Burnout Tips for Moms...What helps?
If you're a parent you have experienced burnout from time to time, no question about it. We all have! Some more intense than others. Many of us try to tough it out especially if we are solo parenting and have limited help. It's hard going through burnout and can be even harder when you feel like you try everything and still feel it. Sometimes it can linger and the effects of it for several months depending on how severe yours is. I've had my fair share of burnouts and honestly many tips and tricks I was given didn't help too much. There have been many times where I just push through it but we all know when we push through it, we just make it worse on ourselves. Then we always have those people that try to give us advice on the stress of being a parent and being burnt out and the advice never works. So here I want to share some tips that have helped me and other moms and some that have not. A friendly reminder too that it is okay to ask for help when you need it when you are experiencing burnout.
Did you know that there are different stages of mom burnout?
The first being not having enough time in the day to yourself which causes you to not feel as relaxed and it starts to cause tension. The second stage you begin to eel overwhelmed and very stressed out and lastly the third is when this in turn starts to make you physically feel sick.
Personally, in my life lately I have experienced and still experience burnout. Daily I am solo parenting with limited help from my son's father and juggling running my own business, going to school for Interior Design, homeschooling, taking my son to most of his classes for Jiu Jitsu because his father won't, trying to balance having a clean home, and still run my side hustles as well and the blog. Every day I feel beyond overwhelmed and the burn out is harsh. However, I have found things that have helped me balance this out over the past few weeks.
Eating Well
Eating well is at the top of the list because this is the most important tip that will help you through your burn out. If you are constantly eating out or eating a lot of processed foods it is bad for your health in turn many of these foods cause extra stress on the body and it starts to affect our mental health. Once you begin to eat healthier it will give you more energy to get through the burn out and eating healthier affects your mental health more than you think! The times that I eat more processed foods I can feel the difference in my body and mind versus when I eat my more normal diet of strictly dairy, fruits, vegetables, and meats.
Taking A Run Or Long Walk
Long walks and running help decrease stress significantly. I notice a huge difference when I take a run or a long walk (usually 3 miles) compared to days I don't with high stress. I recommend runs for the highly stressful days as running can significantly reduce stress in the mind and body as well as it being wonderful for your overall health.
Setting Up Quiet Time Activities For My Son
You can do these with any age child! My son is 3 and whenever I have days where I need a moment to myself I set him up with quiet time activities and I will say for this if you truly need it. It is 100% okay to use screen time if you need extended time to yourself. I usually give him activities like playdoh, coloring, glue and shredded paper, cutting shapes out, and letting this time be an opportunity be a time for him to read or entertain himself for an extended period of time.
Journaling
Journaling has wonderful benefits for your mental health and it will benefit you to write down how you feel when you are going through burn-out. I recommend journaling multiple times a day if you have the time too! If you do not however, aim for in the morning and in the evening.
Prioritizing Self- Care
Look, even if you have only a few moments to yourself like I do each day it is possible to still get some self-care in! I put in self-care everyday by dressing up and putting on make-up each and every day. Showering daily, reading a book, I consider my blog as part of my self-care because it gives me a chance to connect with others, social media and I know with social media there are some people who wouldn't consider it selfcare but I do! This is a time where I can leave my boss mom bubble for a moment to connect with others! When my son's father does take him I take the time to go shopping for myself or go get my nails done as my form of self-care. If you do not prioritize self-care for yourself this will cause a decline in mental health which in turn causes burn-out. Make sure you prioritize you mama!
Connecting With Others
Consider connecting with other mom's experiencing burn-out or connecting with friends and family to socialize and get yourself out of your little bubble to release some stress. This will provide you with social support, help you combat those feelings of exhaustion, and when you socialize with others it becomes a protective factor that prevents burnout.
Delegating My Responsibilities
When it comes to certain responsibilities that I have I choose to entrust someone to help me if it becomes challenging. It is important to share the responsibilities when it comes to burnout and parenting in general. If you have a spouse, making sure that they fully understand what burn-out is like and taking on the extra responsibilities while you recover. If you are a single parent, finding a babysitter, family member, or possibly an older sibling to help for you to take that extra time to yourself or for finding time to take self-care.
Talking It Out
When you are going through mom burnout it is highly important for you to find your circle of other moms you can talk to that have experienced burnout before! I recommend looking for a mom group that meets at least once or a few times a week to hang out, maybe workout together or take a walk! Even better, finding a therapist to talk to can help you learn to heal, cope, and give you tips and tricks to process mom burnout.
Vlog It and Connect With Other Moms
One things that has helped me is vlogging or blogging about it! Expressing how I feel and connecting with other moms who have experienced it or helping other mother's understand what it can feel like so that they are more prepared! I find it important to let other mothers know that they are not alone when it comes to burnout. It helps us get through it together!
Set Realistic Expectations
Make sure that you are setting realistic expectations for yourself throughout the day! This can include household chores, how often you can give your child one on one time, and how much you have on your plate for the day including plans that you make with others. One of the many reasons for mom burnout is setting highly unrealistic expectations for yourself and when you do not have the time in the day for them all you begin to feel the burnout.
Prioritize Sleep
Prioritizing sleep during this time is very important. It is important for your mental health to get the adequate sleep that you need. When we are well rested we feel more calm, patient, and present for our children. You will also have an increase in your energy levels. When you lack the sleep that you need it detrimentally effects your mental health and decreases those energy levels you need as a parent.
I can't recommend enough to talk to someone when you feel this burnout. It is detrimental to our mental and physical health as mothers when we let ourselves go and get to the point of severe burnout. Make sure that you take care of yourself so that you can take care of your family. Reach out to someone you know or even a therapist if you need it! Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it!
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