In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom, we sit down with Michelle Gauthier, a professional life coach and host of the Overwhelmed Working Woman podcast who helps women transition from chaos to intentional living. This episode is a must-listen for high-achieving moms who feel buried by the "mental load" of managing careers, households, and the unique demands of raising teenagers.

• Stress vs. Overwhelm: Understanding why you lose the ability to think clearly when stressors become unmanageable.
• The "Recovering People Pleaser": Why high-achieving women struggle to say no and how to begin setting essential boundaries.
• Over-Functioning for Teens: How stepping back from managing your teenager's life builds their adult competence and restores your identity.
• The Love and Fit Test: A simple two-question framework to decide what earns a spot on your calendar and what stays off.

Why do I feel like I've lost my own identity now that my kids are older? Many moms tie their "enoughness" to helping their children function, often adopting their kids' hobbies and friends’ parents as their own friends. Reclaiming your identity starts with small, daily neuroplasticity exercises—focusing on things you enjoy (a smell, a song, a color) regardless of whether your family likes them.

How do I find "White Space" when my schedule is already packed? Creating white space isn't about finding extra hours; it's about shifting from "doing more" to intentional outsourcing and automation. By automating finances or hiring help for chores like laundry, you create the calm necessary to be truly present when your teen finally steps out of their room to talk at 10:00 PM.

Michelle Gauthier is a professional life coach who helps busy, overwhelmed women create a more calm and intentional life. A former corporate executive and current single mom of two, she walked away from a 20-year career to help hundreds of women navigate home and work life with ease. In her spare time, she enjoys the gym, reading self-improvement books, and watching her kids' sporting events.

Guest Links:

• Website: michellegauthier.com
• Instagram: @michellegauthiercoaching
• Podcast: Overwhelmed Working Woman
• Free Resource: What's Causing Your Overwhelm? Quiz

Connect with Laura:

• Free Webinar: Get Through May Without Losing Your Joy, Your Mind, Or Yourself
• Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching
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