If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, overstimulated, or unsure why your usual ways of recharging suddenly don’t work anymore, this episode is for you. Autumn opens up about a powerful truth many moms overlook: nothing is wrong with you — you’ve simply changed. And with a new season comes a new need for a different kind of rest.

Drawing from Dr. Sandra Dalton-Smith’s framework from Sacred Rest, Autumn walks through the seven types of rest every mom needs to understand, from physical and mental rest to the often-neglected creative and spiritual kinds. She shares personal stories about sleep deprivation, overstimulation, social burnout, emotional holding, and the shift that happens when you finally acknowledge what your mind and body have been asking for.

This episode is a gentle reminder that rest is not a reward at the end of the week. It is a rhythm you build into your life so you can show up with presence, patience, and peace. When your season changes, your rest should too.

What You’ll Hear:

• Why the old ways you used to recharge may no longer work in your current season
• An introduction to the seven types of rest and how moms experience each one daily
• Real examples from Autumn’s life about sleep patterns, overstimulation, and mental load
• How emotional rest can show up as honesty, grief, or dropping the mask
• The importance of identifying whether you need solitude or support
• The role of creativity in restoring your joy and sense of self
• Why spiritual rest matters, including Autumn’s personal reflections on faith and growth
• How to create a simple “rest menu” to help you choose the kind of support you need
• Practical ways to build rest into your day without waiting for burnout

Key Takeaways:

• Rest Evolves With You: When your season changes, your needs change. Rest is meant to adapt, not stay rigid.
• You Need More Than Sleep: Physical rest is just one type. Mental, sensory, emotional, social, creative, and spiritual rest are just as important.
• Overstimulation is Real: Silence, boundaries, and intentional slowing down matter more than ever in motherhood.
• Authenticity Brings Relief: Emotional rest comes from removing the pressure to appear put together.
• Connection Should Be Intentional: Choose relationships that fill rather than drain you, and honor your capacity week by week.
• A Rest Rhythm Prevents Burnout: Rest should be woven into your day, not something you turn to only when you’re depleted.

Resources:

Dr. Sandra Dalton-Smith – Sacred Rest

https://autumnakins.com/reclaim

Connect with Me:

Let’s continue the conversation! Follow me on Instagram at @whatautumndoes for more tips, encouragement, and personal reflections on motherhood.

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Next week, we’re diving into creating intentional routines that simplify life and bring more peace to your home. Don’t miss it!

If you're a homeschool mom feeling the burnout and hitting a wall a few months into the year, you are not alone. Autumn gets real about this common struggle, sharing her own experience navigating this phase while managing a growing family and a major shift in her family's daily rhythms.

This isn't an episode about powering through; it's about giving yourself permission to be human and recalibrate. Autumn offers practical strategies and heart-centered advice to help you refocus, including the non-negotiable importance of self-care, a powerful exercise to reconnect with your original "why" for homeschooling, and tips for simplifying your schedule and letting go of the comparison game. This conversation is an encouraging reminder that a loss of steam is not a failure, but an invitation to step back and ensure you're showing up with intention, not perfection.

What You’ll Hear:

• The personal rhythm shifts in the host's home that led to her own inconsistency and increased childcare burden.
• Why the excitement and novelty of the school year eventually wears off and gives way to exhaustion.
• The crucial importance of checking in with yourself physically and mentally, including water intake, meals, and the game-changing power of a morning routine.
• The clarity you gain by revisiting your why for homeschooling—the values and goals that guided your original decision.
• Practical ways to audit and simplify a too-full homeschool schedule by incorporating structured flexibility and eliminating unnecessary commitments.
• How to combat the feelings of isolation and let go of comparison to the "perfect" homeschool families you see on social media.

Key Takeaways:

• Self-Care is Non-Negotiable: Your homeschool will never thrive if you are not taking care of yourself, because you simply cannot pour from an empty cup.
• Recalibrate, Don't Quit: Losing steam is not a sign of failure; it is an invitation to step back and recalibrate your approach, not to give up on this meaningful path.
• Be the Expert: Give yourself permission to adapt your curriculum. A good teacher doesn't follow a textbook cover-to-cover, and neither should you—pick and choose what is right for your children.
• Connect Intentionally: Actively seek connection by joining homeschool groups or meetups to combat isolation.
• Focus on Intention: You are already winning when you show up with intention, not perfection.

Resources:

https://autumnakins.com/reclaim

Connect with Me:

Let’s continue the conversation! Follow me on Instagram at @whatautumndoes for more tips, encouragement, and personal reflections on motherhood.

Subscribe & Review:

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps other moms discover The Motherhood Process and join our growing community.

Join Me Next Week:

Next week, we’re diving into creating intentional routines that simplify life and bring more peace to your home. Don’t miss it!

Ever thought about how you could bring more peace and productivity to your life as a mom? In this episode of The Motherhood Process, I'm sharing a mindset shift that truly transformed my approach: treating motherhood like the job it is. Not in a cold, corporate way, but by applying the same intention, systems, and boundaries you would to any career you take seriously. I'll share my own journey from feeling overwhelmed by daily chaos to realizing that the routines we often see as "extras" are actually the backbone of a life that feels more present, peaceful, and productive. Whether you work inside or outside the home, this conversation is an encouraging reminder that setting up a system isn't about boxing you in—it's about freeing you up to do the parts of motherhood only you can do.

What You’ll Hear:

• The mindset shift that helped me stop feeling so chaotic and start feeling productive.
• How a simple 15-minute daily cleaning system became a "game changer."
• My life-saving secret to simple meal planning and grocery shopping.
• Why letting go of the "invisible race of motherhood" can bring more peace to your life.
• A powerful journal prompt to help you find one small shift that can make a big difference.

Key Takeaways:

• Your time is valuable. When you don't have systems in place, you are making a thousand small decisions a day, and they will burn you out.
• Systems are not a cage; they're a key to your freedom. They are not there to box you in, but to free you up to do the parts of motherhood only you can do.
• Motherhood deserves respect. The truth is, motherhood is meaningful, exhausting, and unpredictable work, and it deserves respect from others and from yourself.
• Focus on the next right thing. When you let go of the pressure to do everything at once, you become calmer, more present, and more productive in the long run.

Resources:

https://autumnakins.com/reclaim

Connect with Me:

Let’s continue the conversation! Follow me on Instagram at @whatautumndoes for more tips, encouragement, and personal reflections on motherhood.

Subscribe & Review:

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps other moms discover The Motherhood Process and join our growing community.

Join Me Next Week:

Next week, we’re diving into creating intentional routines that simplify life and bring more peace to your home. Don’t miss it!