Feeling bone-deep exhaustion from sandwich‑generation stress? Movement might be the unexpected reset you needed.
When the weight of caring for kids and aging parents leaves you both emotionally and physically drained, your go‑to coping—mindless scrolling or collapsing on the couch—only adds to the fatigue. In this episode of The Mindful Midlife Mom, Valerie unpacks why passive strategies don’t work and how movement—yes, even if it’s the last thing you feel like doing—can help you metabolize stress and reclaim energy.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Understanding of how chronic caregiving stress floods your system with cortisol and adrenaline, and why sitting still actually keeps you in fight-or-flight mode
- A science-based reframe: short bursts of movement are more than just physical—they mimic the body's instinctive way to process stress, activate healing, and reset your nervous system
- A guided practice combining affirming mantras with movement—like squats, high knees, or a quick walk—that can shift your energy in under 10 minutes
“This isn't about working out—it’s about using movement as medicine for your overwhelmed nervous system.”
Whether you dislike exercise or feel you’re just too tired, this episode shows how even micro‑movements can interrupt exhaustion, boost endorphins, and restore control over your energy levels.
You’re listening to the right show, formerly known as the Mindful Life Changes or Mindful Career Change Podcast. We’ve made some pivots through the years, but we’ve finally landed on the right path: producing content for moms seeking calm within the chaos of midlife changes.
New episodes drop on:
- 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
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.
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