354: Can You Really Work, Homeschool, AND Feel Good? With Darcy Haas

354: Can You Really Work, Homeschool, AND Feel Good? With Darcy Haas

Welcome to the Joyful Mom Podcast!

In this inspiring episode of The Joyful Mom Podcast, host Megan welcomes Darcy Haas, a registered nurse, functional nutritionist, and homeschool mom of five. Darcy shares her incredible journey from struggling with her own health challenges to discovering functional medicine and eventually creating Body Literacy Lab for Kids — a science-based program designed to teach homeschool families how the body works from a root-cause perspective. Her mission? To empower the next generation to become confident, body-literate kids who truly understand how to care for themselves for life.

Darcy opens up about her personal health journey after the birth of her fourth child, when she went from running marathons to barely being able to walk. After years of unanswered questions, she found hope in functional medicine — realizing that understanding the why behind her health issues was key to her healing. This revelation led her to pursue certification in functional nutrition, where she began teaching women about their bodies, hormones, and the power of prevention. But over time, she felt called to shift her focus toward kids, helping them learn about their bodies early on so they could make empowered, lifelong choices for their health.

The conversation also dives deep into homeschooling and motherhood, as Darcy shares what 13 years of homeschooling has taught her — the beauty of creating space for curiosity, the joy of shared learning moments, and the challenge of letting go of comparison. She opens up about learning to define success on her own terms, resisting the urge to measure her children (or herself) by conventional standards, and embracing imperfection as part of a rich, fulfilling family life.

Finally, Megan and Darcy explore what it means to find joy and purpose beyond motherhood. Darcy reflects on how allowing herself to pursue her passions — and letting it be enough even when it’s messy — has brought a new kind of energy and presence to her home. Together, they remind moms that it’s okay to chase dreams, to homeschool differently, to rest, and to create a life that feels both joyful and enough. Whether you’re a homeschooling mom, a working mom, or somewhere in between, this episode offers heartfelt wisdom and encouragement to embrace your own version of balance and fulfillment.

If you loved Darcy’s heart and wisdom in this episode, you’ll definitely want to connect with her beyond the podcast! Follow her @bodyliteracylab4kids on Instagram, where she shares practical, science-based insights and fun ways to help kids understand their bodies from the inside out. Go check her out and be inspired by the beautiful blend of education, motherhood, and empowerment she brings to every post!

If you want to learn more about how you can clear anxiety more automatically by rewiring how the mind is working and processing things, go to my website www.meganhillukka.com where you can click on a link to register for my free training, where I will show you what you need in order to do this.

353: The 10 Best Decisions I've Made

353: The 10 Best Decisions I've Made

Welcome to the Joyful Mom Podcast!

In this heartwarming and deeply reflective episode of The Joyful Mom Podcast, Megan invites listeners into her personal journey by sharing the 10 biggest wins and most meaningful decisions she’s made in her life. From marrying her husband at 18, to homeschooling her nine children, to diving into entrepreneurship, Megan opens up about the choices that have shaped her life, her faith, and her family. Each story is a reminder that the most fulfilling paths are often the ones we take with courage and trust, even when they don’t make perfect sense at the time.

She also shares pivotal lessons from her experiences—like learning to have hard conversations, processing emotions after loss, and discovering the power of subconscious healing. Her transparency around grief, growth, and emotional resilience offers encouragement for moms navigating their own challenges. She reminds listeners that true healing and peace come from learning to sit with emotions instead of resisting them and that triggers and traumas can genuinely be released from the body and mind.

The episode ends with an uplifting invitation: to reflect on your own 10 biggest wins—the choices, moments, or blessings that have made your life richer and more meaningful. Megan encourages moms everywhere to celebrate themselves, embrace growth in every season, and find joy not just in motherhood, but in who they are beyond it. Tune in and be inspired to honor your story, your decisions, and the beautiful journey you’re living.

If you want to learn more about how you can clear anxiety more automatically by rewiring how the mind is working and processing things, go to my website www.meganhillukka.com where you can click on a link to register for my free training, where I will show you what you need in order to do this.

352: How to Balance Work and Motherhood Without Burning Out

352: How to Balance Work and Motherhood Without Burning Out

Welcome to the Joyful Mom Podcast!

Balancing work, motherhood, and personal passions can feel overwhelming, especially when moms carry the mental load of managing home, children, schedules, and responsibilities. The speaker acknowledges that motherhood alone is a full-time role, yet many moms add homeschooling, business, or other ambitions on top of it. She emphasizes that instead of using motherhood as a reason to stop pursuing dreams, she chooses to view it as motivation to find creative solutions that allow her to do both—without sacrificing her family’s well-being.

