait… I do that too!” 😂 ✨ Short Show Notes In this episode, we explore: 🧠 Why the brain loves rituals and routines 🔮 Superstitions and the meaning we attach to them 🧸 Comfort objects and emotional safety 💫 Manifestation and intentional rituals 😂 The weird little things we all do ❤️ When a habit supports us—and when it starts controlling us 🌱 Creating intentional rituals that bring more joy into everyday life Your weird isn’t necessarily something to fix. Sometimes, it’s something to understand. 📩 Contact Amy & Shelly Have a question, story, or topic you’d love us to discuss? Email: [Your podcast email] Instagram: @amy_Barriga TikTok: @amy_Barriga Facebook: Wholistic Wednesdays 🎙️ Wholistic Wednesdays with Amy & Shelly Science Meets Spirit. Real Talk. Real Healing.
Sep 23

Why Am I the One Who Has to Remember Everything?

🎙️ Season 4 • Episode 9 Why Am I the One Who Has to Remember Everything? The Invisible Mental Load, Decision Fatigue, and What Happens When Your Brain Never Gets to Clock Out Do you ever feel like you’re the human reminder app for everyone around you? 😂 You remember the appointments, the groceries, the birthdays, the bills, the schedules, the things nobody else even knows need to be done—and somehow, you’re still expected to remember one more thing. In this episode of Wholistic Wednesdays, Amy and Shelly dive into the invisible mental load and why carrying a constant stream of responsibilities can leave you feeling overwhelmed, irritable, exhausted, or like your brain simply won’t shut off. We’ll talk about decision fatigue, the pressure to keep everything together, why asking for help can be difficult, and how to recognize when your mind needs a break—not another productivity hack. Shelly brings the physiology and nervous-system perspective, while Amy explores the subconscious patterns, boundaries, and emotional energy behind always feeling like “the one who has to handle it.” Because sometimes the answer isn’t doing more. Sometimes it’s finally saying: “I don’t have to carry all of this by myself.” 💛 📝 Short Show Notes In this episode, we talk about: ✨ The invisible mental load ✨ Why constantly remembering everything is exhausting ✨ Decision fatigue and overwhelm ✨ The pressure to be the one who “handles it” ✨ Why asking for help can feel so uncomfortable ✨ Boundaries and sharing responsibility ✨ Giving your brain permission to clock out 🌈 Your Takeaway Make a list of everything you’re mentally carrying right now. Then ask: What actually belongs to me? What can I delegate? What can wait? And what was never mine to carry in the first place? You don’t have to be everyone’s reminder system. You are allowed to put something down. 💕 💛 Connect With Us 🎙️ Wholistic Wednesdays with Amy & Shelly 📱 TikTok: @Wholistic_Wednesdays 📸 Instagram: @Wholistic_Wednesdays 📘 Facebook: Wholistic Wednesdays ▶️ YouTube: Wholistic Wednesdays 🌿 Connect With Amy 📱 TikTok & Instagram: @amy_Barriga 🌐 The Oasis Holistic Healing: The Oasis Holistic Healing 💫 Connect With Shelly 📱 Social: @ShellyBerkowitz 💌 Want to reach us? Send us a message on social media—we’d love to hear from you, answer your questions, and hear what topics you’d like us to tackle next! Follow • Subscribe • Share • Leave a Review
Sep 16

You Need More Fun in Your Life

You Need More Fun in Your Life Why Play Isn’t Just for Kids—and What Happens When You Forget How to Have Fun When was the last time you did something just because it was fun? Not because it was productive. Not because it checked something off your list. Not because it could make you money. Just… because it made you smile. In this episode of Wholistic Wednesdays, Amy and Shelly are talking about something adults often forget to make room for: FUN! 😂 We’re diving into why so many of us become so serious, scheduled, responsible, and productivity-focused that we actually forget what we enjoy. We’ll talk about play, curiosity, creativity, the inner child, and why giving yourself permission to have fun can feel surprisingly uncomfortable. Shelly brings the science behind play, stress, creativity, and connection, while Amy explores the subconscious and energetic side of joy—and what happens when we reconnect with the parts of ourselves that simply want to PLAY. Because maybe you don’t need another goal. Maybe you need a little more JOY. 💛 📝 Short Show Notes In this episode, we talk about: Why adults stop playingThe connection between play, stress, and creativityWhy everything doesn’t have to be productiveReconnecting with curiosity and joyThe inner child and forgotten interestsWhy fun can actually feel uncomfortable when you’re used to being “responsible”How to rediscover what genuinely makes you happy🌈 Holistic Toolbox The 20-Minute Fun Challenge:Choose something that serves absolutely no productive purpose and do it for 20 minutes. No monetizing it. No improving yourself. No checking it off your list. Just PLAY. 💭 Listener Question “I honestly don’t know what I enjoy anymore. How do I figure that out?” 🏡 Homeplay For the next 7 days, give yourself 20 minutes of purposeless fun every day. And notice what happens when you stop asking, “What should I be doing?” and start asking: “What sounds fun?” Takeaway:You don’t have to earn joy. Fun is allowed. 💕 💛 Connect With Us 📱 TikTok: @Wholistic_Wednesdays 📸 Instagram: @Wholistic_Wednesdays 📘 Facebook: Wholistic Wednesdays ▶️ YouTube: Wholistic Wednesdays 📧 Email: WholisticWednesdays@gmail.com You can also follow Amy on TikTok & Instagram: @amy_Barriga and Shelly: @ShellyBerkowitz. 🎧 Enjoying Wholistic Wednesdays? Follow the podcast, leave us a review, and share this episode with someone who needs a little more FUN in their life! ✨
Sep 9

