Mama Motivation Podcast

Join me in some girl talk with a seasoned mother, Amy Schwan.  She is a high school teacher of 23 years, a wife of 21 years, and a mother of three high school children.  She shares her morning routine, her biggest life lessons, and how she keeps up with her busy lifestyle in this fun conversation.  She also share about her husbands heart attack and how she keeps her and the whole family healthy with natural eating. SHOW NOTES:You can find Amy Schwan on:Instagram: @houseof5schwansFacebook Name: Mama on a Mediterranean MissionLet's be friends!  Don't be a stranger, follow Sheena on Instagram @sheenawalenta

Show Notes:We work so hard for others. We want to be a good employee, a good mom, a good friend. . . And where do we put ourselves on the list of priorities? Too often we put our own stuff at the bottom of the list. Well, it’s time to keep promises to ourselves. It’s time to treat ourselves like a client. We are important. Make yourself a priority!Let’s be friends. Come say hi on Instagram at https://instagram.com/sheenawalenta If the podcast is making a difference in your life tag @sheenawalenta in your stories to help others find the podcast

This episode is about embracing the hardship - embrace the suck. Rather than try to swim upstream, embrace the water’s current and just go with it.More resources at https://mamamotivation.comLet’s become friends! Find me on Instagram at @sheenawalenta or search “Mama Motivation Podcast” I am a real person with only a couple hundred friends on Instagram. If you DM me, I’ll write you back. Let me know what types of topics you want to hear more of.Show Notes:This episode is about embracing the hardship - embrace the suck. Rather than try to swim upstream, embrace the water’s current and just go with it.When we have to deal with something hard or uncomfortable, we often dwell on how much it sucks. Rather than fight it, embrace it. Buckle down, bite the bullet, and get it done.The easiest way to do that is to remember your “why.”Love ya! See ya in the next episode.

Failing to Plan is Planning to FailDid you know the brain has no concept of time? You will write down a to-do list a mile long and then attempt to get it all done without stopping to think about how much time each task takes. Start each morning with 10 minutes to plan out your day. I discuss how to do this in two steps:Do a brain dumpHighlight all the things that are MUSTS for that day.  Then stick those highlighted items in your planner that is broken down by the half hour. So what's the difference between journaling and planning?  Journaling is when you sit down and listen to your inner wisdom. It matters less about what you write down, but more about just writing freely and listening to your inner-voice.  That voice that is in touch with your emotions and subconscious. Planning is also a form of writing. But it is done in a much different way. SHOW NOTES:Sheena's favorite planners right now:High Performance Planner you can get it on Amazon here >Passion Planner

Craft your life instead of becoming someone by accident.Download the CLARITY printable worksheet at https://mamamotivation.com/8Clarity means having direction in you life. Like when you go bowling with your kids, the bumpers keep the ball moving down the lane in the right direction. It's important to have the tools to keep the ball moving forward. In this episode we talk about 4 strategies to having clarity for your life. Everyday we get distracted, but we need the road map so we don't lose our way. 1) Find you passion! Look back at what you were passionate about as a child. Write down a list of the things you gravitated towards or lost yourself in. 2) Write down 3 words that describe the best of who you are or the aspiration you. These 3 identifier, or clarity words, should become your mantra. Put them on your mirror with a whiteboard marker, stick them on a post-it-note on your computer, set alarms in your phone. 3) I want to be. . . [Enter answer here]Write down the steps you need to take to get from point A to point B. Create a plan. What do you have to learn? What skills do you need to acquire? Write down your plan. Continue listening for more

Well, hey there! I am so excited to share this episode with you. If you're new to the podcast, my name is Sheena Walenta and I started this Mama Motivation podcast to help women and mothers everywhere design the life that they deserve and live a life with more joy and less overwhelm. Today's episode is about creating, cultivating, and maintaining energy throughout the day. Visit us at www.MamaMotivation.com for a free weekly planning journal.SHOW NOTESKeeping your energy up throughout the day is hard. And if you aren't paying attention, you can easily deplete all of your energy well before the day is finished. Tune in to hear all about the four ways to manage and maintain your energy throughout the day. Movement is the first key to creating and cultivating energy. Did you know that many athletes and high performers make it a mandatory practice to work out for 15 minutes the minute they check into a hotel when traveling?  There is a reason for this, it reverses the effect of jet lag and creates energy.  Motherhood is like constant jet lag. So it's imperative that we make movement a mandatory practice for ourselves each day.Start your day with a full cup by doing something that makes you feel accomplished or pumped up in the morning. Whether that's journaling, meditating (see guided meditation link below), getting something off your to-do list, or getting your workout done, it's important that we feel like we are started our day off in a positive powerful way - it sets the tone for the rest of the day.  As moms, we want to play offense, not defense. Manage your social and work activities throughout each day. Are you an introvert? Do you feel exhausted after an outing with friends, long lunch meeting, or conference call? Schedule those out and limit your social activities each day. We want to ensure we have a little gas left in the take for the evening with our children. 15 Minute Guided "Release" Meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn0MpdvQsgM 