Throughout the episode, she shares personal examples of managing a large family, homeschooling, running a business in just 10 hours a week, and still making time for hobbies like volleyball and pickleball. She explains that mental clarity is foundational—when your mind is cluttered with stress, trauma, and constant thoughts, it drains your energy faster than the actual tasks do. By clearing mental “tabs” and lowering perfectionism, moms can free up emotional bandwidth, increase productivity, and experience more joy in both motherhood and work.

Finally, she introduces practical strategies for preventing burnout: embracing seasonal balance rather than rigid schedules, setting priorities, simplifying routines, getting support, creating intentional rest time, and lowering unrealistic standards for perfection. Her core message is empowering: you don’t need to give up parts of yourself to be a present mom—you simply need to consciously choose what matters, accept help, and honor rest as a form of productivity.

If you want to learn more about how you can clear anxiety more automatically by rewiring how the mind is working and processing things, go to my website www.meganhillukka.com where you can click on a link to register for my free training, where I will show you what you need in order to do this.

351: Breastfeeding Tip From a Mom of 9

351: Breastfeeding Tip From a Mom of 9

Welcome to the Joyful Mom Podcast!

Megan — a mom of nine — opens up about her personal breastfeeding journey, sharing insights, challenges, and lessons learned from nursing each of her babies. She begins by emphasizing that every breastfeeding experience is unique, even after nine children, and highlights the importance of getting a proper latch and support, especially for first-time moms. Megan also touches on practical issues like lip and tongue ties, recounting her first baby’s difficult start and how her persistence and determination helped her succeed despite the challenges.

Throughout the episode, Megan reflects on the various ways she’s fed her babies — exclusively breastfeeding, pumping, formula feeding, and even making homemade formula — and how letting go of shame and guilt has brought her peace. She encourages moms to do what works best for them in each season, emphasizing that every feeding choice is valid and that there’s no one right way to nourish a baby. She shares helpful tips like resting after birth, skin-to-skin bonding, nursing on demand, and staying flexible with routines.

She also discusses common struggles like clogged ducts and breast infections, offering natural remedies such as sunflower lecithin, massage, and homeopathy that have worked for her. She closes with reflections on balancing motherhood, breastfeeding, and her own need for freedom — acknowledging that it’s okay to supplement with formula or take breaks when needed. Her message is one of compassion, acceptance, and empowerment for moms to trust themselves, honor their needs, and release any guilt tied to how they feed their babies.

If you want to learn more about how you can clear anxiety more automatically by rewiring how the mind is working and processing things, go to my website www.meganhillukka.com where you can click on a link to register for my free training, where I will show you what you need in order to do this.

350: I'm Always Late—Here's What Changed

350: I'm Always Late—Here's What Changed

Welcome to the Joyful Mom Podcast!

In this episode, Megan opens by sharing her excitement about her Heal Your Trigger in 30 Days challenge, where she guides participants to release a specific trigger by the end of the program. She then shifts the conversation to the theme of time—specifically her lifelong struggle with being late. Inspired by a business conference on integrity, she reflects on how punctuality connects to living in alignment with one’s word. For Megan, being consistently late wasn’t intentional but rather a patterned behavior she had to confront and begin to change.

She explains how identity and language shape habits, noting that telling herself “I’m always late” only reinforced the cycle. By reframing it to “I’ve been late, but I’m becoming someone who’s on time,” she opens the door for change. Megan also encourages both sides—those who are always punctual and those who run late—to show compassion. People who arrive late, she stresses, are rarely doing it on purpose, but it is important to acknowledge that lateness disrespects other people’s time. She urges listeners to practice integrity by communicating if they’ll be delayed, which can help maintain trust and respect in relationships.

Finally, Megan shares practical strategies that have helped her shift her habits. She realized she’s predictably 15 minutes late everywhere, so she began adding extra buffer time—leaving earlier than her initial instinct and planning for the “in-between” steps like getting kids ready or walking from the car. While it feels mentally challenging and even “too early,” she finds it ultimately relieves stress and allows her to arrive on time. Megan closes by inviting listeners who struggle with lateness to try this method themselves and share their experiences with her, while also offering support for those dealing with anxiety, trauma, and triggers through her coaching work.

If you want to learn more about how you can clear anxiety more automatically by rewiring how the mind is working and processing things, go to my website www.meganhillukka.com where you can click on a link to register for my free training, where I will show you what you need in order to do this.

349: Why You Keep Getting Triggered (And How to Make It Stop)

349: Why You Keep Getting Triggered (And How to Make It Stop)

Welcome to the Joyful Mom Podcast!