Your Phone Is Stealing Your Peace

🎙️ Wholistic Wednesdays Season 4 • Episode 7 Your Phone Is Stealing Your Peace The Attention Trap, Dopamine, and Why You Can’t Seem to Unplug Ever picked up your phone to check one thing… and somehow 30 minutes disappeared? 😂📱 In this episode, Amy & Shelly get real about our relationship with our phones, social media, notifications, and the endless stream of information competing for our attention. Shelly breaks down the science behind attention, reward pathways, overstimulation, and why our brains can become so drawn to the next scroll. 🧠 Amy takes the conversation into the world of energy, intuition, presence, and energetic boundaries—because what happens when we’re constantly consuming everyone else’s thoughts, opinions, emotions, and experiences? Maybe the problem isn’t simply how much time we’re spending on our phones. Maybe it’s what we’re giving away every time we pick them up. We’ll talk about: ✨ Why “just checking” can turn into an hour ✨ Why our brains crave novelty and unpredictable rewards ✨ How constant notifications can fragment our attention ✨ Why boredom might actually be good for you ✨ What happens when you finally create some silence ✨ The difference between being connected and being constantly available ✨ How your phone can become an energetic doorway into everyone else’s world ✨ Simple ways to create healthier boundaries with technology ✨ And how to reclaim your attention without throwing your phone into a lake! 😂 Plus, Amy & Shelly share a simple phone-free reset, a holistic toolbox practice, a listener question, and this week’s 30-Minute Attention Experiment. Because your attention is valuable. And it belongs to YOU. ✨ 🎧 Season 4 • Episode 7 — Your Phone Is Stealing Your Peace Science meets spirit. Real talk. Real healing. Real life.
Sep 2

You’re Not Lazy… You’re Overloaded

Have you ever looked at your to-do list and thought… “Why can’t I just DO IT?” The laundry isn’t that hard.That email isn’t that complicated.That phone call will take five minutes. So why does your whole body seem to scream: “Absolutely not.” 😂 In this episode of Wholistic Wednesdays, Amy & Shelly are taking on something so many of us experience but often misunderstand: the feeling of being completely overloaded. Because what we call lazy isn’t always laziness. Sometimes it’s exhaustion.Sometimes it’s stress.Sometimes it’s emotional overwhelm.Sometimes it’s avoidance.And sometimes your body is simply asking you to STOP. Shelly breaks down what can happen when the nervous system is carrying too much, while Amy explores the energetic and subconscious side of feeling depleted, disconnected, and unable to move forward. Together, they get real about: ✨ Why simple tasks can suddenly feel enormous✨ The difference between being lazy and being depleted✨ How chronic stress can affect your ability to function✨ Why your body may say “I can’t” before your mind understands why✨ How to tell the difference between needing rest and avoiding something uncomfortable✨ Why boundaries can be a form of energy protection✨ Why rest doesn’t have to be something you earn✨ And how to stop treating your body like the enemy Plus, we’re bringing you a simple two-minute reset, an essential-oil spotlight, a listener question, and this week’s “Should” Detox challenge. Because maybe you don’t need to push harder. Maybe you need to listen better. 🎧 Season 4 • Episode 6 — You’re Not Lazy… You’re Overloaded Science meets spirit. Real talk. Real healing. Real life.
Aug 26

