Me Time Minutes: Handling the Pressure as a Mom in Unprecedented Times

Episode Summary

Feeling the pressure of motherhood in these unprecedented times? You're not alone. Motherhood has always been challenging, but after the past few years of constant changes and uncertainties (from a global pandemic to societal shifts), many moms feel more overwhelmed than ever. Episode 2 of More Me Time Minutes tackles this issue head-on, offering solidarity, insight, and practical tips to help you navigate mom burnout, parenting stress, and anxiety.

Hosted by Molly Ryden, this episode is a supportive, real conversation about finding yourself amid the chaos. Molly shares personal reflections on why you’re not meant to “bounce back” to your pre-mom self, along with heartfelt advice on how to manage anxiety as a mom and coping with stress as a parent when life feels overwhelming. She emphasizes growth and resilience—showing that embracing the “new you” that motherhood has shaped can actually be a source of strength (instead of something to feel guilty about). It’s a fresh perspective that can lighten the load and remind you that taking care of your mental health is a priority, not a luxury.

Molly’s warm, honest storytelling highlights the beauty and strength in your evolution as a mother. Whether you’re a brand-new mom or years into your journey, you’ll find encouragement to honor your growth rather than resist it. She even provides a simple journaling prompt to help you reconnect with your new identity as a mom, along with a few tips any overwhelmed mom can try to find calm in the chaos. Throughout the episode, Molly emphasizes that mental health for moms is just as important as caring for your family—taking care of yourself is not selfish, it's essential.

By the end of this quick episode, you’ll feel less alone and more empowered to face each day. Consider it a mini self-care break in your busy week—a chance to breathe, reflect, and realize that every challenge you’ve overcome has made you stronger. It’s like a friendly voice saying “Mama, you’ve got this,” and giving you permission to prioritize yourself without guilt. For busy moms who rarely get a break, this episode is a quick dose of encouragement and perspective, perfect for helping you handle the pressure and find a little more me-time in these unprecedented times.

What You’ll Learn

• Why you’re not meant to “bounce back” to your pre-mom self (and what to focus on instead)
• The beauty and strength in your evolution as a mother, even through challenging, unprecedented times
• A simple journaling prompt to connect with your new identity as a mom and rediscover yourself
• Encouragement to honor your growth as a mom, rather than resist it – especially when you’re feeling burnt out or overwhelmed

Stay Connected

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to More Me Time Minutes on your favorite podcast platform and consider leaving a review. Don’t forget to share it with a fellow mom who could use some encouragement – a little support can go a long way for an overwhelmed mom in need of hope!

For more support and resources, visit Molly’s website at www.mamaneedsmetime.com and follow her on Instagram @mamaneeds.metime for daily inspiration and community. Remember, you deserve some “me time” – you’re not alone in this journey!

