The Stress Nanny with Lindsay Miller

What if the answer to burnout isn’t doing less—but learning how to give your best without giving your all?

For high-achieving parents and kids, advice like slow down, take a break, or do less doesn’t always land. We care deeply. We have goals. Our kids have goals. And we don’t necessarily want to give those things up.

So how do we pursue meaningful goals without running ourselves—or our kids—into the ground?

In this episode of The Stress Nanny Podcast, Lindsay sits down with speaker, consultant, and “recovering overachiever” Erika Coleman for a thoughtful conversation about stress, achievement, burnout, parenting, and what it means to build a life where success is actually sustainable.

After building a million-dollar virtual training company, losing her mom to cancer, closing her business, and experiencing debilitating burnout, Erika began studying stress, well-being, and high performance. Her work led her to a powerful idea she calls “even achieving”: learning to stretch ourselves enough to grow without stretching so far that we can’t show up again tomorrow.

Together, Lindsay and Erika explore how that principle applies not only to adults, but to the way we raise kids.

Because whether our kids are pushing themselves in academics, competitive sports, performing arts, or something else they love, childhood is where they begin learning what achievement is supposed to feel like. We have an opportunity to teach them that doing their best doesn’t have to mean sacrificing their bodies, relationships, joy, or well-being in the process.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why traditional stress-management advice often doesn’t work for high achievers
• The difference between giving your best and giving your all
• Erika’s concept of “even achieving” as an alternative to overachieving
• How parents can model sustainable achievement for their kids
• Why success shouldn’t leave us too exhausted to enjoy it
• The importance of celebration in motivation and family life
• A powerful question Erika regularly asks her husband and kids: Have I been present enough for you?
• How to choose relationship over perfection in everyday parenting moments
• Why focusing on direction instead of destination can change the way we approach family life
• How humor and joy can coexist with genuinely difficult experiences
• Helping kids recognize that they have the resources to meet stressful situations
• Why caring for yourself isn’t separate from caring for your family

One of the most powerful reminders in this conversation is that stress itself isn’t necessarily the enemy. We can help kids recognize the resources they already have—the people supporting them, skills they’ve developed, experiences they’ve survived, and strengths they can draw upon—so stress can become energy they work with rather than something that simply overwhelms them.

And as parents, we can do the same.

We don’t have to create perfect families. We don’t have to stop striving. And we certainly don’t have to get everything right.

Instead, we can keep asking: Are the choices we’re making today moving our family in the direction we want to go?

Because our kids need to see us do hard things. But they also need to see us enjoy our lives, care for ourselves, celebrate what matters, laugh when things get messy, and have enough left in the tank to show up again tomorrow.

About Erika Coleman

Erika Coleman is a speaker, consultant, and recovering overachiever whose work explores stress, motivation, well-being, and sustainable high performance. She holds a master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology from Harvard University and works to help people achieve meaningful goals without sacrificing a life worth living.

Learn more about Erika and her work at ErikaColemanSpeaks.com, and find her TEDx talk at ErikasTEDTalk.com.

For more tools to help your family build calm, confidence, resilience, and connection, visit TheStressNanny.com.

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using  her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. 

To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here. 

To review the podcast click here.

Does your child forget assignments, struggle to use a planner, procrastinate on homework, or need constant reminders to get out the door in the morning?

Those everyday challenges are opportunities to build executive function skills—and the goal isn’t to create a perfect routine overnight.

In this episode of The Stress Nanny Podcast, Lindsay Miller shares how parents can help kids find their school rhythm: a realistic approach to organization, time management, productivity, homework, rest, and daily routines that works with a child’s actual schedule instead of fighting against it.

Lindsay walks through the conversations she has with kids and teens to help them look at their school day differently. Instead of seeing a schedule as simply a list of classes, kids can learn to notice where they’ll need the most energy, when they have pockets of time to get organized, where they can take a much-needed break, and who they can turn to when they need support.

