Can I share something that might feel a bit uncomfortable?

Those moments when you finally get 5 minutes away from the kids and you automatically reach for your phone to scroll, find yourself mindlessly eating that entire packet of biscuits, or sitting comatose on the sofa watching Netflix...

I'm not here to shame you for any of this (honestly, we've ALL been there 🫠).

What I want you to know is that this could be your nervous system's way of trying to regulate itself when overwhelm has been building up all day.

Your system is basically saying "Help! I need to switch off for a minute because everything has been TOO MUCH."

Why Modern Motherhood Feels So Overwhelming

Here's the thing - modern parenting can feel completely overwhelming, especially if you're a sensitive soul.

We evolved to parent in groups where everyone would have mucked in with the housework and childcare. These days, we're often doing ALL of this alone while also recovering from birth and trying to figure out the monumental identity shift that is becoming a mum.

Your brain is just doing its job - trying to keep you and your baby safe by being on high alert all the time. The problem is, sensitive-souled mamas take in so much more information than the average person and need extra time to process and decompress.

Which is really bloody difficult to come by now you're a mum...

Add on the extra layer of trying to look like we're ok on the outside so we don't look like weirdos at baby massage and it's a recipe for overwhelm.

It bubbles up when you're by yourself - a quiet cry in the bathroom, not being able to switch off at night, that constant voice telling you you're getting it all wrong.

The Spiral We Get Caught In

So many of my clients talk about that familiar spiral:

• The guilt after mindless scrolling for half an hour
• The shame after eating a whole packet of something
• That self-loathing voice that pipes up saying "why didn't you do something productive/nourishing instead?"

Here we go again, you think.

The truth is, we often need some help to break these patterns because they're actually trying to protect us from feeling the overwhelm underneath.

But how sustainable is this pattern? How good does it actually feel in the moment? Are you even aware you're doing it?

What If There Was a Different Way?

What if instead of numbing the overwhelm, we could learn to be with it? To understand what it's trying to tell us?

What if you could see your sensitivity as the superpower it is while deeply accepting your different needs as a sensitive person?

What if you could put down that heavy weight you've been carrying around inside?

What would it be like to turn up to that baby class and genuinely feel able to relax instead of performing "fine"?

How would it feel to have someone hold your hand (emotionally) as you gently open the box of what you're trying to numb?

You Don't Have to Stay Stuck in This Pattern

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.

This is exactly the sort of thing I work on with my clients in 1:1 postnatal counselling - helping deeply-feeling mums move from overwhelm and numbing to feeling calm and present (even when life is still chaotic).

Together, we explore the root causes of your overwhelm and work on practical tools to help you regulate your nervous system in healthier ways. We look at how your sensitivity shows up in motherhood and how to honour your different needs without shame.

My therapy room is a judgment-free zone where you're allowed to say the things that you can't say anywhere else - about how hard motherhood really is, about feeling like you're getting it all wrong, about missing your old life.

If you're ready to break the cycle and find a more sustainable way to regulate when life feels too much, I'd love to help you.

Ready to finally feel calm amid the chaos? Head to the link below to book a free 20 minute call to see if we might be a good fit to work together, or fill out the form on my website and I'll send you more information.

https://zcal.co/ruthrenouf