Understanding The Impact of Meditation

Meditation is often misunderstood as a practice reserved for yogis, hippies, or people who have a lot of free time. However, Marisa’s journey is a testament to the tangible, life-altering benefits of meditation, even for skeptics.

Marisa Lonic is the founder of Mama Work It and Marisa Lonic Coaching and Consulting. Through her platforms, she helps women manage the juggle of mom life, work life, and everything in between. Initially skeptical about meditation, Marisa has transformed into a staunch advocate, utilizing it both personally and professionally.

How To Get Started with Meditating

Meditating has immense benefits and you can start with guided meditations, both live and recorded. If you've found meditating difficult, know that even seasoned meditators have trouble focusing, so if you find it challenging, know that you're not alone. Guided meditations offer structure, helping novices ease into the...

Welcome back to another episode of the Marriage and Mother podcast! This is part two of the series "What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Parent," designed to support aspiring and current parents with as much knowledge as possible to set them up for success.

The Realities of Self-Care

Last episode, we delved into the evolving dynamic of partnership and how to navigate those changes. Today, we'll be focusing on self-care. Self-care is vastly underrated.

At the very core of our life experiences — as women, partners, mothers, daughters, friends, business owners, or any of the myriad roles we play — self-care is pivotal. If we don't take care of ourselves, every facet of our lives can suffer. Imagine walking around with a baseline feeling of 15 on a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 is the best possible state of being. It's like living in a world where you're perpetually cranky, a lens that taints every experience negatively.

Reframing Self-Care

Just like the...

In this episode of the Marriage and Motherhood Podcast, I am joined by Mikki Gardner to discuss the complex world of co-parenting. Mikki is a certified life and conscious parenting coach, host of the Co-Parenting with Confidence Podcast, and author of The People Pleaser’s Guide to Co-Parenting Well. With her background in navigating life post-divorce and helping moms transition through the emotional and practical difficulties of co-parenting, Mikki shares invaluable insights on managing these complex relationships.

Understanding Co-Parenting and Its Challenges

Co-parenting is a subject that many listeners may not have direct experience in but, as Mikki explains, the principles often apply to all types of parenting, including married couples.

She defines co-parenting as parenting with anyone that you don’t agree with 100 percent of the time. So, across the board, this is everyone.

Mikki emphasizes the significance of being...

Welcome back to another episode of the Marriage and Motherhood podcast. In this episode, we're diving into how marriage evolves after you become parents. This topic is relevant to both new and seasoned parents, offering insights and practical advice to help you navigate the changes that parenthood brings to your relationship.

The Changing Dynamics of Partnership

Partnership Before Parenthood

Before you have kids, partnership primarily revolves around mutual decision-making, consultation on important matters, and offering each other support. These principles still hold post-parenthood but on a much different scale. Before kids, it's simpler: Do we make decisions together? Do you consult with me on big matters? Are you helpful to me? Do I feel like we're a team?

The Shift Post-Parenthood

After kids, the specificity of roles becomes more critical. Our expectations for our partners drastically increase. The granular details—like "Who's going to do what?" need...

What is Mom Rage?

Alexis begins by explaining that anger is one of our six primal emotions and often carries a lot of shame and stigma. For many of us, anger is connected to negative childhood experiences and suppressed feelings. She emphasizes how societal expectations and the immense mental load on mothers contribute to this intense emotion.

Moreover, Alexis discusses the modern push for gentle parenting and how it can sometimes lead to moms emptying themselves emotionally without realizing it. The constant need to empathize with children without addressing our own needs creates a "perfect storm" for mom rage.

Addressing Mom Rage: Key Strategies

Self-Forgiveness

One of the crucial strategies Alexis talks about is self-forgiveness. Moms often hold onto shame and guilt after an outburst, which can perpetuate the cycle of anger. She shares a four-step process she uses with her clients to forgive themselves before they attempt to repair their relationship with their...

7 Key Lessons Learned from Our Cross-Country Move and Major Life Changes

After a recent cross-country move from California to Atlanta and a myriad of changes, I'm excited to share the lessons my husband and I have learned.

Whether you're grappling with big decisions or navigating the complexities of family life, these insights could make all the difference. Let's dive in!

1. Keep Each Other in the Loop

Communicating effectively is fundamental. During our move, my husband and I realized that failing to stay updated on each other’s schedules and plans led to a lot of miscommunication. Establishing a routine check-in, whether nightly or weekly, ensures that both partners are aligned and reduces unnecessary friction. One great tool we've found helpful is the Skylight calendar, which integrates with Google Calendar and keeps us organized and on the same page.

2. Discuss Your Goals

Aligning on goals helps you work together rather than at cross-purposes. Take the time to discuss...

This episode is inspired by a recent conversation I had about the dynamics of relationships and the importance of being observant. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you're noticing subtle changes in your partner's behavior and jumping to conclusions without verifying the truth behind those assumptions? If so, you're not alone.

The Power of Observation

Many of us tend to make quick assumptions about why our partners are acting a certain way without taking the time to confirm if those assumptions are true. It's natural to be perceptive and notice changes in demeanor, but it's equally essential to be observant of our own thoughts and beliefs.

Challenging Your Assumptions

One key skill to develop is the ability to challenge our thoughts and differentiate between facts and perceptions. By questioning the validity of our assumptions, we can avoid escalating misunderstandings and conflicts in our relationships.

Communicating Authentically

Articulating our...

Navigating the complexities of marriage post-children is a journey that many couples find themselves on, often without a clear roadmap.

In this episode on The Marriage and Motherhood Podcast, I am joined by Nevart Willborn, a therapist and fellow marriage coach.

In this episode we discuss the intricacies of child-proofing marriage.

The Vital First Step: Intent and Understanding

The journey towards reconnecting with your spouse post-kids begins with a fundamental step: expressing intention and understanding. We can not emphasize enough how important it is to be intentional about your relationship. Recognizing and articulating what you crave in your marriage sets the stage for meaningful improvement. Whether it’s dedicating time for a daily 10-second hug or sending a thoughtful text, these small acts of intention can significantly impact the quality of your connection.

Embracing Personal Growth and Self-Reflection

A recurring theme in our conversation is...

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Mastering Communication in Marriage: Understanding the Difference Between Emotions and Feelings

Introduction

In marriage, effective communication is often referred to as the key to successful relationships. Without effective communication, marriage challenges feel impossible to work through and what I wish I had learned earlier on was that emotions and feelings are not the same thing. Knowing the difference between the two can play a pivotal role in reshaping the way we approach and address communication breakdowns with our partners.

Emotions vs Feelings

The terms "emotions" and "feelings" are frequently used interchangeably in society. However, understanding that they are not the same is a game changer. Emotions are the immediate physical responses we experience in reaction to what's going on around us. We experience them as bodily sensations, such as a racing heart,...

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If it seemed easier for you to feel connected with your husband before having kids, this one mistake could be the reason why.

As soon as couples become parents, the responsibilities grow exponentially and they start doing things for each other and forget or deprioritize to do things with each other.

As parents, the shift from spontaneous date nights to navigating the challenges of adulting and parenting is real.

The Evolution of Responsibilities

As couples transition from carefree date nights to juggling the demands of adulting and parenting, an inevitable shift occurs. The exponential growth in responsibilities extends beyond only caring for yourself to the complexity of raising little humans. It's a universal experience—one where the focus often shifts towards completing tasks rather than fostering connection.

Acts of Service vs. True Connection

While acts of...