Caregiving can train your nervous system to live on high alert, even on a “routine” Tuesday. In this episode of Live Well, Love Strong, Sarah sits down with Keri Aschoff, LPC, a trauma-informed therapist and fellow mom, to talk about what caregiver anxiety and burnout really look like in the body and what actually helps.

Keri shares her family’s story of her daughter collapsing at a homecoming dance and later being diagnosed with dysautonomia, including POTS, and how that lived experience reshaped both her motherhood and her professional practice. Together, Sarah and Keri name the patterns so many caregivers carry: chronic anxiety, burnout, the low hum of irritability, and that heavy dread feeling that leaves you both wired and exhausted at the same time.

They unpack why anxiety is not a personal failure, how the nervous system can over-calibrate after years in the trenches, and why trying to “do it right” can sometimes make things harder. You’ll hear practical tools you can start today, including the PACE framework (Pause, Assess, Choose, Engage and Empower), the “jellyfish” muscle release technique, slow exhales to calm the stress response, hydration as nervous system support, and simple ways to burn off adrenaline in real life.

This episode is honest, practical, and deeply validating for parents and caregivers who feel like their bodies never fully come down. You are not broken. Your nervous system has been protecting you. And it can learn to recalibrate.

To connect with Keri or learn more about her counseling services in Texas, visit kindworkscounselor.com.