Well, hey there! I am so excited to share today's episode with you. If you're new to the podcast, my name is Sheena Walenta and I started this Mama Motivation podcast to help women and mothers everywhere design the life that they deserve and live a life with more joy and less overwhelm. Today's episode is about asking for help when you need it and learning to receive help. visit us at www.MamaMotivation.com for a free weekly planning journal.I believe many of us don't know how to do that. Believe it or not, at one point I didn't know that burnout wasn't mandatory. I really felt like the harder I worked, the better I was doing in my career and as a mother and a wife and I followed into that goofy myth that says, "You can do it all." And the reality is you CAN'T do it all. And most women don't do it all. Remember that old saying, "It takes a village to raise children"?  It really does! So why has motherhood become so isolating in recent years? That's a rhetorical question, because motherhood shouldn't be isolating and we shouldn't have to do it alone.I had a friend come visit from Saint Louis a couple year's back, and we were sitting and having dinner. Her name is Gena, and she had small twin girls at the time and she's also an orthodontist. And I had two little children at the time too. And I was like, "Gena, how do you do it all? You have this successful orthodontic practice, you have these twins, you look like you're thriving. You guys look like you're so happy. I can't barely get dressed or get to work, you know, how do you do it all?" And she looked at me and she said, "I don't, I have help."I said, "What?! I can barely get dinner on the table and grocery shopping is a nightmare. . ." And she looked at me and she goes, you go grocery shopping?" And I was like, "Yeah, I go grocery shopping." And she said, "No, you need to get your groceries delivered."Ya'll, it had never dawned on me that I could ask for help or outsource services that I didn't have time to do myself. It's interesting because she was one of the very first women that really came forward and said, "Look, I'm a career woman, I have children, that's a lot. I'm pulled in a lot of different directions so I don't do it all. I get help. I have my groceries delivered. And I also have someone to help with the kids." So over the last couple of years, I've learned to ask for help. And how to receive help. You don't need to be at a certain level of income to get help. You could ask your partner for more assistance, ask your mom, your sister, or a friend. Do a trade with you neighbor to carpool some days, or do a play date trade.  Let go of the myth that you have to do it all, and accept a little help here and there. --- Let us know how we are doing --Thank you for Listening! If you like the podcast and find it has value, please give it a 5 star review. The more engagement the podcast receives the more it will be shown in search results for women to find.   I can't wait to hear your feedback on what you think of the show.  I  personally read every single review and they mean so much to me! Every comment, review, and share helps the podcast get pushed out for more mamas to findAlso, be sure to subscribe so you can get notified every time a new episode goes out, and share it with others who you think will benefit from the messages in here.  -- Request a topic --If you'd like to suggest a topic for an episode, reach out to me on the website at MamaMotivation.com