And sometimes, ten minutes used intentionally during the school day can make the difference between an exhausting pile of homework at night and a much more manageable evening.

The same principle applies at home.

Rather than parents constantly reminding kids what needs to happen next, Lindsay explains how families can help kids build systems around after-school downtime, homework, activities, bedtime, sleep, and morning routines—with kids taking increasing ownership as they develop the skills to do so.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to help kids identify the natural rhythm of their school day
• Simple ways to strengthen executive function and time-management skills
• Why a planner can be powerful—if it actually works for your child
• How small pockets of time at school can reduce the homework burden at night
• Why kids need to know who their support people are before they’re struggling
• How to balance productivity with social time, rest, and after-school decompression
• A simple strategy for making it easier to start homework
• How evening and morning routines can support greater independence
• Why involving kids in creating their own systems can reduce parent-child power struggles

The goal isn’t to manage every minute of your child’s day for them. It’s to help them become more aware of what they need, experiment with tools that work for them, and gradually build the confidence and skills to manage more independently.

Because executive function skills develop over time—and every planner entry, ten-minute work session, morning routine, and independently started homework assignment is a chance to practice.

Listen in for practical ideas you can use to help your child work with the rhythm of the school year and feel more capable, organized, and empowered along the way.

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using  her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. 

To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here. 

To review the podcast click here.

Summer is full of growth for kids—but how often do we actually stop and help them notice it?

In this episode of The Stress Nanny Podcast, Lindsay Miller shares one of her favorite coaching tools: the Summer Review Conversation. It’s a simple reflection exercise that helps kids recognize how they’ve grown, identify the skills they used to navigate challenges, and carry that confidence with them into whatever comes next.

Kids are constantly developing emotional, social, and mental skills, but unlike grades or physical milestones, growth in confidence and resilience can be easy to miss. A child might go away to camp without knowing anyone, try something that scares them, spend time away from home, tackle a difficult hike, or navigate a worry that once would have stopped them completely.

Those experiences matter—and talking about them helps kids see why.

Lindsay walks parents through how to have a Summer Review Conversation by looking back at the highlights of the summer and asking questions that go beyond What did you do? to explore How did you do it?

When kids identify the thoughts, choices, support, and coping skills that helped them through a challenging experience, they begin building a powerful narrative about themselves: I can do hard things. I can handle uncertainty. I know how to make friends. I can be brave even when I’m nervous.

And the best part? Parents can bring those discoveries back later when kids face their next challenge.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to have a simple Summer Review Conversation with your child
• Why reflection can help build confidence and resilience
• Questions that help kids recognize their emotional and social growth
• How to celebrate progress that doesn’t show up on a report card
• Why asking “How did you do that?” can build self-awareness
• How to help kids create their own narrative of resilience
• What to do if your child doesn’t want to have these conversations with you
• How to use past successes to give kids confidence for future challenges

Whether your child conquered a big fear, made a new friend, tried camp for the first time, traveled without you, or simply handled something better than they would have a year ago, take a few minutes to help them notice it.

Those moments become evidence they can carry forward: I’ve done hard things before, and I can do them again.

Try a Summer Review Conversation with your child this week—and help them head into their next adventure with a little more confidence in who they already are.

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using  her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. 

To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here. 

To review the podcast click here.

Back-to-school season can bring plenty of excitement—but for many kids, it also brings worry, uncertainty, and those familiar nervous butterflies.

In this episode of The Stress Nanny Podcast, Lindsay Miller shares three practical tools parents can use to help kids navigate back-to-school anxiety with more calm and confidence.

You’ll learn why a child’s nervousness about a new teacher, classroom, schedule, friendships, or school is often a completely normal nervous-system response to uncertainty—and why our job as parents isn’t always to make that discomfort disappear. Instead, we can learn to “sit on the bench” with our kids while they work through it.

