This post is all about coping with mom burnout.
For educational purposes only. Not medical advice.
Common Questions: Mom Burnout
To explain mom burnout to your husband, you can either be matter-of-fact, share some statistics, and then ask for their support. Or, you can choose to show more emotions, share statistics, and then ask for their support.
A loving and supportive husband will look to help you overcome your burnout.
Here is what you can share to explain what mom burnout is:
Up to 60% of mom report experiencing mom burnout.
Mom burnout is a state of being completely exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally due to the demands of motherhood and being a mom in today’s modern age.
It happens when the daily tasks, responsibilities, and expectations of caring for the family overwhelm the resources we have, like time, energy, or support.
This exhaustion can make it difficult to manage everyday tasks and enjoy family life.
Read the blog post below for a path to overcoming burnout…
Professional intervention can be a huge help for moms struggling with burnout.
I have had a wonderful life coach as well as a wellness coach in my life, along with other professionals like dieticians and therapists, all who have empowered me and enabled me to help myself more than I could on my own.
Still, there are many ways to help yourself, at home, to overcome mom burnout including embracing slow living and adopting a conscious parenting approach.
Read the blog below to learn how you can overcome mom burnout at home…
Speak with your doctor to get a definitive answer about whether what you are experiencing is depression, what type, and how severe.
There are so many wonderful therapists and supports out there for us moms who are experiencing depression, including talk therapy, breathwork, and medicines.
I empower you to explore the options available to you and know for sure whether you have depression, so that you can help yourself in the best way possible.
You deserve to live a life that makes you feel alive.
For moms who are not concerned about depression but are looking for a plan to overcome mom burnout at home, read the blog below for how to do it…
The common symptoms of mom burnout are:
- Constant Tiredness: Feeling drained and exhausted all the time.
- Irritability: Being easily frustrated or angered over small things.
- Disconnection: Feeling detached from family activities or uninterested in things you used to enjoy.
Read the blog below for a path out of mom burnout that you can start today at home…
The Path To Renewal: 4 Essential Techniques For Overcoming Mom Burnout
Your path to renewal starts today.
You are done with cycling through a constant state of mom burnout.
We will break the cycle together, ok?
Let’s do it.
In this blog post, we will focus on embracing slower living (even if you are a busy mom), and adopting conscious parenting, along with two other ‘essential techniques’ so you can begin to live a lifestyle that starves mom burnout rather than feeds it.
We will also explore what mom burnout is, the top causes of mom burnout, and hear about how other moms freed themselves from this crippling cycle.
Understanding Mom Burnout
Mom burnout is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that many mothers experience due to the overwhelming demands of parenting.
It often arises when these demands exceed the resources available, whether they be time, energy, or support.
This can leave mothers feeling depleted, stressed, and unable to cope with their usual responsibilities.
I applaud you for recognizing how you are feeling, as that is the first step in addressing your behaviors and choosing to turning a new leaf.
All is not lost, we just need to pivot – as Ross would say.
You are here, beginning your pivoting now, in this moment.
Essential Technique #1 – Embrace Slow Living
Slow living is about intentionally simplifying your life to focus on what truly matters to you, rush less, and be more at ease within your routines.
With slow living, it’s not about doing less, but about deliberately doing the things that bring you more calm, peace, and fulfillment, even within busy schedules.
You can embrace slow living with a busy schedule by grouping similar tasks together, declining certain commitments, and allowing yourself a little extra time for daily duties. This approach helps to avoid rushing and enables you to be more present in the moment, more at ease throughout the day, and experience more joy.
Slow living is about rejecting the idea that we need to constantly be rushed, stretched, and overly busy to be important and successful, and instead, embracing a slower pace that allows us to spend the right amount on things that are truly important to us.
It’s about declining more commitments, saying yes to essential tasks and activities we cherish, and intentionally carving out moments in our day to be fully engaged with each interaction.
Slow living encourages us to silence the distractions of modern life, allowing us to connect with our heart and soul and enrich our lives with what truly matters.
Here are ways to integrate slow living as a mom that will help minimize burnout:
Prioritize Your Time:
Focus on what’s truly important to you. Let go of tasks or commitments that don’t align with your values, how you want to live and feel, and your overall well-being. For necessary tasks like work to pay the bills, especially if it’s a job you don’t particularly like – focus your mindset on gratitude and thankfulness, as your job is what allows you to do and have things you love. Ie – I am grateful for this job because it pays for our car and our electricity/trips we take/things I buy for me and my children, etc… When you practice daily gratitude, your feelings can be completely transformed.
