The Feral Housewife's Guide to

Living Authentically, Creatively, & Intentionally

Issue #77 || July 18, 2025 || Previous issues​

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Hey Reader,

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Give this girl a tiny bit of energy and I'm offfffffff!

Hiking. Biking. Roller skating. Horseback riding 🏇.

Dancing in my bedroom (thankfully no one's watching).

Do you ever get the ants-in-your pants syndrome? Where you can't sit still and want to jump out of your skin?

I can't be the only restless one around here!

Maybe you're more the chill in front of the tv with a snack type? And when your ants start crawling you know— it's time to get to bed.

Here's the beautiful thing about life:

(Jim-not quite a Haiku, but close! lol)

Living unapologetically starts with dreaming big about what’s possible.

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What If?

I love ❤ what if questions.

They open your mind to possibilities. Whenever you feel stuck, brainstorm WHAT IF questions. This can work against you too. So be careful. Stay away from the horrific what if scenarios. They increase anxiety and stress.

Stick to positive questions like:

-What if I had more time? What would I pursue?

-What if I had more energy? What would I do with that energy?

-What if I started off my mornings with the mantra: TODAY IS GOING TO BE A GREAT DAY! (Smile big too 😎.)

-What if I had more freedom in my schedule?

-What if I said no more often? (or yes-if no is your default)

-What if I gave myself permission to create just for fun?

-What if I am enough just as I am?

-What if I chose to release any negativity, fear, anxiety, resentment, judgment that I'm holding and replace it with compassion?

You get the idea.

If you're really stuck, let your brain come up with silly ideas. Write them down without judgement. The goal is to find new ways of looking at things.

Those ‘What If?’ questions can lighten your load and help you reclaim your energy.

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Unapologetic Living

Family. Culture. Religion. Work/Career. Community.

These responsibilities pull us in every direction. Frankly, it can be exhausting.

If you're like me, every time something gets added to your already piled high plate—you cringe.

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If so, here are a few questions to consider:

What if YOU chose how many boxes you carry and how heavy a load you'll carry?

What would that look like for you?

What if your load was lighter? How would that feel?

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In reality, the choice IS yours, right now.

The hard part may be saying 'No. I'm sorry. I can't.' to activities and people (with no further explanation given).

You may feel guilty or selfish.

You may feel that you're letting people down.

You may feel obligated to take on tasks due to your ability, availability, title, or role you play (mom, wife, [insert your job title].

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Here are a few more questions, that have been helping me release guilt lately:

What is my responsibility here?

What is the other person responsible for?

What can I let go of or delegate?

Your goal is to be in control of what restores and refreshes you.

To remember yourself too. You matter. Your sanity matters.

Work will ALWAYS be there.

But YOU won't always be there if you become burnt out, overwhelmed, and frazzled.

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The book of creation

Trivia question: What animals can carry the heaviest loads?

Here's a nifty chart from AI Grok showing the load-carrying capacity of various animals. I snuck humans in there for comparison:

This chart compares how much weight animals like oxen (2,000 lbs.) or mules (350 lbs.) can carry, based on their unique builds.

Just like these animals, we each have a unique capacity for life’s ‘loads’—work, family, stress, etc.

Here's the thing. Each animal carries weight based on their unique muscle mass, body build, bone structure, hoof structure, and metabolism.

You won't (and can't) give a horse the same weight you'd give an elephant and expect it to do well, or survive!

You'd never be mad at a horse for not being like an elephant, right? Neither would God, since he designed them that way in the first place. It would be absurd to expect more than we are designed to do and be.

It's counterproductive to judge yourself for not carrying the same load as someone else. We all have different circumstances, backgrounds, feelings, and upbringing. No one may even know what loads you carry but you and God.

Our creator doesn't expect more and neither should we.

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Can you spot signs of overburden and exhaustion?

In animals:

-panting, respiratory distress

-excessive sweating, trembling muscles

-refusal to move, sluggish

-groaning, biting, kicking

-sagging, stumbling

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What about humans?

-shallow breath (we tend to hold our breath when stressed)

-fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, stomach issues

-frustration, being irritable, cynical, negative

-sluggish, lacking joy, anxious, depressed

-emotionally drained, detached from life

-disconnected from ourselves (living on autopilot)

-not sleeping or eating well

-frequent cases of illness

-difficulty making decisions, even simple choices

-withdrawal, isolation

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Make sure you prevent burnout!

You can't fill someone else's cup if you're running on empty.

And if you're empty, how long will it take to fill you up before you can help someone else? 🤷‍♀️

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Tying it all together

-Live unapologetically.

-Ask yourself 'what if' and 'what is my responsibility' questions to ease your burdens.

-Remember you're human. You have limitations and that's perfectly acceptable!

-Recognize signs of burnout and do all you can to prevent it in the first place.

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Your Turn

What’s one ‘what if?’ question you’ll ask yourself today to lighten your load?

Hit reply and share—I’d love to hear!

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With Love, Creativity, & Intention,

Anna

P.S. If you're enjoying this newsletter, please forward it to a friend.

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​www.aferalhousewife.com​

​https://linktr.ee/aferalhousewife​

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I'm a recovering perfectionist and sassy housewife, helping overwhelmed women create a rich and fulfilling inner life by ditching guilt, perfectionism, and the “do it all” myth through therapeutic writing and creative self-expression. ​ I'm here to inspire you to intentionally grow in all areas of life, especially emotionally, because what you think and how you feel influences everything. ​ If you're enjoying this newsletter, please forward it to a friend or send this subscribe link: The Feral Housewife's Guide to Living Authentically, Creatively & Intentionally​ ​ Write. Feel. Heal. ​ Anna Celotto Writer & Inner Life Coach