The 7 lessons motherhood taught me about burnout

I didn’t break in some big, dramatic way.

I didn’t stop showing up.
Didn’t fall apart.
I just started fading.
Quietly.

Charting at nights.

Responding to messages on weekends. 

Pretending to listen to my kid. But tuned out.
Trying to be everything to everyone.

I looked fine.
But I didn’t feel like myself anymore.

One night, while holding my son, this thought came out of nowhere:

If he were this tired, I would make him rest.

If he were overwhelmed, I would slow things down for him.
I would protect his peace without question.

But I wasn’t offering myself any of that.

That moment changed something.

Then came the day I forgot his lunchbox.

He was fine.
He got something else. But I felt awful.

And like the WORST mother. Thinking he would starve at school.

That one slip triggered a wave of guilt.
Because moms carry the weight of every little detail.

But that was the day I started letting go of perfect.
And choosing presence instead.

Eventually, I asked for help.
Or paid for it.

Because somewhere along the way, I picked up the idea that I should do it all.
Cook. Clean. Work. Lead. Nurture.
All of it. All the time.

Now I have help with the house. An assistant in my business.

A coach.Systems that give me room to breathe.

That’s not weakness.
It’s wisdom.
And it’s something I now teach my clients too.

Motherhood taught me how to shift when the plan falls apart.
To adapt without self-blame.
To stop seeing flexibility as failure.

It taught me to be where my feet are.
At work. 

At home. In the in-between moments.

Because peace doesn’t live in productivity.
It lives in presence.

The wins that mattered most? They were simple.

Going to sleep on time.

Eating before I was starving.

Not explaining why I said no.

These are the moments I now help other women reclaim.
Because burnout isn’t always about crashing.
Sometimes it’s about quiet survival.

And healing comes from the smallest shifts.

I learned to say no.

No to overworking.
No to carrying more than I was built for.

So I could finally say yes.
To what restores me.
To what matters.
To myself.

This is the first Mother’s Day in years, I'm not rushing into a shift in the ER.

Last year, I took a power nap to work a night shift. Cut dinner early.

This year.

I’m home.
Listening to my littles tell stories.
Shout “Mama.” 

Looking at their artwork.
Argue over nothing.
And I’m loving it.

That didn’t happen by accident.
It happened because I made small, sacred choices to come back to myself.
And now I help other women do the same.

If you’re holding it all together but losing yourself in the process, I want you to know:

You are not failing.
You are not broken.
You are just tired.

And you don’t have to carry it alone anymore.

To every mom.
To every mom-like figure.
To anyone grieving the absence of a mother.
Or aching for the child they never got to hold.

I see you. 

I’m holding space for you.

And if you’re ready to stop surviving and start feeling like yourself again?

I’m here.

Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate.

With love,
Dr. Beckford

Stress + Metabolism Coach for Women Who Do It All

Whenever you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Apply to work with me 1:1 and finally lose the weight without burnout → Apply here
2. Watch weekly videos to stop stress eating and feel like you again → Subscribe on YouTube
3. Grab your free Metabolic Reset Guide and kickstart effortless weight loss → Download here