Something has been bothering me about the holiday season… and I finally said it out loud in this episode.
Everywhere we turn, there’s this pressure to make everything look perfect. The cozy decorations, the perfect gifts, participating in the never-ending festivities and holiday parties, the matching pajamas, the “magical” memories perfectly curated for Instagram and Facebook…
And if you’re a special needs mom, this pressure is only intensified.
So much of what we stress over this time of year…doesn’t even matter.
And once you see what actually does matter (and why we lose sight of it ) the whole season feels different.
This episode is the deep breath you probably haven’t taken in a while, and the reminder you didn’t know you needed.
If the holidays already feel heavy, or you’re tired of pretending you’re fine when you’re actually overwhelmed, this episode is for you.
This week’s Coaching Hotline episode dives into one of our listener's struggles, that so many special needs moms are very familiar with.
This listener is navigating a mentally grueling job, chronic illness, evenings on her own with her kids, and the crushing feeling of “I’m too tired for anything.”
If you’ve ever felt like you’re running on fumes and still expected to meet everyone’s needs, this episode is exactly what you need to hear.
Link to book a consult call: https://lowerylifecoaching.com/consultcall/
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If you’ve been wishing and waiting for life to magically get easier… for someone to notice you’re drowning… for the stress to finally ease up...
This one’s for you. 💛
In this episode, I'm sharing an uncomfortable truth that changed my entire life when I learned it. It's the wake-up call you might be needing.
As special needs moms, it is so common for us to be awaiting the next bad thing, the next illness, the next hospitalization... the other shoe to drop... when things are going smoothly. In this episode, we dive into the ways this mentality shows up, and how it is doubling our stress and keeping us from being present in the moment.
Is there really one “right” therapy?
Or are we just drowning in Google searches, hoping to crack the magical code that will lead to our child finally hitting that big milestone like walking, talking, or finally sleeping through the dang night?
So many of us special needs moms fall into the trap of thinking there’s one golden-ticket treatment out there. That if we research hard enough, fight hard enough, do enough… we’ll find the thing that unlocks all the milestones.
But that mindset is the fast track to burnout.
In this episode, we’re talking about how to think about therapies, early interventions, and what actually helps (hint: it’s not just one magic answer).
When the world feels like it’s on fire, and your personal life isn’t far behind, it can feel wrong to let yourself be… happy.
Like, how dare you enjoy your iced coffee or laugh at your kid’s ridiculous dance moves when there are real, hard things going on around you?
In this episode, we’re talking about that sneaky guilt that creeps in when you try to feel good in the middle of the chaos—and why it’s actually essential that you do.
Your brain is hardwired to keep you focused on the bad stuff. It thinks it’s helping. (Thanks, brain!) But if we don’t intentionally look for the good, we miss out on the stuff that actually makes life worth living. Joy. Connection. Love. Nature walks with your feral kids. All of it.
We’ll dig into:
Why letting yourself be happy doesn’t mean you’re ignoring reality
How joy can be your secret weapon for surviving the hard stuff
One question that can help you find your way back to right now
A super simple practice to start letting more of the good stuff in
You’ll walk away with permission to feel good today, not “after things calm down.”
Because life doesn’t stand still while we wait for it to get easier, and you deserve to feel a little joy right in the middle of the mess.
Come say hi on Instagram [@lauren_nia_lowery] and let me know: Where are you letting yourself be happy lately?
When it comes to advocating for our children, the constant fight can end up exhausting us as special needs parents. In this episode, I share 3 secrets to making advocacy easier and more effective.
Ever feel like no matter how much rest you get, you're still running on fumes?
In this episode, I'm sharing the secret behind what's happening when our rest and self-care just isn't doing the trick (or lasting very long at all).
We talk about the kinds of "leaks" that drain special needs moms the most (hint: it’s not just about being busy), how to spot them, and what you can do to start plugging those holes, so your rest and recuperation actually HELPS!
If you're looking back at the past 12 months thinking, “This year has been out of control!” then you are not alone, my friend.
In this episode, I’m sharing a simple (but insanely powerful) exercise that helps you see exactly where you do have control in life, even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment.
I’m walking you through a perspective shift that’ll help you:
LINK TO BOOK A CONSULT CALL: https://calendly.com/laurennialowery/30min
Most of us had dreams for our kids before they were even born.
We pictured their first steps. School days. Sleepovers. Maybe even a wedding one day.
We imagined the kind of life they’d have, and the kind of mom we’d get to be.
And when the diagnosis came, and the delays didn’t go away…
When the future got blurry instead of bright and predictable….
It hurts.
Like, gut-punch, can’t-catch-your-breath, “this isn’t fair” kind of pain.
In this episode, I’m sharing 3 things that will help ease that pain and allow you to move closer to accepting what is, and letting go of what might have been.
Do you ever feel like the good moments fly by while the hard ones drag on?
This episode is all about slowing down to make the most out of the good moments in life through a practice called Savoring.
This is a powerful (and surprisingly simple) tool from positive psychology that helps you slow down and fully experience the joy that’s already in your life.
Studies have shown that the practice of savoring can boost your mood, increase positive emotions, and decrease anxiety and depression.
🎧 Tune in to learn how savoring rewires your brain for more joy, peace, and presence, no matter how messy your life gets.
