What does burnout really look like for high-functioning women and mothers?

In this powerful episode of Mighty as a Mother, we sit down with clinical psychologist and maternal mental health expert Dr. Lilit to unpack the emotional and physical toll of modern motherhood. Together, we explore why so many women feel exhausted, disconnected, and stretched too thin—and why those feelings often go unnamed and untreated.

If you've ever asked yourself, Why am I so tired even after I sleep? Why do I feel like I'm falling apart even when things look fine?, this conversation is for you.

Dr. Lilit brings both professional expertise and lived experience to our dialogue, offering real-world insight into how stress manifests in the body, why so many mothers struggle with identity loss, and what we can do—practically and compassionately—to feel more like ourselves again.

In this episode, we explore:

• Signs of maternal burnout and chronic stress that often go unnoticed

• How emotional overload shows up in the body (think: shoulder pain, tight chest, irritability)

• The difference between functioning and feeling well

• How to create micro-moments of nervous system regulation, even in a packed day

• The importance of self-repair and modeling emotional honesty for our kids

• Why many moms carry guilt for simply needing a break—and how to release it

Key topics we cover:
maternal mental health support, burnout in motherhood, nervous system tools, mental load of parenting, working mom wellness, somatic signs of stress, how to set emotional boundaries, postpartum mental health, emotional regulation for moms

Links & Resources

👉 The CDC on connected playtime and child development: Link
👉 Follow Dr. Lilit on Instagram: @dr.lilit
👉 Learn more about her practice: www.drlilit.com
👉 Jenn's favorite mindfulness tool: Calm App
👉 Our most-downloaded episodes on burnout:

🎧 E39: Boundary Setting, Beating Burnout, and Reclaiming Yourself – Part 1
👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e39-boundary-setting-beating-burnout-and-reclaiming/id1687678053?i=1000679065346 (podcasts.apple.com)

🎧 E40: Boundary Setting, Beating Burnout, and Reclaiming Yourself – Part 2
👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/vn/podcast/e40-boundary-setting-beating-burnout-and-reclaiming/id1687678053?i=1000680685965 (podcasts.apple.com)

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For more conversations on motherhood, identity, and mental health, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @mightyasamotherpodcast for more honest reflections on modern motherhood.

In a world that rewards busyness and glorifies the grind, it's no wonder so many of us feel chronically behind—on time, on rest, on joy.

In this episode, we sit down with Cassie Holmes, chaired professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management and bestselling author of Happier Hour, for a deeply grounding conversation about why time always feels scarce—and what actually helps.

Cassie doesn't just study happiness and time poverty. She's lived it. As a working mom navigating the seasons from toddlers to teens, she brings both data and deep empathy to the question so many women are asking: Why does it feel like there's never enough time—and how do we stop feeling so depleted by it?

Together, we talk candidly about:

• What time poverty really is—and why women and mothers feel it most acutely

• Why busyness has become a badge of honor (and how it quietly erodes our happiness)

• The surprising research behind giving time to get time

• How small mindset shifts—like "less doing, more being"—can radically change how our days feel

• Why connection, not productivity, is often the missing ingredient

• The myth of needing more time—and the reality of finding joy inside the time you already have

• How to "time craft" your days and weekends so they feel more spacious and meaningful

• Why happiness isn't selfish—and how it actually makes us better partners, parents, and leaders

This conversation is full of permission slips: to stop racing the clock, to stop saving joy for "someday," and to notice the ordinary moments that won't always be there—bedtime cuddles, slow mornings, shared chairs at the beach.

Links & Resources
👉 Happier Hour by Cassie Holmes

👉 Research on time poverty, happiness, and well-being

👉 Cassie's website

For more conversations like this one, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen—and follow along on Instagram and LinkedIn.

In a world that tells moms we can "have it all," most of us are sitting there like… cool, can I also have five uninterrupted minutes and a hot cup of coffee?

In this episode, we sit down with journalist-turned-health-tech insider Christina (Chrissy) Farr to talk about the career moves that actually matter after becoming a mother—because postpartum isn't just a physical recovery. It's a full identity recalibration.

Chrissy has built a rare career at the intersection of storytelling, strategy, and healthcare innovation—and she's refreshingly blunt about what changed for her once kids entered the picture: her relationship with time, the power of boundaries, and the shift from doing everything to doing the right things.

Together, we unpack:

• Why motherhood makes you stop working "for exposure" (and start pricing your time like the precious resource it is)

• Chrissy's "high-visibility vs. low-visibility work" framework—and why it's a game changer when your life has daycare pickup baked into it

• The honest shift many women feel after having kids: wanting purpose and financial security (and not apologizing for either)

• Why women need to talk about money more—without shame, secrecy, or pretending we're "above it"

• How to model ambition and integration for our kids without turning our lives into a burnout highlight reel

• The reminder so many of us need: you don't need perfect timing to start—your life will expand around what matters

This conversation is for the mom who's quietly renegotiating everything: her ambition, her calendar, her tolerance for unpaid labor, and what "success" even means now.

👉 Chrissy's newsletter, Second Opinion: https://secondopinion.media/
👉 Chrissy's podcast, Lifers (Apple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lifers-with-christina-farr/id1759267211 (Apple Podcasts)
👉 Scrub Capital: https://scrubcapital.com/
👉 Chrissy's book, The Storyteller's Advantage:
👉 Follow Chrissy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinafarr

Subscribe to Mighty as a Mother on:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mighty-as-a-mother/id1687678053

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0rbxeBmjXSRFWXPkIoPcnb

Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mightyasamotherpodcast/?hl=en
Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mighty-as-a-mother-podcast/