Chronic Illness Moms | Feel Better, Stress Relief, Fatigue, Inflammation, Brain Fog, Healthy Habits, Neurodivergent

20. 8 Ways to Overcome Decision Fatigue and Stop Feeling SO Overwhelmed

Analysis paralysis, brain fog, feeling hopeless or overwhelmed, procrastination....are any of these something you struggle with? If so, it's possible you're facing decision fatigue. It makes perfect sense, we all have so many decisions we have to make in a single day, sometimes it's just too much for our brains to keep up with!
I am going to share 8 tips that have helped me to decrease the number of decisions I have to make in a day. If you feel overwhelmed during meals because you're trying to encourage your child with food aversions to try new things, but it feels daunting to come up with something new, there is a way to streamline that!
I share all about this and many other tips I have found that help me with running my home, parenting my kids, and showing up to life in a way that feels significantly less overwhelming than it used to. I want that for you too! XO,
Ashley 
 
I would love to connect even more with you! Please email me or reach out to me on social media!
Email: hello@ashleybraden.com
Facebook: facebook.com/specialkindofmotherhood
Instagram: instagram.com/specialkind.ofmotherhood

19. How to Have Self-Care Time as a Special Needs Mom When it Doesn’t Feel Possible

Do you find yourself struggling to find time for yourself each day? Does self-care feel like an impossible idea to actually implement in your life?While we care for our differently-abled kids, the reality is that self-care is so important for our own health and well-being, but also so we can show up for our family in the way that we desire to. Burnout while juggling the parenting and caregiver roles is very real. How can we find ways to decrease our chances of burnout and actually make time for ourselves? Is it possible that our thoughts surrounding self-care are stopping us from finding creative solutions? I think so! Join me today as we talk about the real need for time away from our responsibilities, the challenges we come up against to actually make that happen, and some ways we can begin to be honest with those around us about our desperate need to care for ourselves, too! XO,
Ashley 
 
I would love to connect even more with you! Please email me or reach out to me on social media!
Email: hello@ashleybraden.com
Facebook: facebook.com/specialkindofmotherhood
Instagram: instagram.com/specialkind.ofmotherhood

18. My #1 Routine for Staying Connected in Marriage as a Neurodivergent Family

Do you find that the busyness of parenting your children with special needs leaves little room for you to connect with your spouse? Have you heard that the divorce rate is higher among those who have a child with a disability, but you don't know how to increase your chances of having a successful marriage? I share my #1 routine for increasing connection and communication in your marriage in a way that doesn't feel unattainable or overwhelming. When we already struggle to find time for ourselves or to find someone to watch our kids so we can consistently go on a date-night, we just need to find a simple routine in order to cultivate that connection in our marriage that we really desire to have. Listen in as I share what that looks like for us! XO,Ashley
I would love to connect even more with you! Please email me or reach out to me on social media!
Email: hello@ashleybraden.com
Facebook: facebook.com/specialkindofmotherhood
Instagram: instagram.com/specialkind.ofmotherhood

17. Considering Homeschooling Your Neurodivergent Child? The Benefits of Personalizing Education for Your Child

Hey Sister-friend! Welcome back to the podcast! Do you have children who are Neurodivergent, who have some kind of disability, or complex medical needs? Do you find school and their education to be in a constant state of “Warrior Mom Mode" to fight for your kids to get an education that works for their unique learning styles?Been.There. I share in today's episode why we decided to Homeschool our kids and what a beautiful (and admittedly, often difficult) journey it has been for us so far. If you are desperately desiring to step out of the box of what you've been told is the appropriate way to educate your children, but can't overcome that feeling that if you do so, you will be failing them, then you're going to want to listen to today's episode! XO, 
Ashley 
Resource for Learning Styles: http://carolbarnier.com/learning-styles/
 
I would love to connect even more with you! Please email me or reach out to me on social media!
Email: hello@ashleybraden.com
Facebook: facebook.com/specialkindofmotherhood
Instagram: instagram.com/specialkind.ofmotherhood

16. Feeling Stressed as a Mom Parenting Your Neurodivergent Child? How We Can Find Grace and Support

Hey Mamas!
Have you ever been told that you are SuperMom for parenting your child with special needs? Or that people don't see how you do it all as far as caring for your kids, juggling therapies, and all the things that parenting our kids requires?
I know I have had that said to me, or something similar, many times over the years. I want to chat with you today about how I feel that mindset of being SuperMom is often actually not helpful for us as Moms.
Parenting a child with special needs can be incredibly rewarding, but it's also incredibly challenging. There are days when you might feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and stretched thin. And that's okay! You're not alone in feeling that way.
Remember, there's no shame in admitting that you need some extra support. And we don’t have the keep the expectation that we do all the things, all the time. Let's talk about what the Bible has to say about how the burdens that we carry while helping our kids to grow into healthy, thriving adults really aren't a source for us to feel proud of ourselves for all of our accomplishments, but instead are a place to rest in the grace and love of Jesus.
XO,
Ashley 
 
I would love to connect even more with you! Please email me or reach out to me on social media!
Email: hello@ashleybraden.com
Facebook: facebook.com/specialkindofmotherhood
Instagram: instagram.com/specialkind.ofmotherhood

