SELF with Amanda

Today is a short and sweet update about what's going on over the next few months... because no one asked. Back next week for more regular SELF episodes! --- Thanks for tuning in. You can listen to the show anywhere you get your podcasts. Please rate and review the show if you enjoy it. Say hello or support SELF: SELF Instagram Amanda Instagram Email Patreon Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

Establishing routines gives us a sense of safety and stability which directly impacts our mental and emotional well-being. Structure is the framework that allows us to develop consistency in our lives and consistency breeds success and helps us achieve our goals. Today's episode is about my journey to embracing structure and routine and finding a healthy balance amongst the chaos that is a nomadic...

Insecurities and jealousy are natural emotions that can sometimes find their way into even the strongest of relationships. Today, I share my take (and anecdotes) on experiencing insecurities and jealousy in relationships. These feelings inform us about ourselves and ultimately allow us to know ourselves better and communicate that to our partners. I share how to navigate these feelings so they don...

Today I’m joined by Ruby Josif, a Certified Holistic Sex Coach and Female Sexuality Specialist who supports women to do the inner work and healing so they can feel confident and alive in their sexuality, experience deep pleasure and create a sex life that nourishes them on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. Ruby shares her journey from being a liberated teenager into a controlling...

Vipassana is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation that is now taught all around the world. To learn the technique, you are required to dedicate 10 days in one Vipassana centres around the world and adhere to some precepts such as noble silence. I learned a lot of valuable lessons about myself and life in this experience. Today, I'm sharing a few of those lessons. I would encourage...

I love that we're talking about setting healthy boundaries and the idea of boundaries is way more popular today. What I don't love is when controlling behaviour is disguised as boundaries. Today's episode is my own personal experience with boundaries and what I've learned about them. From being a person who couldn't recognise my own boundaries and at times, perhaps even attempted to control others...

Do you find yourself fulfilling the role of the rescuer or hero for others? And yes, I totally understand that you have great intentions and you're probably very empathetic too, you probably just want to help. Stepping into this role and concerning ourselves with what's going on for others more than we are concerned for ourselves doesn't lead to healthy relationships where both people thrive. Toda...

Today I'm sharing five valuable lessons I've learned about relationships. In a sense, these are things I wish I truly knew when I was younger but I guess sometimes we just have to learn the hard way. --- Thanks for tuning in. You can listen to the show anywhere you get your podcasts. Please rate and review the show if you enjoy it. Say hello or support SELF: SELF Instagram Amanda Instagram Email P...

I didn't think it could happen but I had a panic attack while out at sea last week. Throughout that day I felt frustrated with myself, seeing it as a setback after all the work I've done to move through my fears in the water. But after some reflection, I realised it's not a setback at all. It's just me and another layer of myself presenting itself allowing me insight. Today's episode is about what...

The idea of starting again can be daunting. Whether that's moving cities and countries, changing careers, ending a relationship or recognising the current path isn’t aligned with what we really want. Our Western culture doesn't prepare us to start again...and again and again. The reality is, we are unlikely to set forward on one path and stick to it forever. That's certainly been my experience. In...

At the end of recording the last episode on forgiveness, I realised another aspect of forgiveness I had missed - forgiving myself when I've hurt someone. As someone who certainly doesn't like hurting people and often feels enormous guilt when I do, this has been hard to reconcile with myself. Ultimately, this has come down to understanding, compassion, learning, and letting go. --- Thanks for tuni...

Forgiveness requires both decision and action and can be transformative. In my experience, I’ve learned and become more self-aware through wrestling with forgiveness and ultimately it’s led to greater peace within me. Today I share a bit about my journey in learning to forgive and reflect on this based on recent revelations of resentment I was holding onto. --- Thanks for tuning in. You can l...

While I may be someone who embraces discomfort today, that wasn't always the case. I take you ALL the way back to one of my earliest discomfort challenges as a child and how that has stuck with me since. Stepping out of our comfort zone allows us to grow - but it can be scary and unnerving. Today, I talk about leaning into discomfort and some challenges that you can try to slowly embrace it and se...

