Mom Maintenance

Have you ever spent days or even months trying to make the "right" decision? Should you volunteer? Change jobs? Quit something you've committed to? Start something new? So often we treat every decision like it will determine the rest of our lives. But what if most decisions aren't nearly as permanent as we think? In this episode, I share a simple framework from James Clear that c...

Who decided who you are? Most of us carry around stories we've been telling ourselves for years: I'm not a good mom. I'm not disciplined. I'm not fun. I'm just a stay-at-home mom. I'm not capable. The problem is, after telling ourselves those stories long enough, we stop questioning them. We mistake them for facts. In this episode, I share some of the stories I've belie...

We've all done it. "I'll feel better when the kids are out of diapers." "When summer gets here." "When life slows down." But have you ever noticed that you get to the next season...and you're still stressed? In this episode, I'm talking about a powerful quote from James Clear and why so many moms feel stuck waiting for a better life. The truth is, ever...

Why does people pleasing feel so exhausting? It's not just because you're doing too much. It's because you're spending your life trying to manage something you don't have access to: other people's thoughts. In this episode of Mom Maintenance, I share how years of trying to be the "good girl" left me disconnected from myself, constantly guessing what everyone else...

Why does motherhood feel so heavy sometimes? What if it’s not just the endless responsibilities… but the constant belief that you’re failing at them? In this episode of Mom Maintenance, I’m talking about the invisible “shoulds” moms carry around every day, the comparison traps that make us feel like we’re never enough, and why guilt may not actually be helping us become better mothers at all. If y...

Feeling overwhelmed as a mom doesn’t always come from your life being “too much.” Sometimes it comes from the constant pressure, guilt, and thoughts running through your mind all day long. In this deeply personal episode, I’m sharing my own story — from becoming the mom I always dreamed of being… to feeling crushed by the fear that I was never doing enough. I talk about: the invisible “good mom” e...

Are your goals motivating you… or quietly making you feel like a failure? In this episode of Mom Maintenance , we talk about why so many moms use goals as evidence that they’re not enough — and how to stop turning growth into self-criticism. Because goals were meant to guide you, not shame you.

So many moms believe being a good mom means being patient all the time, keeping everything together, never needing help, and handling motherhood perfectly. But that standard is impossible — and exhausting. In this episode, we talk about the lie that good moms do it all flawlessly, and what actually makes a good mother instead. Spoiler: it’s not perfection. It’s apologizing after hard moments, lear...

If everything feels harder than it should right now, this episode is for you. If you’re constantly tired, overstimulated, irritated, behind, and wondering what is wrong with you… the answer may be simpler than you think. You may not be failing. You may just be carrying too much for too long with too little support. In this episode, we talk about the invisible load moms carry, why chronic depletion...

Do you ever grab your phone, eat something, get defensive, or stay busy when you’re feeling stressed, guilty, anxious, or overwhelmed? This episode is about why we do that. Most of us aren’t afraid of life—we’re afraid of feeling uncomfortable emotions. So we avoid them without even realizing it. But feelings aren’t dangerous, and they don’t last forever. Today we’re talking about how to stop runn...

The text you don’t send. The thing you don’t say. The conversation you avoid. This episode is about how those tiny moments shape your life—and how a little discomfort might be the doorway to more connection and a fuller life.

You didn’t fail. You just decided you did. In this episode, I’m breaking down the pattern that keeps so many moms stuck in the cycle of: start → mess up → quit → start over. All-or-nothing thinking feels motivating… but it’s actually the reason you keep giving up on yourself halfway through the day. We’ll walk through what this looks like in real life (food, patience, everyday mom moments) and how...

Are you living as the victim of your life… or the hero of your story? In this episode, we’re talking about how your thoughts can quietly trap you in frustration, resentment, and feeling stuck—and how to shift out of that without changing your entire life. Because when you believe your circumstances are causing your feelings, you stay powerless. But when you see what your brain is doing… everything...

Circumstances are neutral. That email from your kid’s teacher. The messy house. The never-ending to-do list. None of those things are what create your overwhelm. It’s the story your brain tells about them. I’ll walk you through a real moment I had as a mom—how one simple email spiraled into panic, guilt, and “I’m failing her”… and what changed when I realized that wasn’t the truth, just a thought....

Why do we reach for our phones when we’re overwhelmed? In this episode, I explain how your brain’s motivational triad: conserve energy, avoid pain, and seek pleasure , can lead straight to the scroll trap when your to-do list feels too big. You’ll learn a simple way to interrupt the overwhelm cycle and refocus on what matters most. Download the Overwhelmed Mom Reset here https://anna-stice-coachin...

If it feels like you have a little shoulder devil following you around all day — criticizing everything you say, eat, forget, or feel — this episode is for you. So many moms believe being hard on themselves is the key to doing better. But shame doesn’t create change. It creates exhaustion… and usually more of the behavior you’re trying to stop. In this episode, we talk about how to quiet your inne...

If you’ve been stuck swinging between being hard on yourself and giving up on yourself… this episode is for you. In this episode of Mom Maintenance, we’re talking about how to stop fighting your brain — and stop accidentally obeying it — and start leading it with compassion and intention. You’ll learn how the motivational triad shows up in everyday mom life, why your brain defaults to comfort, and...

If you’ve ever backed out of a boundary, a goal, or a decision because it felt uncomfortable… this episode is for you. In this episode of Mom Maintenance, we’re unpacking why discomfort feels so intense — and why your brain mistakes it for danger. You’ll learn how your survival brain reacts to uncertainty, why growth always feels awkward at first, and how most moms unintentionally let discomfort m...

Most moms think they’re failing because they lack motivation or self-discipline. They assume it’s a character flaw — something wrong with them. But it’s not. In this episode, I break down the Motivational Triad and explain why your brain is wired for survival — not growth. When you understand why you seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy, you stop making your struggles mean something abou...

Sometimes when you are overwhelmed by emotions, you don't realize the mental chaos is a result of your thoughts. Simply being aware of your thoughts can help quiet the mental storm.