Episode #211: With Our Guest Host, Amber Richardson - Part 2

In this special New Year’s week episode of The Berman Method Podcast, Jenni Berman, PA, returns with Part Two of her powerful conversation with author, life coach, and speaker Amberlynn Richardson. Building on last week’s discussion, this episode dives deeper into Amberlynn’s book Seasonal Syncing and how aligning your life with the natural “seasons” of transformation can support true healing—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Together, they explore why so many women struggle with rest, recovery, and constant self-expectation, and how embracing the season you’re currently in can reduce stress, regulate the nervous system, and improve overall health. From sleep and micro-habit changes to grounding, sunlight, and intentional reflection, this conversation connects functional medicine principles with real-life, doable practices.

This episode is a reminder that healing doesn’t come from pushing harder—it comes from listening to your body, honoring your season, and giving yourself permission to slow down when needed. Whether you’re navigating burnout, transition, or simply seeking more balance and peace, this conversation will leave you feeling seen, validated, and empowered as you step into the new year.

🎧 Don’t forget to listen to Part One and check the show notes for Amberlynn Richardson’s book Seasonal Syncing, available now on Amazon.

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Transcript

New Year Greetings & Part Two

SPEAKER_00 0:00

New Year's week, baby. All right, all right, all right, all right. I hope everybody had a great Christmas. I know we did.

Treating Problems Not Symptoms

Meet Amberlynn And Her Book

The Four Seasons Framework

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Yes, awesome. Yes. Can't complain. And now New Year's is this weekend. So I hope everybody's getting all of their positive thoughts in place for the new year. We are back here just to say happy new year. But as promised in the last episode, which if you didn't listen to it, please go back. Um, but as promised, this is going to be part two of myself, Jenny Berman, talking with Amber Amber Richardson. So we hope everybody has a great new year and enjoys part two of this podcast. Welcome back to the Berman Method Podcast, where we are focused on treating problems and not symptoms. I am Jenny Berman, physician assistant. And once again, this week, if you weren't uh in attendance last week with our podcast, you should definitely go back. Uh, but I do not have Dr. Jake Berman here with me today. Instead, I have a wonderful, wonderful guest on the podcast, uh, Amberlynn Richardson. And she was on last week. So if you did not listen, please go back. Um, but real quick, just to kind of follow up with the Berman Method podcast, we are focused on treating problems and not symptoms. So very focused on getting away from the typical uh conventional medicine and looking deeper into more functional medicine, physically, emotionally, psychologically, and chemically, looking at the blood balance, um, blood sugar control, reducing inflammation, gut health, really trying to figure out what is actually causing the problem and how can we look at this as a whole body experience rather than just writing the prescriptions, handing them out, uh, and moving on with the day. So, welcome to the Berman Method podcast. Amberlynn Richardson is back with us today. She is the author of Seasonal Sinking, which we started talking about last episode, um, but we're gonna keep that conversation going. So, Amber, welcome back. Thanks so much. Absolutely. Amberlynn Richardson is a grateful mother, uh, wife, author, life coach, and speaker. After a fulfilling career as an educator and public servant, which we talked a lot about last episode with her being a prior assistant principal, she transitioned her dream role, that of a full-time mother and entrepreneur. Uh, if you weren't there, we talked a lot about her personal life and what got her into being an author and how she utilized uh focusing and embracing the seasons of life that she was in to get where she's at now. She is passionate about helping others find peace and purpose through intentional living. She lives with her husband and three children and loves hiking, riding, and deep conversations with the people she loves. She is author of Seasonal Sinking, which is now available to you on Amazon to purchase. Uh, and such a wonderful, wonderful book for all individuals. But it's talks a lot to women, just figuring out the season of life that they're in and embracing the change, helping with controlling that stress response, that cortisol response that I talk about every single day and every week, it seems like on this podcast. Um, so here we are. All right. Do you want to give us for those of us who haven't yet listened to last week, because they are going to go back and listen to it, know it. Um, but if they have not yet listened to last week, will you just give us a real brief synopsis of what we talked about with seasonal sinking and just kind of the basis of the book that can help listeners understand what we're getting back into today?

