How to Recover From Parent Burnout (While Raising Teens)

Parenting teens can be emotionally and mentally exhausting. Between their moods, school stress, and trying to say the right thing, many of us end up running on empty, and wondering how we got here.

👉 Running on empty? Inside Parenting Teens Academy, you'll find support from me and parents who get it, simple tools to stop carrying everything alone, and a calmer way to show up for your teen. Try it free for 7 days

In this episode, I sit down with leadership coach Heather Chauvin, author of Dying to Be a Good Mother, mom of three boys, and a former social worker who became a mother at 18. After years of overachieving and burnout, a stage four cancer diagnosis forced her to rethink everything. Heather shares how taking care of yourself makes you a better parent, and a simple exercise to use when you don't know where to start.

Her message: taking care of yourself isn't selfish. It's what gives you the capacity to stay calm, curious, and present when your teen needs you most.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why overwhelm is a symptom, not a way of life
• Why perfectionism is a coping strategy, not a personality trait
• Heather's energetic time management: a simple brain dump and "wouldn't it be nice if" exercise
• How to shift from trying to control your teen to being curious
• Why respecting yourself teaches your teen to respect you
• How to remember who you are beyond being "Mom"

EPISODE CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Why parenting teens feels so exhausting
• 01:08 Heather's story
• 06:11 Who you are beyond being a parent
• 10:39 Busy as a badge of honor, and Heather's wake-up call
• 17:03 Shifting the focus back to yourself
• 17:28 From control to curiosity
• 19:23 Where to start when you're completely overwhelmed
• 20:53 Energetic time management: the brain dump
• 25:28 Modeling self-care for your teen
• 26:00 Parenting as personal growth
• 30:17 Self-respect and connection

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Dying to Be a Good Mother by Heather Chauvin
• Emotionally Uncomfortable podcast with Heather Chauvin

CONNECT WITH HEATHER CHAUVIN

• Website: HeatherChauvin.com
• Instagram: @HeatherChauvin_
• YouTube: Heather Chauvin
• Podcast: Emotionally Uncomfortable

CONNECT WITH DR. CAM CASWELL

• Website: AskDrCam.com
• Instagram: @DrCamCaswell
• Parenting Teens Academy

ABOUT THE SHOW

Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam is hosted by Dr. Cam Caswell, an adolescent psychologist and certified parenting coach. Each episode gives you practical strategies, expert advice, and real-world insight to build a stronger relationship with your teen.

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