Burnout has been a part of my motherhood journey in ways I never expected. For most of my life, I had systems and methods that helped me succeed — whether it was in school, work, or personal goals. But once I started adding more and more to my plate — a job, a house, a partner, kids — those methods stopped working the way they used to. Suddenly, what had always kept me afloat wasn’t enough anymore.

I used to think burnout meant shutting down completely, being unable to function, or feeling constant exhaustion. But I quickly learned that burnout looks different for everyone. For me, it showed up as irritability, mood swings, brain fog, and the kind of overstimulation that left me frustrated with the people I love most. At the same time, I could still show up for my kids — making sure they had three meals a day and healthy snacks — while completely neglecting myself. There were so many days I’d get to 9 p.m. and realize all I’d eaten was a scrap of avocado leftover from my child’s baby-led weaning meal.

In this episode, I share the real ways burnout has surfaced in my motherhood journey, from the moments of frustration where I needed Jay to literally squeeze me to calm down, to the deeper realization that self-care can’t come last if I want to show up well for my family. Burnout is something almost every parent will face at some point, but that doesn’t mean we have to stay stuck there. I’ll talk about what has helped me and how you can begin recognizing burnout in your own life too.

This conversation is a lead-in to next week’s episode, where I’ll be joined by an expert who shares practical strategies for managing burnout in parenthood.

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