I had a conversation with a mom recently that I haven't stopped thinking about.
She was EXHAUSTED.
Not the kind of exhausted that a good night's sleep or a weekend away fixes.
I'm talking about the kind of exhaustion that comes from having approximately 100 tabs open in your brain, ALL DAY LONG.
Is my kid okay?
Are they being left out?
What's happening in that group chat?
Are they safe at school?
Who are they hanging out with this weekend?
Did I handle that conversation the right way?
And somewhere between worrying about our children's futures, remembering the dentist appointments, managing the family calendar, and trying to get our own work done, we're also supposed to exercise, eat well, maintain our friendships, and be emotionally available to EVERYONE.
WHO IS CHECKING ON MOM?!
Seriously.
And then we open Instagram and see another family having the time of their lives on some fabulous vacation, while we're standing in the kitchen wondering why our teenager hasn't come downstairs all day.
Here's what I want you to know.
I SEE YOU.
And you don't have to solve every problem before you're allowed to experience a moment of joy.
That's why I teach Micro-JOYS®.
Not because life is always wonderful.
Not because we should ignore what's difficult.
Because life can be REALLY hard, and we still deserve moments that help us feel good inside it.
So here's something I'd love you to try today.
When you feel those 100 tabs opening in your brain, give yourself a moment.
NAME IT: "I'm overwhelmed. I'm stressed. It's all too much."
SHIFT IT: Take three deep breaths. Relax your shoulders. Step outside for a minute, or put your phone down and enjoy a quiet sip of matcha.
CLAIM IT: Notice that moment of relief. Let yourself have it without immediately moving on to the next responsibility.
That's one Micro-JOY.
It won't solve your teenager's friendship drama.
It won't answer every question about the future.
But it can help you meet the next moment with a little more steadiness.
And sometimes that's exactly where we begin.
One more thing...
Can we PLEASE stop pretending everyone else has this motherhood thing figured out?
Behind the beautiful family photos and fabulous vacations, we're all navigating something.
Imagine how different our friendships would feel if we could actually TALK about it.
Less comparison. More compassion.
More women looking at each other and saying, "SAME."
So I have a question for you this week: What's the ONE thing taking up the most space in your head right now?
Your kids? Your marriage? Your own health? Your future? Something nobody even knows you're dealing with?