SPEAKER_00 3:39

Sure. So it looks at the different phases and experiences in our lives, um, similar to the seasons that we see cycle through in nature. And so we've got fall, the season of transformation, winter, the season of sanctuary, spring, the season of hope, and uh summer, the season of joy. And how oftentimes we kind of resist moving through these seasons. And so if we the idea behind seasonal sinking is if we can identify what season of life we're in and sync up with that, and then kind of lean into critical practices that are aligned with that particular season, um, it can help us to just improve our experience of harmony and wholeness in our lives. It can uh expedite healing and um really connect us with our own health journeys, both physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. So that's kind of the purpose and idea behind it.

Rest As A Critical Practice

SPEAKER_01 4:35

Yes. And we talked a lot about just using this as a resource to work through these phases of life in addition to maybe external resources that we need with um therapy, talk therapy, physical therapy. You know, there's a lot of different areas. Um, and we really talked about the the most challenging phase that we we try to see, we almost resist, right? We talked a lot about resisting that phase that we're in. And certainly the season of fall where um we're we really feel like we're falling back and we're fighting against what the what we don't want to believe or see, for instance. Um, and we really have to practice reflection, release, and gratitude in that time period to just work through that most difficult, challenging um coping mechanism to be able to shift into the more positive season, which in the end will be the summer, the season of joy. Um, but obviously I skipped two seasons in there, winter and spring too. Um, so just certainly go back and listen, please. She explains um those different seasons. But I'm gonna jump right back in and say um you emphasize a lot throughout this book rest and reflection. And this is an essential season that we need to practice. And probably the most challenging for me personally, that everybody I had somebody asked me just two days ago. She was like, So, how do you manage these three kids? She was at my house. How do you manage these three kids and a business and still work out in the mornings and like eat right? And I was like, uh, well, I guess my most honest answer is I don't sleep enough. And I talk about all the time the need for sleep and recovery and the the cells that we generate when we're sleeping. So that's an area that I'm still working towards.

The Cost Of Sleep Deprivation

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Yeah. And so I think so reflection to so in going back to the seasons. So I identify, you know, the four seasons, and then in within each season, I identify three critical practices that I think really align with the essence of what that that season is all about. And rest is one of the critical practices of the season of winter, which is the season of sanctuary. And um, like you, I have had an extremely complicated relationship with rest. Um, I kind of had for most of my life, um, for the first, yeah, I mean, the majority of my life, I kind of held that like I'll rest when I'm dead mentality, and just kind of like felt like rest was, I perceived rest as either lazy or unproductive at worst, and like, or like an undeserved privilege in other ways. So it was just, I had this very complicated understanding of what rest was. And um it wasn't until again that I was kind of going on my own personal health journey um and really digging into what is required of me to like for my body to get rest, and what does that mean and what does that do for me? And then I started doing my own digging in my research. I was like, oh my gosh. So yeah, so I think women traditionally, we have this very complicated relationship with rest because there's all these things expected of us, working out, taking care of our kids, doing the midnight feedings, uh, getting to work, doing all these things. And so it's like, how do we how do we lean into that? And yet when you learn about what the lack of sleep does to us on a cellular bio biological level, it's like, how could we not sleep? And so, like I'm trying to go back and through and see. So there's even from all the research that shows like losing sleep is not only detrimental, it like heightens your um your immune response. It gets uh they show actual like measurable brain damage to not having sleep and rest. Um, your insulin goes into whack, your insulin resistance, your metabolic function, your gut function, your gut microbiome. Um, everything in your body just starts to break down for lack of rest. And so I was I learned that like this, like I'll rest when I'm dead mentality. It was like I was actually expediting myself to an early grave by not resting. And so I think it's really tricky though to just kind of come out and say, like to somebody like you, Jenny, who is like, I'm doing all the things, like, where do I fit rest in? It's like, how do I make that shift? So one of the things that I talk about a lot in the book is doing these micro changes. And so I used rest as an example. And I'm like, okay, so if we take, let's say that we're gonna look at the quantity of sleep that we're getting. And if we take, if we add just three more minutes a day over the course of 30 days, by the end of that time, you'll have added an extra 90 minutes of sleep time. So it's like, it's just uh it's a way of like kind of validating, like, okay, I'm committed to this. This is some, but this is like a big stretch. So instead of going and saying, I'm gonna go to bed an hour and a half earlier, you just say, okay, tonight I'm gonna, my bedtime is gonna be three minutes earlier than the next night, three minutes earlier than that. And so it's just a it's about kind of acknowledging the value and finding the value in it and then finding a way to bridge the gap in a way that feels doable and manageable.

