CLICK PLAY TO HEAR WHAT MY HARDEST YEAR TAUGHT ME AND WHAT I’M TAKING WITH ME:

This episode is raw in a way I don’t usually get. No expert interview. No structured lesson. Just me sharing the hardest year of my life and the moment I realized I was standing at a fork in the road. One path led to slowly losing myself completely. The other required rebuilding into the woman and mother I want to be. And honestly, it took me a long time to even realize I was standing at that fork at all.

This past year cracked me open in ways I didn’t expect. It was my first full year of motherhood, and with it came postpartum hormones, post-weaning withdrawals I didn’t even know were a thing, and a complete loss of routine. I grieved parts of my old life while feeling overwhelming gratitude for my daughter. I loved motherhood more deeply than I ever imagined, and at the same time felt unrecognizable to myself. That quiet identity shift no one really prepares you for when motherhood collides with ambition, business, and real life hit me hard.

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of what this year actually looked like. The pressure to do it all. The mental load that never shuts off. The comparison spiral. The internal tug of war between being present and feeling like everything that once filled my cup had fallen to the bottom of the list. I talk openly about why feeling lost doesn’t mean you failed and how easy it is to mistake survival mode for your new normal.

I also share the realizations that finally stopped the spiral. The moment I admitted something had to change and that continuing down the same path would only take me further away from myself. I walk through the non-negotiables I’m committing to as I move into this next season and why rebuilding doesn’t have to be extreme, rigid, or perfect to be meaningful. Sometimes rebuilding is quiet. Sometimes it’s flexible. Sometimes it starts with simply deciding you’re allowed to matter again.

By the end of this episode, I hope you feel less alone in the messy middle and a little more grounded if this year shook your sense of identity. If you’re a mom or a woman who feels like parts of you got lost somewhere along the way, this conversation is meant to feel like a deep exhale. The real question is which path are you choosing as you head into what comes next?

In this episode, you’ll hear what my hardest year taught me and what I’m taking with me:

• Why sharing the hardest year of motherhood feels raw but is so important for reclaiming your identity
• The emotional impact of postpartum hormones and losing routines (plus the surprising struggles after weaning) 
• How the duality of loving motherhood and grieving your old self can exist together and why it matters 
• The real reason women feel pulled in all directions and what happens when your personal goals fall off the list
• Why setting non-negotiables helped me reclaim control
• Three simple, sustainable actions to start feeling alive and grounded again in the midst of real-life chaos
• How to honor both your role as a mother and your identity as a woman (without guilt)
• The permission to rebuild gently and intentionally in the new year, no matter where you’re starting

Let’s Connect:

• Come hang with me on Instagram @mindinmymacros and at @wellonherwaypod for more simple & sustainable wellness tips.

Want more on this topic? Here’s your next listen:

• Episode 132: The #1 Thing No Mom Warned Me About Weaning
• Episode 107: My Slightly Controversial Thoughts On Breastfeeding, Sleep Training, Starting Solids, Screens and More

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We share these conversations to inform and educate. I love bringing on experts, but this isn’t medical advice. Because each person is unique, please check with your healthcare professional if you have medical questions before making changes to your health, treatment, or lifestyle.

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