In this episode, Megan unpacks what emotional triggers are, how they show up in daily life, and why moms often feel powerless to stop them. She explains that triggers are automatic body responses rooted in past experiences—like an old “recording” replaying whenever a similar situation arises. Unlike ordinary stress, which can be temporary, triggers are patterned, recurring, and feel uncontrollable. Megan gives relatable examples such as snapping at a child’s whining, panicking while driving, or feeling anxious on painful anniversaries, emphasizing that these reactions are not personal failings but unprocessed responses stored in the subconscious mind.

Megan also describes how triggers develop and persist, comparing them to a heavy backpack of past experiences or a snake bite that makes the brain mistake a harmless garden hose for a threat. Because triggers are held in the subconscious, sheer willpower or “trying harder” rarely works. However, she reassures listeners that healing is possible and faster than they might think—sometimes even in just 30 days. Drawing from her own journey and her clients’ stories, she shares that once triggers are healed, moms regain their sense of choice, calm, and energy in daily life.

She closes by inviting listeners to join her 30-day “Heal Your Trigger Challenge,” a program designed especially for busy moms. With short, daily practices and support, participants can work through triggers in manageable steps and experience freedom from the overwhelm that has felt like part of their identity. Megan emphasizes that living without triggers is life-changing—not just for moms but for their relationships and families as well.

If you want to learn more about how you can clear anxiety more automatically by rewiring how the mind is working and processing things, go to my website www.meganhillukka.com where you can click on a link to register for my free training, where I will show you what you need in order to do this.

348: My Personal Surrender Experiment

348: My Personal Surrender Experiment

Welcome to the Joyful Mom Podcast!

In this episode, I shared the journey my family and I have experienced over the past year, which I’ve come to call our “surrender experiment.” It began with a word I chose for the year—surrender—and a lesson in letting go of control, trusting that God would guide our path. Last year, my husband was working long, exhausting hours, and we planned our entire year around that. But in March, right before the birth of our ninth baby, he unexpectedly lost his job. For a few minutes, I felt fear and panic, but I quickly shifted into surrender, trusting that everything would unfold as it should.

What followed was a season of unexpected provision and opportunity. Despite the uncertainty, we were able to sustain ourselves through temporary work and eventually, my husband transitioned into a more balanced, less stressful work arrangement. Over time, he and my brother found and purchased a business—something we hadn’t even considered before he lost his job. Looking back, this period of surrender opened doors that we never planned for but ultimately aligned perfectly for our family’s future.

This whole journey has deepened my understanding of what it means to release control and allow life to unfold. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been freeing and full of unexpected blessings. I continue to focus on surrender—letting go of how I think life should look and instead trusting that each step, even the hard ones, is part of a greater, more beautiful tapestry being woven for us.

If you want to learn more about how you can clear anxiety more automatically by rewiring how the mind is working and processing things, go to my website www.meganhillukka.com where you can click on a link to register for my free training, where I will show you what you need in order to do this.

347: How I Balance Business, Motherhood, and Homeschooling (Spoiler: It’s Not Perfect)

347: How I Balance Business, Motherhood, and Homeschooling (Spoiler: It’s Not Perfect)

Welcome to the Joyful Mom Podcast!

In this episode of The Joyful Mom Podcast, Megan Hilluka shares a personal shift in how she approaches her podcast. Instead of relying on carefully scripted episodes, she wants to practice speaking more authentically and from the heart, inspired by lessons on authenticity she picked up at a recent business retreat. Megan admits that balancing clarity with the realities of "mom brain," especially while caring for her three-month-old baby, can be challenging. But her goal is to show up as she is, connect honestly with listeners, and bring more natural flow into her content while still offering meaningful insights for mothers navigating busy, chaotic lives.

Megan then dives into what a typical week looks like for her as a homeschooling mother of nine (with eight children at home), a wife, and a business owner. Mondays are her reset days, free from outside appointments, where she focuses on housework, laundry, planning, and connecting with her kids through a daily "morning basket" routine that anchors their homeschooling. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are dedicated workdays, supported by a babysitter, where Megan structures her time with focused blocks for business tasks like podcast recording. She emphasizes the importance of creating “guardrails” and systems, which help her stay on track despite her natural tendency toward chaos and distraction.

Thursdays and Fridays are more flexible and social. Thursdays often include family connection activities, date nights with her husband, or one-on-one time with her children, while Fridays may feature special family traditions like "poetry tea time" or active outings. Weekends are reserved for family, rest, and socializing, with Sundays as a day of rest, church, and resetting for the week ahead. Megan highlights how important it is to avoid overwhelm by focusing on the next thing rather than all tasks at once. She closes with an invitation for listeners struggling with anxiety or trauma to seek support through her coaching services, reminding them that healing and calm are possible.

If you want to learn more about how you can clear anxiety more automatically by rewiring how the mind is working and processing things, go to my website www.meganhillukka.com where you can click on a link to register for my free training, where I will show you what you need in order to do this.