Motherhood Unstressed

Luke Mickelson never planned to start a nonprofit. In 2012, he found out kids in his own town were sleeping on the floor, so he built one bunk bed in his garage. That bed became Sleep in Heavenly Peace, now the largest bed-building charity in the world, with over 300,000 beds delivered to kids across the US and beyond.

In this episode, Luke talks about walking away from a stable sales career to chase something that felt bigger than a five-year plan, why "no kid sleeps on the floor in our town" became the only mission statement he needed, and the discipline it took to keep the organization from drifting into everything else it could have become. We also get into what a bed actually changes for a kid, and what he's learned about noticing the tiny moments that end up changing a life.

If you've ever wondered what it looks like to turn one small act of service into a movement without losing the plot along the way, this one's for you. And if it moves you the way it moved us, Sleep in Heavenly Peace has chapters across the country that are always looking for volunteers, builders, and donations. Head to https://shpbeds.org or on Instagram @shpbeds to find one near you.

Connect with Liz @elizabeth_carlile or motherhoodunstressed.com

Most of us know we're stressed. What we don't know is what it's actually doing to our bodies while we push through another day. This week I'm talking with Daniel Zavrel about heart coherence, a stress test you've probably never heard of, and what it reveals about your nervous system.

Episode summary:

Daniel Zavrel has spent over 30 years working in human performance, elite sports, and corporate leadership, and is the founder of Consciouz and creator of the ConsciouzScan Method. In this conversation, we get into how the ConsciouzScan reads stress and imbalance in the body, what heart coherence training reveals about your nervous system, and what happens when unresolved stress goes unaddressed. If you've ever wondered why you can "know" you should meditate or breathe deeper and still not do it, this episode gets at the missing piece: seeing the effect in real time changes everything.

In this episode, we cover:

• What heart coherence actually is, and why it's more than a buzzword
• The ConsciouzScan Method: how it measures stress and imbalance in the body
• How chronic stress physically shows up in the brain and the heart
• Practical ways to bring your body back into balance day to day
• How this work applies to the exhaustion so many moms are carrying without realizing it

About Daniel Zavrel:

Daniel Zavrel is the founder of Consciouz and creator of the ConsciouzScan Method, bringing over 30 years of experience in human performance, vitality, and stress regulation. His work spans global corporations (Accenture, Unilever, Philips, PwC), elite sports (including PSV's three-time national championship run), and the Dutch National Police, where he trained over 1,500 officers in mental resilience. He's also a certified HeartMath Group Trainer. Today, his ConsciouzScan Method helps coaches, practitioners, and individuals get a clear, measurable picture of stress load, recovery, and resilience.

Links:

• Consciouz: consciouz.com
• About Daniel: consciouz.com/about-daniel-zavrel
• ConsciouzScan sessions: checkout.consciouz.com/consciouz-body-mind-scan
• Daniel on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/danielzavrel

Follow Motherhood Unstressed:

• Instagram @elizabeth_carlile
• www.motherhoodunstressed.com

A whispered, sensory meditation for the moments you need to fully let go — winding through restoration, anxiety relief, and grounding affirmations for self-love and inner strength, ending in a state calm enough for sleep. Soft-spoken, slow-paced, no experience needed. Just ten minutes to settle in and rest.

Connect with Liz on IG @elizabeth_carlile or at www.motherhoodunstressed.com

How much do the places around us shape the way we think, behave, and connect with others?

In this episode of Motherhood Unstressed, I sit down with behavioral scientist and author Leidy Klotz to explore the hidden influence of our environments.

Drawing from his new book In a Good Place: How the Places Where We Live, Work, and Play Can Help Us Thrive, Klotz explains how homes, workplaces, schools, and cities quietly shape our habits, relationships, and overall well-being.

The conversation explores how thoughtful design can encourage creativity, connection, and healthier routines and how small changes to our surroundings can dramatically shift the way we experience daily life.

For parents, entrepreneurs, creatives, and anyone interested in building a life that feels more intentional, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the environments that shape us.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why the environments around us influence behavior more than we realize

• How the design of homes and workplaces affects stress, creativity, and connection

• Small environmental changes that can improve family life

• Why certain places foster friendships and community

• How changing environments can spark new thinking and habits

• The psychology behind why some spaces help us thrive while others drain us

About the Guest

Leidy Klotz is a behavioral scientist, University of Virginia professor, and author whose research focuses on how design and environment shape human behavior. His work examines how small changes to the spaces around us can improve well-being, relationships, and decision-making.

His latest book, In a Good Place, explores how the environments where we live, work, and play influence our ability to flourish.

Connect with Leidy at https://leidyklotz.com

Get the book In a Good Place: How the Places Where We Live, Work, and Play Can Help Us Thrive

Connect with Motherhood Unstressed

Instagram: @elizabeth_carlile

In this Joe Dispenza–inspired guided meditation, you'll slow your nervous system, release the energy of the past year, and intentionally step into the version of yourself you are becoming.

This 10-minute practice blends intention setting, future-self visualization, heart-centered awareness, and elevated emotion to help you embody alignment rather than chase outcomes. Instead of forcing goals, you'll practice becoming the person who naturally lives them.

