EPI 98 - Spark Session (A 10-minute pep talk for your tired heart)

Hi friend — welcome back to The Habit Within. Today’s episode is a little different.

This is one of my Spark Sessions — a short, honest conversation from my heart to yours. No teaching. No fixing. No “5-step framework.” Just a moment to pause together and remember:

You are not alone in this season.

Because if I’m being honest… I think so many of us are carrying more than anyone can actually see right now.

From the outside, maybe it looks like you’re handling it all beautifully.
 You’re answering the emails.
 Showing up for the activities.
 Making the appointments.
 Planning the summer.
 Holding the family together.

But internally?
 You might feel like you’re one small inconvenience away from crying in your car.

And if that’s where you are today, I want you to hear this clearly:

Nothing is wrong with you.
You’re human.
And this is a lot.

 In this episode, I share:

•  Why invisible emotional labor can feel heavier than the things people actually see 
•  The image of “holding all the strings” — and why so many women feel like if they let go of one thing, everything will fall apart 
•  How even “normal life” seasons can become overwhelming when everything stacks at once 
•  Why crying in your car, feeling emotional, or hitting your limit doesn’t mean you’re failing 
•  The healing power of being witnessed by someone who simply says:
   “Yeah… that’s a lot.”
•  Why “good enough” can be sacred during hard seasons 
•  Small ways to return to yourself when life feels emotionally loud 
•  A reminder that this season will not last forever — even if it feels endless right now 

This episode is meant to feel like a hand on your shoulder.
A deep breath.
A quiet reminder that you don’t have to carry everything perfectly to still be doing an incredible job.

A Gentle Reminder

Maybe today isn’t about becoming a better version of yourself.
Maybe today is simply about softening your grip enough to breathe.

Drink the water.
Take the walk.
Send the text.
Let yourself cry if you need to.
And remember: you’ve made it through hard seasons before.

You will make it through this one too.

I’d love to hear from you

What’s one thing you’ve been quietly carrying lately?

If this episode made you feel seen, send me a message or share it with another woman who might need this reminder today.

If you’re tired of feeling exhausted, irritable, moody, and just not like yourself,  schedule a free 30-minute consultation so I can help you feel like YOU again
Fill out this brief form (2 min) to schedule a free 30-minute call.
 
Love the show? Leave a 5-star review, and let me know what hit home for you.

Find me on Instagram @camille_kinzler and leave me a DM! 

Transcript

Because maybe from the outside you look like you're doing great. You're answering all of the emails. You're showing up to the activities You're making the appointments. 

You're figuring out dinner again You're remembering at the end of the year things the summer things the work things the family things but inside you're thinking I Am just only one small Inconvenience away from crying in my car. Welcome to the habit within this podcast is for high achieving women 35 and older who seem to have it all together, but feel like they're constantly running on fumes Struggling to balance it all and losing sight of the woman. They used to be. 

I'm Camille Kinzler a former physician assistant Turned transformational coach blending science positive psychology and a metaphysical approach to habits Health and vitality if you've ever asked yourself Why am I so exhausted even after a full night's sleep or I feel like I'm juggling so much But I'm just barely keeping my head above water You are in the right place each week we'll explore the real reasons behind feeling overwhelmed trapped in the cycle of overworking and Constantly running low on energy and how to break free from the patterns keeping you stuck in survival mode It's time to stop living on autopilot and to start feeling like yourself again. Let's dive in Hey, welcome back to the habit within. All right, lady. 

Can I just say so much is going on right now, right? We are all holding so much. The collective is holding so much We as women are holding a lot and today's episode is gonna be one of my spark sessions I haven't done one of these in a really long time But it's really an episode where I just want you to feel like you're not alone And I'm your cheerleader in the corner rooting you on letting you know that you can do this you can get through this period of life and The reason why it was important to me to bring this to you is because I'm feeling it I'm in it I'm right there with you and I just want to say that we're holding So much right now and oftentimes. It's not the obvious things. 

It's not the things that people can see It's not what it looks like on our calendar or the to-do list or the inbox. Although that can be overflowing as well But it's the invisible things, right? It's the emotional things It's all of those mental tabs that are constantly open that we can't close no matter how hard we try It's all of the remembering that we have to do the coordinating the checking in the planning ahead the noticing who needs what? The anticipating what might fall apart if we stop paying attention for even a minute and Sometimes sometimes it can feel like you are standing there Holding a whole handful of strings and each one of these strings is tethered to this massive Balloon above you one of these strings. Let's say is your family Another string is your work. 

One is your health One is the house one string is your summer plans or the camp forums? One string is a person you've been worried about one string is the grief. You haven't had time to fully heal or feel one string is that version of yourself that you're trying not to lose in the middle of it all and I don't know if you're like me. It feels like if one of those strings slips One of them breaks free. 

