Do you have a daily shadow who calls you mom? You can most likely relate to this topic in some way or another! Mom burnout is real and its more common than you may think.

Causes:

We all wish to be the perfect mom right? Motherhood is tough though and even on a good day we can’t be perfect. The pressure to be perfect can lead to mom guilt and we as moms are no stranger to guilt because we care too much. We care too much about how we can best raise our kids, getting everything done ourselves and not making any mistakes along the way.

We can also carry mom guilt around for taking time for ourselves, even if its’s just a moments peace. When we embark on the journey of motherhood we are leaving behind our old selves. We transition our minds from a selfish mindset, a lifetime of caring for ourselves to putting our little minions before your needs. The problem is (and I’m as guilty as can be) we put all their needs before our own and leave ourselves out to dry (or burn out). We as mothers have needs as well, we just self sacrifice as they seem less important.

Signs:

Do you feel overwhelmed? Are you easily frustrated with your kids lately? These could be signs of burnout. If you think you may be depressed then please seek professional advice.

I think they often go hand in hand a bit. Lack of sleep can snowball into being irritable, emotional, overwhelmed. Do you ever have days where you just can’t focus on your day to day tasks? It feels like too much to conquer and the kids just wont quit. Those little voices are like a constant poking to your brain, reminding you that you can’t shut off just yet, perhaps when the lights are out and everyone is asleep. Then the silence comes and everything comes flooding into your mind, like “did I forget to book the dentist appointments again?” or “did I email the teacher back?”. It’s endless around here I’m not going to lie!!

Prevention:

Now for some tips to help avoid the burn out!! Stop trying to take everything on yourself! I know it’s easy to just take everything on, you are mom after all. How about you include the kids in cleanup? Set a timer and do a power clean, sing a song or make up a game. Sometimes we put a song on and clean as much as we can until it stops. Definitely helps to get everyone involved. If your partner is around to take on a task, give one. Most nights I cook, most days I make lunches and drive kids to school and sports, but if my husband is off he’ll take over dinner that night, or all of the above if I ask. Just ask for help!

Another must is scheduling time for yourself every single day! As a mom of three with a husband who works 70+ hours a week my options are limited. I spend most days with my youngest attached to me from morning until night. He’s either banging on the bathroom door yelling mom the whole time or he is by my side while I get ready for the day.

Some days feel impossible to get a moment to myself but I do what I can and some days are more simple than others. You could do a workout, a DIY facial, run a bath, read a book or check out my post on self care ideas here.

Read or listen to mom affirmations. Forget “perfect” facebook moms and their perfectly packed lunches, their zero screen time, and spotless homes. Quit comparing yourself to others, everyone is struggling, some just chose not to show it and that is okay too. But it is okay to admit you’re struggling. None of us are perfect, we’re all just doing the best we can.