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
141 | Why You’re Afraid to Be Still (and How to Fix It) Why the Pause is Productive in Midlife
"I don't have time to be still." We say it constantly, but what if skipping the pause is actually making you weaker?
In this episode, Valerie Mekki shares a powerful realization from the weight room: growth doesn't happen while you're lifting; it happens during the recovery. We dive into the science of active recovery, exploring how the rest interval between "sets" of our busy day is essential for replenishing our energy (ATP) and clearing out the mental waste that leads to burnout.
Valerie breaks down why moms are biologically wired to resist being idle and how to reframe stillness as Strategic Maintenance. You’ll learn how to treat your daily transitions—like the car ride home or entering a parent's room—as "Stillness Reps" that build your emotional resilience.
We wrap up with a 5-minute guided meditation designed to help you "sit in the itch" of the doing and strengthen your capacity for peace.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The Strength Training Lesson: Why recovery during a workout is actually part of the workout.
- The Science of ATP & Waste: How the pause refuels your energy and clears "mental lactic acid."
- Busting the 3 Busy Myths: Why stillness isn't lazy—it's the warm-up for your nervous system.
The Guided Practice: A meditation to help you build the muscle of stillness and stay anchored when things get uncomfortable.
Resources & Links:
The Calm Kit: Download your free "10-Minute Calm Kit for Sandwich Generation Moms" - click HERE
Newsletter: Join the "Oh Hello Midlife" community for weekly reset rituals.
Instagram: Connect with Valerie @mindfullifechanges
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.