A 5-Minute Daily-ish Practice for Moms Who Are Fine
(and also one curveball away from not being fine)
Mom life is loud. The mental load is never-ending.
And sometimes, your brain just needs a place to spill out all the chaos before it takes over your whole day.
I learned this the hard way, when my son hit me with this gem: "Mom, you're kinda angry all the time… and you suck the fun out of everything."
RUDE. But also? 100% Accurate.
I realized I was taking the job of being a mom seriously - way too seriously. I was so busy holding everything (and everyone) together that I forgot I was allowed to just be a person, too.
That's where the 5 minute check-in literally saved me from losing my ever loving mind.
It's like a daily reset button for your mind - so you don't end up snapping at your kids over a long-a$$-bedtime or dissolving into a puddle when someone asks, "What's for dinner?" (again.) or seeing a cabin in the woods as a completely viable next step in life.
It's five minutes. This check-in is a place to let the chaos out so it doesn't stay bottled up, so that you can show up as the mom you want to be.
Inside This Guide:
✅ A 5-minute practice that prevents emotional explosions
✅ Permission to be messy, unhinged, and real
✅ 10 questions to ask when you "don't have time"
✅ What to expect in your first week (spoiler: it might feel worse before it feels better)
✅ How to make this stick without adding pressure
Let's start. 💛
NEW HERE? FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM @KAYLA.HUSZAR
OKAY, BUT WHAT IS a Creative Check-In?
It's a three-page, daily-ish practice to help unload the junk in your brain before it turns into full-blown overwhelm.
1 Page of Writing: A messy brain dump. No filter. No grammar. No making sense. (Highly recommend writing like no one—including future you—is ever going to read it.)
1 Page of Colors and Shapes: Doodle, scribble, swirl, sketch—just move your hand. No one's grading this.
1 Page of Reflection: A single word, feeling, or thought from the mess you just spilled. That's it.
What You'll Actually Do (The Template)
Here's what your Creative Check-In looks like in practice:
Page 1: The Brain Dump
Set a timer for 2-3 minutes
Write whatever's in your head: grocery lists, worries, random thoughts, complaints about your mother, best friend or the laundry mountain you’re partner never seems to notice
Don't stop moving your pen, even if you write "I don't know what to write" seventeen times
Grammar and spelling don't exist here
Page 2: Colors and Movement
Grab whatever you have: pen, crayon, marker, eyeliner (we've all been there)
1-2 minutes of moving your hand across the page
Circles, lines, squiggles, angry scribbles - whatever feels right
No thinking, just moving
Page 3: One Word Reflection
Look at what you just created
What's one word, feeling, or thought that comes up?
Write it down
Done
Total time: 5 minutes (or however long before someone needs a snack)
WHAT IF I Don't Have Time?
It all begins with an idea.
Listen, I know. Every mom influencer is out here saying, "You have the time," and you're like—WHERE?!?
But real talk - this isn't about carving out some sacred, uninterrupted hour (LOL). It's about grabbing five minutes while life is already happening.
10 Moments When You Can Squeeze This In:
🚿 While your youngest is in the tub (they're going to prune anyway)
☕ While your coffee brews
🥣 While the kids eat breakfast (or argue about eating breakfast)
🚗 While you sit in the car waiting for this song to finish
🛏️ While the kids are supposedly napping or falling asleep at night or while you lay there next to them (even if they're just destroying their rooms quietly)
📱 Instead of one mindless doom-scroll through social media
🍳 While dinner is in the oven and you have 10 minutes before their episode is over
🚌 While waiting for the school bus (yours or theirs)
🛁 While running a bath for yourself (you deserve this)
💤 Before bed instead of lying awake mentally rehearsing tomorrow's to-do list
It's not about finding more time. It's about using the chaotic, imperfect moments you already have. And I promise - that's enough.
