# 80. Repair with Self-care with Leslie Forde

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mothering-ourselves-mindfully-7036456/80-repair-with-self-care-with-leslie-forde
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mothering-ourselves-mindfully-7036456/80-repair-with-self-care-with-leslie-forde.md
Podcast: [Mothering Ourselves Mindfully](https://stenobird.com/podcast/mothering-ourselves-mindfully-7036456)
Published: 2026-02-24T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.theschoolofmom.com
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/a51a2d1e-5b76-4cd7-8a66-fa4794f72cb0.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/mothering-ourselves-mindfully-7036456/episodes/80-repair-with-self-care-with-leslie-forde
Duration seconds: 2826

## Resource

In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, I'm joined by Leslie Forde — researcher, founder, and author of Repair with Self-Care: Your Guide to the Mom's Hierarchy of Needs . Leslie's work began after a brutal return from maternity leave landed her in burnout, and what emerged from the wreckage was a research obsession that has since become a roadmap for mothers everywhere. We talk about the invisible forces quietly draining our energy, why moms have been left out of the health span movement, and why - backed by real data - your self-care is quite literally the most important thing you can do for your children. Key Points The Three Ghosts — the hidden forces sapping your time, energy, and wellbeing: mental load , decision fatigue , and time scarcity . Leslie breaks down what each one is, how they compound one another, and what you can actually do about them. The suitcase metaphor — why trying to fit your needs into an already overpacked life is like traveling with a tiny suitcase and giving all the space to everyone else. (And why it's time to get your own suitcase.) The biological limit on decisions — you have a decision budget each day. Once it's spent, it's spent. Understanding this changes how you structure your mornings, your work, and where you spend your mental energy. Time scarcity and the brain — research shows that whether the scarcity is food, money, or time, the neurological impact is the same. Mothers are disproportionately drowning in time scarcity, and it's not a personal failing — it's math. The health data that should stop us in our tracks — women live nine fewer healthy years than men, 80% of autoimmune disease sufferers are women, and postpartum suicide is a leading cause of maternal death. This is not a wellness trend. This is a health crisis. The…

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## Transcript

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