- Identify Core Values: Determine what truly matters to you, both personally and professionally. Align your daily activities with these core values to ensure that your time is spent on what is most important.
- Set Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries between work and personal time. This might mean setting specific work hours and sticking to them, or designating certain times when you unplug from work-related activities.
- Say No to Non-Essentials: Learn to say no to tasks or commitments that do not align with your priorities. This will help you avoid over-committing and leave space for activities that nurture your well-being.
Simplify Your Routines
- Streamline Tasks: Look for ways to simplify your work processes. This could involve delegating tasks, automating repetitive activities, or organizing your workspace to improve efficiency.
- Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar tasks together and complete them during dedicated time slots. This reduces the mental shift required when switching between different types of work and can make your day feel more coherent.
Schedule Mindful Activities
- Mindful Breaks: Incorporate short, mindful breaks throughout your workday to recharge. Whether it’s a few minutes of deep breathing, stretching, or a quick walk outside, these breaks can help you refocus and reduce stress.
- Be Present: Focus on being fully present in each moment, whether you’re in a meeting, with your children, or having a conversation with a colleague. This practice can enhance your interactions and reduce feelings of overwhelm.
- Disconnect from tech: Engage in activities that encourage mindfulness, such as gardening, reading, or leisurely walks with your children. Denying technology and the man-created world, and tuning back in with the earth, nature, and it’s pace, can work magic on the mind and soul. We are, after all, animals of the earth, too.Reduce the number of activities in your weekly routine to allow more time for rest, reflection, and connection. Your child doesn’t need to be in all the activities. Maybe choose one they love and do well at. You don’t need to go to all the events in town. Instead, choose a few you are genuinely interested in. Schedule in family reconnection time that focuses on slow, 1:1 quality time where you play games together, try something new together, ask meaningful questions, laugh, and connect/reconnect.
Make Peace With Imperfections
-
Living Authentically: Letting go of perfection encourages you to embrace your authentic self, free from the constraints of societal expectations. This authenticity leads to a more genuine and honest way of living, where you prioritize what truly resonates with your values and desires.
-
Alleviating Pressure: The constant pursuit of perfection can lead to heightened stress and anxiety, as it creates unrealistic standards that are often impossible to meet. By accepting imperfection, you reduce this pressure and allow yourself to experience life more calmly and peacefully.
Your house and car do not need to be perfectly staged and cleaned to have people over and have a good time. Activities don’t need to be perfectly planned and controlled by you, for you to have a fun time. Let go, be free, go with the flow a little more and see what happens. When you let go of some control, you also let go of some anxiety. This can be a challenge, but absolutely worth the effort as anxiety plays a key role in mom burnout.
- Organize Your Workspace: Keep your workspace tidy and organized to create a calming environment. Personalize it with items that bring you joy or remind you of positive experiences.
- Incorporate Nature: Bring elements of nature into your workspace, such as plants or natural light, to foster a sense of calm and connection to the outdoors.
Essential Technique #2 – Practice Conscious Parenting
Conscious parenting can significantly contribute to a more peaceful home environment and minimize mom burnout.
Conscious parenting is a mindful approach to raising children that emphasizes awareness of yourself and your child, calls for uninterrupted presence, self-reflection, and utilizes intentional responses, all of which enable families to prioritize the parent-child connection and relationship, creating deeper bonds.
It involves being aware of your triggers and your child’s developmental stage, fostering a flexible and nurturing environment that supports their unique set of emotional and psychological needs.
Here’s a closer look at some key principles of conscious parenting:
1. Awareness and Presence: Conscious parenting requires being aware of your own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, as well as those of your children. This parenting approach emphasizes being fully present and aware in interactions with your children. This contrasts with more traditional approaches that might prioritize obedience or discipline over emotional connection. By being mindful, parents can better understand their children’s needs and respond thoughtfully, rather than reactively.
2. Emotional Intelligence: Encouraging emotional intelligence is a core aspect of conscious parenting. This involves teaching children to recognize, understand, and express their emotions in healthy ways, building their self-awareness and empathy. This leads to fewer misunderstandings and conflicts, as both parents and children become more attuned to each other’s needs and feelings.
3. Acceptance and Understanding: Accepting your children for who they are and understanding their unique perspectives is crucial. This means valuing their individuality and allowing them to express themselves without judgment or criticism, and tailoring one’s parenting to each individual child’s needs.
4. Intentional Communication: Conscious parenting emphasizes open and honest communication. It involves actively listening to your children, validating their feelings, and engaging in meaningful conversations that build trust, mutual respect, and closeness.
