The 5 Steps to Clear the Fog and Come Back To You!
Nov 27, 2025
A gentle roadmap for overwhelmed moms who want to feel like themselves again.
Motherhood is beautiful, but it can also feel like you’re living inside some emotional, hormonal, lucid dream that no one warned you about. One moment you’re holding your baby, breathing them in, and the next you’re really mad because you see your partner relaxing on the couch while you haven’t even taken a breath… or suddenly you’re crying for no clear reason at all.
You love your baby more than anything, yet you quietly miss the version of yourself you used to know.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What’s wrong with me?” or “Who even am I anymore?” just know — you are not alone. So many mamas feel this emotional fog but rarely say it out loud.STEP 1:
STEP 1: Recognizing Emotional Overwhelm
What emotional overwhelm looks like for moms
Emotional overwhelm can show up as snapping over small things, crying out of nowhere, or feeling like you're constantly in fight-or-flight.
Even noticing it is a sign of strength.
Why these reactions don’t mean you’re failing
Your system is overloaded. Your reaction is a signal, not a flaw.
The mental load + sleep deprivation
Your mind never stops. Your sleep never restores you fully.
Emotional capacity shrinks — not because you're weak, but because you're human.
Your body's cues
Tight chest. Lump in throat. Pit in stomach. Irritability.
Your body speaks before your mind catches up.
Awareness as self-care
Awareness is the pause that brings you back to yourself.
Reflection Prompt
What is just one bodily sign that showed up for you today?
STEP 2: Understanding Your Emotions
Name it to tame it
When you name the feeling — guilt, resentment, sadness — it loosens its grip.
You are not the emotion. You are the one experiencing it.
Deeper layers surface
Motherhood naturally stirs old wounds.
You’re not regressing — you’re revealing.
Practice: “Right now, I feel…”
This simple sentence can shift everything.
STEP 3: Using Breathwork to Ground Yourself
Why pausing matters
There is a micro-moment between what happens and how you respond.
That moment is your power.
A single breath won’t fix the situation, but it shifts you — which changes everything.
The 4–4–6 Grounding Breath
If you’re overwhelmed, overstimulated, or about to snap, try this rhythm:
Inhale through your nose for 4 counts
Hold gently for 4
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6
That long exhale signals safety to your nervous system.
Your shoulders drop.
Your chest loosens.
Your mind gets a moment of clarity.
Take 2–4 rounds.
Let the breath be slow, intentional, and soft.
This breath becomes your reset button — available anytime, anywhere.
The Three Gates
Before speaking:
Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?
Regulation, not perfection
Some days you’ll remember. Some days you’ll forget.
You always get to begin again each day.
You're not broken for feeling this way. You're in transition—and that heaviness you're experiencing? It has a name, a reason, and a way through.
I created a free guide called Name the Noise Within to help you understand what's really happening in your mind, body, and identity during this season. It's where the ACRE Framework begins—with awareness that actually feels supportive. Get Your Free Guide Here!
STEP 4: Creating a Daily Reset Ritual
A ritual that brings comfort, not pressure
A reset ritual should feel like a hug, not a chore.
My personal ritual
I list things I’m grateful for in the car — starting normal, ending almost yelling with laughter.
It releases everything.
Tie your ritual to something you already do
Seatbelt. Teeth brushing. Pumping. Bedtime.
Consistency beats intensity.
Your ritual is waiting
Breathwork. Gratitude. Stretching. Journaling. Tea.
STEP 5: Ending Your Day With Reflection
Why reflection matters
Reflection transforms awareness into understanding.
Understanding becomes self-trust.
Gratitude instead of depletion
One small gratitude shifts your entire internal world.
Reflection prompts
What’s one positive thing that happened today?
Where could I have shown up with more awareness?
Celebrate YOU
You made it through today. You cared. You tried. That is enough.
With love,
Michi 🌻
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
Some seasons of motherhood don’t call for more information, they call for support.
If this reflection resonates and you’re ready for deeper, supported exploration, The Centered Mother, 1:1 coaching, offers a steady, compassionate space to work through these layers together. This is where awareness turns into integration, and where you’re supported in becoming the mother you want to be, without losing yourself in the process.
Offered by application to ensure alignment and preserve the depth of support this work requires.
