The Mindful Midlife Mom - Mindfulness Practices and Techniques for Mentally Exhausted Moms Juggling Kids & Aging Parents

54 | Setting Boundaries Without Guilt: Mindfulness Affirmation for Midlife Moms Managing Burnout in the Sandwich Generation

• Valerie Mekki • Episode 54

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What if saying “no” wasn’t selfish—but the most loving thing you could do for yourself?

In a world where we’re taught to keep the peace and prioritize others, creating boundaries can feel uncomfortable or even guilt-inducing. But boundaries are essential for protecting your energy, well-being, and growth—especially in midlife. 

This episode offers you practical ways to set limits that feel empowering, not apologetic.

  • Learn how to shift your mindset around boundaries from guilt to self-respect and self-preservation.
  • Discover five types of boundaries—from time to emotional—that will help you reclaim your energy and protect your peace.
  • Experience an empowering affirmation session to help you create space for yourself with compassion, confidence, and clarity.


🎧 Press play to begin honoring your needs unapologetically—because your peace of mind is worth protecting.

You’re listening to the right show, formerly known as the Mindful Life Changes or Mindful Career Change Podcast. We’ve made some pivots through the years, but we’ve finally landed on the right path: producing content for moms seeking calm within the chaos of midlife changes.

New episodes drop on:

  • Sundays: 20-minute episodes addressing common midlife challenges with practical strategies plus a featured mindfulness practice (affirmations, mantras, or meditations)
  • Wednesdays: Short guided practice sessions to reinforce Sunday's mindfulness technique and reset your week

More from The Mindful Midlife Mom:

Discover Valerie's articles on ohhellomidlife.com or watch her videos on Youtube @ohhellomidlife

This podcast explores patience, meditation, confidence, presence, and overcoming resentment while cultivating calm, peace, mindfulness, clarity, mantras, and addressing loneliness and burn out; it covers boundaries, caregiving, guilt, affirmations, working moms, self-care, midlife crisis, empty nesters, empowerment, people pleasing, compassion fatigue, family caregiving, stress relief, self-worth, stress management, and how to shift from reactive to centered when feeling short tempered, offering tools for self acceptance, easing mental exhaustion, building emotional resilience, harnessing inner strength, and preventing caregiver fatigue for those in the sandwich generation through expert advice on boundaries setting.

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Speaker 1:

Today's affirmation I am creating healthy boundaries to protect my energy and well-being. We're often taught to prioritize others' needs or protect their feelings, especially as women. Saying no or prioritizing ourselves can trigger feelings of guilt or selfishness. In episode 51, we explored how to refrain from immediately saying yes, giving ourselves a graceful time out, a way to decline without the guilt. Today, let's take it a step further by creating healthy boundaries in our lives so we can create a life that feels balanced, fulfilling and aligned with our values, whether it's distancing yourself from a relationship that's draining your energy, whether it's distancing yourself from a relationship that's draining your energy, scheduling time for self-care or personal development, or setting up digital boundaries like silencing notifications on your phone to protect your focus, so you can create a space for yourself you deserve. Hello and welcome to the Mindful Life Changes podcast, where we dive deep into the challenges and transformations shaping our lives, from shifts in our roles at home and work to the transitions we navigate physically and mentally as we gracefully age. I'm your host, valerie Mickey, a career change guide and mindfulness enthusiast. In today's episode, we're talking about boundaries, specifically how to create them without feeling guilty. In fact, I want you to walk away feeling excited to reclaim the physical and mental space you deserve, so you have the energy and focus for what truly matters most to you.

Speaker 1:

You might even find yourself wondering why didn't I start this sooner? Recently, I had this moment of clarity after a scheduled day off to work on my passion project. You know I'm the type of person who rarely takes any time off unless absolutely necessary, like if it's for my kids, parents sickness or a planned family vacation, and even those are few and far between. However, juggling the care of an aging parent, supporting my daughter through her senior year of high school and keeping up with the demanding projects at work, I realized I needed time for myself and I didn't feel guilty or bad about taking that time off. A whole day just for me. Whether I decided to work on my passion project or do nothing at all, this day was for me.

