Lead Like a Mother: Work-Life Balance, Burnout Recovery & Leadership Skills for High-Achieving Moms

From Burned Out to "Boldly Both": 5 Practical Changes to Feel Like Yourself Again in 90 Days

You’ve listened to the episodes, done the check-ins, named the anger, set some boundaries, and rediscovered bits of yourself, but you’re still exhausted and wondering, “Okay, but what do I change in my actual day‑to‑day?” If you’re ready for practical shifts that move you from burned out to “Boldly Both,” this episode is for you. Connect & work with Christina: Speaking, workshops, consulting: Hello@ChristinaRunnels.com Buy Boldly Both: A Mom's Guide to Balancing Career and Family Without Guilt [https://www.christinarunnels.com/product-page/boldly-both-a-mom-s-guide-to-balancing-career-and-family-without-guilt] Follow on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/1CjhdGjNzY/?mibextid=wwXIfr] 👉 If you want a simple way to see your burnout on paper—monitoring your energy, sleep, snapping, joy, start with the FREE Working Mom Burnout Check-In PDF [https://officialchristinarunnels.kit.com/bb4db3a7b8] In this episode you’ll hear: * Why knowing you’re burned out isn’t enough—high-achieving working moms need practical changes * Christina’s “90-day line in the sand” moment: staring at her full calendar and realizing something had to break * How to go from burned out to “Boldly Both” without quitting your job or abandoning your family * 5 practical changes to feel like yourself again in 90 days: * Weekly margin block you protect like an appointment * Daily “enough” list instead of a never-ending to-do * One area you intentionally do at B-minus * One boundary script you use on repeat * One small “future self” action that honors who you’re becoming Episode roadmap 0:00 – Stuck between burnout awareness and knowing what to actually change 2:45 – The car moment staring at a 3-month calendar with no white space 7:15 – Change 1: One weekly margin block (60-90 min, non-negotiable) 9:40 – Change 2: Daily “enough” list (3 work + 1 home = done) 11:25 – Change 3: Pick one B-minus area on purpose 13:50 – Change 4: One boundary script you actually use 16:20 – Change 5: One consistent “future self” action 21:30 – Pick your first 30-day experiment + share it via email Visit www.ChristinaRunnels.com [https://www.christinarunnels.com/]

Losing Yourself as a Working Mom? 3 Steps to Reclaim Your Identity and Ambition

You look successful on paper—career, kids, calendar full, but inside you feel strangely blank. You can answer who you are as “mom” and what you do at work, but if someone asks, “What do you want? What do you enjoy?” your mind goes quiet. If you’ve wondered, “Have I completely lost myself in work and motherhood?” this episode is for you. Connect & work with Christina: Speaking, workshops, consulting:  Hello@ChristinaRunnels.com Buy Boldly Both: A Mom's Guide to Balancing Career and Family Without Guilt [https://www.christinarunnels.com/product-page/boldly-both-a-mom-s-guide-to-balancing-career-and-family-without-guilt] Follow on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/1CjhdGjNzY/?mibextid=wwXIfr] 👉 If you want a simple way to see your burnout on paper—energy, sleep, snapping, joy, start with the  FREE Working Mom Burnout Check-In PDF [https://officialchristinarunnels.kit.com/bb4db3a7b8] In this episode you’ll hear: * Why high-achieving working moms often feel like they’ve lost themselves in their roles * The quiet “Who am I, really?” moment when you’re asked what you want for the next few years * How being everybody’s go‑to person buries your own desires and dreams * 3 practical steps to reclaim your identity and ambition as a working mom: * Remember: who you are beyond “employee,” “leader,” and “mom” * Reconnect: with what actually gives you energy and joy in this season * Rebuild: your ambition with small, aligned steps that fit your real life Episode roadmap 0:00 – Feeling like you’ve disappeared inside work and motherhood 2:30 – The moment someone asks, “What do you want?” and your mind goes blank 6:45 – Step 1: Remember – separating who you are from what you do 11:30 – Step 2: Reconnect – using an Energy List to notice what makes you feel like yourself 16:40 – Step 3: Rebuild – letting your ambition back in one small step at a time 22:00 – This week’s identity + ambition experiment + invitation to share your sentence via email Visit www.ChristinaRunnels.com [https://www.christinarunnels.com/]

