Why Overwhelmed Moms Need a Creative Practice (That Takes Less Than 5 Minutes)
For anyone standing in the middle of the mess — Mindful Messes, a creative, nervous-system-first approach for overwhelmed and neurodivergent moms who want to feel like themselves again.
Here’s a truth I see every day in my therapy office:
Most overwhelmed moms don’t need more discipline.
They need more capacity.
And capacity isn’t built through grit, motivation, or pushing harder.
It’s created through moments that let your nervous system settle.
This is where creativity quietly rearranges everything.
Especially if your days feel like a blur of overstimulation, emotional labor, and nonstop micro-decisions.
But creativity doesn’t have to be a project.
It doesn’t require perfect journals or curated supplies.
Sometimes it’s just a pen, a scrap of paper, and sixty seconds of breathing room.
Why Creative Practice Works (Even When You’re Exhausted)
A tiny creative act — a line, a circle, a scribble — does something extraordinary:
✔ It interrupts survival mode
✔ It creates a micro-moment of agency
✔ It grounds your body faster than cognitive strategies alone
✔ It gives your mind a place to rest
✔ It helps you return to a regulated state
In short:
It helps you exhale.
And once your system gets that exhale, everything else becomes more possible.
The Research Behind It (Explained Super Simply)
Your brain feels safer when something predictable is happening.
Your hands send calming signals to your nervous system.
Creative engagement lowers cortisol and widens your window of tolerance.
The result?
You respond instead of react.
You stay connected instead of shutting down.
You can finally hear yourself again.
This is why The Mindful Messes Way includes Make — because regulation opens the door to feeling and becoming.
A 60-Second Practice You Can Try Today
Try this:
Draw a circle.
Fill it with marks that match your energy.
That’s it.
Then pause.
Notice your breath.
Notice your body.
Notice what softened — even slightly.
No rules.
No expectations.
Just a moment of returning.
This Is the Foundation of The Mindful Messes Way
On January 6, I’m opening a year-long creative experience for moms who want a different kind of reset.
One that doesn’t require:
❌ motivation
❌ willpower
❌ perfect routines
❌ more pressure
Just a willingness to begin where you are.
A willingness to feel what’s here.
To make something small.
To become someone steadier from the inside out.
Join us over on Substack — and start 2026 with a softer, steadier way back to yourself.
If you’re craving more grounding, creativity, and connection, you’re welcome in this growing community of moms learning to feel, make, and become themselves again.
I offer in-person parent–child art groups and creative workshops throughout Monmouth County and across New Jersey, as well as The Scribble Sessions — my online Substack platform where we explore creative rituals, nervous system support, and ways to soften the messiness of everyday life.
You don’t have to do this alone. Come create alongside us.