Some Mondays hit harder than others. This week, Erin comes in raw and unfiltered hoodie, blanket, coffee in hand, to talk about overwhelm, self-neglect, and the lies we tell ourselves about rest.

Between missed school buses, traffic meltdowns, late-night rabbit holes, and showing up for peers when support systems fail, it’s easy to believe the story that there’s no time to stop. But here’s the truth:

Ignoring your own needs isn’t noble. It’s destructive.

In this episode, Erin challenges the responder culture belief that rest is laziness. She walks through the real cost of putting everyone else first and why regulating your nervous system, hydrating your body, and giving yourself permission to pause are not luxuries, they’re lifelines.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why agitation often signals unmet needs (not just irritability)
• The signs of dehydration and fatigue responders often miss
• How peer support fails when people don’t follow through
• Why self-sacrifice feels noble, but eventually backfires
• The guilt we carry around rest and why it’s misplaced
• How to recognize when your “no people” days are really calls for recovery

MENTAL FIREPOWER:

Redefine Rest.
Rest isn’t sleep. It isn’t laziness. It’s the pause that allows you to show up human at work, at home, and for yourself.

WHO THIS IS FOR:

• First responders running on empty but still pushing harder
• Spouses living with the fallout of exhaustion and reactivity
• Peer supporters trying to be everything to everyone
• Anyone who feels guilty for slowing down

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/needmospace/chill-power

License code: QUUZB4TP7STKMLJN