Hello, dear Wai. It's great to have you here! Please introduce yourself briefly.
Wai:
Hello! I'm Wai from Mama Burnout Berlin and I'm very happy to meet you here on the park bench.
Likewise! What do you do for a living?
Wai:
I am a body-oriented burnout coach for mothers and I support women in various challenging situations that motherhood brings – for example, in the postpartum period when there are signs of postpartum depression, but also in everyday life. Many mothers turn to me when they are at risk of burnout.
What would you say: Why are self-love and self-care so important especially for mothers?
I believe there's this myth of the "self-sacrificing mother" that is deeply ingrained in many of us – something we've practically absorbed. Self-care often comes last, if at all.
But I think we are currently in a time of great change. Many women realize: I am not only a mother – I am also a woman, despite everything.
And self-care – especially when it's not about self-optimization – can be an incredibly helpful way to reconnect with yourself and your own body.
And would you say that even small rituals in everyday life can help to put yourself back in focus?
Yes, absolutely! That's exactly what my work is about: We develop small, everyday routines that take place one to three times a day. For example, after showering or bathing – a moment to moisturize, to check in with yourself.
I work in a body-oriented way, and there are certain areas on the face or head that activate the vagus nerve – an important part of our parasympathetic nervous system, i.e., our relaxation mode.
I teach women how to specifically promote relaxation through self-massage. This can be easily integrated into everyday life and often works in just a few minutes.
You are a mother yourself – what do you personally love about motherhood? And is there anything you would like to pass on to all mothers?
It is so diverse. For me, the beautiful and the challenging are often very close together.
What I have learned – and what I also want to pass on to others – is that both can exist at the same time. Recognizing this simultaneity was a great realization for me.
If we don't expect everything to be only beautiful, the disappointment is also less great – and thus it can even become more beautiful.
