A Millennial Mind

Can you actually have it all, or is that the exact belief that's making you feel like you're failing?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Dhivya Srinivasa, a double board-certified plastic surgeon, mom of three, and the internet's most unfiltered voice on modern motherhood. We get into the myth of doing it all, the impossible standards placed on working parents, and why the "good mom" checklist most of us are measuring ourselves against was never built for the life we're actually living.

We talk about:

Her definition of being a good mom, and why she refuses to be graded on how she cuts a cucumber

Going into labor in the middle of surgery, and the brutal reality of maternity leave in medicine

Being mistreated at work while pregnant, and why she wishes she'd stood up for herself sooner

Meeting her husband and being radically honest about her goals from date one

Why the burden of self-sacrifice still falls on mothers, and what it actually takes to change that at home

Quality time versus quantity of time, and what she learned from watching her own parents

The soccer game she missed and the conversation that came out of it

Why women get judged for having help, and what her husband says when she spirals about it

If you've ever felt guilty for wanting a career and a family, or like you're constantly being judged no matter what you choose, this conversation will change how you see it.

Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss the next one; it genuinely helps me bring on more incredible guests.

Follow Dr. Dhivya Srinivasa: [add her @drdhivyasrinivasa / https://avarawell.com/]

#AMillennialMind #MomGuilt #WorkingMom

00:00 Intro: the pressure to be a good mom02:27 Welcome, Dr. Dhivya Srinivasa03:10 Who is Dhivya?04:17 What actually makes a "good mom"?06:43 The fake metrics we judge parents by09:16 The guilt of wanting to work21:14 Going into labor in the operating room26:15 Maternity leave in medicine is brutal28:20 Mistreated at work while pregnant37:21 Meeting her husband: radical honesty on date one43:29 Why alignment matters more than perfection45:55 Men, self-sacrifice, and equal parenting55:12 Quality time vs. quantity of time1:00:20 Reacting to viral "you have to be in the office" takes1:04:36 The miseducation of sons1:11:24 Confidence modeled by her parents1:13:46 Dealing with mom guilt: the soccer game story1:19:39 Feeling misunderstood as a parent1:21:13 Advice for women judged by their mom or mother-in-law1:28:44 Hiring help and letting go of the guilt1:30:57 Why women get judged for having nannies1:34:18 Her husband's take: "let's just get the help"1:40:26 Next episode preview: attachment styles
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On this weeks episode I am joined by Gabby Bernstein, New York Times best-selling author of 11 books and one of the most influential voices in personal growth and spirituality, joins us to unpack limiting beliefs, trauma, and what it actually takes to rebuild trust in yourself.

We talk about why manifesting fails for so many people (hint: it's not the vision board), the 4-step process Gabby uses to heal a limiting belief in real time, how she healed from addiction and childhood trauma, and how she's applying everything she's learned to parenting her son. We also get into friendships in your 30s, setting boundaries without guilt, and why willingness, not certainty, is the real starting point for change.

If you've ever felt stuck but couldn't articulate why, this episode is for you.

Gabby's book Self-Help is referenced throughout this conversation. Her new book, Unshakeable Faith, is coming soon.

⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 Opening
01:25 Meet Gabby Bernstein
02:25 Welcome & why this topic
03:26 How to start when you feel stuck
05:36 Willingness to heal: opening the door
07:44 Manifesting needs follow-through, not just belief
08:53 Recognising your own core beliefs
11:39 The 4 steps to healing a limiting belief
15:17 How Gabby met her husband
18:14 Gabby's story: addiction and healing
20:41 Healing after loss and grief
22:53 Solitude, fellowship and community
24:06 Friendships in your 30s
29:45 Working through "I can't trust people"
31:54 Relief and sadness in recognising your patterns
33:40 Dissociation and remembering trauma
35:18 Parenting through personal development
39:17 Becoming your own inner parent
40:22 Finding a partner who respects your journey
41:14 Practising patience with yourself and others
42:20 Trauma vs. limiting beliefs
43:32 Understanding your protector parts
44:51 Why manifesting doesn't work for most people
46:57 Overcoming fear of confronting your patterns
48:17 What is self energy?
49:36 You can't force someone else to change
52:27 Setting boundaries without guilt
53:22 Self-forgiveness and daily practices
54:36 Trusting the universe and faith
56:49 Closing & where to see Gabby next

🔔 Subscribe for more discussions on mental health, personal growth, and healing! / @shivanipaupodcast

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Let Me Change Your Mind 🧠
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Can you prepare for a life you’ve never lived before?