5. Mindful Discipline: Instead of punitive measures, conscious parenting focuses on guiding behavior through understanding and empathy, and parents modeling behavior they want to see in their children, such as respect and patience. This approach encourages learning from mistakes and fostering a sense of responsibility, as well as learning/teaching by example.
6. Self-Reflection: Self-reflection is essential for parents practicing conscious parenting. By examining their own beliefs, triggers, and past experiences, parents can better understand how these factors influence their parenting approaches and responses, allowing them to show up as the parent they want to be.
7. Active Listening: Conscious parenting encourages open communication and active listening, which can reduce the frequency and intensity of conflicts. By addressing issues calmly and respectfully, families can resolve disagreements more effectively and maintain a peaceful atmosphere.
8. Empathy and Validation: Acknowledge and validate your children’s feelings, which helps build their emotional intelligence. This fosters deeper connections between family members. When children feel heard and valued, they are more likely to reciprocate with respect and cooperation, strengthening family bonds.
9. Set Realistic Expectations: Avoid putting pressure on yourself or your children to meet unrealistic standards. Focus on growth and learning rather than perfection.
To learn more about conscious parenting from the incredible woman who coined the term, Dr. Shefali, you can pick up her book, one of my favorites, right on Amazon.
To see all the parenting books I love on Amazon, you can go here.
Potty Training Soon?
Get My FREE Mindful & Peaceful Potty Training Starter Guide So You Can Potty Train Easier & Keep Your Sanity Along The Way!
Everything you need to know to start potty training with more ease, confidence and calm.
Essential Technique #3 – Engage In Self Expression & Care
Taking care of yourself is not a luxury—it’s an absolute necessity.
And it takes a handful of things to create balance in mom life, much more than just a sweet treat from Starbucks every now and again.
Although, those are nice.
We often need more, physically and mentally, to keep ourselves feeling good.
To sustain.
Your weekly schedule needs to include YOU.
And I don’t mean you doing something for someone else, I mean you doing something for you, that rejuvenates or invigorates you.
Writing here on my blog is part of what feeds my soul.
As is water color painting, going for a walk in a park, and reminiscing on old, happy memories with each of my children and my husband.
What are some things that help you express yourself, relieve your stress, and open your heart to a moment of joy?
Here’s how you can incorporate you into your routine more:
- Take Regular Breaks: Schedule short breaks throughout your day to recharge, even if it’s just a few minutes of deep breathing or meditation, or watching a snippet of a funny Friends re-run. Laughter is wonderful medicine.
- Try A New Stress Reducing Hobby or Passion: Grab a guided watercolor painting book, a guided anxiety journal, or a mom stress relief coloring book and take a daily break to create something beautiful, just for you. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to make jewelry or knit… In just a handful of minutes, you can be whisked away to a relaxing and tranquil place through artistic expression with hobbies that fill your cup.
- Prioritize Physical Health (which improves mental health): Prioritize activities that enhance your physical well-being, such as dancing, yoga, barre, stretching, and/or a healthy diet filled with colorful fruits and vegetables, and fresh wholesome foods that nourish your body.
- Connect / Reconnect with Others: Create new connections or re-strengthen old ones with friends or support groups who understand your experiences and can offer encouragement and support. Talking about how you are feeling relieves stress and helps you make progress in problem solving your issues. This can be tricky for many of us who prefer to only present our best selves, but the reality is when we share parts of our struggles with other, it connects us. It also benefits our own coping and growth, so we can overcome our struggles faster.
- Schedule Fun Non-Mom Activities For You: This is your life! How do you want to live it? You are a mom doing mom things ANNNNND… It might be a mom and dad only weekend away a couple time a year, a girls trip once a year, concerts in the city with your partner and or friends… Put some fun on your annual calendar just for YOU, each year.
Doing these things will benefit your overall well-being and show your child a solid example of intentional living filled with self-care for all!
Essential Technique #4 – Directly Communicate Feelings & Needs
Build yourself a healthy and supportive environment by talking directly to those who can help or change the situation.
“I am feeling overwhelmed hun, can you help make the children’s lunches in the morning this week please?”
“Mommy is feeling exhausted, I am going to give you a snack and turn on Bluey for 20 minutes for you, while I take some quiet time in the den.”
“Can I make an appointment to speak with a therapist? My anxiety level feels really high righ tnow and I am not sure what to do.”
“I miss you Sasha, can we hang out more?”
One habit I know many of us moms have is talking about others to others.
We think – hey, we don’t want to hurt anyone so we just ‘vent’ to others not involved, and then expect that that will be enough to make us feel better.
But, it’s not.
The best thing we can do is to talk directly to those we are having feelings about and those who can help us make change to the situation on our mind.
