In this episode of Big Shift Energy, Amanda guides listeners through the soft world of micro-joys, or the tiny sensory sparks that help you feel just a little less crispy, even in the middle of stress, grief, or emotional burnout. Through bare-minimum breathwork, subtle mindfulness, and pocket-sized art prompts, Amanda shows that joy doesn't have to be big, loud, or high-vibe to be meaningful. Sometimes the smallest comforts are the ones that get us through.

• You don't have to be joyful to hang out here. Neutrality is welcome.

• Joy can feel fake after stress… that doesn't mean you're broken.

• Microjoys = sensory sparks that don't demand emotional labor.

• Not everything has to feel good. "Not awful" also counts.

• "You don't have to be joyful to be here."

• "Microjoys don't demand effort, they're just there."

• "Find the 1% that's pleasant around you."

• "Tiny shifts matter in finding comfort and relief."

• "Art doesn't have to be a masterpiece to bring joy."

In this week's episode, we're talking about resetting now—not waiting for January. I share what this month's creative hangout is all about: slowing down, filling our lungs with color and light, and letting ourselves feel renewed in the present moment.

Join me on Thursday, 12/11 at 7pm EST for our December Art for the Heart session. All the details + signup are here.

Come get cozy, get colorful, and reset with us.

You don't have to feel good to be healing — noticing one tiny thing that doesn't suck is enough for today.

00:00 — Introduction 00:01 — Tiny Breath, Zero Expectations 01:49 — What Is a Microjoy, Actually? 03:16 — Comforts That Barely Ask Anything of You 04:37 — Stress, Numbness & Why Joy Feels Fake 07:50 — Mini Art Exercise + Mindfulness Moments

Amanda explores the "buffering" phase — that floaty, slowed-down feeling after upheaval where you're still processing and not yet ready to sprint. The episode normalizes emotional lag, offers grounding somatic exercises, and suggests tiny actions (not productivity tasks) that help you feel safe and choose your next step with clarity.

• This episode is for the weird, floaty feeling that arrives after big change.

• Buffering is legitimate processing, not failure.

• Emotional lag is normal. Your body is catching up.

• Tiny, safe actions are the real breadcrumbs for moving forward.

• Art + micro-rituals can anchor truth and provide safety.

• You don't have to match the world's pace. You get to move at YOUR tempo.

• "Your life changed. The world didn't."

• "You are exactly where you need to be."

• "Connect with someone who loves you the way you need."

• "Find one thing that proves your world is safe."

• "Feel held where you are."

Shout out to Grace from https://www.instagram.com/lovethosevibesbox/

In this week's episode, we're talking about resetting now—not waiting for January. I share what this month's creative hangout is all about: slowing down, filling our lungs with color and light, and letting ourselves feel renewed in the present moment.

Join me on Thursday, 12/11 at 7pm EST for our December Art for the Heart session. All the details + signup are here.

Come get cozy, get colorful, and reset with us.

You're not behind — you're just processing, and that is moving forward.

00:00 — Introduction 02:00 — When the World Is on Fast-Forward and You're… Not 04:00 — The Plot Twist You Didn't Ask For 06:00 — Connection, Touch, and Actually Feeling Your Body Again 10:00 — Healing on Your Own Timeline 14:00 — Art, Anchors, and "I'm Still Here" Moments 16:00 — Tiny Wins That Count (Even If They're Silly) 18:00 — Grief, Support, and Letting People Hold You 21:00 — Wrap-Up + Shift to Action

If you're heading into the holidays already running on fumes, this one's for you.

Amanda opens the door to a season that feels both tender and tiring — the holidays, with all their glitter and grief. If you've been pivoting nonstop, holding it all together, and wondering when the "break" actually comes… this one's for you.

Through gentle reflection and grounding pauses, Amanda explores what happens after the big emotions — when the breakthroughs fade and the fatigue lingers. She invites you to name the exhaustion, release the pressure, and remember that you don't owe the season a performance.

This episode is a quiet permission slip to stop spinning, to breathe into the in-between, and to let rest be your rebellion.

So light a candle. Let the noise fall away. This is your moment to exhale.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Naming your exhaustion is how you start to release it.

• You don't owe the holidays a performance.

• Rest is also forward motion.

• You don't have to pivot every time life does.

🔥 Sound Bites

• "Rest is also forward motion; embrace the stillness and allow yourself to recharge without guilt."

• "Letting things fail can be a way to stop spinning and find peace, allowing the source to get the attention it needs."

• "Trust that rest is a form of forward motion, and you don't need to have all the answers right now."

