EP 30 Navigating the Storm: Insights on Parental Burnout from Lara Johnson

Website https://andiclark.com/  Email [email protected] Chat with Andi - https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall In today’s episode we cover Lara Johnson has been married for 14 years, has 4 beautiful and diverse kids, 2 spicy cats, and a business she calls her 5th kid. She has the best job in the world helping moms live their lives ON purpose and WITH purpose.One of Lara’s kids is neurodiverse and also has PDA which falls under Autism though presents a bit different.    Normally I paraphrase someone's response when I ask them for their burnout story, but today I feel what Lara told me should not be changed…   Lara’s Burnout Response -   I think burnout for parents of "not average" kids is such a big deal. I love your question because it gave me some good reflection. I think the first phase of burnout was the total shutdown. It was combined with postpartum depression, and it was before an official diagnosis for my son. I had stopped sleeping, was not feeding myself but just grabbed junk food to shove into my face when I could, struggled to care for my family, cried a LOT, had random good days that tripped me up, and then pretended everything was fine to everyone else because I felt crazy. I think the second wave of burnout is what I lovingly call "functional burnout." I know when I start to teeter on this edge when I start pacing my house, staring at my phone to escape more, lose interest in being with people (different than my normal introverted ness), and I feel fatigued in my bones. I think every mom experiences this, but I feel when you have Neurodiverse kids, the pendulum swings much bigger and more often. I created what I call my Shit Storm Checklist. It is a tool I used for myself, and that I now give to my clients. I call it the emergency preparedness plan for when the earthquake of life hits. It breaks down simple things to do to ground yourself and care for your nervous system. It is very effective and efficient so that we can still meet the demands of life without giving up. Then, we start easing our way back into joy and out of burnout. AS you just heard Lara’s journey through her burnout and life with Neurodiverse kids led her to be the amazing coach that she is today.  Lara is a speaker, podcast host, writer, consultant, and coach who has helped thousands of moms be in a better mood, play more with their kids, manage their homes better, get their to-do lists done, and answer their purpose with fire in their Souls.How To Find Lara Johnson IG: https://www.instagram.com/j.lara.johnson/Website: https://www.larajohnsoncoaching.com3 things to avoid when reading self-help: https://www.larajohnsoncoaching.com/bookclubPodcast episode I mentioned -   https://www.larajohnsoncoaching.com/ep-39-behind-the-curtain-of-autism-pda/  Mom on Purpose podcastApple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mom-on-purpose/id1627551421Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5R1UPX0xo36Htsymyu4jpO?si=bf517e8a48be415cAndi’s LinksLinkedIn Facebook InstagramGo to www.911lifestyle.com to see Andi’s work with First Responders since 2018Whoop Band Discount Code 1 Month Free Whoop App Private Beat Burnout Group Invite Code -  COMM-E57F84Oura Ring Discount Code -  NOTE there is a limit to how many I can give this code for $50 off.  IF you find it's reached its max, email me [email protected] and I will ask someone else who has an Oura Ring for their code for you. Being a new podcast please help us out by giving Burnout Expert Podcast a 5 star rating and review on this Apple Podcast link.  Even if you don’t listen on Apple, this review helps get us seen on all platforms. Apple Podcast Rate and Review - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/burnout-expert-podcast/id1674274021  Mentioned in this episode:Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/yasumu/blue-waters License code: ULEPOJ2G3QK74TY1