The Balanced Path ~ Voices of the Collective
How to Have the Hard Conversations (Instead of Venting to Everyone BUT the Person You Need to Talk To)
Why is it so hard to have adult conversations?
Why do we twist ourselves into emotional pretzels, swallow our truth, and worry more about protecting someone else’s feelings than honoring our own?
And yes — why are we so damn afraid to speak up, even when the conversation could strengthen the relationship, reveal the truth of the connection, or finally give us some peace?
The Silent Pressure Building: Why So Many Moms Feel Holiday Anxiety Before December Even Starts
Most people think holiday stress starts sometime around mid-December, when the calendar fills up and the wrapping paper comes out.
But moms? Puh-lease.
We feel it long before that.
Often before we even realize what’s happening.
There’s a quiet ticking that kicks on right after Halloween — a mental countdown that starts even if we’re still eating leftover candy and pretending we’re not hearing “Jingle Bells” in the grocery store. It’s subtle, almost invisible from the outside, but it’s powerful.
Resilience Isn’t About Moving On—It’s About Moving Forward
Loss can be like a powerful tornado that wrecks everything you once knew. When it hits you, you hold on to something as tight as you can, and you manage to survive the violent gusts of wind that come and go. You wonder if you will survive this. You worry about your loved ones, and wonder if they will survive it. You hold your children tightly. You are in survival mode, just going through the motions.
Resilience in the Messy Middle of Motherhood: Why Asking for Help Is the Ultimate Superpower
I immediately think how moms are the most resilient people to exist in the world. If you are looking to hire a crew of people you know will get the job done, look no further than your local playgrounds and splashpads, for there you will find an entire group of Wonder Women.
Anxiety is Grief’s Unwelcome Companion
Death reminds us of the finality of life. We normally push that bitter awareness out of our conscious mind. Most people don’t think about death until it walks in, uninvited, to remind us that everything that matters to us will eventually go away. It doesn’t mean you didn’t know people die. It just means that up to this point, you weren’t expecting it to happen to you.
Boundaries and Grief: Listening to Yourself While Grieving
When you're grieving, your body and mind are working overtime to adjust to the reality of your loss. It’s completely normal to feel exhausted and need more sleep than usual. This is your nervous system doing the hard work of trying to protect and heal you.
When Grief Feels Overwhelming: Coping with Stress After Loss
Grief can feel overwhelming. Your mind, body and emotions are working overtime to adjust to a reality you didn’t choose. Sleep may be disrupted, simple tasks can feel exhausting and irritability often surfaces. You may even feel unfamiliar to yourself in this season of grieving.
Life After Baby: Coping With Postpartum Stress and Identity Shifts
It goes without saying being a new mom is stressful at times. Before the baby comes, you often have many conversations with people about the new parent exhaustion, the late nights, and the never ending feedings, but It seems a lot of parents aren’t talking about the stress of the transition from your old life to the new one.
Hospital Bag Must-Haves for Real-Life Mamas
You’re nearing the endzone of pregnancy and it’s starting to get real!
The reality of a new human being in your life is setting in,and a mixed bag of emotions is washing over you: pure excitement to meet your little one, maybe some fear about the experience of new parenthood and most likely some exhaustion and frustration about being ready to have your body back.
The Invisible Workload: A Beach Scene I Can’t Shake
I sat there quietly, pretending to read while sipping my iced drink, but I was watching her.
The mom. Doing all the things.Watching her hit me harder than expected. Because how many moms are just like her?