📝 Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:01 Breathing Through the Burnout 03:15 Naming the Tired and Letting It Go 07:40 The Holiday Collision: Presence Over Performance 12:30 Clearing the Energy, Gently 18:00 From Survival Mode to Soft Re-entry 22:00 Closing: Rest Is the Rebellion

🎧 Gentle Reminder If you're heading into the holidays with a heavy heart, take the pressure off. You don't need to sparkle to be seen. You don't need to fix the fatigue to be worthy of rest. Let this season be soft, quiet, and honest.

Amanda sits down with the radiant human Leslie Brooks for a soul-stirring conversation about what it really means to get out of your head and back into your body.

They dive into the messy magic of self-trust, how breath can shift your entire emotional weather system, and what happens when you finally stop performing calm and actually start feeling peace.

This convo is your permission slip to slow down, breathe deeper, and say a big, unapologetic "fck yes"* to your life — not because you have it all figured out, but because your body already knows the way.

Expect laughter, goosebumps, and those delicious "wow, I needed to hear that" moments.

✨ What you'll feel (not just learn):

• How claiming your voice leads to embodied empowerment.

• The way community anchors us when we forget who we are.

• The healing power of joy, pleasure, and celebration.

• The somatic breadcrumbs that guide us back to peace.

Holla at me! Instagram: @BigShiftEnergy Website: bigshiftenergy.my.canva.site/sillygoose

Connect with Leslie: Instagram: @LeslieBrooksCLC Website: http://www.lesliebrooksclc.com/ Facebook Group: Peaceful Goddess Project Asheville Women Who Wine

💨 Breathwork is a bridge back to yourself. 🪞 Enoughness isn't earned. It's remembered. 🫶 Mindfulness helps you feel instead of fix. 🔥 Reframing your thoughts = reclaiming your power. 💫 Celebrating small wins is how you build peace. 🌻 Your experience is valid. Period.

00:00 — Introduction 05:39 — Claiming Your Voice & Light 10:44 — Understanding Enoughness + Self-Acceptance 16:48 — Mindfulness & the Full-Body "Yes" 22:36 — The Importance of Connection + Community 28:37 — Somatic Awareness & Self-Care 34:52 — Shifting from Mental Cycles to Body Awareness 38:43 — The Power of Pleasure & Sensation 42:42 — Embracing Community + Group Coaching 46:43 — Wordsmith Roulette: Reframing Negative Thoughts 56:37 — Celebrating Wins & Building Joy

Some episodes are meant to teach. This one just needed to breathe.

In this quiet minisode, Amanda opens her heart and invites you into a moment of stillness. It's been one year since her dad passed, and just weeks since saying goodbye to Disco, her beloved kitten with the world's biggest personality.

Instead of rushing through grief, she's learning to pause inside it and to let the ache and the love coexist. This isn't a how-to or a fix. It's a soft place to land.

Through gentle breathing and reflection, Amanda holds space for anyone navigating loss, change, or the quiet chaos of healing. Together, you'll breathe in love, exhale release, and remember that you're still here.

So grab a blanket. Get still. Let yourself feel it all.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Grief isn't something to solve — it's something to sit with.

• Stillness is sacred; it makes space for what words can't.

• You can't think your way out of grief, but you can breathe through it.

• Love doesn't end — it just shifts shape.

• Honoring memories keeps them alive in gentler ways.

• Self-care during loss means resting, feeling, and softening.

• Connection, even through shared silence, is cathartic.

🔥 Sound Bites

• "Sometimes what you need is not what you're expecting, and logic can't always guide you."

• "Grief is a part of life, and it's important to honor it in your own way."

• "Grief doesn't mean the end; it changes shape and continues to be a part of us."

📝 Episode Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 00:01– A Year of Stillness: Breathing Into Loss 04:55 – Guided Reflection: Inhale Love, Exhale Release 10:40 – Honoring What Remains 15:00 – Finding Softness in the Shape of Grief

🎧 Gentle Reminders Take care of yourself today. Drink water. Go slow. You're allowed to rest inside your healing. And if this moment spoke to you, pair it with the next episode: 11 The Full-Body F*ck Yes: Coming Home to Yourself with Leslie Brooks — how the body remembers what the heart can't always express.

We're all getting coal for Christmas—and this year, we're lighting the damn grill. 🔥

In this episode, Amanda flips the holiday script and reminds you that peace isn't a December miracle—it's an October practice. We're talking breathwork, boundaries, and the art of saying no before the chaos begins.

You'll learn how to stop managing everyone else's emotions, turn your "coal" moments into fuel, and prep for a season that feels nourishing instead of nerve-wracking. Think of it as pre-season training for joy.

🦢 Silly Goose on the Loose This week's crown goes to anyone who is getting coal for Christmas because they want to do it their way! I am also celebrating Leslie this week!

