Rebuilding a Soft Life After Motherhood Burnout
A new series for moms looking for gentler rhythms of faith, wellness, and motherhood after starting over
Hey sweet friend,
When I first started rebuilding my life after years of burnout, “slow living” felt like a beautiful window I could look through but never step inside. I saw cottage-core kitchens, homestead mornings, and perfectly styled routines and thought, “That’s lovely—for someone else.”
Then I remembered: a soft life is not a set. It’s a rhythm.
What I needed wasn’t a new personality or a new house. I needed gentler patterns that honored my real season—motherhood, limited energy, ADHD, and a heart that wanted to love God and my family well without living in survival mode. Soft living, for me, became less about matching an aesthetic and more about practicing intention and connection in small, repeatable ways.
Here’s what changed everything:
Personal, not performative. My rhythms had to work off-camera. If they weren’t doable on a Tuesday with dishes in the sink, they weren’t my rhythms.
Small on purpose. Five minutes of Scripture still counts. A walk around the block still counts. Lighting a candle at dinner still counts. Small things done consistently reshaped the whole week.
Social media is inspiration, not a standard. What you see online is a highlight, not a rulebook. Let it spark ideas, then adapt them to your life and limits.
This series is my simple map for living softer after burnout. I’ll share what I actually do—what stuck, what didn’t, and how I keep it sustainable with kids, a budget, and a busy brain. We’ll talk about faith practices that fit real mornings, cozy habits that make home feel gentler, and practical ways to romanticize motherhood without adding more pressure.
If you’re tired of hustling your way into exhaustion and ready to build something kinder and quieter, you’re in the right place. Your soft life won’t look like mine—and that’s the point. I’ll show you my framework and the exact steps I took, and you’ll shape them to fit your season.
I also want to pause and share something important. This is a brand-new publication because yesterday, during an email update glitch, my previous Substack and all of my subscribers were deleted. I’m devastated, but I also see this as a chance to live out what I’ve learned. Burnout taught me to rebuild softly, to begin again with grace, and to trust that God makes beauty from ashes. So here I am, starting over and inviting you to walk with me.
Coming up next: part one of the series with the first few rhythms I started with and how I made them stick.
If you want the deeper dives, printables, and weekly encouragement, make sure you’re subscribed. I’m cheering for you. Soft is possible.
Love,
Sarah
If you’ve been encouraged by this post and want to support my writing, you can “buy me a coffee” to help me keep creating gentle, faith-filled content: buymeacoffee.com/bysarahsmith