Mom Guilt..it’s a Thing!

 Even Rhinna experiences it

Rihanna may be a billionaire business mogul, a music icon, and a fashion powerhouse,
but at the end of the day, she’s a mom first. And in a rare, vulnerable moment,
she’s letting the world in on something every mother knows all too well:
The inescapable weight of mom guilt.

This really resonated with me:
”Mom guilt is that ever-present shadow, the feeling that no matter where you are, you should be somewhere else.
And even Rihanna—who has access to the best resources, support, and childcare imaginable—can’t escape it.
“Even when you show up there, it’s not 100 percent because there’s something else on the wheel,”
she admitted. “It’s actually given me a lot more self-guilt.”

What Mom Guilt Is —

and Why So Many Mothers Carry It

Mom guilt is that quiet, constant voice that whispers:

I should be doing more.
I’m not doing this right.
Other moms seem better at this than I am.

It’s the heaviness that creeps in when you take time for yourself.
The knot in your stomach when you work, rest, lose patience, or simply need a break.
The feeling that no matter what you do, it’s somehow not enough.

Mom guilt isn’t a personal failure.
It’s a cultural and emotional weight that many mothers are taught to carry.

Why Mom Guilt Is So Prevalent

Mom guilt is everywhere because modern motherhood is full of impossible contradictions.

Mothers are expected to:

• Be fully present and productive

• Be patient, calm, and endlessly nurturing

• Raise emotionally intelligent children

• Heal their own childhood wounds

• Do it all with grace — and without needing help

At the same time, we’re flooded with:

• Curated images of “perfect” motherhood

• Conflicting advice from every direction

• Generational expectations

• Comparisons we never asked for

When expectations are endless and support is limited, guilt thrives.

And because mothers are deeply bonded to their children, any perceived misstep can feel personal, moral, and overwhelming.

How Debilitating Mom Guilt Can Be

Left unchecked, mom guilt can become more than an emotion — it can become a state of being.

It can:

• Erode self-confidence

• Increase anxiety and burnout

• Make rest feel undeserved

• Lead to chronic self-criticism

• Disconnect mothers from their intuition

• Create shame around normal human limits

Many mothers don’t talk about it because they believe:

“I should just be grateful.”

But gratitude and struggle can coexist.
Love and exhaustion can exist at the same time.

The Truth Mothers Need to Hear

You can love your children deeply and still feel overwhelmed.
You can be a good mother and need space.
You can make mistakes and be enough.

Mom guilt often appears not because you’re failing — but because you care.

A Gentle Tool for Coping: The Power of a Mantra

When guilt spirals, the nervous system is usually activated. In those moments, logic alone doesn’t help — reassurance does.

Simple, grounding mantras can interrupt the spiral and bring you back into the present.

Two powerful ones are:

I am enough.
I am doing the best I can.

These aren’t empty affirmations. They are truths that your nervous system needs to hear — especially when inner criticism gets loud.

How to Use the Mantra (Practically)

When guilt arises:

1. Pause and place a hand on your heart or belly

2. Take one slow breath

3. Repeat (out loud or silently):
   I am enough.
   I am doing the best I can.

Repeat until your body softens — even slightly.

Over time, this practice:

• Builds self-compassion

• Replaces harsh inner dialogue

• Reconnects you to your intuition

• Models emotional regulation for your children

Why This Matters for Your Children Too

Children don’t need perfect mothers.

They need:

• Regulated nervous systems

• Presence more than perfection

• Repair over rigidity

• A mother who shows them what self-compassion looks like

When you release guilt, you don’t become less loving — you become more available.

A Final Reminder for Every Mother 🤍

Mom guilt is learned.
Self-trust can be relearned.

You are not behind.
You are not failing.
You are not alone in this.

You are enough.
You are doing the best you can.
And that has always been true.

Printable Mantra Card

Front of Card

I am enough.
I am doing the best I can.

Back of Card

Place this card somewhere you’ll see it often —
on your nightstand, in your bag, by the sink,
or tucked into a journal.

When guilt rises, pause.
Take one slow breath.
Place a hand on your heart.

Repeat:

I am enough.
I am doing the best I can.

Let these words remind you:
You are human.
You are learning.
You are deeply loved.

I made a mantra card for you!

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER !
WITH LOVE,
KRISTIN @ SOUL TRIBE