The Motherkind Podcast

• Pep Talk | Why You’ll Never Please Everyone at Christmas (And Why You Should Stop Trying)

  If your December feels like one long attempt to keep everyone happy, here’s the truth: you never will — and it’s costing you more than you realise. ​​So many mothers are exhausted before Christmas has even begun—pulled in every direction, saying yes to everything, and trying desperately to keep everyone happy. If that’s you, you’re absolutely not alone… and this pep talk is for you. In the third of our December Pep talk series, Zoe unpacks the pressure to please everyone at Christmas, why so many of us fall into this pattern, and how to break free so you can actually enjoy the magic you’re creating for everyone else In this pep talk, you’ll hear: Why it’s literally impossible to please everyone (and why we keep trying anyway) How being raised as “good girls” trained us to put ourselves lastThe real cost of people-pleasing — burnout, resentment, disconnection Three powerful questions to help you reclaim your energyOne simple challenge to start shifting the pattern today You can’t please everyone—and you don’t need to. This Christmas, start by asking yourself: What do I need? What do I really want? What am I doing only because I think I should? Then choose one small change that brings you closer to a calmer, more connected holiday season. You deserve it. Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Feeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes. Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 15% off OneSkin with the code MOTHERKIND at https://www.oneskin.co/motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Why the Mental Load Causes So Much Tension — and How to Communicate Your Way Out of It

  If you’ve been carrying the invisible weight of family life, the planning, the remembering, the organising, the worrying, this episode will help you feel understood, validated, and far less alone. When I asked the Motherkind community what felt hardest right now, the same theme kept coming up again and again: The mental load is relentless. And so many of us are quietly drowning under it. So in this episode, I’ve brought together three powerful voices to help us understand what the mental load really is, why it falls so heavily on mothers, and how we can start to rebalance it. First, Dr Samantha Hiew explains why modern mothers feel so overwhelmed — not because we’re failing, but because we’re carrying more cognitive and emotional labour than ever. She breaks down what overload does to our memory, mood and sense of self. Next, Dr Morgan Cutlip shares the five common behaviours that quietly block partner involvement and contribute to resentment. She introduces her “within work” and “between work” framework and offers simple, compassionate steps to shift long-standing patterns. Finally, Eve Rodsky reframes communication in a way that changes everything. She shows how we’re already communicating the load — often indirectly — and why shifting how we talk about domestic life unlocks shared responsibility. Her CPE “mustard” method explains why full ownership (not reminders) is the real game-changer. In this episode, you’ll learn:✨ What the mental load is and why it lands so heavily on mothers The habits that unintentionally shut down partner involvement How to communicate more effectively and reduce friction What “full ownership” looks like and why it frees up mental space This conversation is for every mother who’s ever wondered why she’s so tired, why she holds everything in her head, and why it feels like there’s no space left for herself. You’re not imagining it, and you’re not failing. The load is simply too heavy to carry alone. Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing If you liked this compilation, you can listen to the full episodes:  ⁠Is it ADHD, or is it the mental load? With Dr Samantha Hiew⁠⁠ Why you're resentful in your relationship—and how to fix it starting today, with Dr. Morgan Cutlip⁠⁠ The new game-changing solution for when you have too much to do with Eve Rodsky⁠ Feeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes. Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com/motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• PEP TALK | Why You’re So Hard on Yourself (And How to Stop)

  If December already feels like ‘too much’, this pep talk is your permission slip to breathe again. This month can feel like the mental load Olympics for mothers—pressure, perfectionism, school events, work deadlines, matching pyjamas, curated magic… and somehow we’re meant to smile through it. In the second of our December pep talks, Zoe shares five powerful steps to help you stop being so hard on yourself and bring the pressure down. In this pep talk, Zoe covers: Why you’re not failing – December really is intense How to drop the “Good Mum Myth” and stop comparing yourself to an imaginary perfect motherThe simple mindset shift that reduces self-criticism instantly Why lowering the bar actually raises connection with your children Tiny, nervous-system resets to help you stay grounded through the chaos This December, be softer with yourself. Let something go on purpose. Choose connection over perfection. Your children won’t remember the wrapping paper, the curated Santa visit, or whether you had it all together. They’ll remember how it felt to be with you ♥️ Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Feeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes. Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com/motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Why Relaxation Feels Impossible for Mothers – and How to Finally Feel at Ease

  A Most-Listened-To 2025 Episode - If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t think I’ve ever met a relaxed woman”, this episode will show you why and how to finally feel more at ease. To close the year, we’re re-releasing one of our most listened-to episodes of 2025, and it’s no wonder it struck such a chord. Speaking to many of you in our community, one theme comes up again and again: women feel permanently rushed, tense and overwhelmed. Relaxation doesn’t just feel unlikely, it feels unimaginable. And most of us have no idea how to get from “constantly on edge” to “at ease in our own bodies.” In this grounding and beautifully honest episode, therapist and author Nicola Jane Hobbs explores what it really means to become a “relaxed woman” not as a luxury, but as a way of living that’s rooted in nervous system safety, self-permission and gentleness. Nicola shares why relaxation feels so rare, how guilt gets woven into rest, and what begins to change when you start feeling safe in your own skin. She also opens up about her first year of motherhood, the tenderness, the disorientation, the identity shift and how it transformed everything she thought she knew about rest. In this conversation, you’ll learn: Why your nervous system resists slowing down and how to help it feel safe How guilt became tied to rest and why guilt can be a sign you’re growing Tiny, realistic ways to bring rest into your day without more time or childcare Why can’t we become relaxed women alone, and how to build the support you need Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. If you liked this episode, listen to this next: MOMENT | Calm your nervous system in seconds with this technique Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and  download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com/motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• PEPTALK | Take the pressure off yourself this Christmas

  If Christmas already feels like too much, this December pep-talk series is your support system for navigating the mental-load Olympics. Today’s episode is your reminder that you’re allowed to do it differently. The pressure on mothers at this time of year is enormous — the mental load, the expectations, the never-ending lists — and most of it lands squarely on our shoulders. Zoe shares a simple, grounding reframe to help you take the weight off and bring the joy back. In the first of our December pep talks, Zoe breaks down why the festive season can feel overwhelming and how to step out of the “shoulds” that pile up as the year draws to a close. Instead of chasing perfection, she invites you to focus on the feeling you want to create — for yourself and your family — and offers a practical tool to help you get there. In this pep talk, you’ll hear: The explosion of Christmas expectations (and why mums carry the load) How to stop doing everything and focus on how you want the season to feel Zoe’s simple Do / Ditch / Delegate method to cut the overwhelm fast Why real magic comes from presence, not perfection Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Feeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes. Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com/motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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