Burnout Recovery for Working Moms: How to Start Coming Back to Yourself

You finally get a quiet moment—shower, car, parking lot and instead of feeling relief, you feel… nothing. Not excited, not inspired, just flat and tired in your bones. If you’ve wondered, “Is this just my life now?” this episode is for you. Connect & work with Christina: * Speaking, workshops, consulting: Hello@christinarunnels.com * Buy Boldly Both: A Mom's Guide to Balancing Career and Family Without Guilt  [https://www.christinarunnels.com/product-page/boldly-both-a-mom-s-guide-to-balancing-career-and-family-without-guilt] * Follow on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/1CjhdGjNzY/?mibextid=wwXIfr] 👉 If you want a simple way to see your burnout on paper, monitoring your energy, sleep, snapping, joy, start with the FREE Working Mom Burnout Check-In PDF  [https://officialchristinarunnels.kit.com/bb4db3a7b8] In this episode you’ll hear: * The subtle difference between being “tired” and being truly burned out * Christina’s quiet burnout breaking point: “If life looks like this for 10 more years…” * How over‑functioning at work and home numbs you out instead of fulfilling you * Three gentle moves for burnout recovery in the life you already have: * Notice: telling the truth about how depleted you really are * Nurture: adding tiny, non‑performative care into your day * Negotiate: changing the terms of how you’re living (at work, at home, with yourself) Episode roadmap * 0:00 – “Flat and numb” hook in the shower/car/parking lot * 3:54 – The quiet thought that changed everything: “I don’t know if I can do this for 10 more years” * 6:29 – Notice: honest burnout check-in (using energy, sleep, irritability, joy) * 7:58 – Nurture: 5-minute practices that don’t require a whole life overhaul * 9:55 – Negotiate: small but real changes in workload and expectations * 10:55 – This week’s recovery experiment + invitation to share your story via email Visit www.ChristinaRunnels.com

How to Set Boundaries as a Working Mom: Scripts to Say No at Work and at Home Without Guilt

Feeling like the reliable one for everyone at work, at school, at home, and also the most exhausted person in every room? This episode is for you. Connect & work with Christina: * Speaking, workshops, consulting: Hello@christinarunnels.com * Buy Boldly Both: A Mom's Guide to Balancing Career and Family Without Guilt  [https://www.christinarunnels.com/product-page/boldly-both-a-mom-s-guide-to-balancing-career-and-family-without-guilt] * Follow on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/1CjhdGjNzY/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Free burnout check-in (from Episode 1): Start tracking how depleted you really are and how often you’re saying yes from empty. 👉 Get the Burnout Check-In PDF: Free Working Mom Burnout Check-In PDF  [https://officialchristinarunnels.kit.com/bb4db3a7b8] In this episode you’ll hear: * Why “You’re so reliable” can feel like both a compliment and a curse * A real Tuesday: meeting request + Flock DM + text from school all at once * How always being the “responsible one” becomes part of your identity * Two questions to ask yourself before you say yes to anything * Two simple scripts to say: * “Yes, but with truth” at work * “No, to protect who I am” at home, school, and with friends Episode roadmap * 0:00 – “You’re so reliable” hook * 2:20 – The meeting + Slack + school text moment * 7:52 – Question 1: “What part of me wants to say yes?” * 7:57 – Question 2: “If I say yes, what am I saying no to?” * 9:11 – Script 1: Yes, but with truth (work) * 10:24 – Script 2: No, to protect who I am (home/school/friends) * 11:32 – This week’s boundary experiment + Episode 8 teaser

Working Mom Anger and Resentment: Why You’re So Irritable and What to Do About It

In this episode of Lead Like a Mother, licensed therapist and author Christina Runnels dives into a topic that hits every overloaded working mom: anger and resentment. Christina shares her own story of snapping over small moments, like asking kids to put on shoes and explores why these reactions happen when we’re carrying too much. She breaks down why anger isn’t a character flaw but a signal of overload, and shares three practical scripts to help working moms name it, normalize it, and redirect it, without guilt or pretending everything is fine.  Connect & work with Christina: * Speaking, workshops, consulting: Hello@christinarunnels.com * Buy Boldly Both: A Mom's Guide to Balancing Career and Family Without Guilt  [https://www.christinarunnels.com/product-page/boldly-both-a-mom-s-guide-to-balancing-career-and-family-without-guilt] * Follow on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/1CjhdGjNzY/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Episode Timeline 00:00 – Introduction: Why small moments can trigger big reactions 01:01 – Personal Story: The “shoes” moment and early-morning meltdown 04:35 – Understanding Your Anger: Overload, unspoken expectations, and grief 06:53 – Shift 1 – Name It: Stop gaslighting yourself and identify what’s really happening 07:14 – Shift 2 – Normalize It: Recognize that anger is a signal, not a flaw 09:31 – Shift 3 – Redirect It: Use scripts to redirect frustration toward partner, work, or self 11:50 – Practical Scripts: Real examples for partner, work, and yourself 12:29 – Tiny Intentional Moments: How small changes can reduce resentment 13:54 – Free Resource: Working Mom Anger & Resentment Script Sheet 14:18 – Next Episode Teaser: Setting boundaries without guilt Episode Summary You snap over something small… and then immediately feel guilty. You think, “What is wrong with me?” If this sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Christina Runnels, licensed therapist, author of Boldly Both, and fellow high-achieving working mom, explores why working moms experience anger and resentment. She explains that anger is often misdirected—it comes out sideways on the people we feel safest with—and why it’s not a reflection of your character. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why snapping over small things is actually a signal that you’re overloaded * How to stop the guilt spiral and offer yourself self-compassion * Three practical scripts to name, normalize, and redirect anger in everyday life * How to communicate needs to your partner, at work, and to yourself * Tiny intentional moments that help you release resentment without a major overhaul Mentioned in this episode Free Working Mom Anger & Resentment Script Sheet – includes all three scripts and space to write your own version in your own words Visit www.ChristinaRunnels.com [http://www.christinarunnels.com] for more support and to connect with Christina!