Ten Questions to Ask Yourself If You Really Don’t Have Time:
What's one thing I already do daily where I could add this? (Think: coffee routine, bedtime ritual, car rides)
When do I typically scroll my phone mindlessly? (That's 5 minutes I could redirect)
What am I filling my time with that leaves me feeling emptier?
What would I tell my best friend if she said she didn't have 5 minutes for herself?
What am I afraid will happen if I stop moving for 5 minutes?
Who taught me that everyone else's needs come before mine?
What's the cost of running on empty - to me, and to the people I love?
What stories am I telling myself about what I "should" be doing instead?
What would change if I believed I was worth 5 minutes?
What if taking care of myself actually helped me show up better for everyone else?
WHAT IF IT'S Ugly, Negative, or Just... Unhinged?
BUT... I'm Not Creative.
Perfect. Because this isn't about being creative - it's about getting the mental chaos out of your head before it hijacks your whole mood.
📝 Your writing doesn't need to be smart. (Bonus points if it's a barely legible rant about why everyone in your house apparently thinks you're the sock fairy.)
🎨 Your scribbles don't need to "look like" anything. (Mine often look like an angry toddler had a crayon and a vendetta.)
🧠 Your reflection doesn't need to be deep. ("WTF was that?" totally counts.)
This isn't about making something good. It's about letting it be messy, weird, and exactly what you need it to be.
WHAT IF IT'S Ugly, Negative, or Just... Unhinged?
Oh, friend—you're processing your emotions best when you're unhinged. Welcome. You're in good company.
The best Creative Check-Ins are:
UGLY, FRAZZLED, UNFINISHED, and occasionally full of swear words. (Some pages are just F-bombs in different sizes, and that's valid.)
SELF-PITYING, RANTY, WHINY, or absolutely ridiculous. (If you're mid "WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES THE DISHES IN THE SINK?" spiral—grab a pen.)
DRAMATIC (You can write "I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE" and then go back to making dinner like nothing happened. But maybe also... check in with someone.)
Real Examples of "Ugly" Check-Ins:
My own check-ins
look like a kindergartener did them - messy, big writing, non-coherent sentences, most unfinished, but they hold my emotions and thoughts. Pure scribbles and emotional downloads.
One of my clients was at a family function full of complicated dynamics and felt incredibly frustrated (to put it lightly).
She went downstairs and dumped everything into her notes app for twenty minutes - name-calling, being completely unhinged, the works. Then she went back, highlighted six key words, and created a digital collage in Canva representing those words.
Afterward, she told me she felt so free and open. None of her family members were miraculously kinder or better, but she was able to move through the weekend so much better.
Common one-word reflections
From my own journal and client sessions:
F*ck sakes
Bitter
Resentment
CHAOS
Why tho
HELP
I'm tired of being tired
Why am I always the one?
And you do not need to go back and read any of it.
In fact, I highly recommend you don't for at least six weeks. Just let it exist. The messier, the better.
Four Reasons Why The Check-In Works
Why This Actually Helps
CLEARS MENTAL CLUTTER so you're not carrying every thought, worry, grocery list, permission slip reminder, and that weird smell in the minivan in your brain all day.
HELPS YOU REGULATE EMOTIONS before they explode (or implode). (Because snapping over someone breathing too loud is usually about more than just the breathing.)
GIVES YOU A SPACE that's just yours—no one else's opinions, needs, or "Mom, where's my...?" interruptions allowed.
REMINDS YOU THAT YOU'RE STILL A WHOLE PERSON not just the snack-delivery system, meltdown-manager, or human Google search bar for lost items.
OKAY, BUT HOW Do I Make This Stick?
Great question.
THE EASIEST WAY? ATTACH IT TO SOMETHING YOU ALREADY DO.
Look, I'm not going to tell you to add another thing to your already overwhelming day. Instead, we're going to sneak this into the cracks of what you're already doing.