Lindsay walks through three simple strategies you can use:

• Name it to tame it. Help kids get specific about what they’re worried about so an abstract feeling of dread becomes something concrete they can understand and work through.
• Turn nervous butterflies into excited butterflies. Use curiosity and excitement to help kids channel nervous energy toward the parts of school they’re looking forward to.
• Focus on what they already know about themselves. Remind kids of times they’ve made friends, handled new situations, overcome worries, or done hard things before so they can carry that confidence into the new school year.

You’ll also hear why it can be so hard for parents to watch kids feel nervous—and how becoming more comfortable with their healthy discomfort can create space for resilience to grow.

If your child is nervous about starting school, meeting a new teacher, making friends, changing schools, or simply facing the unknown, this episode will give you practical ways to help them take those first steps with more calm, curiosity, and confidence.

In this episode:

• Why back-to-school anxiety can be a normal nervous-system response
• The amygdala “smoke alarm” and what uncertainty does to the brain
• Why immediately reassuring kids that “you’ll be fine” may not be what they need
• How to help kids identify exactly what they’re worried about
• Using curiosity to shift from fear toward excitement
• Helping kids recognize evidence of their own resilience
• Supporting kids through discomfort without trying to fix it for them

Follow The Stress Nanny Podcast for more practical strategies to help kids build emotional regulation, resilience, self-confidence, and calm.

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using  her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. 

To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here. 

To review the podcast click here.

What if resilience wasn't something you scrambled for in a crisis, but something already woven into the fabric of your family's everyday life?

That's the big idea behind this conversation with Dr. Kate Lund, licensed clinical psychologist, resilience expert, and author of Bounce: Help Your Child Build Resilience and Thrive in School, Sports and Life. Dr. Kate brings over two decades of clinical experience, specialized training from three Harvard Medical School affiliated hospitals, and a perspective on resilience that's deeply personal, deeply practical, and deeply worth your time.

In this episode, we cover:

What led Dr. Kate to dedicate her career to resilience (hint: it started with her own story as a kid navigating a medical diagnosis and returning to school feeling different from everyone else)

The Relaxation Response, a research-backed, two-minute technique you can teach your whole family to help regulate stress before it takes over a moment

How to tell when your child's stress levels have hit a tipping point, and what parents often miss because the signs don't always look the way you'd expect

Why holding space for your kid sometimes means doing nothing at all, and how to resist the urge to fix, redirect, or jump in with your own story

The Daily Wins exercise that shifts kids (and parents) out of the "everything went wrong" spiral and back toward what's possible

What a resilient lifestyle actually looks like in practice, and why it's so different from trying to build resilience in high-stakes moments.

The college admissions conversation every parent of a teen needs to hear, including Dr. Kate's refreshingly honest take on navigating what we can and can't control

A moment that stuck with us:

Lindsay shares the story of her daughter coming home from a rough rowing practice and not wanting to talk. Instead of pulling out the coaching toolkit, Lindsay chose to just be there. Later that evening, her daughter came back with her phone and said, "Mom, I made myself wallpaper with the thoughts I need to remember." The seeds had been planted. They just needed space to grow.

That's resilience as a lifestyle, not a rescue mission.

About Dr. Kate Lund:

Dr. Kate is a licensed clinical psychologist, resilience expert, speaker, and author. She helps parents, athletes, students, and entrepreneurs thrive within their own unique contexts. She's also an active volunteer at Seattle Children's Hospital, where she and her therapy dog Wally bring comfort and smiles to young patients facing difficult medical situations.

Find her at katelundspeaks.com, and connect with her on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Resources mentioned:

Bounce: Help Your Child Build Resilience and Thrive in School, Sports and Life by Dr. Kate Lund

Step Away: The Keys to Resilient Parenting by Dr. Kate Lund

The Optimized Mind Podcast with Dr. Kate Lund

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using  her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. 

To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here. 

To review the podcast click here.

This week Lindsay is back with a solo episode, and it's a good one. She's making the case for self-awareness as the single most foundational skill we can give our kids — and unpacking why so many families accidentally skip it entirely.

