Ever feel like you’re carrying the whole village on your shoulders? We sit with Dr. Melanie Gray—nurse, trauma-informed wellness coach, and leadership consultant—to map a practical route from constant overwhelm to a sustainable rhythm of care that honors you and strengthens your family. This conversation is a masterclass in reading your body’s signals, setting boundaries that stick, and turning everyday routines into reliable rest stops.

We start by naming the signs of burnout too many of us normalize: short tempers, sleepless nights, headaches, gut issues, and that sinking feeling that we don’t like how we’re showing up. Dr. Gray connects the dots between chronic stress, immune function, and long-term health risks, then shows how small, consistent actions rewrite the trajectory. Think simple anchors like phones down at dinner, an hour of quiet after, and signature family norms—Help Mama Monday, protected date nights, slow Sundays—that signal to kids and community what your household stands for.

We also unpack the emotional load: how “exhaustion Olympics” keep us stuck, why clear non-negotiables reduce anxiety, and how a trauma-informed lens helps you see beyond old chapters without denying them. Dr. Gray shares strategies to ask for help loudly and widely—church bulletins, neighbor groups, EAP programs—and to protect your bandwidth by limiting repetitive venting and doom-scrolling. Her take on trade-offs is refreshingly doable: redirect a small weekly spend to outsource laundry or cleaning for a season and buy back hours for true recovery.

By the end, you’ll have language to teach your family how to treat you, tools to regulate your nervous system, and a vision for legacy-level self-care—more health, more presence, and more capacity to lead with calm. If this conversation gives you a breath of relief, tap follow, share it with a friend who’s stretched thin, and leave a quick review to help more caregivers find these tools. Your calm can become your family’s culture.

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.

A three-year-old hugging the Envy plush in a Disney store sparked a conversation we’ve been waiting to have: what if the feelings we avoid are the exact teachers our kids need? We walk through a simple, compassionate way to help children work with emotions like envy, sadness, and embarrassment so they gain self-knowledge instead of shame. Rather than pushing “clearance emotions” to the back of the shelf, we show how to name them, normalize them, and use the signals they carry to guide values, goals, and growth.

We start with thinking of envy as a compass—how comparison often points to a desire worth exploring—and how to turn that signal into a simple, doable plan. Throughout, we share everyday scripts and practical steps: notice what’s happening in the body, name the feeling accurately, validate the context, and choose a next step that restores agency. By meeting hard feelings with curiosity instead of fear, kids learn they can face what shows up and still live their best lives.

Listen for a story-driven guide that blends real-life moments with mindful tools parents can actually use. If this resonates, share the episode with a friend, subscribe for more calm in your week, and leave a review so other parents can find us.

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 color could say everything your child can’t yet put into words? We sit down with women’s health practitioner turned author Constance Lewis to explore how her family’s journey through epilepsy inspired a simple, memorable system that helps kids name big feelings and feel brave enough to face them. From NICU shifts and IVF to early-morning seizures and brain surgery, Constance maps the moments that shaped Miles and the Colorful Capes of Feelings—and the practical tools any parent or teacher can borrow tonight.

We get specific about what works under stress: asking for a color instead of a label, using capes or favorite dress-up items to signal state, and returning to the moment later with curiosity rather than critique. You’ll hear how calm modeling, low voices, and eye-level posture change the tone, why decatastrophizing protects the whole family’s nervous system, and how short, repeatable rituals—like meditation music during the dinner rush—turn regulation into a daily habit. We also talk about empathy as a skill kids learn by watching us: holding doors, checking on a friend, and noticing when a sibling needs space.

Schools matter here too. Constance shares ideas for discreet classroom signals so teachers can spot dysregulation before it derails learning. We discuss why social-emotional skills aren’t extra—they’re the foundation for attention, memory, and behavior—and how a quick “What color are you today?” can prevent bigger disruptions. Plus, a peek at what’s next: Mariah and the Colorful Tutus of Feelings, a toddler tools board book, and upcoming titles that normalize the emotional lives of moms and dads.

Ready to try it? Ask your child for their color, borrow the script, and watch how quickly the room softens. If this conversation gave you a useful tool, follow the links to the book and free resources, share with a friend who needs more calm, and leave a review to help others 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.