The Mindful Midlife Mom - Mindfulness Practices and Techniques for Mentally Exhausted Moms in the Sandwich Generation
Are you an overstretched midlife mom juggling kids and aging parents while feeling mentally exhausted and losing yourself in the process?
You're not alone in this overwhelming season. As someone currently living in the sandwich generation with my dad in assisted living while my kids are in school, I understand the unique burnout that comes from caring for everyone except yourself.
This show offers practical mindfulness tools specifically designed for moms navigating caregiving responsibilities while raising kids.
Tune in twice a week for:
- Sundays: 20-minute episodes addressing common midlife challenges with practical strategies plus a featured mindfulness practice (affirmations, mantras, or meditations)
- Wednesdays: Short guided practice sessions to reinforce Sunday's mindfulness technique and reset your week
These bite-sized practices fit into your chaotic schedule and help you show up as the calm, present mom you want to be.
Start with our fan-favorite Episode 97: "Midlife Slump? You Deserve Better— 'I Am' Affirmations for Self Worth" to begin transforming how you see yourself today.
The Mindful Midlife Mom - Mindfulness Practices and Techniques for Mentally Exhausted Moms in the Sandwich Generation
136 | Stop Setting Goals → Choose Yearly Themes Instead (Mindfulness for Sandwich Generation Moms)
New Year's resolutions feel like setting yourself up for failure when you're juggling aging parents, kids, work, and constant disruptions. One health crisis, one facility transition, one unexpected family emergency—and suddenly your carefully planned goals are impossible to achieve.
But what if there was a better way? What if instead of rigid goals with pass-fail outcomes, you chose flexible themes that guide your decisions no matter what life throws at you?
In this episode, Valerie introduces a powerful reframe: choosing 3 yearly themes instead of traditional goals. Themes act as your North Star—providing direction without demanding a specific destination.
You'll discover:
- Why traditional goal-setting fails sandwich generation moms (and why that's not your fault)
- How themes provide direction while building in flexibility and compassion
- Valerie's 3 themes from this past year and how they guided her through major caregiving transitions
- Two practical methods to identify your own themes: a word cloud exercise and an emotional visualization
- A guided future-self visualization to see yourself living your themes one year from now
This isn't about abandoning intention—it's about setting intentions that can weather life's storms. Because you deserve guidance that adapts to your reality, not goals that break under the weight of sandwich generation chaos.
Press play now to discover your North Star themes for the year ahead—or for any time you're ready to create meaningful direction in your life. (Because themes aren't tied to January 1st—they're for whenever you need them.)
You’re listening to the right show, formerly known as the Mindful Life Changes or Mindful Career Change. We’ve pivoted through the years, but finally landed on the right path: content for moms in the ‘Sandwich Generation’, because midlife disruption doesn't have to break you.
New episodes drop on:
- Sundays: 20-min episodes addressing common midlife challenges with practical strategies plus a mindfulness practice (affirmations, mantras, or meditations)
- Wednesdays: Bite-sized episodes to reinforce Sunday's mindfulness technique & reset your week
More from The Mindful Midlife Mom:
Discover Valerie's articles on ohhellomidlife.com or watch her videos on YouTube @ohhellomidlife
This podcast explores patience, meditation, confidence, presence, and overcoming resentment while cultivating calm, peace, mindfulness, clarity, mantras, and addressing loneliness and burn out; it covers boundaries, caregiving, guilt, affirmations, working moms, self-care, midlife crisis, empty nesters, empowerment, people pleasing, compassion fatigue, family caregiving, stress relief, self-worth, stress management, and how to shift from reactive to centered when feeling short tempered, offering tools for self acceptance, easing mental exhaustion, building emotional resilience, harnessing inner strength, and preventing caregiver fatigue for those in the sandwich generation through expert advice on boundaries setting.