Busy Parent Snapshot

You’re juggling work, school runs, anxious meltdowns, and relationships - and it feels like you’re being pulled in every direction at once.

Your child’s anxiety, dysregulation or overwhelm often mirrors your own - and it becomes hard to know where you end and they begin.

💛 What if you could stop overwhelm in its tracks - not just for your child, but for yourself too?
💡 Discover the missing “inner piece” most parents never learn: We create our own feeling state.
🧠 Understand why blame and external pressure heighten overwhelm and how shifting perspective can lower stress.
✨ Learn five simple steps to reclaim calm, clarity and emotional resilience for the whole family.

Ever found yourself thinking: “I’m overwhelmed because of what’s going on around me” ... then realise the emotion keeps returning - no matter how much things change?

If that rings true, this blog is for you.

Why We Blame Circumstances - and Why It Keeps Us Overwhelmed

Most of us have been conditioned to believe that other people, life events, or our circumstances are the reason we feel the way we do. We say:

• “You made me feel … ”

• “I’m overwhelmed because … ”

• “They shouldn’t have spoken to me like that.”

• “My kids trigger me when they … ”

• “My daughter’s refusal to go to school makes me feel powerless.”

It makes sense - on the surface. But what if the truth runs deeper?

What if how we interpret what’s happening determines our inner experience much more than the event itself?

Here’s one quote that helped shift my thinking:​

“Nothing has meaning except for the meaning we give it.- T. Harv Eker

I used to tell myself: “This is too much.” “I can’t handle this.” “My life is crazy busy.”

“It seems impossible to have a peaceful life.”

“Every day feels like a constant battle.”

With every thought like that, I was unconsciously reinforcing overwhelm - regardless of what was happening around me.

Over decades, I held onto guilt, shame, exhaustion - and even though I loved my kids, at times parenting felt overwhelming.​

💡 Takeaway #1

Your feeling state isn’t created by your situation - it’s shaped by your interpretation.

​Changing your inner narrative can shift your emotional world - even when circumstances remain the same.

What Happens When We Create Overwhelm For Ourselves and Our Kids

When we blame external events for how we feel, we give away our power.

We put ourselves in a reactive survival state instead of reclaiming 100% responsibility and responding rather than reacting.

And often - without realising it - our kids pick up the same habit: they tell themselves stories like:

“If only they treated me better, I’d feel okay.”

“It’s not me - it’s them.”

This thinking state can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and a feeling of powerlessness that lingers beyond childhood.

When both parent and child believe they’re victims of circumstances, overwhelm becomes normalised, not extraordinary.

💡 Takeaway #2

Overwhelm isn’t a sign of weakness it’s a signal that something needs to change.

When we ignore the warning signs of stress and keep pushing through, we aren’t being strong we’re numbing out.

Recognising overwhelm as a signal gives you a chance to respond with self‑care, clarity and kindness rather than blame or burnout.​

💡 5 Steps to Reclaim Freedom - Calm Yourself, Calm Your Child

Here are five simple yet powerful steps you can use today to shift from overwhelm to inner calm - for you and your child.

1. Stop - breathe deeply - ground yourself
When things feel heavy, your nervous system reacts long before your brain does.
Pause. Take slow, deep belly breaths. Give your body a moment of safety - your nervous system will thank you.

2. See with fresh eyes - without blame or criticism
From a calm, regulated place, look at the situation again.
Ask: What story am I telling myself about this moment? Is it true or could there be another way to interpret it?

3. Choose to regulate your feeling state first
Before reacting, ask yourself: Is my focus on changing my child’s behaviour or calming my own nervous system?
The latter gives you real capacity to respond with clarity, certainty and compassion.

4. Check your self-talk
Is your inner voice fueling overwhelm - or soothing you?
Swap statements like “This is impossible” or “I can’t deal with this” with:

“I’m doing the best I can.”
“This is tough - and I’m capable of getting through it.”
“I get to choose how I respond.”
​
Write yourself this note and place it somewhere visible:
“I’m the creator of my feeling state and how I show up for myself and my kids.”
​
​5. Role‑model emotional responsibility for your child
​When you own your feeling state, your child learns that circumstances don’t control them - instead they get to drive how they respond. You and your child can break the cycle of blame and helplessness and replace it with inner strength and resilience.

💡 Takeaway #3

Calm becomes contagious your regulation helps your child learn to regulate.

When you choose to manage your feelings and show up grounded, you don’t just help yourself.

You model stability, emotional responsibility and resilience. This can quietly reshape the emotional climate of your home giving your child the safety to grow, feel, and trust again.​

🎯 Start the Shift - Reclaim Calm for Your Family

If this blog spoke to you - if you’re ready to break free from overwhelm, heal emotional patterns, and guide your child with presence instead of pressure - I’ve got something that can help.

▶️ Join my free class for parents: Discover a practical, powerful solution that helps you stop anxiety and overwhelm from ruling your child’s life - without guilt, burnout, or blame.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to start.

And if you’re here, showing up right now - you already have.

With care,
Sue🙂

🧩 Putting the Steps into Action - What You Can Try This Week

• Pause and take 5 deep belly breaths to regulate your nervous system before responding to a challenging moment.

• Notice one recurring thought that fuels overwhelm and get curious about it. Where has this thought come from?

• Replace an unhelpful thought with a calming, empowering one: write it down, stick it on the fridge, revisit it daily.

• If your child is anxious or overwhelmed, sit with them, or create some space for them, breathe and model calm presence rather than trying to “fix” them immediately.

• At least once this week, reflect: “How am I shaping my feeling state right now?”