Special guest, and friend Ashley Beukema, opens up about postpartum depression. On May 1st she posted the below Facebook post and I knew it was so important to share her story with other woman. It's an important topic because many woman struggle with some form of depression at one point or another but often keep it a secret. On today's podcast episode, we are pulling back the curtain, and talking all about it.Listen to this episode on all of your favorite podcast platforms including, Stitcher,  Spotify, Google Play/Podcast, and Apple Podcasts (iTunes) coming soon.Ashley's Facebook Post on May 1st.March 2018- I realized something wasn’t right.April 2018- My doctor confirmed that something wasn’t right.April 2018- My psychologist told me I was suffering from Postpartum Depression and Anxiety (PPD).TODAY- my struggle continues and my story is told.#MentalHealthAwarenessMonthEven though I have a history of depression and anxiety, I didn’t experience PPD when I had Claire. So when I had Bella it didn’t even cross my mind that this would happen. Sure enough, I am the one out of every ten women that are effected by PPD. My crazy medical history has left me with a negative view of doctors and medicine. Therefore, at first I tried to treat myself holistically- eating better, exercise, more vitamins, meditation- but that wasn’t enough.The way my story started differs than most too. Bella was born in October 2017 and this didn’t start until March 2018. I have loved her and bonded with her from day one. I never had ill thoughts toward her. I later found out that the cause of this was from the shift in my hormones when I decided to stop breastfeeding her- a choice that still haunts me and makes me emotional to this day.Many people I talk to say they can’t relate- they want to help but don’t know how. “There is a chemical imbalance in your brain.”- is why my doctors say. This short list of symptoms can only give outsiders a glimpse at what I am dealing with- No one will ever understand it fully, but here’s a look into my last 13+ months: having difficulty sleeping (don’t worry they gave me meds for this 🙉), loss of appetite (so please don’t comment on my weight- it’s a symptom of this medical disorder that I wish I didn’t have 🙊), excessive fatigue (often making it hard to get out of bed 🙈), frequent mood changes (especially a depressed mood), loss of pleasure, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness and thoughts of suicide. Through all of this I have been a full-time working mom, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, coworker, etc. - putting on a happy face everyday 💁🏼‍♀️. Luckily, in the last 13+ months I have also been to 50+ psychotherapy and psychatrist appointments. In recent months I have been more open about the subject, although I fear the negative stigma. I have found that the more open and authentic I am, the more supported I feel.And that is my reason for this post- to let others suffering know that it is okay to speak your mind and ask for help. And also to thank my family, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, etc. that have lent an ear and offered advice when I needed it most- you know who you are- and just because everything seems ok, keep checking in! Always open to hear others stories, suggestions and advice.

This episode is the girlfriend's guide on how to use the podcast. What you can expect down the road. And how to hang on when the roller coaster of life is taking you on a wild ride. 

We as moms are constantly comparing ourselves to others, and even worse, are constantly comparing our children to other kids.  It's important to remember that all kids develop at different stages. Coordination comes in at different times. Cognitive ability progresses at different rates. And we all have different passions, wants, interests, and desires.  I've learned to eliminate the extra stress of comparing my kids to other kids around us. I've stopped putting expectations on how I think things should go.It's just a little reminder to embrace your children's individuality and unique talents. Focus on progression, but don't over compare to where others are at. 

We are all busy, our plates are so full. So how do you manage your time effectively so you can accomplish important things each day? In this episode I discuss how to identify time leaks you may currently have, and how to reshape your thinking of where your time could be better spent. The quote of the episode is "Live the life others won't, so you can live the life others can't."  Meaning, if you put in the work and do things others won't, like adjust your schedule, spend less time on social media, then you can re-allocate that time to things that truly matter, like your children, your marriage, your career, you hobbies, etc.  so you can live a more fulfilling life that others can't.

The Mama Motivation Podcast was made to help and inspire women and mothers to build a life of joy and fulfillment with less overwhelm. Motherhood can be lonely at times; this podcast is like talking to girlfriends who have been through it all, we'll discuss self help, personal growth, mastering mindset, overcoming hurdles, sleepless nights, and so much more. We want to inspire and motivate moms to be the best version of themselves and to live a life of passion and purpose. It's a place where women of all walks of life can learn nuggets of wisdom and inspiration to help design the lives they desire. Whether your a mom to a newborn, your kids are leaving for college, you work, you stay at home - this podcast is for all moms.  Embrace your messy, beautiful, life and learn how to enjoy every minute of it! Join Sheena and her guests, as they discuss anything and everything pertaining to motherhood and living a fulfilling life!Sheena Walenta is a mom of two young boys, blogger and motivational speaker, with a passion for physical and mental health & well-being. Her background is in non-profit work and corporate marketing. She's the creator of the online community MamaMotivation, was final four on ABC's the Bachelor back in 2007, is now happily married, and maintains a full-time corporate job. After having her first born, she felt isolated, lonely, and life felt heavy and dark. Now that she has learned the tools to come out the other side and live a life full of joy - she created this podcast where mothers come together and share all that they have learned to overcome everyday hurdles and live a life they can enjoy.If you'd like to to suggest a topic for the podcast or would like to be a guest mama, please email SheenaWalenta@gmail.com.