Micro Changes For Big Gains

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Right. Absolutely. And I she's 1000% correct in the fact that, and I've said this before on the podcast, that we can generate up to 330 billion healthy cells at night when we're actually getting adequate rest and recovery. Now, adequate is is the term, right? Like it can't be six hours of sleep on a daily basis, but also nine hours of poor quality sleep is not helping the situation either. And absolutely, there's other areas that come into this cellular regeneration, but without it, we are increasing the oxidative stress inside of us. So that that chronic stress response that leads to inflammation and the insulin resistance and the brain fog and dementia and Alzheimer's, all the things that are associated with poor gut health, um, 100%. So you're you're totally right. And I love that thought process of the micro changes. Like, let's just do one thing at a time. Start with three minutes. And it's the same thing with implementing any kind of change in our life, whether it's getting into exercise. I tell my patients all the time, you don't need to start with 90 minutes of a boot camp. Like, let's just start with go outside, walk five minutes down the street, turn around, walk five minutes back, sit back down at your desk and get back to work. Like that is a starting point. Then three hours later, do that again. Get outside, walk five minutes, walk five minutes back, take your phone with you if you have to. Like just start. And if you do that over three times in a day, there's your 30 minutes of activity that you've already started to implement. So part of this, and not that that goes with rest and recovery, right? But that's definitely part of this microchange to metabolic solve. And a lot of times that that even that type of activity is a rest and recovery for our brain. It's sunlight, it's activity, it's oxygen to ourselves, which is part of this reducing oxidative stress and helping with the mental capacity. And maybe for others, the rest and recovery is meditation or yoga or Pilates. Just spending some time on ourselves.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

Yeah. And I think that that's part of it too. So, like, yes, in this particular sense, we were talking about like rest as in like sleep. Yeah. But rest can also manifest itself in different ways. Like you said, it's anything that's kind of restorative that taps into like we were talking about last uh last week about the parasympathetic nervous system. Like, how do we tap into activating that that kind of allows our bodies to rest as opposed to being in this heightened sympathetic nervous system state? And so, you know, there's so many ways that we can do that. But I think, you know, whether it's and it's they can be simple things, like you said, like going out for a walk. It could be working on some deep breathing, it could be doing stretching, it could be doing um, you know, any kind of gratitude practice, it could be um reflecting. Um, and I think like at at nothing else, like let's say that you don't get this book, that you just are needing something like immediate, like how do I tap into that? Like get out in nature. Even if you just sit and listen and feel the fresh air, breathe in the fresh air, put take your shoes off and put your feet in in the ground, sit on the ground, walk without your phone, like just little things like if you can connect with nature, your your body is like in a rhythm with that around it, and that will automatically tap into that parasympathetic nervous system.

Movement, Sunlight, And Stress Relief

SPEAKER_01 13:54

I think that's amazing. I just said that to a client um just last week, where I was like, okay, we are not in a good place right now mentally, right? We're struggling mentally. We have a ton of stressors happening to us. Like, she is in the fall phase, and I'm kind of like now I'm gonna tell her, like, go buy this book. You need to start implementing these seasons of life. But like, okay, let's embrace it. We're in this situation. Getting up and getting out of bed and going to the gym and working out for an hour like you used to do is not the season of life we're in right now. So instead, I want you to still get up when that alarm goes off. And because you're not wanting to get out of bed and we're in this struggle right now, just move yourself outside on your porch and just sit. Yes. Like, we don't have to get outside and walk, we don't have to get to the gym, just get out of bed and go sit in the chair. Fall back asleep in the chair outside. Fine. But at least get yourself outside to start your day for the first 30 minutes that you would have spent doing some sort of exercise. Like, let's just start. And the getting outside, getting the sunlight, putting your feet on the ground, like has such a profound effect for that cortisol response and getting us in this situation of calming that um nervous system down and really helping with the promotion of that rest and recovery period that we speak of.