The whole balloon will just float away And Maybe no one else can actually see how tightly you're holding on Which I think can often feel the hardest and the most lonely When we feel like we're where our hands are blistering because we're holding on so tightly and no one notices Because maybe from the outside you look like you're doing great you're answering all of the emails you're showing up to the activities You're making the appointments. You're figuring out dinner again You're remembering at the end of the year things the summer things the work things the family things but inside you're thinking I Am just only one small Inconvenience away from crying in my car or maybe you're crying in your car already and that's completely acceptable That's totally normal and listen Because you're falling apart doesn't mean anything is wrong with you. It's because you are human and a lot is going on and Sometimes I really believe that we need somebody to say that out loud That we're falling apart That it's a lot that a lot is going on and you're not imagining it. 

You're not being a dramatic You're not being weak because it all feels too happy There are these seasons of our life where we simply carry more than usual sometimes it's this big life-altering moment that seems like of course, it's obvious that I'm unable to hold this like You lost somebody that you love or there was that unexpected diagnosis or some other big life change or transition Or that thing you didn't see coming sometimes it's caring for people in a bigger capacity than you normally have sometimes your kids need more your parents need more your partner needs more your work needs more your body needs more and Sometimes it's not one huge thing and that's when I think it feels even more isolating and alone Because sometimes it's just the accumulation of all of the regular things that happen in life at the exact same time the school year ending summer camp planning the camps and forms and vacations and work deadlines and house projects and The laundry that somehow continues to exist no matter how many times you do it. Oh My gosh, seriously, though, and you know, it's so funny about laundry is My stack is always the smallest so curious if you have that same thing happening in your house And really you're trying to move through the day without dropping something important So I just want to say that this is your reminder that you can get through this. Maybe not beautifully Maybe not every single moment with a smile maybe not with the grounded graceful energy you wish you had and That's totally okay Maybe some days you get through it with tears in the bathtub and maybe there are days when you get through it by crying in your car alone because remember that is totally normal and Maybe that just helps you get to that one next thing and Maybe some days you get through it by texting a friend and reaching out and saying I don't need you to fix this I just really need you to know that I'm having a really hard day and Even more preferable if you can actually be with somebody with a dear friend who can hold space for you that one person that doesn't like a rush you to Make a list of gratitudes. 

I can be that person sometimes so totally calling myself out But that one that yeah, it doesn't try to make lemonade out of lemons You know that one that can really just sit there with you and that's it and that says yeah, that's a lot That's so much. I totally see you holding all of that Because sometimes that is the most healing thing to do To have somebody witness it witness you and have one some and have somebody say Of course, you're tired. Of course, you're emotional. 

Of course. This feels like a lot You're carrying so much and I just want to say that to you, babe. You are carrying so much right now But even if reaching out feels hard because sometimes that feels like it's another thing in our to-do list, right? Who am I gonna reach out to you? Am I gonna burden them? Am I gonna add one more thing to their to-do list? So even if you don't have the right words to reach out Even if you're in that place where you Somebody's maybe reaching out to you and you feel like one more text just feels like too much Then I just want you to remember and I want you to hear this That this too will pass and I know that can feel so hard in times like this The season will not always feel this intense The balloon will not always feel so impossible to hold Some of the strings will loosen and some of the pressure will lift some of the things that feel super urgent today will be handled or completed or released And in the meantime, you don't have to do it perfectly You just have to keep coming back to yourself. 

Whatever that means And maybe that looks like taking one deep breath before you answer the next question Maybe it looks like drinking water before coffee Maybe it looks like stepping outside for two minutes and feeling the Sun on your face or the rain on your skin Maybe it looks like saying no to that thing that you know would push you over the edge. I did that last night. I really needed to show up for this thing and I knew that I just couldn't And I had to be okay with that And maybe it looks like asking for help even When your voice shakes and maybe it looks like letting something be good enough, which I know can be so hard for some of you Because in seasons like this babe good enough can be really quite sacred Good enough is sometimes the thing that keeps us from unraveling And I just want you to know if you are in it right now You are not a lone woman There are so many of us walking around Holding our handful of strings Maybe you see one of them smiling at the grocery store Answering emails packing lunches making plans and taking care of everyone trying to remember Who they are underneath all of the responsibility If they're being true to themselves authentic to their purpose So maybe today the practice is not to fix your whole life. 

Oh That was me yesterday, how do I just fix it all? Maybe today the practice is to soften your grip just enough to breathe To remind yourself to get dressed Even when you don't want to maybe put on something a little bit more Special maybe throwing on some red lipstick Or maybe not whatever feels like that thing for you that gives you just a little bit more edge and To remind yourself that I am doing a lot. I am holding a lot and I am allowed to feel it and Also, I've got this It's not easy But I've made it through hard seasons before and I will make it through this one, too So wherever you are today, whatever strings you are holding I am sending you so much love Take the breath Let the tears come if they need it Let somebody hold space for you if you can accept that hold that hug if it feels right and Remember, this is just a season and you are absolutely not alone in it. I Hope you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed Making it for you. 

And if this feels like something that someone else needs to hear today, please send this along until next time The world needs the vibrance and wisdom of a woman's intuition to help heal the world When we learn to trust ourselves through leaning into and through discomfort We learn to trust ourselves and in that space is our power and clarity