Hey lovely,

71% of mums in the UK feel overloaded (Make Mothers Matter, 2026).

I relate, and probably you do, too.

Last February, when I faced the fact that I was well and truly burnt out, even I could see that it made sense.

I'd been carrying too much for too long... I was still postpartum with my second child, back and forth from the hospital with her once we'd discovered she had a kidney condition. I was carrying the load of the home and parenting alone because my husband was spending long days either fixing up our new house or keeping his freelance career going so he could support us financially. Not to mention that we couldn't move into said house when we'd planned, and the financial pressure of paying rent and a mortgage was stretching us to breaking point.

Then we finally moved and, in the aftermath, I found I felt like a shell of myself. Exhausted, numb, short-tempered and questioning, Who am I even anymore?

Maybe you have a similar story.

Modern motherhood asks a lot of you, as you juggle showing up at work and trying to be a present mum, health worries for you or your family, shifts in your relationship and negotiations over mental load and, for many, the loneliness of doing it day after a day without a true village.

If you've been feeling lost and burnt out, tearful and snappy, it makes sense.

You are not weak. You are just carrying more than one mama was meant to carry.

And that's why true change begins with having someone to hold you in all of it. To see you, to bear witness to your unique struggles and joys in motherhood, and to metaphorically take your hand and guide you back to yourself.

My work was never about saying that mums who struggle aren't "strong enough".

It's the opposite: an acknowledgement that modern motherhood puts so much on our plates, that expanding our capacity to hold more becomes essential.

Choosing resilience coaching is about taking your motherhood back, even though the demands on you remain intense. It's a determined cry that you deserve joy, confidence, and to feel like your best self not only when the chaos calms (if ever), but right now, today.

If this email struck a chord with you, begin here:

• Consider how the way you are feeling "makes sense". What might you tell a friend feeling this way?
• Sometimes we want to feel better, but we still hold back from allowing ourselves to be supported. We try to DIY it because it feels vulnerable to need help, or we tell ourselves that other things matter more. What is it that stops you from allowing yourself to be supported?

Here for you,

Kirsti

Mum of two | Resilience Coaching Psychologist

Masters of Positive Psychology & Coaching Psychology

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Can you help?

Want to snag a free coaching session with me? I’m still looking to speak to a couple more mums about their experience in motherhood, in order to shape my upcoming programmes The Anchoring and Proud of the Parent You Are. If you feel like you’re losing yourself in being everything to everybody else, questioning whether you’re doing the right thing as a parent, and wondering how you've ended up carrying the mental/ emotional load at home, you’re exactly who I’d like to talk to. We'll meet for a casual chat about what you feel impacts your wellbeing right now, and I'll show you outline of my programme so you can tell me if it resonates or not. A free standalone 45-minute coaching session on a topic of your choice is my offer in return. Zero-pitch promise.

In my world

My mental load feels like it's exploded over the last number of months as we try to get to the bottom of some symptoms both of my daughters have. We've had to eliminate a number of foods from our diet, and I just want to say to all the mums navigating food intolerances and allergies with their little ones, I see the immense load this puts on you. Reading every label, planning snacks and meals at an A+ level because you can't just grab something, not to mention the minefield that is a menu at a restaurant... it's a lot. One thing that I like to remind myself whenever taking a new load on is that as human beings we have an amazing ability to adapt. What feels overwhelming at first becomes something we're able to hold more confidently over time. Focusing on the progress we are making, dedicated time to plan (so that mental load isn't a daily thing), and being proactive about time to recharge are some of the things supporting me as we navigate this.