Writer, psychic and space-holder Hollie Azzopardi is known for helping women reconnect with their cycles and their nervous systems. What began after burnout became a decade-long calling.

 

Name: Hollie Azzopardi

Pronouns: she/her

Day job: Podcast Host, Psychic, Cacao Ceremonialist, Author

Location: Northern Rivers NSW

 

Describe your work in one sentence.

I share words from my heart and curate magical spaces for you to realise your potential and step into your dreams.

 

How did you land in women’s health?

My background is in writing and strategic marketing, so this path was never part of the plan. I’d always been interested in personal and spiritual development. Still, it wasn’t until my first burnout at 25 that I started attending women’s circles and diving into holistic wellbeing across mind, body, and soul. The holistic healing I was implementing shifted so much for me, especially my mental health. I have a history of generalised anxiety and panic disorders, and everything in my life started to change. When I realised this could be my job, helping women like me, I never looked back.

 

When did this become a calling rather than a job?

I once told my old corporate boss that I could never run a business, yet in January 2026, I’ll have been running mine for ten years. I knew early on that this calling and massive pivot were more than a job because I live and breathe everything I share and teach. I’m basically a crash-test dummy for life, then I share the lessons. I can’t separate my work from my life, which is why it feels like a calling and a path rather than a job.

What feeling do you want women to leave with?

Inspired.

 

What belief about growth did you have to unlearn?

In the past, I’ve been addicted to personal development. There was one year when I went overboard with self-help and lost the light and fun of life because everything became something to work on. A big unlearning for me has been letting go of the all work and no play approach to self-development. I was constantly looking for ways to improve myself, forgetting the joy of simply being, rather than continually evolving without any breaks.

 

Burnout: what signs did you miss then, and catch now?

The most obvious sign for me now, which I missed in the early years, is my breath. Shallow breathing, yawning to catch my breath, and being unable to take a deep breath. Our breath is our life, so when I notice any shifts in it, that’s a clear sign for me to slow down on all fronts.

 

What does nervous-system care look like day to day?

My whole world revolves around tending to my nervous system these days. My most recent book, Saying Yes To You, is full of tried-and-tested nervous system regulation techniques. I spoke with many experts, implemented the steps I share, and my nervous system has never been better. My musts on an ordinary day are morning sunlight, blue-light blocking in the evenings, journaling, sitting with cacao in a ritual, music, beauty, getting outside in nature, adequate nourishment with a big focus on protein, and solid sleep hygiene.

What grounding habit works even on your worst days?

Bare feet on the earth, sun on my face, and a few deep inhales and exhales. Also, music and dancing!

 

Do you notice emotional or energetic shifts across your cycle?

Absolutely. I can discern exactly when my energy becomes more “insular,” based on where I am in my cycle.

 

How has cycle awareness changed how you plan and work?

I’m conscious not to take on as many clients or ceremonies in my luteal phase. I’m happy to work when I’m bleeding. For me, it’s more challenging in the few days leading up to my period.

Your period non-negotiables?

Epsom salt baths every night, LocoLove chocolate, sitting with cacao, and probably crying.

What comfort tools help you?

I love period undies, and I’m not just saying this because of this interview. I am a free bleeder through and through. I love a heat pack too.

 

How do you shift work or social load when your body slows down?

I’ve become better at saying no, though it’s still something I’m working on as a recovering people-pleaser. I’m lucky to have a very understanding social group where I can honestly say I have my bleed and can’t come anymore, and they genuinely understand. I think living in the Northern Rivers helps with that. There’s no stigma around periods up here.

 

What boundary should every woman set around her cycle?

Saying no to anything and everything that feels like too much energy exertion during her luteal and bleed phases.

 

How do you support your mental health through hormonal changes?

My regular nervous system support practices act as my foundational tools for supporting my mental health. I also love EFT, kinesiology, chiro and bodywork for extra support during these moments.

How has cycle awareness changed how you see your body?

I’m more compassionate with myself and my seasons. I’m an ally to and guardian of my body rather than working against it. I work with her, and that has changed everything for me.

 

What self-talk keeps you kind on bloated or tired days?

A phrase I always lean on in challenging moments is not forever, just for now. It helps activate a state of surrender and trust in each moment.

 

What part of women’s health do we need to stop whispering about?

There is a connection between autoimmune conditions and a history of PTSD or trauma. There is such a strong through-line between the two, which I unpack in Saying Yes To You. Women are more susceptible to chronic illness and autoimmune conditions than men, especially if they have a history of trauma or abuse. This correlation is significant, and not enough people are aware of it, but the research is there.

 

If you could redesign period education, where would you start?

In celebration of it as the rite of passage, it is. Inviting in celebration when a young woman experiences her first bleed, honouring the life season she is stepping into, which is womanhood, and encouraging rest and tenderness that can ripple into every bleed she experiences for life.

 

One message you want women to hear about their cycle today.

Your cycle is your body’s way of communicating with you. Rather than resenting it, how can you start to listen to it and honour the cyclic being you are?

 

MY CYCLE

• My period in 3 words: Release, liberation, unravelling
• Period self-care toolkit: Period undies, heat pack, LocoLove chocolate, Epsom salt baths
• Most underrated period self-care ritual? REST. Cancel plans. Say no.
• Contraception of choice: Cycle tracking
• On day 1, we’ll find you: In the bath
• Scarlet pick: The Boyshort – I LOVE THEM! They’re a day 1–3 must-have!