The Harmony Life OT Podcast. Episode 9: The Identity Shift No One Warns You About After Rock Bottom.

The Harmony Life OT Podcast. Episode 9: The Identity Shift No One Warns You About After Rock Bottom.

***Trigger warning: This episode touches on themes of burnout, grief, identity shifts, emotional pain, and navigating a deeply challenging season of life, including a brief reflection on moments of hopelessness. Please listen with gentleness and honour whatever emotions arise. Take what resonates and feel free to pause if you need to.***Nobody tells you that healing can feel like grief for a life that is still unfolding. After rock bottom, you do not just rebuild your life, you begin shedding old identities, beliefs, coping patterns, and even relationships that once felt like home. While the world often celebrates the glow up, it rarely speaks about the quiet in between, where confusion, loneliness, and deep inner change live side by side. In this episode, I explore the identity shift that can follow rock bottom, the grief that often comes with healing, and the deeper remembering of who you are beneath survival. I also share a personal letter to my past self, written during a powerful moment of reflection at a women’s circle on the Winter Solstice. If you are moving through burnout, burnout recovery, emotional exhaustion, spiritual awakening, or a season where life feels like it has fallen apart and is slowly rebuilding, this episode is for you. Links mentioned in this episode:Instagram: @harmonylifeotSubstack: @harmonylifeotBook: https://a.co/d/0b0owOeQ [https://a.co/d/0b0owOeQ] Get full access to Essy's Substack at esthergrateful1111.substack.com/subscribe [https://esthergrateful1111.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Harmony Life OT Podcast. Episode 8. Special Book Chapter Reading: Nourish Your Body.

To celebrate the release of her new and revised book, Uncovering My True Self: How I broke my back and woke up to a new life, Esther shares a special reading of Chapter 3: Nourish Your Body. Discover how nourishment goes beyond food and includes rest, movement, sunshine, laughter, and a deeper connection with yourself.Link to purchase the book from Amazon: https://a.co/d/05zbLbsT [https://a.co/d/05zbLbsT]Instagram: @harmonylifeotSubstack: @harmonylifeotP.S. To create a more enjoyable listening experience, references have been omitted from this reading. All references and source material can be found in the book. If you would like a specific reference or source, please feel free to send a DM. Get full access to Essy's Substack at esthergrateful1111.substack.com/subscribe [https://esthergrateful1111.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Harmony Life OT Podcast - Episode 7: Seven Signs Your Nervous System Doesn't Feel Safe (And What It's Trying to Tell You)

In this episode of The Harmony Life OT Podcast, we explore seven signs your nervous system doesn’t feel safe and what your body might be trying to tell you. If you’ve been feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, anxious, disconnected from yourself, or stuck in survival mode, this episode will help you understand the connection between trauma, burnout, stress, and nervous system regulation. Drawing on both occupational therapy and holistic healing perspectives, you’ll learn why these patterns aren’t signs that you’re broken, but adaptive responses that can be gently rewired through awareness and self-compassion. If you’re on a journey of healing, self-discovery, trauma recovery, burnout recovery, mindfulness, and reconnecting with your authentic self, this episode is for you.If you want more like this, please follow me on Substack: @harmonylifeot Instagram: @harmonylifeot Get full access to Essy's Substack at esthergrateful1111.substack.com/subscribe [https://esthergrateful1111.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Harmony Life OT Podcast - Episode 6: Trauma Initiates You Forward: The Breakdown That Woke Me Up

What if your greatest challenge wasn’t meant to break you, but to awaken you? In this episode, I share how a life-changing back injury became the catalyst for my personal growth, healing journey, and purpose. We explore the powerful shift from seeing trauma as something that happened to us, to viewing it as an initiation into who we’re meant to become. Inspired by Dr. Joe Dispenza’s teachings and insights from Elizabeth April’s book "You Are Not Dying, You’re Just Waking Up", this episode offers a new perspective on trauma, adversity, resilience, spiritual awakening, and post-traumatic growth. In this episode I discuss:• How my back injury changed the direction of my life• Moving from victim consciousness to creator consciousness• Why life’s challenges may be preparing you for something greater• Reframing trauma as an initiation into your next chapter Read more on Substack: @harmonylifeotFollow me on Instagram: @harmonylifeot EA book: https://elizabethapril.com/you-are-not-dying-book/ [https://elizabethapril.com/you-are-not-dying-book/] #TraumaHealing #PersonalGrowth #SpiritualAwakening #PostTraumaticGrowth #MindsetShift #HealingJourney #Resilience #SelfDevelopment #JoeDispenza #SpiritualGrowth #TraumaRecovery Get full access to Essy's Substack at esthergrateful1111.substack.com/subscribe [https://esthergrateful1111.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Harmony Life OT Podcast. Episode 5. Six Years of Birthdays, Healing & Spiritual Awakening

For the first time in six years… I can honestly say I feel okay with where I am in life. In this deeply personal Episode 5, I reflect on the past six birthdays and the spiritual lessons hidden within some of the hardest seasons of my journey - from losing my first OT job during COVID, surviving a car accident, burnout, injury, and dark nights of the soul… to finally finding my way back to myself. This is a conversation about nervous system healing, spiritual awakening, resilience, and learning to trust that even life’s most painful chapters can become portals for transformation. If you are currently navigating burnout, uncertainty, grief, or change, I trust this episode reminds you that healing is possible - even when it feels far away. Trigger warning: This episode briefly discusses burnout, mental health struggles, and dark thoughts. Connect with me:Instagram: @harmonylifeotSubstack: @harmonylifeot If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review, follow the podcast, and share it with someone who may need this message today. Blessings, love and light,Essy xx Get full access to Essy's Substack at esthergrateful1111.substack.com/subscribe [https://esthergrateful1111.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]