15. Trying to Reduce Screen Time as a Special Needs Mom? Some of My favorite Screen Free Ideas to Entertain My Kids

Do you struggle with feeling like your kids are on screens too much, but you can't find a good alternative to replace some of their screen time?
Have you found setting boundaries for yourself with your phone to be really difficult to stick to?
Today I share some great screen-free alternatives that can provide your children with some entertainment! We also talk about some options that use screens, but how we can adapt those to make them less stimulating to our kids.
And if you're struggling to stick with your own boundaries around scrolling your phone, tune in to my simple hack for limiting the addictive nature your phone can have on you!
XO,
Ashley
Toniebox: $15 off coupon HERE 
Geminii: HERE
Mathseeds & Reading Eggs: HERE
*This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using one of my links, I may earn commission, but at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
I would love to connect even more with you! Please email me or reach out to me on social media!
Email: hello@ashleybraden.com
Facebook: facebook.com/specialkindofmotherhood
Instagram: instagram.com/specialkind.ofmotherhood

14. Benefits We Have Seen From Reducing Screen Time for Our Neurodiverse Children

Do you notice negative effects from screen time for your kids, but you also rely on screens to help educate or entertain your child with special needs? 
If you have a child who is Neurodivergent, you may find them being drawn even MORE to screens, which can make the idea of limiting screen time seem even more challenging. 
Today we talk about some of the research behind the negative effects that screens can have on our kids. If you notice your children are consistently overstimulated, struggling to concentrate, anxious, or obsessed with their games or devices, you're going to want to listen to today's episode! We are going to have some real talk about the problems that can come from too much screen time and what we can do about it as busy moms who often feel we need screen time for our kids as a way of getting a break! Here we go!
XO, 
Ashley 
Products for Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Health
*This post contains affiliate links. If  you use my links I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
I would love to connect even more with you! Please email me or reach out to me on social media!
Email: hello@ashleybraden.com
Facebook: facebook.com/specialkindofmotherhood
Instagram: instagram.com/specialkind.ofmotherhood

13. 5 Tips to Manage Stress as a Mom Parenting Differently-abled Kids

Parenthood is stressful at times, am I right? It's an amazing blessing to raise these precious kids, but there are days when it feels like WE may not make it until the end of the day. 
When we are parenting kids with special needs, at times, the feelings of stress can be amplified. Oftentimes as caregivers, we rarely (or never) get breaks. This can only add to our stress and the feelings of isolation and overwhelm. 
If you've found yourself struggling to manage your stress in ways that feel healthy and that actually work, please listen as I share 5 of my favorite tips that I use daily to help manage my own stress levels. An added bonus is that many of these tips can also help our children stay calm and relaxed as well! 
XO,
Ashley 
 
I would love to connect even more with you! Please email me or reach out to me on social media!
Email: hello@ashleybraden.com
Facebook: facebook.com/specialkindofmotherhood
Instagram: instagram.com/specialkind.ofmotherhood

12. My #1 Tip for Eliminating Stress Over Kids’ Clothing as a Busy Special Needs Mom

Does this sound familiar? You start your morning out feeling behind, scrambling to get everyone dressed for the day, trying to find matching outfits, or some days, just clean clothes...who cares if they match! You finally make it out of the door, but you're late (again.) 
I know this has been a scene in my home more than once as I tried to get my kids to their speech and occupational therapies! 
Often as a Mom with differently-abled kids, our children may have some kind of disability that requires us to pick out their clothes and offer them extra help with getting dressed and ready for the day. If we aren't prepared, this can add to our stress as we are trying to get out of the door on time. 
I want to share with you in today's episode one of my favorite tips for eliminating some of the stress and overwhelm we can feel with our morning routines when it comes to getting our children dressed and ready to start the day! 
If you want to find a simple way to make your mornings feel a lot more relaxed (and start to actually make it to places on time!) then you're going to want to listen in! Let's do this!
Ashley 
 
I would love to connect even more with you! Please email me or reach out to me on social media!
Email: hello@ashleybraden.com
Facebook: facebook.com/specialkindofmotherhood
Instagram: instagram.com/specialkind.ofmotherhood/

11. Could Gardening Help Your Child With SPD Try New Foods? My Favorite Tips for Beginning Gardeners!

If you have a child with Sensory Processing Disorder, you may know what a struggle it can for them to be open to trying new foods. 
I started gardening as a hobby for myself then quickly realized it had even MORE benefits than I had ever thought possible. I share today all about the amazing things we have seen come from growing our own backyard garden (hint: it's not just the fact that my kids are willing to try new foods!) 
In today's episode you're also going to hear how to start a beginner's garden in a way that can feel really simple! I can't wait to hear what you're growing at your house this year!
XO,
Ashley 
Greenstalk Planter get $10 off here.
MIGardener: migardener.com
Baker Creek: rareseeds.com
*This post contains some affiliate links. If you use my link I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
I would love to connect even more with you! Please email me or reach out to me on social media!
Email: hello@ashleybraden.com
Facebook: facebook.com/specialkindofmotherhood
Instagram: instagram.com/specialkind.ofmotherhood/