📚 Stuff I Mentioned 💌 DM me your delight wins on Instagram: @bigshiftenergy 👟 Get on the waitlist for upcoming announcements – because making time for yourself in the holiday hustle is the ultimate rebellion. We start soon—join the cozy crew.

💡 Key Takeaways

• It's okay if change feels uncomfortable—growth usually does.

• Schedule rest and delight on purpose.

• Remember: coal isn't punishment—it's potential. Turn the hard stuff into heat.

• Prep now, not later. December peace is built in October.

• You are worthy of joy, and you deserve to enjoy the holidays too.

🔥 Sound Bites

• You don't owe anyone your peace this season."

• "All I want for Christmas this year is my own damn sanity."

• "Reclaim your energy and reclaim your joy."

• "It's not just about surviving the holidays; it's about being present with them."

• "Start training for peace, play, and presence now."

👟 Ready to Train for Calm? Join 5K to Couch—a cozy rebellion against burnout. We start soon. Find your couch, your calm, and your crew.

📝 Episode Chapters 00:00 – Breathing Into the Season (Exhale the "Shoulds") 02:01 – Reclaim Your Energy: Boundaries Over Burnout 05:01 – Family Feels: Honest Talks & Holiday Triggers 10:19 – New Traditions, Same You: Joy as Self-Care 13:48 – Prepping for a Season That Actually Feels Good

Ever catch yourself postponing joy like it's a luxury item you've got to "earn"? Same. In this week's episode Amanda calls BS on hustle-culture guilt trips and reminds us: delight is not a dessert—it's a daily nutrient.

We kick things off with breathwork that feels like unclenching your whole body after a week of pretending you're fine (spoiler: you're not). Then we dive headfirst into the two flavors of delight:

✨ Treat Delight = naps, cupcakes, and bougie lattes. ✨ Task Delight = that dopamine rush from finally paying the bill, folding the laundry, or ungluing your inbox.

Both matter. Both count. Both shift your energy from "meh" to magic.

You'll hear about the sneaky ways we postpone delight (perfectionism, guilt, hustle addiction) and how flipping the script turns delight into a resource instead of a reward. Amanda even spills her own task + treat delights of the week—and invites you to toot toot your wins right alongside her.

Because honestly? Life's too short to save your joy for later.

🦢 Silly Goose on the Loose This week's crown goes to anyone brave enough to celebrate clean countertops like they're a Beyoncé concert. Task delight is a vibe—own it. I am also celebrating Mikki this week of @passionthreadsco. Check out her episode from Season 1 here.

📚 Stuff I Mentioned 💌 DM me your delight wins on Instagram: @bigshiftenergy 👟 Get on the waitlist for upcoming announcements – because making time for yourself in the holiday hustle is the ultimate rebellion. We start soon—join the cozy crew.

🔥 Sound Bites

• "Delight doesn't discriminate."

• "Postponing delight is postponing life."

• "What delight will shift my energy today?"

• "Both treat and task delights are medicine."

💡 Key Takeaways

• Delight comes in a spectrum like flavors: treats (nourishment) and tasks (relief).

• Finishing something gives your brain a natural "ta-da!" hit of dopamine.

• Hustle culture has tricked us into thinking joy is frivolous—spoiler: it's not.

• Delight is a resource you can choose daily, not a prize you earn someday.

• Permission granted: your delight matters, no matter how small.

📝 Episode Chapters 00:00 – Breathwork: Sip in, sigh out 01:32 – What even is delight? 03:04 – Treat vs. Task Delight 05:53 – The dopamine sprinkle 09:13 – Why we keep postponing joy 11:50 – Reframing delight as resource 13:07 – Storytime: Amanda's delights of the week 15:06 – Tooooot toot time + listener wins 16:40 – CTA: Pick one delight & stop postponing it

Ever feel like your to-do list is auditioning for a horror movie? Same. In this episode of The Soul Fork, Amanda flips the script on overwhelm and never-ending checklists by pulling out her secret weapon: The Soul Fork Method.

Instead of choking down your chores like cold broccoli, what if you served them up like crème brûlée? From project plans built in Chat (because AI can actually be your wingman) to turning laundry into a mini party, Amanda shows how to stop surviving your list and start savoring it.

Plus, we toot our horns for small wins, roast the idea of "perfection," and remind you that self-care isn't just bubble baths—it's boundaries, badassery, and reframing that pile of tasks into treats.

This week's crown goes to Amelia @fucktheperfectlife—the ultimate silly goose reminding us that joy, silliness, and not taking life too seriously are radical acts of rebellion. Follow her flock here: Instagram.