Spoiler: it's not because they don't care. It's because we've been taught to associate self-awareness with selfishness. And that association, Lindsay argues, is completely backwards.

What We Cover

• Why self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, AND empathy (not selfishness)
• What self-awareness actually is — and what it isn't
• Why kids who don't have it yet aren't dramatic or difficult — they just need the language
• The five reasons self-awareness matters for your child right now
• Why kids struggle to develop it (and how to give them grace while they do)
• Five practical, low-pressure ways to start teaching it at home today
• The story of a client who went from crippling anxiety and almost no self-awareness — to knowing exactly what she needed and accepting herself with full compassion

The 5 Reasons It Matters

1. It's the foundation of emotional intelligence (Daniel Goleman's research)
2. It improves emotional regulation — naming a feeling literally calms the brain
3. Self-aware kids understand their strengths AND their challenges (hello, growth mindset)
4. It strengthens executive function and decision-making
5. It improves relationships — with peers, family, and eventually themselves

5 Ways to Teach It at Home

1. Narrate instead of interrogate ("I'm noticing your body looks tight — are you feeling frustrated?")
2. Use body-based awareness ("Where do you feel that? Does it feel fast or slow, tight or heavy?")
3. Model it yourself ("I'm feeling really overwhelmed — I'm going to take a breath")
4. Pause and give them space (stop demanding answers; value the exploration)
5. Normalize ALL feelings — emotions aren't good or bad, they're information

Want to Know Where Your Child Is Starting From?

Lindsay uses an intake survey with every family she works with — it helps pinpoint exactly where your child is and what kind of support would serve them best.

Complete the survey here: Take the Intake Survey

No obligation — Lindsay is happy to follow up with book recommendations, podcast episodes, blogs, or just a conversation about where to start.

Connect + Resources

• Complete the intake survey: form.jotform.com/91358944039163
• More tools and support: thestressnanny.com

Loved This Episode?

Share it with a parent who's been told their kid is "too sensitive" or "too emotional." This one is for them.

And if you have a minute, leave a review — it helps other families find the show.

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using  her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. 

To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here. 

To review the podcast click here.

Your teenager came to you upset. You said "go sort yourself out." Here's what they actually needed.

In this episode, Lindsay sits down with Laura Ollinger — teen and parent wellbeing coach, speaker and mom of FOUR teenagers (yes, all at once) — for a conversation that is equal parts real talk and practical gold.

Laura shares how a personal tragedy and her daughter's anxiety brought her back to school in her 40s, and why she built a coaching practice that works with both kids AND parents — because coaching a teen once a week means nothing if the home environment isn't on board.

This one is a must-listen if your teen has ever come home emotional and you didn't quite know what to do with it.

What We Cover

• The Big 5 stressors teens are navigating right now 
• The think-feel-do-have cycle and how subconscious beliefs quietly run the show
• How to listen for "black and white" language in your teen and what to do when you hear it
• Why emotional fluency at the dinner table is one of the most powerful things you can build
• The difference between "was there anything good?" and "what was good?" (tiny, but it changes everything)
• What a calm, connected family culture actually looks like — spoiler: it's not perfect, it's present
• How keeping an emotional pulse on your kids, without judgment, is success worth celebrating

Key Takeaway

You don't need a perfect family. You need a connected one. If you know your son is tired and worried about algebra, and your daughter had a rough day before she even walked through the door — that awareness IS the work. Give yourself the credit.

Resources + Links Mentioned

• Laura Ollinger's website: positivelyhealthycoaching.com
• Laura's podcast: The Positively Healthy Mom
• Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy (bench metaphor)

Connect with Laura

• Website: positivelyhealthycoaching.com
• Find all her social links on her website

Loved this episode?

Share it with a parent in your life who could use a little more calm this week. And if you have a minute, leave a review — it helps other families find the show.

For more tools and support: thestressnanny.com

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using  her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. 

To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here. 

