In this episode of The Breakdown with Bethany, we’re joined by Mikayla Matthews from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mikayla opens up about her journey managing chronic illness while balancing life as a young mom. We dive deep into her personal experiences, the unique challenges she’s faced, and how she’s learned to navigate motherhood and her health with grace and resilience. It’s a conversation you won’t want to miss!
Balancing Drama with Family Life
Mikayla shared her perspective on how the drama in her life differs from typical reality TV fare. “There’s wholesome drama, like there’s baby blessing drama,” she explained. “Other people have a lot more dramatic, you know, fights. I feel like ours are a little more wholesome about, like, the church or baby blessings.” She went on to say that despite the challenges she and her co-stars have faced, especially with public backlash, it’s exciting to see everything finally coming together. “Having everything finally come together and finally be out is kind of surreal.”
Losing Herself in Motherhood
A particularly poignant part of the episode was when Mikayla discussed her journey through early motherhood and the loss of her personal identity. “By the time I was 19, I had two kids, and I was like, I don’t even know what I like to do anymore,” she recalled. “I take care of my kids, that’s kind of just what I do.” Mikayla highlighted the importance of self-care and maintaining hobbies, saying, “It’s important to keep your hobbies, even just going to the gym or getting a massage every once in a while. Taking that time away from your kids is so important.”
The Struggles of an Influencer and Motivations to Succeed
As an influencer, Mikayla also touched on the unpredictability of social media as a career. “When it’s your job and you’re not getting brand deals, you feel kind of like, oh my gosh, it humbles you for a second,” she admitted. “Social media is not consistent pay, so it motivates me to stay more creative because I want to make the most money for my family and get us in a good place.” She added that with her husband currently out of work, she feels an added pressure to make her career work: “I kind of have that extra motivation… I need to make this work.”
Battling Chronic Illness on Screen
Mikayla’s journey with chronic illness, particularly her struggles with full-body nerve damage, was another central theme of the episode. She revealed how this condition affected her mental and physical presence while filming the show. “I was just not there mentally, and I was just in so much pain every day filming,” she shared. “I had full-body nerve damage at the time, and I couldn’t really sit there and be comfortable.” The chronic pain led her to disassociate from the on-screen drama: “I really don’t care what’s going on with the drama because chronic illness really does just consume your whole life, and it’s debilitating.”
Watch the full episode below