This meditation is designed for the new year but it can be returned to anytime you need a reset, clarity, or a reminder of who you're choosing to be.

Best enjoyed seated or lying down.

No prior meditation experience needed.

Connect with Liz at www.motherhoodunstressed.com or on Instagram @elizabeth_carlile

In this inspiring conversation, I sit down with MedMaps Executive Director Honey Rinicella to discuss her family's journey through autism, biomedical healing, and the breakthrough communication method featured in the documentary Spellers. Honey shares how addressing underlying medical issues transformed her twins' health, why MedMaps is leading the way in root-cause pediatric medicine, and how her once non-speaking son is now attending college and advocating for others. This episode is a powerful reminder that there is always hope, and that healing can come from directions you never expected.

About Honey

Resources Mentioned: MedMaps: https://medmaps.org

Spellers Documentary / Underestimated by JB & Jamie Handley

Vincent's Blog: https://theunfilteredmindofvincent.wordpress.com

Follow Motherhood Unstressed: Instagram: @elizabeth_carlile Podcast + Blog: www.motherhoodunstressed.com

When life feels overwhelming, return to the stillness within.

In this soothing guided meditation I invite you into the deep calm of the ocean, where the waves of emotion meet the wisdom of patience.

Through gentle breathwork, a full-body relaxation scan, and powerful affirmations, this meditation helps you release anxiety, regulate your nervous system, and rediscover your inner strength. Inspired by the timeless lesson "Still waters run deep," this practice reminds us that true power often lives in quiet hearts.

Perfect for stress relief, burnout recovery, emotional healing, or winding down at night.

If this meditation helped you find a little more calm today, I'd love for you to share it with a friend who might need the same reminder, that peace isn't something we chase, it's something we return to.

You can find more guided meditations and soulful conversations on Motherhood Unstressed wherever you listen to podcasts.

And if you'd like to start your own journey to living more grounded and unstressed, make sure you're following along on Instagram @motherhoodunstressed and at motherhoodunstressed.com for mindful living tips and wellness insights.

In this special guided meditation, inspired by Itzhak Bentov's groundbreaking book, Stalking the Wild Pendulum, you'll be led through a journey of vibration, stillness, and expansion. Together, we'll explore the rhythm of the universe and the quiet "still point" at the center of all motion, an opening into higher consciousness and connection with the Divine.

This meditation is designed not only to bring you calm and clarity, but also to awaken your creative power. As you rest in universal resonance, you'll be guided to extend peace, compassion, and healing vibrations outward, helping to create harmony within yourself, your community, and the wider world.

In the wake of recent tragic events, this practice offers a way to process grief, release tension, and send light into spaces of pain and division. Whether you are new to meditation or experienced, this practice invites you to embody the truth that you are both an individual and part of the whole, capable of shaping the world through your consciousness.

What You'll Experience:

• Breathing and relaxation to settle the body and mind

• A visualization of Bentov's pendulum and the universal pulse

• Accessing the "still point" of infinite presence

• Sending healing light to yourself and to the world

• Affirmations for peace, compassion, and conscious creation

Thank you for taking this time to realign, expand your awareness, and become a source of harmony and healing.

Connect on IG @motherhoodunstressed or at motherhoodunstressed.com

Introducing my brand-new podcast for children: Little Dreamers.

As parents, we know that kids today face more stress and anxiety than ever before. Little Dreamers was born out of my desire to give children a safe, soothing space to relax, unwind, and learn valuable tools for handling big feelings.

Each episode combines: 🌙 Gentle, original bedtime stories 💛 Mindfulness techniques like deep breathing 🌱 Moral lessons woven naturally into the narrative

Whether your child struggles to fall asleep, feels anxious during the day, or simply loves a good story, Little Dreamers offers calm, comfort, and connection — all while helping them grow in courage and kindness.

👉 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And please leave a review!

Do you ever find yourself stuck in patterns of anxiety, procrastination, perfectionism, people pleasing, or low confidence? What if instead of constantly trying to manage those feelings, you could actually be free of them, quickly and permanently?

This week on the podcast, I'm joined by Daniel Packard, a Mechanical Engineer turned emotional wellness innovator, and the CEO of Full Liberation Technology. Daniel and his team spent 8 years (and over a million dollars in R&D!) developing a breakthrough system that gets to the root of what's really holding us back—boasting an industry-leading 90% success rate.

In this conversation, you'll hear:

• Why so many of us feel stuck, no matter how many tools or therapies we try

• The hidden emotional root cause behind self-sabotaging behaviors and why it's often overlooked

• How Daniel's engineering background helped him create a simple, practical way to break free for good

• Why healing doesn't have to take years and how real freedom can feel fast, direct, and even logical

If you're ready to stop managing the stress and actually release it from your system, this episode will be a total game changer.

Listen now to uncover a whole new path to freedom with science, heart, and clarity.

Resources

GET THE FREE VIDEO TRAINING To gain access to the free video training Daniel mentioned go to www.danielpackard.com

Connect with me on Instagram @motherhoodunstressed or at www.motherhoodunstressed.com and please leave a review!