When Your Mind Won’t Shut Up…How to Hear Yourself Again

When Your Mind Won’t Shut Up…How to Hear Yourself Again Have you ever thought yourself in circles? You make a decision, then second-guess it. You have a conversation, then replay every word. You finally make a choice, only to wonder if you made the right one. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference between intuition and fear—especially when your mind is constantly analyzing, predicting, and looking for certainty. In this episode, Amy and Shelly explore what happens when the mind gets so loud that it’s difficult to hear what you actually feel and know. 🧠 In this episode, we talk about: Why overthinking can feel impossible to turn offThe difference between thinking something through and getting stuck in a mental loopWhy we sometimes look outside ourselves for answers we already have insideHow stress and overwhelm can affect our ability to think clearlyThe difference between fear, anxiety, and intuitionWhy intuition often feels quieter than fearHow our bodies can provide information before our conscious mind catches upWhy constantly asking everyone else for advice can make us less connected to our own knowingHow to create enough quiet to actually hear yourselfThe importance of curiosity instead of judgment when your mind starts spiraling🔮 The Science Meets Spirit Conversation As always, Amy and Shelly approach the conversation from two different perspectives. Shelly brings the science: What happens in the brain and body when we’re stressed, overwhelmed, or caught in repetitive thought patterns? Amy brings the spiritual perspective: How do we recognize intuition, energetic awareness, and that quiet inner knowing that can get buried underneath all the noise? And somewhere between the two is the question: What if your body, brain, and intuition aren’t working against each other—but communicating with each other? 🌿 This Week’s Practice: Quiet the Noise When you notice yourself overthinking, pause and ask: “Am I looking for information…or am I looking for certainty?” Then take a breath and notice what happens in your body. You don’t have to immediately make a decision. You don’t have to force an answer. Just create enough space to listen. 💭 Journal Prompt “If I stopped asking everyone else what they think, what do I already know?” Sit with that one. You might be surprised by what comes up. ✨ The Takeaway Your intuition doesn’t always scream. Fear often does. Your mind may give you twenty reasons. Your intuition may give you one quiet feeling. Learning to tell the difference takes practice—and sometimes the first step isn’t finding the answer. It’s getting quiet enough to hear it. 🎧 Coming Up on Wholistic Wednesdays Join Amy & Shelly every Wednesday for honest conversations where science meets spirit, with real talk about the mind, body, energy, intuition, healing, and the wonderfully messy process of becoming who you’re meant to be. Honor your body. Trust your intuition. Keep shifting. ✨
Aug 19

You don’t need to start over. You just need to start again. 🌿

🎙️ Show Notes Season 4 • Episode 4 You Don’t Need to Start Over…You Just Need to Start Again New Chapter. Same You. Stronger Now. Have you ever had one bad day turn into a bad week…which turned into “Well, I guess I’ll just start over Monday”? We’ve all been there. In this episode, Amy and Shelly have a real conversation about the all-or-nothing mindset and why we often treat a temporary detour like we’ve completely failed. But life isn’t a straight line. Sometimes routines get interrupted. Sometimes motivation disappears. Sometimes we need rest. Sometimes we simply lose our rhythm. That doesn’t mean we’ve lost our progress. It means we’re human. 🌿 In This Episode, We Talk About: Why we feel like we have to start completely over after a setback The difference between starting over and starting again Why motivation isn’t a reliable foundation for consistency How small actions can keep a habit aliveWhy perfectionism can actually make it harder to changeThe importance of flexibility when creating healthy routinesHow self-compassion changes the way we respond to setbacksWhy your nervous system may need gentleness instead of another demandHow to recognize progress that isn’t immediately visibleReconnecting with the person you’re becoming instead of punishing yourself for where you’ve been🧠 Science Meets SpiritOne of the things we’re continuing to explore this season is the space where science and spirituality meet.Shelly takes us into the science of habits and consistency, reminding us that sustainable change isn’t about being motivated every single day. Amy looks at the intuitive side of beginning again. Sometimes the most healing thing we can do isn’t push harder. It’s pause. Listen. Reconnect. And choose our next step from a place of intention instead of shame. 🔮 The Woo-Woo Corner This week’s conversation also asks a simple question: What energy are you bringing into your restart? Are you starting again because you’re angry with yourself? Because you think you failed? Because you feel behind? Or are you beginning again because you care about yourself enough to return? Those may look like the same action on the outside… but they can feel completely different inside your body. 🌱 This Week’s Homeplay Don’t create an entirely new routine. Don’t make a 47-item checklist. Choose ONE thing you’ve been wanting to return to. Maybe it’s: Drinking more water Taking a walk Meditating JournalingGoing to bed earlierMoving your bodySpending less time scrollingCreating quiet timeGetting back to something that makes you feel like yourselfThen make the first step ridiculously small.Five minutes counts.One glass of water counts.One page counts. One walk around the block counts. One deep breath counts. Because the goal isn’t to prove how disciplined you are. The goal is to reconnect with yourself. ✨ Journal Prompt Take a few minutes this week and answer: “What am I ready to start again—not because I failed, but because it still matters to me?” Then ask: “What is the smallest step I can take today?” Don’t wait for Monday. Start today. 💜 The Takeaway You haven’t erased your progress because you had a difficult season. You haven’t failed because you needed a break. You haven’t gone back to zero. Everything you’ve learned is still with you. You don’t need to start over. You just need to start again. And sometimes… starting again is the most powerful thing you can do. 🌿 🎙️ Connect With Wholistic Wednesdays Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @Wholistic_Wednesdays 📧 WholisticWednesdays@gmail.com If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who keeps waiting for the “perfect time” to get back on track. Because there is no perfect time. There is only now. Until next Wednesday… Honor your body. Trust your intuition. And keep shifting. ✨
Aug 12

