CATCH YOUR BREATH with Inga, Your Homeschool Coach and EncouragerI Homeschool Tips for Moms | Stop Stressing and Beat Burnout

69//Seasons Change — and So Does Your Homeschool

In this episode, we’re talking about the reality that homeschooling doesn’t stay the same, because life doesn’t stay the same. Your kids grow. Your responsibilities shift. What you need changes.
We talk about how seasons show up in homeschooling and why it’s helpful to recognize them — not so you can label yourself, but so you can make wiser choices about support, structure, and expectations.
This episode builds on our conversation about homeschool disciplines and helps connect the dots between what supports you and when that support is actually needed.
So, what’s in it for you?
👉🏿 A clearer way to think about seasons in homeschooling👉🏿 Help recognizing when your needs have changed👉🏿 Language to talk about support without overcomplicating it👉🏿 A way to respond as things shift instead of forcing what used to work
I hope this episode helps you think differently about where you are right now and what this season is asking of you.
xo,Inga
Next Steps
January Reflection ResourceI put together a simple January reflection resource you can use alongside the January episodes.If you want it, email me the word JANUARY and I’ll send it to you.
Breathable Homeschool CircleI’m opening the Breathable Homeschool Circle — a small, live space for homeschooling moms who want a place to talk things through.If you’d like to be invited, email me CIRCLE LIST.

68//The Five Core Homeschool Disciplines

Happy New Year, friend! If you’re feeling the pressure to do things differently in your homeschool — or telling yourself you just need more self-discipline — this episode is for you.
In this episode, we talk about five different kinds of discipline that support homeschooling, depending on what you’re facing in this season.
You’ll hear:
how to think about discipline in a more specific way
why different situations call for different kinds of discipline
how to recognize which discipline would support you most right now
how to choose one place to focus instead of trying to change everything
January Reflection Resource
I’ve created a simple January reflection resource you can use throughout the month as you listen to the January episodes.
To get it, email me the word JANUARY to hello@ingamasek.com and I’ll send it to you.
Breathable Homeschool Circle
What part of your homeschool needs to be more breathable? I’m opening the Breathable Homeschool Circle — a small, live space for homeschooling moms who want to talk things through in real time and get support.
If you want to be invited to the first session, I  want to hear from you! Email me the words CIRCLE LIST and I’ll send you the details as soon as it opens. hello@ingamasek.com 

67//A Prayer For You This Season

Hi friend,
As we come to the end of 2025, I wanted to pause with you and name the gift that often gets lost in the middle of homeschooling and everyday life.
In this episode of Catch Your Breath, I reflect on the freedom, rest, and grace Jesus offers us right where we are—at the kitchen table, in unfinished lessons, and in the weight we carry into the next day.
This isn’t an episode about catching up, fixing your homeschool, or planning a better new year. It’s about releasing guilt for the days that didn’t look the way you hoped and remembering that God’s mercy meets us new every morning.
I talk about what it looks like to trust God in seasons we don’t fully understand, to stop carrying pressure that was never ours to hold, and to allow rest even when the list is still there.
I also pray for you and with you as you close out this year—over your homeschooling, your home, and your heart.
If this season has felt full, messy, or unfinished, this episode is an invitation to slow down and breathe.
The gift has already been given.
One Thing for Today:
Name one place in your homeschool where guilt has crept in—and release it.
Take a breath.
You’re allowed to rest.
xo,Inga
If this podcast has been a support to you, consider sharing it with another homeschool mom and inviting her to listen with you when the new season begins in January.

66//When the To-Do List Doesn’t Get Done

What happens when the season (or the intentional break)  ends…and the list is still there?
In this episode of Catch Your Breath, I’m sharing a personal reflection on a season that didn’t look the way I planned—and what I noticed when I slowed down long enough to look again.
This isn’t an episode about productivity or fixing your to-do list. It’s about perspective. About presence. And about the quiet work that still happens when the visible work doesn’t.
I talk about the moments that filled December for me—driving kids around, opening our home, long conversations, letting go of traditions, releasing guilt, and learning to sit with what was instead of rushing past it.
If you’ve looked at your list and thought, “I didn’t get to what I planned,” this episode is an invitation to pause—and notice what still unfolded.
In this episode, we reflect on:
When plans don’t match reality
How perspective shapes how a season feels
Letting go of guilt around unfinished lists
Finding peace and presence in ordinary moments
Why not everything meaningful shows up on paper
One Thing for Today:
Revisit one thing you wrote off as “nothing” and ask yourself what it actually gave you.
Take a breath.
You may have done more than you think.
And, if hiding more Scripture in your heart feels like it should be on your list this December—but it just hasn’t happened—I have something simple for you.
Email the word JOY to hello@ingamasek.com, and I’ll senda short set of encouraging Scriptures you can come back to when you need them.
xo, Inga

