What if the problem isn’t that you’re inconsistent… but that you were never meant to be the same every day?
In this conversation, I sit down with mental health therapist, childbirth educator, doula, and mother of five Shara Jackson Harper to explore the intersection of hormones, nervous system health, motherhood, and life transitions. This conversation felt both validating and expansive, especially in a world that asks us to perform with the same capacity every single day.
We talk about the realities of cyclical living, how stress and cortisol shape our emotional experiences, and why so many women feel like they’re failing when their bodies may actually be asking for something different.
This conversation also moves into pregnancy, postpartum, caregiving, self-trust, and the cultural pressures that make rest feel impossible.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Why women are not meant to feel the same every day
- The four phases of the menstrual cycle and how they impact mood, energy, communication, and capacity
- How hormones and the nervous system work together (and sometimes against us)
- Why cortisol hits differently depending on where you are in your cycle
- What actually happens hormonally after birth and why postpartum can feel so emotionally intense
- The nervous system cost of modern motherhood, overstimulation, and productivity culture
- Rest as a biological need and not a luxury
- Mom guilt, self-trust, and learning to listen to your body
- Why repair matters more than perfection in parenting
- Community, play, and connection as nervous system medicine
One of my favorite reminders from this conversation:
“Rest is productive.”
If you’ve ever wondered why some days you feel clear, social, and energized and other days everything feels like too muchthis episode is for you.
Connect with Shara: https://www.instagram.com/growthinherseasons/
Website: https://growthinherseasons.com/
Link to all of her awesome downloads and resources: https://linktr.ee/sharalea?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGna9XxC6MU_i--FZyOLHU4fPqENmUemrxTQHcxA9NtLu_4GvHZhlG4sulvavc_aem_eB46ADTgPmtFx74qn21_Qw
Work with and support Lesha:
https://www.instagram.com/lesha__nelson/
www.leshanelson.com