To review the podcast click here.

If your child is an angel at school and a hurricane at home, today's episode is for you. Lindsay introduces the "emotion beach ball" — a simple concept that completely re-frames why regulated kids often struggle most with the people they love. This one is for every parent who has quietly wondered if they're doing something wrong.

Resources mentioned:

• The Stress Nanny Untangling Stress Questionnaire
• thestressnanny.com

Key themes: 

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using  her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. 

To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here. 

To review the podcast click here.

Money stress has a way of leaking into everything, our sleep, our relationships, and even the way our kids learn what “normal” looks like at home. I’m joined by Lori Atwood, CFP and founder of Fearless Finance, to talk about what changes when financial planning is truly fiduciary and priced in a way regular families can actually use. We dig into why “free” advice often isn’t free at all, how commission and assets-under-management models can quietly shape recommendations, and how an hourly approach can give you a clearer, more neutral path forward.

We also get real about the emotional side of personal finance: shame, guilt, and the comparison trap that social media amplifies. Lori shares her definition of real prosperity and her five fundamentals that create financial security: spending less than you earn, keeping an “oops” cash buffer, building a true emergency fund, saving at least 15% for retirement, and managing consumer debt with a payoff plan. If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by money anxiety or told yourself you’re “not good at money,” this conversation offers a calmer, more workable way to start.

Because this is The Stress Nanny, we bring it back to parenting too. We talk about modeling money habits, why kids learn more from our reactions than our lectures, and how to set teens up with developmentally appropriate first steps like a checking account and debit card. One of my favorite insights is how buyer’s remorse, in small stakes moments, teaches value and priorities better than any app ever could. If this helps, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more parents can find practical support.

To learn more about Fearless Finance, visit the website and use code LindsayMiller for $50 off your first session. 

You can also find Lori on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Lori Atwood is the founder and CEO of Fearless Finance and a CFP® professional.  Lori created Fearless Finance to make expert, fiduciary, hourly financial planning accessible to everyone with no sales, no minimums, and no judgement. Lori’s been in finance for over 25 years starting in investment banking, asset management and private equity before starting Fearless Finance in 2016.

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using  her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. 

To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here. 

To review the podcast click here.

What if a single weekend outside could reset your child’s confidence and your family’s rhythm? We sit down with Antoinette Lee—Army veteran, outdoor industry leader, and founder of American Adventures Sports Club—to unpack how nature, camp, and adventure sports help kids regulate emotions, build resilience, and discover real independence. Antoinette’s own recovery from traumatic brain and spine injuries points to the power of neuroplasticity: archery sharpened her focus, whitewater kayaking restored her sense of self, and those same practices now help children move from “I can’t” to “I just did.”

We dig into the nuts and bolts of sleepaway camp—why so many kids arrive expecting hand-holding, how “challenge by choice” flips fear into curiosity, and the way natural consequences teach responsibility without shame. You’ll hear practical scripts for de-escalating big feelings, tips to create team energy fast (think: “Be in the buses in 15 minutes”), and reasons kids often open up to non-parent adults who can listen without leaping to fix. The stories are vivid: a reluctant camper who paddles out for the first time and phones home to announce, “I was brave,” and a bus ride where honest peer talk eases loneliness more quickly than any lecture.

Access matters, so we map real options: micro-adventures in a backyard or on a balcony, university gear rentals, thrifted essentials, and nonprofits offering free or low-cost adaptive programs for every ability level. We also make the health case for the outdoors—less processed food, more movement, sunlight for vitamin D, and water time that replenishes minerals—so kids feel better and behavior improves. Most of all, this conversation shows how small, repeated choices outside can rewire a child’s story from avoidance to agency, and give parents a clear, compassionate playbook they can use tomorrow.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a quick review so more families can find their path to calm, confidence, and connection.

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and  host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks  and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using  her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes. 

To sign up for Lindsay's "Calm & Collected" Newsletter click here. 

To review the podcast click here.