431: When Your Body Forces You to Stop: The Wake-Up Call Moms Can’t Ignore (and How to Reset Without Guilt with Holly Swenson
You know that feeling when you’re exhausted—but you tell yourself it’s not that bad… because other people have it worse?
In this episode, JoAnn sits down with Holly Swenson, nurse, author of Stop, Drop, Grow & Glow, and mom of four, to talk about the moment her body made the decision for her to stop—when she was hospitalized with meningitis while parenting four kids under four.
What followed wasn’t just physical recovery. It was a complete reckoning with burnout, guilt, and the way moms are conditioned to ignore their own needs until something breaks.
This is a compassionate, grounding conversation for any mom who feels worn thin, emotionally fried, or quietly overwhelmed—but keeps telling herself to push through.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What it’s like to parent four babies at once—and why “powering through” almost cost Holly her life
- The subtle signs your body gives you before a breaking point (and why we’re taught to ignore them)
- Why moms struggle so deeply to ask for time away—even when they desperately need it
- How guilt keeps parents trapped in survival mode (and how to reframe it)
- The difference between getting away and micro-dosing self-care when leaving feels impossible
- How quiet, stillness, and nervous system regulation can change everything
- Practical ways to reclaim calm—even if you have no support and no extra time
- The red-flag emotions that signal burnout: irritability, rage, numbness, and emotional depletion
- Why caring for yourself is not selfish—it’s protective for your kids
- A simple 2-minute grounding practice you can try today to reset your nervous system
Resources Mentioned:
Stop, Drop, Grow & Glow by Holly Swenson
