Laughing Through the Guilt: Motherhood, Mental Health & Finding Freedom in Humour - with Alyssa Kyria (aka @thefunnymummyuk)

What if laughter isn’t just a coping mechanism for motherhood - but a quiet act of resistance against guilt and shame?

In this episode of Challenge Your Guilt I'm joined by comedian, actor and creator of the much-loved Instagram account @thefunnymummyuk, Alyssa Kyria. Known for her razor-sharp parodies and unfiltered honesty, Alyssa shares the story behind her work, her experiences of maternal guilt, and why humour has become one of her most powerful tools for survival, connection and self-compassion.

Together, we explore guilt in all its messy forms - from working motherhood and being a parent of an only child, to phone addiction, mental load, screen guilt and the pressure to look like you’re coping. This is a conversation about honesty over perfection, empathy over shame, and why laughing at the chaos might just help us put some of the guilt down.

Warm, funny and deeply validating, this episode will leave you feeling less alone - and very likely laughing along.

What We Cover in This Episode

• Alyssa’s journey from actor and character comedy to @thefunnymummyuk
• Why becoming a mother changed how she shows up creatively
• Maternal guilt through the lens of having one child
• The guilt of working, touring and missing key moments
• Mental health, burnout and the pressure to always appear “fine”
• Why curated social media feeds fuel maternal guilt
• Phone addiction, boundaries and the impact on family life
• Screen guilt, mental load and modern motherhood
• How humour helps dissolve shame and restore connection
• Laughing at ourselves as a form of emotional resilience
• Alyssa’s upcoming podcast Cringe & Tell and future projects

Key Takeaways

• Guilt shows up no matter how many children you have - there is no “right” way to mother
• Shame thrives in isolation, but laughter creates connection
• You are not failing - you’re responding to impossible standards
• Humour can help us step out of self-judgement and into compassion
• Being honest about the hard parts of motherhood matters

Find Alyssa online:

• Instagram & Facebook: @thefunnymummyuk
• Website: https://alyssakyria.com/

Links & Resources

• Buy the book: Challenge Your Guilt: How to Flourish in Motherhood, Work and Life
• Apply for a free Motherload Breakthrough Call with Belinda
• Subscribe to Belinda’s weekly newsletter for reflections on motherhood, work and guilt

✨ If this episode resonated, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a mother who needs to hear that guilt was never hers to carry.