How Mindfulness Helped Me Manage My Parenting Overwhelm

We're parents of neurodivergent kids, of course we're stressed and under pressure.

Me and Ocean, laughing on vacation

When resentment and burnout bubbled up, and I knew I couldn’t keep pretending I was okay.

Yoga and mindfulness had always helped me manage my anxiety. Then I became a parent. My practice completely disintegrated.

My son Ocean was the kind of baby who needed to be held upright and bounced most of the time. He was intense and I couldn’t tell what was upsetting him so much. I felt responsible for his challenges.

I was isolated, overwhelmed, and denying myself basic needs like sleep, movement, and nutrition. I expected myself to function calmly and kindly under extreme pressure without strategies or support.

There were so many aspects of parenting that were hard and unexpected that I was barely functioning.

It took a few years to get his first diagnosis, but Ocean started Physical Therapy through Early Intervention at just 13 months. I lost myself in the process of scheduling all the therapies, and trying to practice the exercises with him on our own.

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