Let’s Get Real with Jena Burris
Welcome to Let’s Get Real, the podcast for women who feel like they’re holding it all together on the outside… but falling apart on the inside.
If you’re exhausted from pretending, overwhelmed by the pressure to be everything for everyone, or unsure who you even are anymore—you’re not alone. And you’re not crazy.
Let’s Get Real is where we have honest conversations about the struggles most people avoid—healing emotional wounds, losing yourself in motherhood, rebuilding your identity, and learning how to live whole again.
I’m Jena Burris—wife, mom, and your host. With a background in marriage and family therapy, life coaching, and years spent navigating life behind the scenes of the NFL and Hollywood, I’m passionate about creating a space where real conversations lead to real healing.
Each week, you’ll hear real stories, practical tools, and the reminder that freedom is closer than you think. Because I believe that in order to heal, we have to get real.
New episodes every Tuesday. Real talk. Real tools. Real healing.
For speaking inquiries, brand partnerships, or workshop opportunities, visit www.jenaburris.com or email jena@jenaburris.com.
Let’s Get Real with Jena Burris
Yelled at Your Kids Again? How to Regulate Your Emotions Before You Explode — with Kristin Cogan
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Free Resource for Moms
Feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve lost yourself in the chaos of motherhood?
You’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep feeling this way.
I created this FREE guide for you:
🎁 The Overwhelmed Mom’s Guide: 10 Small Changes to Start Feeling Like You Again
Simple, realistic shifts you can start making today without adding more to your plate.
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Ep. 36 Yelled at Your Kids Again? How to Regulate Your Emotions Before You Explode — with Kristin Cogan
There are moments in motherhood that feel so heavy I can barely catch my breath. I love my kids deeply, but there are days where the noise, the mess, the constant needs, and the pressure to “hold it all together” feels like more than I can handle.
And suddenly—I snap.
If you’ve ever had those moments where you say something you regret instantly, or you find yourself thinking, “Why am I like this? Why am I always on edge?”—this episode is one you won’t want to skip.
This week, I sat down with Kristin Kogan, a licensed therapist, coach, and mom of five, who helps overwhelmed, high-achieving moms break the cycles of stress, guilt, and self-doubt. Our conversation felt like a big exhale. It reminded me that I’m not broken… I’m human. And so are you.
The Fight-or-Flight Cycle That No One Talks About
Kristin explained something I needed to hear: when I’m constantly rushing, my nervous system assumes something must be wrong. It shifts into survival mode.
That’s why the smallest thing can trigger a big reaction.
It’s not that I’m failing.
It’s that my body is overloaded.
Slowing down—something that feels unnatural and even uncomfortable at times—becomes the way I tell myself, “I’m safe. I’m okay. I don’t have to rush.”
That slowing down helps me regulate, and when I regulate, I can respond with intention instead of reacting out of overwhelm.
🪞 The Identity I Lost (and How I’m Rebuilding It)
One of the most impactful parts of our conversation was when Kristin explained why so many moms feel like they’ve “lost themselves.”
Before motherhood, I knew what I loved. I knew what made me feel alive. I could rest, create, be spontaneous, spend time with friends, go on walks, dance, read, and actually finish a sentence without being interrupted.
Over time, those parts of me started disappearing under the weight of responsibility. And suddenly I woke up one day thinking:
“Where did I go?”
Kristin uses a method she calls The Ripple Effect Method, made up of four pillars:
- Physical – the daily habits that help my body feel supported
- Social – the relationships that fill me up (and the ones that drain me)
- Emotional – the feelings I want to experience more intentionally
- Spiritual – the life-giving practices that nourish my soul
When I think about who I used to be before becoming a mom, I’m reminded that those pieces are still there. They just need room again.
Connect With Kristin
If you want to feel supported, seen, and understood in the messy parts of motherhood, you can find Kristin here:
Instagram: @imperfectlywonderfulmotherhood
P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at jena@jenaburris.com. Your voice matters — and I’m here for you.