65//Three Simple Ways to Make Your December Break Matter

Hey friend,
December can be full. Full calendars, full expectations, and sometimes full guilt. Many of us want a break but aren’t always sure how to approach it.
In this episode of Catch Your Breath, we talk through three simple ways to think about a December break and how to use that time more intentionally.
OTFT: Choose one focus for your December break and let it guide how you use your time.
December Prayer Guide:Email JOY to hello@ingamasek.com

64//How to Breathe Through December (with Joy)

December can feel like when you’re doing your best to make it a good month for your family.
If you’ve been trying to manage homeschool, plans, expectations, and real life at the same time… this episode will meet you right where you are.
This is a simple conversation about strength, joy, and how to move through this month without losing yourself in the process.
If you need a moment to breathe in the middle of your holiday plans — this one’s for you.
Want the December Prayer Guide?
Email JOY to hello@ingamasek.com and I’ll send it to you.

63//A Reminder of the Power of Gratitude

This week, we’re slowing down for a moment to remember something we already know but often forget: gratitude is powerful.
Not just as a feeling — but in what it does to us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Science can explain a lot of it, but Scripture has been showing us this truth long before research ever named it.
In today’s episode, I’m sharing why gratitude matters, what it does inside us, and why this season gives us a little extra room to notice it. No steps, no pressure — just a reminder that thankfulness is doing more in you than you realize.
You’ll hear:
what gratitude does in your mind and body
what Scripture shows us about thankfulness
how gratitude works in your heart and your faith
a simple reflection for your week
Your One Thing for Today:
Name one thing you’re thankful for today and each day (in your homeschool, your day, your life). If you're bold, share it with your family or write it in your journal. 
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a mom who could use a breath today, and let me know about it. Email me at hello@ingamasek.com and I'll send you the scriptures for a thankful heart from this episode and a few more. 
**Resource mentioned in this episode- A Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

62//When You Feel Like You're Failing at Homeschooling

If you’ve had a moment in homeschool that instantly turned into
“I’m failing at this,”
you’re not alone — and you’re not the only mom who thinks that way.
This episode gets honest about that feeling: why it shows up so quickly, why it hits so hard, and how to stop the moment from becoming a story about who you are.
We walk through a simple reset you can use the next time that thought hits — one that helps you pause, breathe, and move forward with clarity instead of spiraling.
Your One Thing for Today:
Talk to God about the feeling — just as it is.
Ask Him to help you notice when that thought shows up,
and to help you take it captive before it shapes your day.
If this episode gives you a moment of relief or helps you see your day differently, share it with another mom who might need the same reminder.
 
Connect with me here to share your thoughts, ask questions, or let me know how i can serve you. 😊
Instagram: @homeschool.wellness.coach
Email: hello@ingamasek.com

61//What Does Homeschooling Feel Like to You? (Let's Name it Today)

If you had to finish this sentence, "Right now, homeschool feels...," what would you say? Most moms never pause long enough to answer. 
In this episode, if you can get past the coughing, we pause long enough to notice what you’re actually feeling today.
You’ll hear:
what it shows you about your days
one simple step you can take right now
Your One Thing for Today:Name your word. Talk to God about it.
If this helped you slow down or breathe a little easier, share it with another mom so she can find her word too.And if you’d like, send me yours at hello@ingamasek.com. I'd love to hear from you.

60//The Everyday Back-and-Forth in Homeschooling

If you’ve ever felt yourself bouncing between:
wanting to be gentle, and then realizing you came in a little strong
trying to stay on top of things, and then noticing the whole day went to tasks
wanting to just enjoy your kids, and then remembering there’s still learning to lead
this episode will make sense to you.
Homeschooling often means holding more than one priority at a time.Not choosing one or the other — just navigating the shifts as they come up in real life.
This episode is a conversation about that everyday back-and-forth, how it often shows up in normal days, and one simple way to respond in the moment when you feel it happening.
Your One Thing for Today
When you notice the swing, just acknowledge it. Name it.That’s it.Tune in to the episode to hear how to use that in real time.
Send Me Your Question
If there’s something you’d like me to talk about on a future episode — a situation, a challenge, or something you’re wrestling with — send me an email or a voice note. I read every message, and your real-life questions shape these conversations.
Share This With Another Mom
If this episode made you nod, pause, or exhale a little — share it with one other mom who might be feeling this same back-and-forth. We don’t do this alone.
Connect
Instagram: @homeschool.wellness.coach
Email: hello@ingamasek.com