You Don’t Need A Life Overhaul. You Need Breakfast

What I see in therapy, and honestly what keeps showing up in my own kitchen with my five kids, is that the morning sets your nervous system's baseline for the entire day. If you start your morning in a rush—packing lunches, finding shoes, answering questions—your body stays wound up all day. Always a little on edge. Always scanning for what needs to be handled next. Even when nothing's actually happening, you can't quite settle.

Here's what I walk moms through when they're stuck in this pattern: pick one meal. Doesn't have to be breakfast if mornings are genuinely impossible. But find one meal where you can sit down, preferably without your phone, and just eat.

This does not look like "self-care" in the Instagram sense. But when you slow down enough to actually chew your food and notice you're eating, you're sending your nervous system a signal that you're not running from danger. That fifteen minutes of not monitoring, not managing, not being available—it recalibrates something: it shows you what it feels like when you're not in constant motion, and that matters more than it sounds like it should.

Start with one meal. See what you notice.

This is part 1 of my From Survival to Self-Care series, where I share realistic practices that support overwhelmed mothers navigating work, family, and their own need.

👉 Watch this week’s self-care video here

If You're Ready for More Than Just Noticing

If sitting down for one meal made you realize how long it's been since you've done anything just for you—and you want actual tools for what comes next—I put together something specifically for this.

The Ambitious Mom Reset is what I use with clients who are past the point of "just try a bath" advice. It's the framework for when you're ready to stop running on fumes but don't know where to start. Not because you need more inspiration. Because you need an actual system.

More info here if you want it.

If You Need Professional Support

If what you're dealing with goes deeper than logistics—anxiety that won't settle, resentment you can't name, or feeling completely disconnected from who you used to be—let's talk.

I work with mothers navigating burnout, anxiety, and identity loss. Available for residents of NC, SC, VA, or MD. Schedule a consultation (it's free).