Episode 6 - Mental Health & Motherhood: How to Support Your Child Without Losing Yourself with Jenn Robb
By Jessica Garrison
Our guest this week is someone with strength, purpose, and faith, but it doesn’t stop there. Jenn Robb is the type of person who helps others find those traits in themselves as well. Her story is full of vulnerability, strength, and overcoming adversity.
Jenn is very open as she shares how her daughter was struggling with her mental health, something that isn’t always visible on the outside, but it eats away at you internally. When children express a decline in their mental health, they’re typically ignored or shrugged off as nothing serious. However, Jenn supported her daughter through all of it without a second thought. She shares how she let herself go after discovering her daughter’s struggles, devoting all of her time and energy towards helping her. Of course her priority was her daughter, but Jenn realized that it didn’t have to be all or nothing. She recalls not even recognizing herself in the mirror, losing sight of who she was as her own person. Self care for Jenn became about being intentional. By doing something that is specific to her and refreshes her soul, Jenn is able to be at her best to take care of her daughter as well as to feel more present in each moment.
While discussing taking care of her mental health as much as her physical health, Jenn brings up the excellent point of hormones, specifically how they can affect women in particular. Our bodies are constantly changing, and they are not the same at 16 as 36 or 66. This means we have to adjust our health plans and our self care needs to what is best for us at the given moment.
Jenn reminds us that we have the power to choose, and we need this reminder when talking about boundaries. She says that parents set boundaries all the time for their children, so why not set them for themselves? We’ve talked before about how “No,” is a full sentence, something that Jenn reiterates. Saying yes to everything zaps your energy, and a lot of times we say yes just because we don’t want to seem rude. However, you can still be a nice person and set boundaries—the two don’t have to cancel each other out. Jenn says that sometimes you have to love people from a distance, and that’s okay. It’s all about doing what is best for yourself so you can show up as your healthiest, most authentic self.
These experiences were turned into a book, Warrior Mom Rising, as a way to help other moms who may be struggling with similar things as Jenn. She offers tools and resources for women to encourage them to advocate for themselves and their loved ones. Being a supportive person for others is one of the most powerful things you can be, but be sure you’re being just as supportive of yourself, too.
Ways to Engage: Find space for yourself even in the smallest of moments. Whether you’re listening to your favorite music in the car, taking an extra five minutes in the shower, or doing some breathing exercises before bed, find ways to take care of and prioritize yourself.
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