• 🖼️ Art for the Heart Special Edition – Special event on 9/27/25. Grab your ticket here!

• 📖 The Book That Launched – This Time It's Personal: Building a Brand That Breaks the Rules: Grab your copy

• 💌 Want to connect? Slide into my DMs on Instagram: @bigshiftenergy

1. • "Stay true to you, make it delightful because you're worth it."

   • "Speaking up for yourself is not done in vain."

   • "Treat yourself. Not everything we do has to feel like obligation."

   • "Your soul craves things that might be more than just physical."

• A "soul fork" is your permission slip to treat one task like dessert.

• Organization can feel delicious when you blend plans with pleasure.

• Celebrating small wins isn't silly—it's the secret sauce of momentum.

• Self-advocacy and boundaries are the real luxury goods.

• Change doesn't have to be heavy—it can be playful, goose-y, and oddly delightful.

00:00 – Introduction 00:01 - Breathwork: Cookies in, candles out 00:50 – WTF is a Soul Fork? 02:24 – When a to-do list feels like a car chase 06:15 – Project plans with Chat (aka my AI co-pilot) 09:55 – Turning chores into treats 13:07 – Tooooooot toot time + small wins parade 16:40 – CTA: Grab your fork + brag about your win

Life doesn't need to be some big, dramatic makeover to feel magical—it's in the way you stir your coffee, the sparkle in your nail polish, or the way you hype yourself up with the right words. This week on Big Shift Energy, we're diving into the art of romanticizing life—aka finding joy in the tiny details, flipping our inner dialogue into affirmations, and turning everyday moments into little rituals that feel like confetti for the soul. Think Lisa Frank folder meets Britney's "Stronger," with a soft dash of 90s country honesty. 🌟

If you're craving more presence, playfulness, and abundance in your day-to-day, this episode is your permission slip to start right where you are.

✨ Grab your spot for Art for the Heart: Special Edition → Click here for your ticket ✨ Let's hang out on Instagram → @bigshiftenergy

Key Takeaways

• Romanticizing life is about embracing tiny everyday moments.

• Reframing negative phrases can lead to positive affirmations.

• Details in life can become rituals that enhance joy.

• Mindfulness helps us notice the abundance around us.

• Language shapes our perception of experiences.

• Curiosity can lead to new adventures and insights.

• Celebrating small wins fosters a positive mindset.

• Being present allows us to appreciate life's details.

• Awareness of language can lead to personal growth.

• Loving ourselves is essential for a fulfilling life.

• The delight is in the details."
• "Romanticizing your life isn't about waiting for the big moments."
• "Curiosity can spark a new adventure."
• "Life feels richer when we collect details, not just milestones."
• "We don't need to be perfect to feel the magic."

00:00 Embracing the Details of Life 08:38 Reframing Language for Positive Impact 11:37 Celebrating Tiny Delights

Okay bestie, grab your Lisa Frank notebook and your iced latte because this episode is giving full empowerment era. Amanda and special guest Grecia Ruiz sit down to talk all things self-discovery, career transitions, community, and unapologetic women empowerment.

From leaving the corporate grind for entrepreneurship, to rewriting your story with intentional language, Amanda & Grecia get real about the messy middle: hate-to-healing emotions, the patience it takes to build, and the power of celebrating every lil' win along the way.

This convo is basically your reminder that you are the author of your life 📓✨, and it's time to write it with authenticity, confidence, and a little glitter.

Contact Info

• Holla at me! Instagram: BigShiftEnergy
• World Wide Web: https://bigshiftenergy.my.canva.site/sillygoose

Connect with Grecia:

• Instagram:
  • @ItsGreciaRuiz
  • @ItalyBrides

🌈 Takeaways: 💅 Showing up for yourself = forever a journey 👯 Sisterhood + community = everything 💬 Language literally rewires how you live 📈 Intentional shifts = reclaiming your power 💸 Investing in YOU always pays off ✍️ You're the author of your own story 🌸 Authenticity > burnout hustle

💿 Chapters: 00:00 — Introduction 5:01 - Personal Shifts and Intentional Living 20:01 - Career Transitions and Self-Discovery 35:01 - Empowerment and Community Support 53:27 — Language, Affirmations & Reframes 59:05 — Emotions Behind Words 01:05:10 — Commitment + Intentions 01:13:22 — The Desire for Change 01:14:41 — Individual Circumstances Matter 01:16:57 — Practicing Self-Compassion 01:20:00 — Redefining Success + Timelines 01:22:47 — Celebrating Wins & Sisterhood 01:28:26 — Intentional Living + Boundaries 01:32:15 — Authenticity as Your Superpower 01:34:15 — Closing Thoughts & Aspirations