Habit Stacking Examples:
Keep your notebook next to your coffee maker (because you're already standing there waiting for magic to happen)
Pull it out when the kids are eating breakfast (they're distracted by cereal, you get three minutes of peace)
Do it while your youngest is splashing in the tub (they're contained, you're supervising anyway)
Jot something down when you park the car before going inside (those 30 seconds when you're gathering courage to face whatever chaos awaits)
Keep it in your bedside table for those middle-of-the-night worry spirals (when your brain decides 3am is the perfect time to solve all your problems)
What's something you already do that you can make more nourishing?
✨ Morning coffee ritual?
✨ Those five extra minutes in the car?
✨ Scrolling your phone before bed? (What if you swapped one doom-scroll for a brain dump instead?)
Some days, you'll fill all three pages and feel like you've had a breakthrough.
Other days, you'll scribble one word and get interrupted by someone who suddenly can't find their shoes (that are literally on their feet).
Both count. Both matter. Both are enough.
What to Expect in Your First Week
Days 1-2: You might feel a bit silly or like "this isn't doing anything." Normal.
Days 3-4: You might actually feel MORE emotional, raw, or sad. This is completely typical when you start writing down the hard stuff. As a trained counsellor, I can tell you this is part of the process—not a sign it's not working.
Day 5-7: Usually things start to level out. The intense emotions settle as your brain learns to trust this new outlet.
The research: When we write expressively for four consecutive sessions, our emotional processing significantly improves. Give it at least a week before deciding if it's for you.
When It Feels Stupid (Troubleshooting)
Look, you're going to hit some bumps. Here's what to do when your brain starts throwing a tantrum:
"This isn't working" → I hear you. Give it two weeks, though. Your brain needs time to trust that this space is actually safe and not another thing you're going to judge yourself for. Also, remember that feeling worse initially is often part of healing—like cleaning out an infected wound.
"I feel MORE emotional/raw/sad after doing this" → Friend, this is so normal in your first week! When we start getting honest about our feelings, they can feel HUGE before they feel more manageable. It's like turning on the lights in a messy room—suddenly you can see everything, and it feels overwhelming. If it continues beyond 1-2 weeks, please reach out for additional support.
"I missed three days… 3 weeks… or 3 months" → And? So what. Start again today. I’m not your mom and there's no Creative Check-In police coming.
"I don't know what to write" → Perfect! Write exactly that: "I don't know what to write" over and over until your brain gets bored and starts spilling the real stuff. This is a classic writing trick that actually works.
"My drawings look like garbage" → EXCELLENT. You're doing it exactly right. We're not aiming for the refrigerator gallery here— - we're aiming for emotional release.
"My family thinks I'm weird" → Let them. You're modeling self-care in a world that tells moms to sacrifice everything. That IS weird - and it's also revolutionary.
When to Seek More Support
The Creative Check-In is a tool for managing and processing emotions, but if you're consistently writing things like:
"I can't do this anymore"
Thoughts about harming yourself or others
Feeling completely disconnected from your life for weeks
Unable to function in daily tasks
Please reach out to a mental health professional, your doctor, or a trusted friend. You deserve support beyond what a notebook can provide.
Crisis resources:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
Postpartum Support International: 1-800-944-4773
And if we haven't officially met - hey, I'm Kayla.
I'm a creative counsellor/coach for moms, an ADHD mom, a podcaster, and someone who learned (the hard way) that you can look like you have your sh*t together while secretly falling apart.
I was thinking over and over again: "I can't do this. I don't want to do this. Why are they like this..." I was parenting a threenager, running a business, and married to a shift worker. Things were bleak, but also great, but also I had so much bitterness, but also so great. (You know that confusing emotional cocktail that is early motherhood?)
I started with The Artist's Way and it completely changed my thoughts and gave me a place to emotionally download. I took Julia Cameron's morning pages and changed them into my own Creative Check-In.
Now, I help other moms break free from the impossible standards of parenting - through The Creative Check-In, The Motherload Membership, and 1:1 therapeutic art sessions.
Because motherhood isn't supposed to feel like drowning.
If you ever need more support, I'm here.