Speaker 1:

I believe this shift in feeling less guilty about setting boundaries often comes with entering midlife. You become less worried about what others think, less afraid to advocate for yourself and more secure in your abilities, knowing that you can step away and confidently handle things when you return. If you're starting to notice this shift within yourself, I encourage you to lean into it. Perhaps you've begun feeling more comfortable saying no to people, like what we discussed in practice in episode 51. And now you're ready to explore the idea of creating boundaries, or maybe you're even starting to set them up. Boundaries are not about being selfish or unkind to others. They're about self-preservation. Think of them as a fence around your mental and emotional garden. I promise once you've created the space, you'll feel a profound sense of relief, empowerment and freedom. Your relationships will improve, your energy will increase and you'll open yourself up to new possibilities for growth and happiness. Here are some examples of different boundaries you can incorporate into your life to help preserve your mental well-being, allowing you to thrive in midlife.

Speaker 1:

Scheduling a day for yourself equals creating a time boundary. This isn't selfish. It's necessary to avoid burnout. Setting up your phone to silence notifications this is creating a digital boundary. It's okay not to be available at all times. In fact, it's essential to block distractions. During times you need focus, such as your morning routine. During times you need focus, such as your morning routine, workouts or quality time with your family, choosing not to engage with negative energy. This creates an emotional boundary. Start noticing how you feel after spending time with people who might drain your energy rather than uplift you. It might be time to create distance from negative energy or individuals Declining an invitation that doesn't align with your priorities. This means creating a boundary that prioritizes what matters most to you. Let go of the need to please everyone and start honoring your own needs and values. Everyone and start honoring your own needs and values, saying no without over explaining or justifying yourself. This is creating a boundary that respects your autonomy. You don't owe anyone a lengthy explanation for your decisions.

Speaker 1:

Now that you've had this shift in perspectives, let's take this moment to for an empowering affirmation session. This affirmation will help replace guilt with self-compassion and empower you to prioritize your well-being. We'll start our affirmation practice by priming your mind and body, so you'll be open to this affirmation. Take a deep and cleansing breath in and out. I'll begin by reciting the affirmation twice and, while you listen to the affirmation, imagine you're writing this affirmation down on a whiteboard or you're watching someone write on the board for you. This will help with memorization. So let's begin.

Speaker 1:

I am creating healthy boundaries to protect my energy and well-being. I'm creating healthy boundaries to protect my energy and well-being. To protect my energy and well-being, I'll repeat the affirmation again, but this time I want you to repeat it out loud to yourself so you can make a connection I'm creating healthy boundaries to protect my energy and well-being. I'll repeat this affirmation again and once, once again, say it out loud to yourself I'm creating healthy boundaries to protect my energy and well-being. Now imagine creating a protective boundary around your beautiful garden of well-being and self-care. Visualize a white picket fence protecting this garden, this beautiful, serene and vibrant space, your happy place, where you can rejuvenate and re-energize. As I repeat this affirmation again, picture yourself confidently setting this boundary, see the colors, hear the sounds and feel the emotions. In this moment, I'm creating healthy boundaries to protect my energy and well-being. I repeat it one last time and give you a moment to let it sink in I'm creating healthy boundaries to protect my energy and well-being. When you're ready, slowly open your eyes. If you have them closed and if it feels comfortable to you, place your hand over your heart to help seal in this affirmation practice with self-love and care.

Speaker 1:

This affirmation is yours to recite and practice for at least 21 days, once a day. It's most effective before you go to bed at night or when you wake up in the morning, before you start your day. To deepen your affirmation practice. Consider making your affirmation sticky. Write this affirmation down on a sticky note and place it on your bathroom mirror or laptop as a reminder that you are capable of setting boundaries and protecting the garden of well-being and self-care. There is no better way to develop a healthy habit than by setting yourself up for success.

Speaker 1:

Subscribe to this podcast and bookmark this episode so you'll have it handy whenever you need a quick guide to this affirmation helping you continue to build healthy habits. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend who may be looking for an empowering affirmation to help them feel less guilty for taking time out for themselves or creating boundaries from negative energy or individuals, or show your appreciation by giving us a rating wherever you listen. Your support will help other midlifers find this content, allowing this podcast to grow and to flourish. Thank you for sharing this time and space with me. Every moment you dedicate being mindful is a step towards a more fulfilled and vibrant life. Keep embracing your midlife journey with an open heart and remember you're not alone in this. I look forward to our next mindful gathering. I'll talk to you soon.