When Your Body Says “No” Before Your Mind Does

Season 4 • Episode 3 When Your Body Says “No” Before Your Mind Does The Hidden Language of Stress, Boundaries, and Burnout 🌿 Episode Description Have you ever agreed to something your body was already saying no to? Maybe your shoulders tightened before you answered. Maybe your stomach sank. Maybe you felt exhausted before the week even began—but you kept telling yourself, “I’ll just get through this week.” In this episode of Wholistic Wednesdays, Amy and Shelly explore the subtle ways our bodies communicate long before we consciously recognize we’re overwhelmed. Together, they unpack why we ignore those signals, how chronic stress changes the way we experience everyday life, and why honoring your body’s wisdom isn’t selfish—it’s essential. Shelly explains what happens inside the nervous system when we’re constantly operating in survival mode, while Amy shares how intuition often begins as a quiet sensation in the body before it ever becomes a clear thought. They discuss people-pleasing, boundaries, emotional burnout, and the importance of learning to pause before automatically saying “yes.” You’ll also hear a thoughtful listener question about boundary guilt, discover a simple daily body check-in practice, and leave with practical tools to help you reconnect with yourself before stress turns into exhaustion. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re tired, overwhelmed, or simply disconnected from yourself, this episode is a gentle reminder that your body isn’t working against you—it’s trying to work with you. 🌿 Episode Show Notes In This Episode This week, Amy and Shelly explore how our bodies often recognize stress long before our minds acknowledge it. Together they discuss: Why your body often notices overwhelm before your thoughts doThe hidden cost of constantly pushing through exhaustionRecognizing the physical signs of chronic stressThe connection between nervous system regulation and intuitionWhy people-pleasing disconnects us from our body’s wisdomLearning the difference between urgency and inner knowingHow boundaries protect both your energy and your relationshipsPractical ways to build self-trust by listening to your body’s signals 🧠 Science Meets Spirit One of the central themes of this episode is discovering how science and spirituality often point toward the same truth: your body is always communicating. Shelly shares: How the nervous system continuously scans for safety and stressWhy chronic stress can become your “normal”The physiology behind urgency and burnoutWhy your brain resists unfamiliar behaviors like setting boundariesHow creating small pauses supports nervous system regulationAmy shares: Why intuition often begins as a feeling in the bodyLearning to distinguish fear from inner guidanceHow self-trust grows through honoring your body’s wisdomWhy boundaries are an act of self-respect—not selfishnessViewing the body as a compassionate messenger rather than an obstacleTogether, Amy and Shelly remind listeners that healing begins when curiosity replaces criticism. 🌱 Weekly Homeplay This week’s Homeplay is designed to help you reconnect with your body’s wisdom. The next time someone asks something of you: Pause before answering. Take one slow, intentional breath. Ask yourself: “What is my body telling me right now?” At the end of the day, spend a few minutes journaling about what you noticed. There are no right or wrong answers. The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is rebuilding trust with yourself. 💛 Connect With Us Follow us for weekly conversations where science meets spirituality and practical wellness. 📱 TikTok: @Wholistic_Wednesdays 📸 Instagram: @Wholistic_Wednesdays 📘 Facebook: Wholistic Wednesdays ▶️ YouTube: Wholistic Wednesdays 📧 Email: WholisticWednesdays@gmail.com

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Join Integrated Healing Arts Practitioner's Amy Barriga and Shelly Berkowitz every Wednesday as they dig deep into a New Holistic topic to offer hope, healing and transformation.

Creator

Amy Barriga & Shelly Berkowitz
Years Active

2022 - 2026
Episodes

69
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Wholistic Wednesdays

Wholistic Wednesdays

Episodes

What If Your Weird Little Habits Are Actually Telling You Something?

Why Am I the One Who Has to Remember Everything?

You Need More Fun in Your Life

Your Phone Is Stealing Your Peace

You’re Not Lazy… You’re Overloaded

When Your Mind Won’t Shut Up…How to Hear Yourself Again

You don’t need to start over. You just need to start again. 🌿

When Your Body Says “No” Before Your Mind Does

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