Do you ever feel guilty for resting, saying no, or taking time for yourself? Ever avoid conflicts because you want to just “keep the peace”? Or maybe you’ve found yourself making sure everyone around you is happy and comfortable, even when it means you are not.
If so, you might be dealing with Good Mom Syndrome… and you’re not alone.
In this episode, we dive into the subtle (but powerful) ways society teaches moms that their worth is tied to how well they care for everyone else.
I’m sharing why so many high-achieving, loving, devoted moms secretly feel burnt out, resentful, and never “good enough”… no matter how hard they try.
If you find yourself exhausted from:
….Then this episode is for you.
BOOK YOUR CONSULT CALL: https://calendly.com/laurennialowery/30min
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How many times have you completely spiraled over something like forgetting pajama day at school, giving meds a little late, or a comment that stranger made about your child… only to realize a week later that it did not matter. At all.
As special needs moms, we face hard and heavy shit every single day. And our brains are wired to seek out all the potential “threats” like illnesses, symptoms, etc.
And when we are wired to see all the potentially bad things in life, it ends up draining us mentally, emotionally, and physically.
In this episode, I’m sharing one of my favorite simple and easy hacks to help you stop wasting your precious energy on things that end up not mattering in the grand scheme of things, so you have energy for the things that actually DO matter to you.
Here’s what we’ll get into:
We let other people's opinions dictate what clothes we wear, the cars we drive, and ultimately how we see ourselves.
Most of us have been running our lives like someone’s watching and judging 24/7. But what if you dropped the performance and just decided to like yourself? Like, on purpose?
In this episode, we're talking about how our self-image (how we see ourselves) is often sneakily shaped by how we think others see us, and if you’re not paying attention, it can run your whole dang life.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
Why your brain cares so much about what others think (blame evolution and a whole lotta social conditioning)
The tiny question that can reveal your actual preferences (hello, self-awareness!)
How tying your worth to gold stars and Pinterest-perfection keeps you stuck
Why self-image isn’t about changing your body, your house, or your life, but changing what you say to yourself
What self-acceptance really looks like (hint: it’s not bath bombs and affirmations in the mirror)
Because confidence isn’t born from external validation. It’s built on knowing who you are, liking your damn self, and choosing what feels right for you.
Some thoughts feel so true, they might as well be facts, thoughts like “Other families have it easier" or "This isn't fair."
But even the truest thoughts can quietly drain your energy, spiral your emotions, and make hard days feel even heavier.
In this episode, I show you how to recognize the sneaky difference between a thought that’s true and one that’s actually helpful.
Because sometimes, the truest thought in the world keeps us stuck, small, pissed off, or drowning in the river of misery.
For special needs moms and medical moms managing pending test results, referrals, or diagnosis delays- this episode is for you...
Do you ever feel like you're stuck waiting for something, like that test results, a referral, an appointment, some kind of answer, before you can exhale or move forward?
In this episode, we’re talking about what I call “waiting mode”- that stuck, suspended state so many special needs moms live in. I’ll share how this pause button we unconsciously hit can quietly create the exact life we fear: one that feels heavy, hard, and isolating.
And most importantly, I’ll give you tools to reclaim your life even in the midst of the unknown. You don’t have to wait to feel peace, connection, or joy.
This is for you if you’ve ever felt like life is always on hold until the next medical thing is figured out.
Book a free consult call with me: https://calendly.com/laurennialowery/30min
We ask ourselves questions all day long. Questions like...
But these dead-end questions usually just end up going no where, or at least no where good.
In this episode, I'm sharing the top 5 questions that I use in my own self-coaching that have transformed who I am and how I show up in the world.
These questions have made me a better mother, helped me reach my goals and blow my own mind with what I can do, and helped me have a lot more joy.
When was the last time you felt truly happy- not just okay, not just surviving, but alive and at peace?
In this episode, I’m walking you through a simple but powerful exercise, called The Happiness Audit, to help you figure out what’s draining your energy, what actually brings you joy, and how to create small, doable shifts to feel better right now.
You don’t need a whole new life to feel happier.
You just need to look at the patterns you’ve been tolerating on autopilot and make one new choice at a time.
Let’s get real for a sec.
What do you do when your brain is hyperfocused on your child’s appearance- and not in the “she’s so cute I could cry” kind of way?
In this episode, I respond to a mom who’s caught in an anxiety spiral about her daughter’s facial features after surgery. Despite reassurance from doctors and her partner, her brain keeps ruminating over every detail and whispering unhelpful things like:
👉 What if people treat her differently?
👉 What if she’s not pretty?👉 What kind of mom even thinks this way?!
Oof. If you’ve ever had a thought that made you feel like a “bad mom” (welcome to the club, by the way), this episode is for you.
We unpack:
The difference between being shallow and being human
How to stop trying to bubble-wrap your child from the hard parts of life
What to teach and model instead so she knows how to support herself through it all
One of the most powerful things I’ve learned (and coach clients on all the time) is this:
✨You get to decide what’s worth your energy.
-Not based on what makes other people more comfortable.-Not based on how “good moms” are supposed to act.-Not even based on what you used to care about.
You’re allowed to care deeply about what actually matters to you…and let the rest go.
In this episode, I’m sharing 3 things I’ve let go of caring about as a special needs mom, WHY, and the mindset shifts that helped me along the way.