[Episode 81] Touched out, tired & trapped at home? Here’s what every exhausted mum needs to hear
You love your kids, but sometimes you just want to hide in the bathroom for five minutes of silence.
If that sentence feels a little too familiar, you’re not alone. Summer can be a dreamy time — but for many mums, it’s also when the cracks start to show.
You’re on duty all day, every day.
The house is louder, messier, and more chaotic than ever.
And you’re expected to be snack queen, entertainment director, emotional regulator, and referee — without a moment to breathe.
If you’ve been feeling:
- Touched out by 10am
- Snapping at everyone (and hating it)
- Fantasising about silence
- Carrying guilt no matter what you do…
This podcast episode is for you.
Let’s talk about what to do when you’re exhausted, overstimulated, and feel completely trapped at home with your kids.
Listen to the Reclaiming MUM podcast on AppleiTunes or on Spotify.
The Summer Mum Burnout Is Real — And You’re Not Broken
We’re not meant to parent alone, especially not during summer, when structure disappears and every day feels like a marathon.
Mum burnout doesn’t always look like crying on the floor (although it can). It can also look like:
- Feeling numb or detached
- Constant guilt — for yelling, for not doing more, for needing space
- Being physically exhausted but unable to sleep
- Resenting the people and things you used to enjoy
If you’re feeling this way, please know:
You are not failing.
You are not too sensitive.
You are not lazy or weak.
You are likely overstimulated, under-supported, and emotionally maxed out.
Your nervous system is trying to tell you something — and it matters.
5 Sanity-Saving Steps When You’re at Breaking Point
1. Put Your Nervous System First
Forget routines and productivity hacks for now. When your body is overloaded, it needs signals of safety.
Try:
- Running cold water over your wrists
- Lying on the floor with your legs up the wall
- Humming or singing softly (activates your vagus nerve)
- Putting a cool flannel on your forehead
These small shifts calm your system fast.
2. Create a Sacred (Locked!) Space
Even if it’s just the bathroom.
Give yourself 90 seconds to sit, breathe, stretch, or cry.
It may sound silly, but it’s a form of sacred space — and it counts.
3. Say Your Needs Out Loud
Even if no one’s listening. Say them out loud anyway.
“I’m touched out.”
“I love them — but I also need space.”
“This is too much for one person.”
Naming your truth is powerful.
It affirms that your needs are real and deserving.
4. Turn Down the Volume
Life can feel loud with social media notifications, emails, and societal expectations. It can feel like a lot. Try these ideas to protect your peace and quieten the external noise:
- Put your phone on silent for 5 minutes.
- Log off the parenting Facebook group.
- Skip the “perfect summer activities” reel.
Your brain deserves peace, too.
5. Let Yourself Be Held
This might be the hardest — and most healing — step of all.
You don’t need to keep doing it alone.
You don’t need to pretend it’s all fine.
You’re allowed to feel held, supported, and emotionally cared for — even if it’s through your phone.
That’s exactly why I created Summer Soul Support.
Introducing: Summer Soul Support
If this post resonates, you’re going to love what’s happening inside Summer Soul Support.
It’s a gentle, WhatsApp-based coaching space designed specifically for busy, overstimulated mums. There are no long Zoom calls during the holidays. No pressure. No fixing.
Just:
- ✨ Soulful check-ins
- 🗣️ Real-time voice-note support
- 🌿 Tiny rituals and reminders to reconnect with you
- 💛 A soft space to land on hard days
The summer holidays can be magical — sandy toes, slower mornings, memory-making moments.
But let’s be real… they can also feel like a lot.
Between snack requests, sun cream battles, screen-time negotiations, and sibling chaos, it’s easy for you to get lost in the mix.
This is your invitation to press pause — not on motherhood, but on self-neglect.
It’s already filling with the most incredible women — and I’d love to welcome you in.
👉 Click here to join or find out more
Final Words
You don’t need to earn rest.
You don’t have to wait until everyone else is okay to check in with yourself.
And you don’t need to pretend you’re fine when you’re falling apart inside.
You are allowed to need space.
You are allowed to ask for help.
You are allowed to take up space in your own life.
Let this be the summer you stop surviving and start feeling supported.
You deserve that — more than you know.
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