In this deeply personal solo episode of A Millennial Mind, I share how I’m preparing for motherhood while trying to protect something I’ve spent the last six years building: my podcast, my work and a part of my identity.

I’m walking you through the exact framework I’ve used to prepare for a season where my time, energy and priorities are about to change from setting realistic deadlines and building in a buffer, to defining non-negotiables, systemising my work and learning to let go of perfection.

But this isn’t just about pregnancy.

It’s about preparing for any season of life where you know you won’t have the same time, energy or capacity you once did.

If you’re entering a new chapter, building a business, navigating motherhood, moving, recovering from burnout or simply trying to make space for what matters most, I hope this episode reminds you that you don’t have to do everything perfectly. You just have to decide what matters most and do your best.

In this episode:

• Preparing your life for a major transition
• The reality of becoming a mother
• Matrescence and changing identity
• How I’m preparing A Millennial Mind for motherhood
• Why consistency matters more than perfection
• The 4-step framework I’m using
• Setting deadlines and building buffers
• Defining your non-negotiables
• Systemising and batch-recording your work
• Learning what to keep and what to let go
• Giving yourself grace when things don’t go to plan

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What if the heartbreak that broke you was actually the beginning of becoming who you were always meant to be?

In this episode I sit down with spiritual teacher and author ⁨@SaharaRose⁩ for a deeply personal conversation about betrayal, heartbreak, identity and what she calls the “dark night of the soul.”

Sahara opens up about the night her then-husband confessed he had been unfaithful throughout their relationship and how that discovery completely dismantled the life and identity she thought she knew.

We explore why heartbreak can feel like losing yourself, the “good girl” conditioning that teaches women to find validation through relationships, and why healing isn't about rushing to become happy again. Sahara shares the Triple E Method Emote, Embody and Express that she developed while navigating the darkest period of her life.

We also unpack why love alone isn't always enough to sustain a relationship, choosing yourself after betrayal, celibacy after heartbreak, feminine energy, Dharma, rebuilding trust in your intuition and the powerful ritual Sahara used to hold a “funeral” for her former self.

If you're going through heartbreak, betrayal, a breakup or simply a chapter where you no longer recognise yourself, this conversation is a reminder that losing the life you knew can sometimes create space for a life you couldn't yet imagine.

In this episode:

• Sahara's experience of discovering infidelity
• What the “dark night of the soul” really means
• Why women can lose their identity in relationships
• The psychology of heartbreak and attachment
• Why love isn't always enough
• The Triple E Method for processing difficult emotions
• Why Sahara chose celibacy for 2.5 years
• Finding yourself instead of searching for another relationship
• Sacred feminine vs masculine energy
• Breaking “good girl” conditioning
• The funeral of your former self
• Rebuilding trust in your intuition
• Practical ways to rediscover yourself after heartbreak

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Having a baby doesn’t just change your life it can completely change your relationship.

In this episode I sit down with Shan Boodram, certified sex educator and sexologist, to have an honest conversation about what really happens to love, intimacy, identity and connection after becoming parents.

Shan opens up about reaching a point eight months after having her first child where she genuinely questioned whether her marriage would survive. We unpack why the first year can put enormous pressure on couples, how resentment builds when parenting starts to feel transactional, and why both mothers and fathers can experience profound identity shifts after having children.

We also talk about mum guilt, maintaining your career after motherhood, navigating judgement from other parents, sharing the mental load, keeping intimacy alive when you're exhausted, and why sometimes saving your relationship means creating an entirely new relationship with the same person.

If you're pregnant, already a parent, questioning whether you want children, or simply want to understand how relationships evolve through major life transitions, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we discuss:
• How motherhood and fatherhood change your identity
• Matrescence and patrescence
• Why the first year after having a baby can be so difficult for couples
• The invisible pressures placed on mothers
• Mum guilt and choosing to continue your career
• How unequal parenting creates resentment
• Why fathers need emotional support too
• Maintaining sex and intimacy after children
• Sleeping separately without losing connection
• Why choosing not to have children isn't selfish
• How to rebuild a relationship that's struggling
• Protecting the parts of yourself you don't want motherhood to erase

matrescence, patrescence, postpartum relationships, intimacy after baby, mum guilt, working mothers, parenting relationships, relationship advice, motherhood identity, maintaining intimacy, parenting resentment, modern motherhood💛

🔔 Subscribe for more discussions on mental health, personal growth, and healing! / @shivanipaupodcast

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