One broken mug. All-day self-criticism. Sound familiar?

Lisa Danahy (MS in Yoga Therapy, author of Creating Calm in Your Classroom) breaks down why mothers spiral into hypervigilance after one mistake - and shares the body-based regulation tool that actually works.

What we cover:

• How "See, loser, you suck" becomes an all-day mantra
• Why your nervous system catalogs every imperfection
• The one question that stops the spiral: "Is that actually true?"
• Why hiding stress from your kids backfires
• The gorilla chest-pounding regulation tool (yes, really)
• Building self-compassion without trying to be perfect

This episode is for burnt-out moms who are tired of being so hard on themselves.

Guest: Lisa Danahy - Yoga Therapist, author of Creating Calm in Your Classroom

New episodes bi-weekly-ish. Follow Chill Like a Mother for more conversations about maternal mental health and finding yourself outside of motherhood.

Chapters

• 00:00 Self-Compassion and Self-Talk
• 08:09 Challenging Beliefs and Finding Evidence
• 15:13 Creating Equitable Division of Labor
• 26:09 Regulation through Play and Expression

How do you stay present when you're not okay as a mom?

Megan Dowd shares the worst flight of her life (funeral, delayed, toddler screaming 3.5 hours) and the best (crying babies everywhere, pediatrician validation). The metaphor that changes everything: "The thing that will fix it is getting off the plane. That's not an option when we're somewhere over Montana."

We talk about:

• The "over Montana" moments of motherhood
• "Is this a big problem or a little problem?" — the question that stops the spiral
• How to stay present when you have nothing left
• Creative regulation when touched out
• Why we're shepherds, not engineers
• How to be not okay without making it your kid's problem
• The real measure of good enough parenting

Megan: "I cannot shape you. I cannot mold you. It's a weird thing for your ego — so much responsibility and absolutely no control over the outcome."

If you've ever felt over Montana with no escape, this is for you.

RESOURCES: kaylahuszar.com/blog

Have you ever felt like motherhood has swallowed you whole? Like your teenager self, your childhood self, just your human self is no longer part of who you are?

This week I'm sitting down with Allie McQuaid - known as @millennialmomtherapist on Instagram - and we're talking about the thing nobody prepares you for: the slow disappearance of yourself in motherhood.

Allie is a therapist in Maryland who works specifically with millennial moms navigating burnout, identity loss, and the impossible pressure to be everything for everyone. And she told me something that stopped me in my tracks: Almost every single week, her clients ask the same question: "How do I not screw up my kids?"

In this conversation, we're digging into:

• Why millennial moms are experiencing a unique identity crisis (and it's not your fault)
• The tension between wanting to be "fun mom" and also needing boundaries
• Three real coping strategies that don't require waking up at 5 AM or booking a spa day
• The difference between intentional self-care and shame-based coping
• How to break generational patterns while barely surviving bedtime
• Why the "am I enough?" question keeps so many of us up at night

This isn't another episode telling you what you should be doing. This is validation, permission, and practical tools for the moments when you're at your absolute limit.

Whether you're standing in your kitchen in yesterday's shirt wondering when you became only "mom," or you're hiding in the bathroom for five minutes of peace - this conversation is for you.

Guest: Allie McQuaid, therapist specializing in millennial mom burnout and identity (@millennialmomtherapist)

Free Resource: Download 101 Ways to Chill Like a Mother for tiny, doable acts of self-care that actually fit into your real life.

If this episode resonates, share it with a mom friend who needs to hear it. And drop a comment with your favorite nostalgic childhood movie - I'm collecting them!

Allie McQuaid is a therapist in Maryland who specializes in working with millennial moms navigating the unique pressures of modern motherhood. Find her on Instagram @millennialmomtherapist for nostalgic millennial content mixed with real talk about burnout, identity shifts, and breaking generational patterns.