Transcript

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On today's episode, we're gonna cover some tips and tricks on handling the world of motherhood as the hits. Just keep on coming. Hello and welcome back to More Me Time Minutes. As always, I'm your host, Molly, and today we're gonna tackle something that's been sitting on all of our chests lately. The pressure of motherhood, especially in a world that feels so heavy with a constant barrage of unpredictable and honestly, it all is just a little bit. Too much. Um, we're living in a time where moms are being asked to do more than ever with the instant access to information. It's just an onslaught of constant global events, social unrest, climate anxiety, and. Politics, school safety, the cost of managing a household mental health, and we're just somehow still expected to pack lunches, show up for work, keep our houses immaculate, manage doctor appointments, and handle tantrums from teens to toddlers. It is a lot, and honestly, I don't think that there is any one person or place where we can. Find a solution. If you've been feeling that weight and still trying to show up for yourself. I give you all the kudos and commendations in the world because it's hard right now, and we are also trying to show up and take care of ourselves the best we can for our kids, like. If you feel like it's all too much, I want you to know like you are not imagining this, you are not being dramatic, and you are carrying a very real and incredibly heavy load. I hear all the time that people say, I was talking to my mom about this, and she was like, we managed blah, blah, blah. And that's true. They managed, but they were not dealing with things in the same capacity. They just weren't. We've seen so many unprecedented events and things like that in our lifetimes that it's really time for us to focus in and figure out a, where do we build our community and how do we build a community in a time when it seems like it doesn't exist? And two, like. We need to come up with solutions for ourselves. Not everything is gonna work for everyone around you. So I'm here today to talk to you about this and I wanna remind you that you don't have to do it all. You don't. Like I've done episodes on, mama Needs Me time about the power of No, the power of letting go. And it is time for you to release some of that pressure from yourself. So I'm gonna give you. Three tips that I use to kind of manage all of that and keep myself going forward. Um, one is turn down the noise. So give yourself permission to log off, you know, mute accounts on social media that stress you out. Don't watch TV channels that you know are gonna trigger emotions within you. Turn off breaking news alerts. Um, there's a few accounts that I enjoy following on social media. And then there's a bunch that I don't, um, and there's some that I follow and I get rid of. And yeah, like as a content creator and somebody who pushes out information, you, they don't care. They don't care if you are following unfollowing. If you're there for a minute, if you're commenting, if they're not, like it's not going to ruin their life or make them stop doing what they're doing if you unfollow them. So it's totally fine. To take a break. Now, where that gets dangerous is once you start to feel that you are gaining more control over your intake of information, you wanna make sure you're staying informed. Um, you wanna make sure that you're not completely burying your head in the sand and ignoring. Any social problems or things like that, it's, it's finding a balance that works for you. Um, I work from home. I have the TV on most of the time when I'm working and I have the luxury of collecting the information I want and I can share it with people at the end of the day. And at the beginning of this current political climate, it was a problem. I was using that as a platform to. Share everything with everyone all the time. And yeah, it was a lot. It became very overwhelming and it can be like, pick the things you care about and care about them and try to let go of the rest. Which brings me to number two. Simplify what you can. So not everything needs to be homemade, perfect, color coded every once in a while. Not even. Every once in a while, take out food is fine. If you have the means to do it, do it. Don't live outside of your means in order to simplify things, but no one is going to commit you to an asylum or take you to prison if your laundry is not done, or if the dishes are not, you know, perfectly shiny and put away every day. I tell people all the time, better Homes and gardens is not gonna show up like. Odds are good. They're not just gonna show up at your door and be like, Hey, we are taking random pictures of houses with families in them and we want to do yours right now. You don't need to be prepared. And honestly, if someone just randomly shows up at your house, it's on them. If there's dust bunnies or piles of laundry, it's fine. No one is gonna come for you. I understand that there is a level of anxiety and control that comes for some people with cleaning, and that's great, but don't. Make if it's a burden. If you are feeling too much pressure, let it go. Simplify it. Just say it. Tell yourself you'll get the laundry done tomorrow. You did enough today. Number three, big one. Create a safe bubble. So carve out a space where you have. A moment to feel safe, secure, and take a deep breath. So if that's before everyone wakes up and you just sitting on the couch with a warm, a hot coffee, or you know, a few minutes of sitting in the car before pickup, that's one of mine that I do, I'll go to school a couple minutes early and just sit in the car. You get to enjoy that space and time alone, like guard it. Guard it like a dragon with a pile of treasure. You get to have that space. It's okay. Do I posted on Instagram the other day about I love sitting in my office and watching tv. It is one of my favorite things to do and I. I love that time by myself where I get to just watch TV with no one asking questions. I just get to enjoy it. So three things you can do for yourself. Turn down the noise, censor that social media, detox, social media if you can. It's so helpful. Simplify what you can. Don't overdo every day. It's too much and it's not. It's not negative to take a break from the perpetual tasks.'cause guess what? They're gonna continue to be perpetual. And number three, create a safe space, a bubble where you can feel happy. You know, I've taken up coloring, I've gone back to some of my other, like little crafty hobbies and it's really fun. Like it's enjoyable and it helps you decompress during these like chaotic times. Um, I wanna leave you with an affirmation for today. It's kind of the new thing we're doing. So when things are starting to get overwhelming and just kind of hold it in your heart, think about it. You say, I release the pressure to be perfect. I am doing enough and I am enough. I release the pressure to be perfect. I am doing enough and I am enough. Just remember, you are not alone. It literally feels like we're living in a pressure cooker right now, and we're navigating it all together. That's why I am here. That's why I've created Mama Needs Me Time. No mom should ever feel that they are alone and isolated. Uh, if you wanna talk about that more, please reach out to me on social media or send me an email. Molly at Mama needs me time. I'm sending you all the love, strength, and I am just. A keyboard, click away. So until next time, make sure you're getting that me time, minute you deserve and we'll see you.