If your brain feels like it’s stuck on pause while everyone else is sprinting into September, this one’s for you.

In this episode, we’re kicking off the Back-to-School Excuses series with the most convincing lie of them all: “I just need to get through this week.” (It sounds responsible… but it’s actually your nervous system going into freeze mode.)

We’ll talk about:

• Why your body shuts down before you even start the reset
• What freeze mode really feels like (mentally, physically, emotionally)
• What you do in freeze that makes you think you’re being productive
• Three powerful insight questions to help you gently move forward without forcing it

You don’t need a planner. You need permission to feel. And I’ve got you.

And hey—thanks for hanging out with me today. Whether you were driving, folding laundry, or hiding in the bathroom with your AirPods… I’m glad you were here.

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Why structure isn’t solving your overwhelm—and what to do instead

You thought the school routine would fix it.

The quiet house. The clean planner. The return of structure. But here you are—mid-morning, cold coffee in hand—and you're still not feeling like you.

This episode kicks off the Back-to-School Excuses series, where we unpack the smart-sounding thoughts that keep high-capacity moms stuck in survival mode… even when life looks like it should be working.

Inside this episode:

• Why routines don’t regulate your nervous system the way you hoped

• The real reason you feel worse now, not better

• The 5 nervous system survival patterns we’ll explore in this series—and how they’re showing up in your back-to-school life

You don’t need a better system. You need space to feel like yourself again.

Book your FREE Mom Life: Real Talk call (30 min, no camera, no pressure) Let’s Talk Click here

Join the next Fireside Chat—a real-talk Zoom room for entrepreneurial moms https://calendly.com/crystalc-ignitetorise/the-fire-circle

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The Confident Body Podcast Lizzie Merritt

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-confident-body-podcast-brain-based-strategies/id1660747704

Hey friend— You’re counting down the days until school starts. You want the structure back. You miss quiet mornings and having a minute to think. So why does your brain feel like mashed potatoes?

This episode is for the mom who’s emotionally shutting down before the reset even begins.

We talk about: – Why your body is crashing before school even starts – The real reason you're not motivated (spoiler: it's not laziness) – What emotional whiplash looks like, and why it’s so common this time of year – How to move through this weird fog without forcing productivity or guilt-planning your comeback

If you're sitting in the car scrolling instead of checking off the to-do list... you're not broken. You're just finally landing.

Book your FREE Mom Life: Real Talk call (30 min, no camera, no pressure) Let’s Talk Click here

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this one’s personal. If you’ve been the strong one for so long you don’t even know what it feels like to be checked on… If your body’s been acting weird—tight chest, tense jaw, random fatigue—but you keep brushing it off because “there’s no time to be sick”… This episode is for you.

We’re talking about what happens when you keep showing up for everyone else while your own body is waving red flags in the background. I’m sharing what I’ve learned from When the Body Says No, real-life stories from coaching, and the beliefs that keep you stuck in survival mode while calling it “strength.”

This is your permission slip to stop minimizing your needs—and start listening before your body screams.

🎧 Pop in your earbuds and listen while you drive, clean, or hide in the bathroom. 📩 Then click that Let’s Talk link if you want to be heard—no pitch, just a real convo.

Book your FREE Mom Life: Real Talk call (30 min, no camera, no pressure) Let’s Talk Click here

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Take the Retreat Survey—tell me what kind of space you’re craving Fill out survey here

Hey mamas, this one’s real tender. If you’re caught in that weird back-to-school limbo—feeling like you should be excited for routine but secretly want to cry at the sight of a backpack—this episode is your soft landing spot.

I’m walking you through the grief no one talks about at the end of summer, why you’re not broken for feeling all over the place, and how to move through this season without rushing to reset. You don’t need a planner—you need permission.

Book your FREE Mom Life: Real Talk call (30 min, no camera, no pressure) Let’s Talk Click here

Join the next Fireside Chat—a real-talk Zoom room for entrepreneurial moms https://calendly.com/crystalc-ignitetorise/the-fire-circle

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Hey Mamas,

You know that moment where you’re staring at your to-do list, trying to care—but your brain’s just DONE? Where you keep whispering, “I don’t know what I need—but I know it’s not this”?

Yeah. That.

This episode is for the woman who looks fine on the outside… but inside? She’s fried. Foggy. Disconnected. You’re not lazy. You’re not ungrateful. You’re not broken.

You’re just a woman who’s been last on her own list for way too long.

In this episode, I’m breaking down:

• The 3 belief shifts you need when you hit that “meh” moment
• Why the fog isn’t a problem—it’s a protective pause
• How to stop performing “fine” and start listening to what you actually need

We’re not fixing anything today, friend. We’re just naming the truth.

Grab your coffee, pop in your earbuds, and come exhale with me.

Book your FREE Mom Life: Real Talk call (30 min, no camera, no pressure) Let’s Talk Click here

Join the next Fireside Chat—a real-talk Zoom room for entrepreneurial moms https://calendly.com/crystalc-ignitetorise/the-fire-circle

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Take the Retreat Survey—tell me what kind of space you’re craving Fill out survey here

ey love—this one’s going to hit deep.

You’ve been juggling all the roles: CEO, mom, wife, house manager, emotional regulator—and still wondering why you feel like you’re dropping the ball.

Here’s the truth: You’re not dropping the ball. You ARE the ball. And you’re the one getting dropped. Daily.

In today’s episode, we’re flipping the belief that you just need more time or better systems. Nope. We’re talking identity. The straitjacket you’ve been calling “strong.” The control that’s keeping you exhausted. The fragments of you spread thin trying to be everything for everyone.

You’ll walk away with:

• 3 deep, identity-shifting truths that will change how you see your burnout

• A metaphor you’ll feel in your body

• Gentle but powerful questions to help you reconnect to you

• A moment to breathe, and the invitation to lay it all down

Fill out the Retreat Survey – Help me shape a February retreat that’s actually for you [Insert Survey Link]

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If this episode hit you in the gut, share it with a friend who’s quietly drowning. You’re not broken—you’re just doing too much. Let’s change that—together.

This one’s for the woman who’s been holding it together for so long, she doesn’t even realize she’s missing.

I went to Utah thinking I just needed a little space. A break. A chance to breathe.

What I didn’t expect? Was to completely fall apart poolside. To cry in silence at a spa with no one watching. To ride a chairlift with my husband and realize… I’ve forgotten how to just be.

This isn’t a story about a breakdown. It’s a story about a return.

In this episode, I’m sharing what happened when I stopped performing, stopped producing, and let myself feel the weight I’ve been carrying. Why stillness didn’t feel like peace at first. Why the quiet felt more like grief. And why getting a tattoo in Park City wasn’t about making a statement—it was about remembering something sacred:

I didn’t need to be fixed. I just needed to be found.

If you’ve been busy holding everyone else together… If you're tired of proving your worth through what you do… If the thought of not being needed leaves you feeling lost—

Come sit with me here.

This is the part where we stop performing and start returning.

—

Next steps if this episode hit you right in the gut:

Email me at Crystalc@ignitetorise.net and tell me what you think about this episode , What came up for you?

If the idea of attending my February retreat has been pulling at you, I would love to hear from you. Take 2 minutes to fill out his quick survey and if you want opt in to get first dibs on a space at the retreat!

Retreat Survey Click here

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