Doing this will create a healthier environment around us and mitigate feelings of burnout.
Consider incorporating these things:
- Ask for more teamwork and team effort: A family is a team. We all look out for one another and care for one another. It is not just a mom’s job to do so. Share household tasks with your partner and children, to ease your workload. If you have younger children at home, consider a Montessori-style setup to enable as much independence as possible. Doing this will give your children confidence and it will ease your duties as well. Win win.
- Pool ideas: Ask what ideas the other person has to help solve the problem. For example, if you are feeling overwhelmed by running the children to all their activities each week, ask your partner what ideas they might have to ease your stress – maybe have a family member help? Maybe they carpool a couple times a week, maybe your partner can help more? Maybe you hire some help? Problem solving together is a key to a healthy relationship. Others may have fresh ideas you wouldn’t have considered.
- Set Boundaries: Establish boundaries with your partner, children, extended family or friends to protect your time and energy. Maybe you set the expectation (boundary) that everyday mommy takes 20 minutes to herself right when she gets home from work. Maybe you agree (boundary) that the dishes are split 50/50 between you and your partner during weekdays. Maybe when family comes to stay, they agree to be respectful of your parenting and not comment on how you parent.
- Seek Professional Help: If feelings of burnout persist, consider speaking with a therapist or counselor for additional support. Likewise, if you need ideas on how to communicate with your partner or children in different ways, you can seek out a therapist for that as well. There are so many resources out there for us, we just need to seek them out and keep fighting for ourselves.
By adopting these strategies and aligning them with the principles of slow living and conscious parenting, you can better manage mom burnout and cultivate a more balanced and joyful life with your family.
Remember, taking care of yourself – your needs, your mental and physical health, is the first step toward being the best parent you can be and the person you want to be.
alleviate your stress & anxiety through creative expression
Stories Of Moms Overcoming Burnout
Reading about how other moms have navigated through burnout can provide inspiration.
I want you to be inspired and start making the necessary tweaks, so that you can start to be more and more the mom and person you want to be, living a life that makes you feel alive.
Here are three mom-burnout-busting stories of resilience and change:
1. Sarah’s Journey to Mindfulness
Sarah, a mother of two young children, found herself constantly overwhelmed by the demands of work and home life.
She often felt guilty for not being present with her kids and for snapping at her husband.
Realizing she needed a change, Sarah decided to integrate mindfulness into her daily routine.
She began with simple breathing exercises every morning and practiced gratitude journaling at night.
These small changes helped Sarah center her thoughts, reconnect to herself, and become more present. Over time, her patience improved, and she noticed a stronger bond forming with her family.
Mindfulness not only alleviated Sarah’s burnout but also enriched her relationships.
2. Maria’s Community Connection
Maria, a single mom, struggled with loneliness and exhaustion after moving to a new city.
She missed the support system she once had and found it difficult to balance work and parenting.
Determined to improve her situation, Maria joined a local mom’s group.
Through this community, she found supportive friends who shared similar experiences.
They organized regular playdates, shared childcare responsibilities, and even set up a meal swap program.
This network of support provided Maria with much-needed relief and companionship, significantly reducing her feelings of burnout.
The connections she made became a vital part of her and her child’s well-being.
3. Emily’s Embrace of Slow Living
Emily, a mom of three, was caught in a cycle of endless activities, from soccer practices to piano lessons, leaving her feeling drained.
One day, after a particularly hectic week, she decided to reassess her family’s schedule.
Inspired by the concept of slow living, Emily reduced the number of extracurricular activities and introduced family downtime.
They began spending Sundays at the park or having movie nights at home.
This slower pace allowed Emily to recharge and appreciate the small moments with her children.
Her family’s new routine not only eased her burnout but also fostered a more relaxed and joyful home environment.
These stories illustrate that overcoming mom burnout often requires a shift in perspective or lifestyle.
Whether through mindfulness, community support, or slowing down, finding what resonates with you can lead to a more balanced and fulfilling experience of motherhood.
Do you feel inspired?
I hope so.
I hope this blog post has ignited your inspiration, provided a sense of calm, and motivated you on your journey to overcome mom burnout and embrace a more, self-aligned peaceful life.
Wishing you the best!
Xx Poppy
Feel free to send me a message below about how you overcame mom burnout, what you are working through now, or with any other additional questions I didn’t address here.
About Low Stress Motherhood
Let's harness the chaos so we can find your happy place in motherhood. I'm here to help moms find some solace and helpful resources that ease the load of motherhood and allow them to show up as the person they want to be, for themselves and their children.