Inspired by a conversation I had with my partner, today's episode briefly touches on the idea of non-reactivity to both negative and positive experiences. Something I've realized is that by becoming less reactive in the face of painful or turbulent situations, I've also become less impulsive when faced with random opportunities that present themselves. --- Thanks for tuning in. You can listen to t...

Fear is a natural emotion that has its purpose - to keep us safe from danger. But sometimes it's irrational or excessive and holds us back from achieving goals or living our lives in a way that's true to who we are. In today's episode, I share a bit about my experience with fear and some steps to co-exist with fear so that it doesn't take over. (0:50) What are you afraid of?  (1:49) We all ex...

Breathing is a basic function that we all rely on for life. Most of us spend our lives breathing unconsciously and this short episode is all about bringing it back into consciousness. Incorporating breathing exercises into your daily routine can have huge benefits to your physical and mental health. I talk about what conscious breathing is, some of its benefits, and various exercises you can do. I...

Welcome to part II of my chat with Jenna Switzer, a friend I connected with over sex talk. Jenna is a holistic sex coach and yoga teacher trainer. Her work empowers others to experience confidence through empowered sexuality. She is passionate about using the tools of mindfulness, breathing practices, and movement to empower her clients physically and energetically. With 10 years of experience as...

Sex is undeniably a huge part of life for most of us and yet is quite a taboo topic. Today, I sit down with Jenna Switzer, a friend who I connected with over sex talk. Jenna is a holistic sex coach and yoga teacher trainer. Her work empowers others to experience confidence through empowered sexuality. She is passionate about using the tools of mindfulness, breathing practices, and movement to empo...

We all have a need for bonding. Attachment is an emotional bond that forms in early childhood based on our primary caregivers' behaviour. These cause unconscious patterns which form attachment styles that impact how we form adult relationships. This is the final episode of a 3-part series on Attachment Styles. In this episode, I share some tips on how to manage your attachment style and how to hel...

We all have a need for bonding. Attachment is an emotional bond that forms in early childhood based on our primary caregivers' behaviour. These cause unconscious patterns which form attachment styles that impact how we form adult relationships. This is the second episode of a 3-part series on Attachment Styles. In this episode, I share about my attachment styles and the breakdown of my results. I...

We all have a need for bonding. Attachment is an emotional bond that forms in early childhood based on our primary caregivers' behaviour. These cause unconscious patterns which form attachment styles that impact how we form adult relationships. This is the first episode of a 3-part series on Attachment Styles. In this episode, I talk about what attachment theory is and the 4 different attachment s...

In a time where we are actively told to constantly be living our best life, this is just a reminder that you’re allowed to feel shitty. You can feel whatever it is you need to feel. The reality is, we are emotional beings capable of feeling a wide range of emotions and it’s healthy to do so. Pushing and forcing yourself to think positively when you're experiencing negative emotions just doesn...

Our relationship with our parents can be complicated. Mine sure were (and still somewhat is now). Today I talk about my relationship with my mum, the various moments of tension that have built up over time and how it all came to a head with a big fight we had a year ago. This allowed us to have a very healing conversation and our relationship is now the best it has ever been. --- Thanks for tuning...

To celebrate International Women's Day I am bringing you an episode reflecting on the narratives I grew up with around being a "good woman". I discuss where these narratives came from and their impact on my behaviour (particularly with men). I reflect on my gratitude for the incredible women around me and then take a moment to embrace, celebrate and love all of the qualities about myself. Happy In...

Michael Nguyen is a fellow first-generation-born Australian with Vietnamese parents. He’s an English teacher in Perth who I’ve known for more than half of my life and who I more recently reconnected with over our similar experiences that led us to do self-work. Michael and I talk about the impact and implications of growing up as third-culture kids and taking on the burden of responsibility for ou...