Episode 48: Managing (Your Own) Expectations for Success with Liz Kent
Licensed therapist and maternal mental health coach Liz Kent joins host Hannah Morgan for a down-to-earth conversation on how internalized expectations — from society, social media, or even ourselves — can keep moms trapped in cycles of guilt, stress, and self-doubt.
Liz shares what happens when we release the pressure to "do it all" and embrace more realistic, compassionate standards for ourselves and our families. From managing mental load to finding confidence in your parenting decisions, this episode is a must-listen for any mom craving more peace in her home and mind.
Key Takeaways
We absorb expectations from all around us — but we don’t have to keep carrying them.
Your life, support system, and family needs are unique. Don’t compare your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.
Self-compassion matters. If you wouldn’t say it to your best friend, don’t say it to yourself.
Confidence comes from aligning your decisions with what actually works for your family — not what social media says you should do.
Quotes
“We’re all human — we all fall short sometimes.”
“Would you talk to your best friend the way you're talking to yourself?”
“Make decisions based on your family’s needs — not what you think you ‘should’ be doing.”
“Nobody is doing it all. They might just have more help behind the scenes.”
Resources Mentioned
Liz Kent Coaching – Support for moms navigating motherhood, identity, and the mental load — through therapy (MD/PA) and online coaching. Liz helps women feel more grounded and confident by setting boundaries, shifting expectations, and managing overwhelm.
Heron House Management – Virtual house management for busy families — we handle your to-dos so you can focus on what matters most.
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This episode of De-Stress the Nest is sponsored by Heron House Management.
About Heron House Management:
Heron House Management is a virtual house management service that takes the stress out of your busy life by taking on your mental load and managing your To Do list. We provide fractional virtual house management for busy families at 10, 15 and 20+ hours/month.
Meal planning, signing up for kids activities, scheduling doctor's appointments, finding a house cleaner, planning your kid's birthday party, getting quotes for that home renovation project, or scheduling a monthly date night with your significant other and so much more. We do it all!
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[00:02] Hannah Morgan: Welcome to De-Stress the Nest, a podcast for busy parents where experts share bite-sized tips on how to create systems that minimize stress at home. I'm your host, Hannah Morgan.
[00:02] Hannah Morgan:
Welcome to De-Stress the Nest, a podcast for busy parents where experts share bite-sized tips on how to create systems that minimize stress at home. I'm your host, Hannah Morgan.[00:12] Hannah Morgan:
Today’s episode is sponsored by Heron House Management — the first-ever virtual house management service that lightens your mental load by handling your to-do list with monthly subscriptions of 10, 15, and 20+ hours per month. From meal planning and doctor’s appointments to birthday parties and home projects, Heron House Management helps busy families reclaim their time and live their best lives. Learn more at heronhousemanagement.com.[00:53] Hannah Morgan:
Liz, I’m so excited to have you on the show today. Thank you for joining us. I was hoping you could open up by telling our audience a little bit about who you are and what you do.[01:00] Liz Kent:
Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm excited to connect with you again. I’m Liz Kent, a licensed therapist in Maryland and Pennsylvania. I have a private practice where I specialize in maternal mental health. I also run a coaching business where I work specifically with moms — especially around managing the mental load and overwhelm — so they can stop feeling like they’re just managing their life, and instead feel truly present and engaged in it.[01:28] Hannah:
We’re all about that! And you also have a Facebook group?[01:32] Liz:
Yes! It’s called Mental Load Mastery for Moms. I share lots of content there — trainings, strategies, tips — and I’m also on Instagram at @lizkentcoaching. I’m a mom of three kids, and they’re starting fourth grade, second grade, and pre-K.[01:58] Hannah:
Amazing. I’m so glad to have you here. Today we’re talking about the power of releasing unrealistic expectations — especially in motherhood. Tell us more.[02:10] Liz:
So many moms put immense pressure on themselves. Especially in today’s parenting culture, we get constant messaging about how to do everything right — provide emotional support, keep kids stimulated, meet every developmental need.And then there’s social media, where we only see the best moments from other people’s lives. Add in the pressure of maintaining a career, managing a household, staying social, prioritizing your marriage — it’s just not realistic to “do it all” without sacrificing your wellbeing.
What I often remind people is: we’re all human. We can’t do everything perfectly all the time. Practicing self-compassion is critical. If you talked to yourself the way you’d talk to your best friend — especially when she’s struggling — it would sound completely different. So flip the script. Be a little kinder to yourself.
[03:45] Hannah:
Such a great reminder — would you speak to a friend the way you're speaking to yourself right now? It’s a powerful way to shift that inner narrative.What helped you personally realize the importance of managing unrealistic expectations?
[03:58] Liz:
For me, it was transitioning from one child to two. I was still trying to do everything the way I had before — keeping up with the house, the routines, the standards. But with two kids, I just couldn’t. It wasn’t sustainable.That’s when I realized I had to adjust my expectations — many of which were self-imposed or came from cultural conditioning. I see it all the time in my clients, too — especially high-achieving women who go from thriving professionally to suddenly feeling completely unproductive after becoming a mom. It’s such a jarring shift.
We have to give ourselves grace. Your body, your brain — they go through massive changes after having children. And no one’s circumstances are the same. One mom might have a live-in grandparent helping every day. Another might be doing it completely solo.
You can’t compare your reality to someone else’s highlight reel.
[05:33] Hannah:
Yes! You need to define your own success — your own KPIs, if you’re coming from the corporate world. If you’re constantly trying to live up to someone else’s standard, it’s a losing game.[05:48] Liz:
Exactly. And it’s not even a real standard. People don’t show the hard stuff. They post the fun moments, the wins, the Pinterest-worthy activities. You don’t see the meltdowns, the boredom, the mess.When you drop those unrealistic expectations, you can make decisions that are truly right for you. You stop making choices based on guilt or pressure or comparison. And that’s where confidence comes from — when you’re no longer chasing a version of success that doesn’t fit your life.
[07:00] Hannah:
That’s such a relief to hear. Thank you for giving us permission to reframe what success really means — and how we talk to ourselves about it.I’ll definitely be thinking of this the next time I find myself scrolling Instagram. Thank you so much for joining us today, Liz!
[07:12] Liz:
Thanks for having me — this was great.[07:19] Hannah Morgan:
Thanks for listening to De-Stress the Nest — the podcast where experts share bite-sized tips on how to simplify your life. Don’t forget to subscribe and tune in every Tuesday for more ways to make home feel easier.
