457: Three Ways to Recover from Mom Burnout

You know that feeling when you're completely tapped out—when you can't give one more ounce of yourself to anyone, including you? That's not just exhaustion. That's burnout. And it doesn't mean you're failing at motherhood.

This week is Thanksgiving 🦃, and for many of us, that means facing all the "lions"—family dynamics, cooking timelines, travel stress, and that never-ending holiday mental load. But here's the thing: your body doesn't know the difference between being chased by a lion and planning Thanksgiving dinner. And that matters more than you think.

When I was a mom of young kids, I was deep in burnout—new baby who wouldn't stop crying, a husband working endless resident hours, and grief I hadn't processed from losing my own mom. I felt like the fire inside me had completely gone out. But I learned something powerful: recovering from burnout isn't about powering through or getting more sleep. It's about rekindling your fire in your body, your mind, and your spirit.

In this encore episode (one of my all-time favorites), I'm sharing three science-backed strategies that helped me climb out of depletion mode—and that I still use today when I feel myself slipping. Even if you're not fully burned out right now, these tools will help you notice when you're heading in that direction and course-correct before you're running on empty.

In this episode you'll learn:

🏃‍♀️ Why you hold onto every hard moment but forget the good ones by bedtime—and how to fix it

🧠 What Thanksgiving dinner planning and being chased by a lion have in common (spoiler: your nervous system can't tell the difference)

💓 The physical things your body needs to believe it's safe (because telling yourself to relax doesn't work!)

Free worksheet! Download the Recovering from Mom Burnout worksheet with reflection prompts at 3in30podcast.com/recover

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Announcements:

✨ Slow-vember Reminder! Find calm in the chaos with our Flecks of Gold Journal—on sale now for $5 off through December 8 at 3in30podcast.com/flecks. A quick daily note of gratitude might just be the simplest soul-care practice you add this season. 💜

Related Episodes:

441: The 4 Types of Self-Care Every Mom Needs // Mia Hemstad

413: What to Do When You’re Juggling Too Much // Amy Wilson

398: How to Plan for an Energizing (not Exhausting) Holiday Season // Dr. Amber Price

Episode Sponsors:

AirDoctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code 3in30 to get up to $300 off today! It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a free 3-year warranty—an $84 value

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