Activating The Parasympathetic System

SPEAKER_00 15:20

Yeah. And I think that's I think really again, like this seasonal sinking framework is just a way to it. And I think for for women, it's it's that permission. It's that permission to say, you know what, I'm not in the season where I'm gonna wake up and go off to do my boot camp workout that I normally do. Even though that's something that I love, like I'm just not in that season. So it's a it's a permission, it's an allowance. And then what's like so incredible are the things that so many studies, so much research, like the things that are most impactful to your health, getting out nature, breath work, sunshine, hydration, fuel, like all of this is available to you for free, safe for food. All of it's available to everyone at any time without restriction. It's just a matter of choosing to engage in that thing. And so I think if we can continue to work on how do we bridge that gap between what we feel like our expectations are of ourselves and of our life, how do we bridge that gap? And I think if we can do that and allow for these things to happen and realize that we are in control of our choices and how we choose to respond to things, like the quality of our life experience, the harmony that we feel in our lives, our engagement, our connection to ourselves and others and the world around us, everything enhances.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

Right, right. I 100% agree with you. And then working through those different phases that we keep talking about with moving from fall to winter and using the critical practices to then go into spring and into summer where we can actually embrace the joy that we've worked through. And these seasons don't have to take a full year, right? Like we think of a season is four seasons, that's a whole year of work. But we could certainly move through these seasons at a quicker pace if we're utilizing the right support to get through them and actually embracing them.

Nature As Daily Medicine

SPEAKER_00 17:16

Yes. So that's yeah, that's like that is actually it exactly. So, so in in the book, in the beginning of each chapter, I kind of identify or I define our terms so that we're all on like the same idea. And so for season, one of the defining factors or characteristics is it's an undefined time period. So yeah, it doesn't, a season does not have to last three months, a year, three, like it, it is it's undefined. So it depends on on how you are engaging with it. And my belief and my experience with this framework is that the longer you resist, the longer it's gonna take you to actually get through that season. But if you can lean into these critical practices and, you know, ex, you know, kind of align and stop, stop resisting where you're at and really lean into those things, then yeah, you're gonna move through that season a lot quicker because you're supporting and nourishing your body through that season. And so then you get through to the other side. And and I'd like to say too, like, while some seasons don't feel as maybe exciting, like a season of transformation, that could be that could be a job loss or a new job. Like, like it could be good, exciting experience. It could be the birth of a child and it could be a loss of a loved one. Like these seasons of transformation, like in my opinion, every single season has value and beauty and good and adds something important to our lives, just like we see in the world around us. Um, so I think it's just allowing for that value, like to lean into that value and to allow that to impact your life so that way you can move through it for sure.

Permission To Adjust Expectations

SPEAKER_01 18:57

Yes, I think that's it's just so valuable hearing that and understanding that like this is part of what we are working through, no matter what the different season is. We're constantly, you know, this kind of reminds me going back the when Jake and I first had Stella. So we had Stella, NICU baby, you know, preemie, all the things happening. And finally get break her out of the NICU. A couple weeks in, we went to lun or to dinner with one of our a couple, um, very good friends. He was actually Jake's physician as Jake grew up. Like he was his family doctor as he grew up, but we went out to dinner with them and he said, I want you to remember one thing about kids. And as you raise the kids, it's all a phase. He's like, It's two weeks. It's gonna be good for two weeks, it's gonna be bad for two weeks, you're gonna wanna rip your hair off for two weeks, you're gonna love it for two weeks. Like, whatever the phase is, it's two weeks and it's gonna change. You're gonna be through it and it's gonna change. And it's like I have lived by that. Every time the kids are in a phase where I'm like, what the heck? Like, is something wrong with my parenting, or like, what is going on? It's a phase. It may be longer than two weeks. Right, right. A phase, and we are gonna work through it and we're gonna get through it. We have to embrace what's going on and figure out what is the best way to navigate this situation. And we have to look at that with ourselves too, and whatever life situation is happening. So I love now being able to compare it to a season and saying, okay, what is this season? What is growing outside? And how are we navigating that growth and what can happen next? Yeah, I love that. Very good. So finally, what I want to know is after women read this, because we kind of talked about like what can I do here and now until I get this book in my hand and really get through it and reading it. We talked about the box breathing, the grounding, the sunlight, um, understanding just gratitude, saying gratitude. Jake and I actually talked about that on a podcast not too long ago, maybe a couple weeks ago, and said, like, we should be starting every single day with three points of gratitude. Every single day, because the amount of serotonin and endorphins that releases, just speaking gratitude and positivity, is a game changer. Um, the hydration, the sleep, the energy into our body are fuel, right? We have to pay for food, but we can pay for the right food, um, are just things that we can take away right here, right now, to help with that kind of stress response, no matter what season we're going through. But how do you hope that women feel after reading this?

