Podcast Episode #13 Exhausted in Motherhood? Why Rest Isn’t Selfish
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[00:00:00] Hello, and welcome back to yet another inspirational podcast episode, brought to you by yours truly, Carina from Healergy. I'm your truth speaker, truth seeker, truth keeper, and I am so glad that you're here with me today Hello, it's Carina, and welcome back to Soul Medicine. This episode is for the mum who can't remember the last time she finished a hot coffee, who keeps giving until her body aches, but deep down she knows she's running on fumes.
Here's the [00:01:00] truth. Exhaustion isn't proof of your love, and by the end of this episode, you'll know how to reclaim care as sacred, why burnout isn't a badge of honor, and the one reframe that could change the way you show up for yourself and your family. And why now? Well, because women have been taught for generations to smile while silently collapsing inside.
But it's time to break that chain. Stay with me, because in a moment, I'll show you how the Empress in the tarot redefines care and why your rest isn't optional. It's revolutionary. The Empress archetype in the tarot, well, she reminds us that life itself is birthed through care. But somewhere along the way, we got sold a lie, that depletion is noble, [00:02:00] that martyrdom is proof of love, that exhaustion is a badge of honor.
But the Empress would never abandon herself like that. She tends to her own body first because she knows her body is the temple where life begins. The truth is, you can't give from an empty cup. You can't breathe life into anyone else if you're gasping for air yourself. And that's why on every airplane, you're told to put on your oxygen mask first.
Not because it sounds nice, but because it's the only way to keep both you and your child alive. That's the patriarchy dressed up as devotion. And honestly, do you know what I wanna [00:03:00] say to patriarchy? Up yours. Up yours. Stick it where the sun doesn't shine, quite frankly. I am done. Are you This has gone on for far too many generations where men get paid more than women, yet women's roles and responsibilities far outweigh the role of men.
To put it into perspective for you, my bestie, who I know is listening right now, hello wifey, once said something that blew my mind. She told me having children is like having full-time jobs I'll let that sink in Having children is like having full-time jobs, [00:04:00] which means for me, with two kids, that's two full-time jobs, and if I'm honest, probably a part-time job thrown in there too if you count my husband because let's face it, they also need a bit of parenting and direction at times, right?
You know, my man child, my oldest child, but who is the most dependent And here's the kicker. All of that is unpaid, and that's on top of the actual paid work we do in the world When she framed it in that way, it hit me. No wonder we're exhausted. No wonder we feel stretched thin We are carrying the weight of a whole economies on our backs while [00:05:00] being told we should smile and be grateful.
But it's time for a revolution, ladies. You've probably heard that old generational saying, "Behind every man is a woman." And doesn't that just speak volumes? The truth actually is behind every woman is usually a man struggling to keep up because we've been forced to master the art of multitasking in a way men rarely have to.
And quite frankly, I think we could c- I think we could teach them a thing or two, don't you? But before I continue, I'm-- I am gonna jump in here to say that I don't want to tar all men with the same brush, because there are men out there who are doing both roles, carrying the load of both mother and father, and they deserve [00:06:00] recognition too.
This isn't about blaming individual men. It's about naming the system that has, for generations, undervalued the invisible labor of women, the unpaid, unseen, and yet utterly essential work that keeps families, communities, and societies alive. Think about the wars. While men were away fighting, it was women who kept those factories running, the farms alive, the children fed, and the homes intact.
Whole nations stood because of women's work, and yet when the war was over, women were t-told quietly to hand back their jobs, step aside, and shrink themselves again, as if the world hadn't been resting on their shoulders the entire time[00:07:00]
That's the lineage we're breaking. That's the story we're rewriting
And I just want you to feel this in your body for a moment. The knot in your stomach when you keep pushing your needs aside The ache in your shoulders when rest feels like a luxury you can't afford The shame that bubbles up when all you want is one uninterrupted hour to yourself. Just one
This isn't selfishness. It's the body rebelling against a story that was never yours. A story [00:08:00] passed down through generations of women taught to smile while collapsing inside But choosing to do things differently, that's breaking those generational ties. It's time to stop living someone else's story and start living your own.
And I wanna challenge you. Who told you that you couldn't? When did you start believing this?
And when did you decide you couldn't live your life on your own terms?
Most women will answer, "I don't know. It's just something I've always done." And that's exactly the point. These stories aren't [00:09:00] ours, but we carry them as though they are And so the Empress whispers, "Your rest is not selfish. Your pleasure is not frivolous. Your boundaries are not betrayal They are the soil everything else grows from.
When you care for yourself first, you don't love your family less. You love them from a place that's alive, overflowing, whole. That's the part your children will remember. Not how many loads of washing you folded, but how safe it felt to have a mother who was still here, fully in her body, fully herself You are [00:10:00] not failing.
You are reforming. This isn't collapse, it's compost. And just because it was, doesn't mean it will be This is the medicine I bring through Reiki, tarot, and coaching. It's not about fixing the overwhelm. It's about remembering the truth underneath it, that you are still worthy of care even when the world tells you otherwise.
Reiki clears the weight you've been carrying in silence, the exhaustion that leaves you running on empty, the tears you hide so no one else sees how much you're holding, the ache in your body that never quite goes away. Reiki softens the intensity so you finally [00:11:00] feel safe enough to breathe again. Then tarot steps in and reveals the truth behind it all, the patterns that you've been repeating without realizing, the fears that have been steering your choices, the quiet longings you've buried because they felt too much.
Tarot holds up the mirror so you can see yourself clearly, honest, unfiltered, and whole. And together, Reiki and tarot help you navigate the places most people avoid The shadowy, messy, unspoken spaces and turn them into your doorway forward. And because this is the last episode before applications close, I want to gently take this opportunity to remind you that my three-month soul deep transformation journey begins in October.
[00:12:00] Applications close in just a few days, and the next round won't be until February next year. So if you've been feeling the nudge, now is the time. You'll find the link in the show notes below So
Before I wind up today's episode, let's just ground this together. Place one hand on your belly, one hand on your heart, and whisper to yourself, "I am still here." And just breathe in that truth. Let your body feel what your mind still doubts
Say it again. I am still here
Because you're not failing, you are [00:13:00] reforming. This isn't collapse, it's compost. And compost makes the soil richer for what's to come. So here's what I'll leave with you today. Where in your life have you mistaken self-sacrifice for love?
And what would it look like in the smallest, simplest way to choose empress style care instead?
Because you can't give from an empty cup, and you can't breathe life into anyone else if you're grasping for air yourself. And your care, it's not optional, it's sacred Thank you for being here with me today. [00:14:00] If this episode spoke to you, I'd love it if you shared it. Follow the show or subscribe, because every time you do, it tells Spotify and Apple to push this podcast out further, reaching more women who need this medicine in their darkest moments.
No one should have to walk this path feeling alone, and you're not alone. I'm right here walking it beside you. And if you'd like me to speak directly to something you're carrying, a question, a pain point, a story you'd like me to touch on in a future episode, send me a message through my website or socials, my email address even.
It might even feel like we're in a session together, me speaking straight to your heart. And if you'd like to work with me more deeply through tarot, Reiki, or coaching, you'll find all the ways [00:15:00] to connect in the show notes. I'd love to walk with you back to your own Empress seat. Until next time, lead with your truth, not your fear.
And remember, just because it was doesn't mean it will be. With love, Carina.