Send a text

This birthday didn’t feel loud or celebratory in the traditional sense. It felt quiet. Steady. Like a deep exhale. And in that quiet, I realized just how much has shifted over the last year — not because I forced massive change, but because I stopped waging war on myself.

In this episode, I’m sharing the 10 lessons my nervous system taught me as I moved from living in survival mode to cultivating self-trust, safety, and sustainable capacity. These aren’t hustle-based strategies or overnight transformations. They’re gentle, embodied shifts that helped me build a life that actually feels safe to live inside.

You’ll hear me explore what it means to forgive faster, treat your body like a partner instead of a problem, build pleasure and rest into daily life, create boring routines that stabilize your nervous system, set boundaries without guilt, and stop trying to “fix” yourself so you can start supporting yourself.

If you’re a high-functioning woman or caregiver who feels exhausted, overwhelmed, or disconnected from herself, this episode is an invitation to soften, slow down, and consider a gentler way forward.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why survival mode isn’t a personal failure — it’s a nervous system state
• How capacity matters more than willpower
• The role of rest, pleasure, and routine in healing
• Why boundaries are acts of love
• How staying open creates space for unexpected change
• and more...

You’re allowed to build a life that feels safe to live inside.

Caring for others—whether in your personal or professional life—can be deeply fulfilling, but it also comes with its challenges. The weight of constant caregiving can leave even the most dedicated among us feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and burned out. Too often, societal and cultural norms reinforce the idea that sacrificing ourselves is the price of being a “good” caregiver.

But here’s the truth: you cannot pour from an empty cup. You deserve to care for others without losing yourself in the process.

Welcome to The JoyfulRx podcast—your weekly dose of inspiration, tools, and strategies to rediscover your inner joy. Hosted by Dr. Michelle Welch, a practicing physician, mother, children’s author, entrepreneur, and certified coach, this podcast is designed specifically for caregivers who are ready to stop surviving and start thriving.

Each week, Dr. Michelle dives into topics that matter most to caregivers, offering practical steps and actionable insights to help you reclaim your joy, build resilience, and create a life where you can serve others from your overflow, not your reserves.

Let’s stay in touch!

Visit: www.joyfulrx.ca to download free resources, powerful exercises and activities you can do today, to move you from burnout to balance. You can also join our Newsletter (we promise to only send information you will love).

📅 Book a free call with me today. Visit: ...

Send a text

Why do we abandon routines that are actually working...and call it growth?

In this episode, Dr. Michelle explores a subtle form of self-sabotage common among high-functioning women: making tiny, logical-seeming pivots away from what’s working in the name of improvement, variety, or optimization. Using relatable examples like switching nail salons, changing diet or exercise routines, and constantly tweaking self-care practices, she explains why boredom doesn’t mean broken and why your nervous system actually craves simple, predictable foundations.

You’ll learn the difference between foundations and experiences, how small changes quietly kill big results, and how to create safety and momentum through gentle consistency. This episode offers practical reframes, micro-practices, and a compassionate nervous-system lens to help you stop starting over and begin protecting what already supports you.

Perfect for caregivers, overwhelmed moms, and high-achieving women who want sustainable change without burnout.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caring for others—whether in your personal or professional life—can be deeply fulfilling, but it also comes with its challenges. The weight of constant caregiving can leave even the most dedicated among us feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and burned out. Too often, societal and cultural norms reinforce the idea that sacrificing ourselves is the price of being a “good” caregiver.

But here’s the truth: you cannot pour from an empty cup. You deserve to care for others without losing yourself in the process.

Welcome to The JoyfulRx podcast—your weekly dose of inspiration, tools, and strategies to rediscover your inner joy. Hosted by Dr. Michelle Welch, a practicing physician, mother, children’s author, entrepreneur, and certified coach, this podcast is designed specifically for caregivers who are ready to stop surviving and start thriving.

Each week, Dr. Michelle dives into topics that matter most to caregivers, offering practical steps and actionable insights to help you reclaim your joy, build resilience, and create a life where you can serve others from your overflow, not your reserves.

Let’s stay in touch!

Visit: www.joyfulrx.ca to download free resources, powerful exercises and activities you can do today, to move you from burnout to balance. You can also join our Newsletter (we promise to only send information you will love).

📅 Book a free call with me today. Visit: ...

Send us a text

Feeling overwhelmed by New Year’s resolutions? This episode of the JoyfulRx podcast offers a compassionate alternative for caregivers and busy women: setting intentions without pressure.

Dr. Michelle explores how to step away from resolution culture and create nervous-system-friendly intentions that meet you where you are—whether that’s the month ahead, the week ahead, or simply today. This episode speaks directly to caregiver stress and burnout, offering permission to work with your current capacity rather than pushing past it.

You’ll learn how to:
• Set intentions without overwhelm or self-criticism
• Honor your capacity instead of forcing change
• Use simple self-care rituals to support well-being
• Create intention practices that feel safe and sustainable

Perfect for caregivers and women navigating chronic stress, this episode invites a gentler, more embodied way to enter the new year—one moment at a time.

About Our Sponsor: Omi & Cookie

Omi & Cookie is a Canadian-made, Caribbean-inspired bath and body care brand grounded in the belief that everyday rituals can support deep restoration. Their handmade sea-mineral soaps, nourishing seamoss lotions, and therapeutic bath salts are crafted with natural, toxin-free ingredients and a focus on sensory gentleness—making them especially supportive for sensitive bodies and overwhelmed caregivers. With both lightly scented and unscented options, Omi & Cookie prioritizes simplicity, safety, and sustainability, aligning beautifully with JoyfulRx values of slowing down, choosing consciously, and helping the body feel safe.

Learn more at www.omiandcookie.ca

Caring for others—whether in your personal or professional life—can be deeply fulfilling, but it also comes with its challenges. The weight of constant caregiving can leave even the most dedicated among us feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and burned out. Too often, societal and cultural norms reinforce the idea that sacrificing ourselves is the price of being a “good” caregiver.

But here’s the truth: you cannot pour from an empty cup. You deserve to care for others without losing yourself in the process.

Welcome to The JoyfulRx podcast—your weekly dose of inspiration, tools, and strategies to rediscover your inner joy. Hosted by Dr. Michelle Welch, a practicing physician, mother, children’s author, entrepreneur, and certified coach, this podcast is designed specifically for caregivers who are ready to stop surviving and start thriving.

Each week, Dr. Michelle dives into topics that matter most to caregivers, offering practical steps and actionable insights to help you reclaim your joy, build resilience, and create a life where you can serve others from your overflow, not your reserves.

Let’s stay in touch!

Visit: www.joyfulrx.ca to download free resources, powerful exercises and activities you can do today, to move you from burnout to balance. You can also join our Newsletter (we promise to only send information you will love).

📅 Book a free call with me today. Visit: ...