Moving Through Seasons Faster

Finding Value In Every Season

SPEAKER_00 21:40

So I think a couple of things. I think one of the things that um that I want them to experience is, you know, I think an interesting question, kind of exploring this whole thing, is the critical practices that I share in this book, none of them are like new and earth-shattering. It's not like you're gonna read something like, oh, I never heard of that or thought it would be good for me. I think it's just a matter of like timing it within the proper season and understanding that something like gratitude, I don't think many people would argue that that isn't a great thing to have, but like, why is it a good practice? And if we can understand like like the neuroscience behind like what that does to your body, the release of the serotonins, that it activates your limbic system and that then you're it's supporting your deep sleep, which then improves your vitality, which is then impacting your cardiac immune and metabolic health. And so all these things. So I think it's when you and those are all pieces of the book that kind of like help fortify, like this is why this practice is really good for you, especially right now. So I think one thing I want women to or readers to walk away with this book is like that aha, like why this is of value, why the season is of value, why these practices are of value, and why like their alignment at in the timing of when you experience them, why that's so supportive and nourishing to you. And I think uh right now I have a launch team where these are women that have had early access to the book and are reading the book so that way they can kind of help promote the book when it comes out and give an honest review. And one of the women reached out to me that's read the book, and she was like, I feel like this book was written to me and for me, and that it wasn't just words, it felt like a hug. And I was like, that is literally the best compliment I could ever get from this book. Is so I hope that the readers, as they read it, I hope they feel seen and I hope they feel validated in their experience, and then I hope that they feel hugged and and then empowered to like lean into their season, lean into their lives to take control of their experience. And um, and I just hope that they're able to walk away with something that's like truly valuable and impactful in a positive way in their lives.

SPEAKER_01 24:06

Absolutely. And I feel the same way, you know, I've kind of talked about it a few times where I'm like, I feel like you're talking to me. I need to really embrace this. Um, but it's it truly is amazing. And 100%, you know, that's my entire goal too. And a lot of the feedback that we get at the this practice with Berman Health Club now, not just Berman Health and Wellness, but Berman Health Club, is that people actually feel seen and heard invalid, right? Like there's so often, so many people just feel dismissed by the medical society now, like, okay, you're in, you're out, we got to move on to the next one. And you know, we've talked about the reasons why that happens with insurance-based medicine, but just feeling heard, like understand what's going on and dig deeper into the inside. And this is 100% a valuable piece to it. Um, so Amberlynn Richardson, author of Seasonal Thinking, which is now out on Amazon. We are going to have the link to the book uh within our show notes so that you can go online and purchase your copy to show up at your doorstep and really work through this book to improve um how you're managing the seasons of your life. So, Amber, thank you again so much for joining our podcast and talking to all the listeners. This is not just for women, it really is for all listeners and all readers. Um, so thank you so much for being here today.

SPEAKER_00 25:30

Oh my gosh, thank you so much for having me. It was an absolute joy and privilege to be able to be here with you and your listeners. And um, I wish you all well.

Parenting Phases And Perspective

SPEAKER_01 25:37

Yes, thank you. And again, if you did not yet listen to uh episode one of this two-part podcast, the just last week, please go back and listen to it. Share this episode along with uh part one of it to everyone that you know that could really benefit, which is everybody. Everybody could benefit from this. Uh, go online and buy your book. Please comment or send us a message if you have any questions. So thank you again, Amber, and ciao for now to our listeners.