The pressure to be everything to everyone is real and exhausting. But what if just a few small changes could completely shift how you move through your day? I’m sharing 3 simple but powerful tools that are helping me find calm in the chaos and show up as my best self at work and at home.

In this episode of our toolkit series, host Barbara Mighdoll shares three of the most powerful, actionable life hacks she learned from guests on Season 1. These are real shifts that are helping her actually manage the chaos of working motherhood. These aren’t vague productivity tips or recycled self-care mantras. This is the practical stuff, the “I started doing this immediately and it changed my day” kind of stuff.

From the art of context switching between mom mode and work mode to reframing the  perfectionist mindset to get more done in the day and finding ways to rest that don’t come with guilt, Barbara reveals the strategies that are sticking with her. 

You won’t leave overwhelmed, you’ll leave with clear, doable takeaways you can put into action today.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🔁 Mastering the Transition between Mom Mode & Work Mom

Learn how to create intentional transitions between “mom mode” and “work mode,” even if you work from home and your commute is five steps. These 15-minute rituals can change everything about how you show up in both worlds.

📵 The Phone-Free Morning Ritual That Lowers Cortisol and Increases Clarity

Barbara shares the habit that completely changed her mornings: no phone until the last kid is dropped off. Plus, how she uses her commute for connection and calm instead of a to-do list.

💭 Breaking the Perfectionist Cycle with “No Zero Days”

Discover how Barbara and guest Divya Gugnani reframe progress with one simple mindset that makes consistency in the habits you want to uphold in your day possible, even on your busiest days.

🧘‍♀️ Redefining Rest as Productive

Hitha Palepu shares how the concept of “Gentle Wednesdays” is helping her reframe rest as a necessary tool for success, not something to earn.

🗂️ Three Shifts You Can Do Today

You’ll leave with one bite-sized, super achievable action for each of the three major areas covered in this episode. 

Follow Barbara:

• On Instagram here
• On LinkedIn here

Follow Kim:

• On LinkedIn here

Follow Divya:

• On Instagram here
• On LinkedIn here

Follow Hitha:

• On Instagram here
• On LinkedIn here

About New Modern Mom: You know the dream of having it all – a thriving career, an active social life, present time with your kids, and adventures in travel. But how the F can we actually do it all? Host Barbara Mighdoll chats with other working mom executives on the raw truth behind their support systems, self-identity shifts, productivity, infertility and pregnancy loss, mom guilt, partner dynamics, childcare and even imposter syndrome. We’re exploring how these incredible women are translating their professional superpowers into their personal lives. Because we believe you can have it all, you just cannot do it all. Together, we’re building the playbook for the new modern mom.

The New Modern Mom Podcast is produced by Barbara Mighdoll, Ali Alquiza, and Em Roberts.