Ep 32: I Know Instagram Isn't Real But My Brain Didn't Get the Memo

Episode Description

So I watched a reel of a mum doing a full workout, meal prepping 15 organic lunchboxes, and applying a full face of makeup. All before 7am. And I was on the couch in yesterday's shirt eating crust off a tiny plate.

Cool cool cool.

This episode is about that feeling. The one where you know it's just a highlight reel but your brain doesn't care. The one where you feel behind on something you never signed up for.

But here's the twist — I'm also the problem. Because my "real" posts? Four attempts. My "messy" photos? Cropped. My honest caption? Rehearsed twice so it sounded casual.

I cried next to a packet of crackers in the pantry and then filmed content an hour later. Same day. Same me. Different vibe.

This one's a bit funny, a bit brutal, and I don't have a neat ending. Sorry.

Hit play. Send it to a mum who gets it.

Episode Summary

What I talk about in this episode:

That 5am meal prep reel that made me want to lie down and question everything
The chest drop feeling when someone else looks like they've got it all sorted
How one reel at 9pm on the couch can undo a whole day of doing your best
My real morning vs her reel morning — and why the banana breaking was the final straw
The sneaky voice in my head that says "other mums can do it so what's wrong with you"
How I picked up my phone to switch off and put it down feeling worse
The bit I'm not proud of — I crop the mess, I reshoot the candid, I rehearse the honest lines
That time I cried in the pantry next to a packet of crackers and filmed a reel an hour later
Posting about chaos from the one clean square metre of my house
Getting annoyed at perfect mum content and then doing the exact same thing
That weird moment where you're living a moment with your kids but your brain goes "would this make a good post"
Checking likes on a vulnerable post and not knowing if it was real or just content
How I can't tell anymore if I'm being honest or just really good at performing honest
Why social media changed how I see other mums AND how I see myself
No neat ending on this one — just the truth