5 Quick Ways to Reclaim Calm When You’re Running on Empty

When everything feels chaotic, your body needs an anchor. Try a sensory reset:

• Splash cold water on your face

• Hold a warm mug with both hands

• Press your feet into the floor and name 5 things you see

This isn’t about “fixing your mood”—it’s about signaling to your nervous system: You’re safe now.

Exhaustion often comes from the part of you that over-functions. The one who skips meals, pushes past limits, says yes even when your body says no.

Offer that part something small today:

• A protein-packed snack

• A nap without guilt

• Saying no to one more obligation

This is nervous system repair—not indulgence.

High-achieving moms often carry the mental load alone. You don’t have to.

Try this 2-column exercise:

• Left side: Dump out your overwhelm (e.g., “Grocery list, that email I forgot, why am I so snappy?”)

• Right side: Write what each item is really about (e.g., “I don’t feel supported,” “I’m afraid I’ll drop the ball again”)

This turns noise into clarity—and gives your inner parts a place to speak.

That part of you who “just keeps going” is likely protecting something deeper—fear of failure, abandonment, or shame.

In IFS, we’d call her a protector part. She’s strong—but she’s tired.

Try whispering: “You don’t have to do it all right now. I’m listening.”

This is how you begin relating to yourself, not just surviving yourself.

Burnout thrives in isolation.

Call the friend who gets it.
Text “I’m overwhelmed and don’t need advice—just a witness.” Or… book a call with a therapist who sees the part of you that’s exhausted and the part that still wants to rise.

You weren’t meant to white-knuckle motherhood. You weren’t meant to abandon yourself to care for everyone else.

You deserve to feel like you again.

I help high-achieving, overwhelmed women release guilt, heal emotional burnout, and rediscover their calm. If you’re in California, I offer virtual therapy—because healing should feel accessible and safe.