There was a time when I used to feel like the power mummy: juggling, multi-tasking and darting in and out of the many roles I played as a mum. Many roles included but did not limit to cooking, cleaning, parenting, laundry, driving, teaching the list can go on. And this could be more or less every mother’s story. The difference is that I felt really proud about all the juggling and bragged about it profoundly, mommy burnout wasn’t even real.
This was all short-lived as I did not even realize that eventually, I was not looking forward to each day. I forgot that I wasn’t even excited about handling the simplest of the tasks each day. Going to bed each day the mere feeling of waking up the next morning was daunting. Something was not right.
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If you can relate to any extent to my story, to any extent, it is indeed important that you read on. Because the feeling of hopelessness, lack of energy, demotivation and so on could be a sign of burnout that might lead you to other medical implications.
Whilst some of these traits may be most common during the journey of motherhood, persistent presence of them could be a warning sign that should be looked into. This is why it is important that you are aware of the warning signs of burnout beforehand.
Why is “mommy burnout” dangerous?
The main danger of burnout is the inability of diagnosing it easily. There is no physical measure to assess burnout or the level of burnout. Therefore this might go on untreated until it gets to a point that is hard to manage.
Persistent ailments of burnout might leave a person with a permanent feeling of hopelessness, depression that may result in not only mental imbalances but also physical health symptoms as well.
It is therefore important to understand if you are heading towards or going through burnout and manage the situation sooner than later.
How do you know if you are going through a mommy burnout?
1. Mommy burnout can make you feel exhausted
A mummy who is going through burnout might feel exhausted even before the day begin. Getting out of the bed may be daunting and the day would seem way longer than 24 hours. If you are feeling such exhaustion both physically and mentally you might need to step back and pay attention to what you feel a bit more.
2. The feeling of uselessness
The feeling of uselessness can also be resulting from other traits of burnout. This is where one would feel unaccomplished, unproductive and hopeless.
3. Easily irritable and cynical
Negativity and demotivation that is often felt under burnout results in a lack of interest in performing any task of the day. Exhaustion may also lead to this situation.
4. Mommy burnout can cause a feeling of depression
It is apparent that exhaustion, feeling cynical and useless would lead one to depression. Whist research have said to say that depression is mainly associated with work, it can be said that depression is correlated with burnout wherein, one who is prone for depression is also prone to burnout and vice versa.
5. Mommy burnout could make you hate motherhood
Whilst many studies have shown that a dissatisfied job or a routine can lead to burnout, the heavy and monotonous workload of a mother can similarly result in burnout as well.
6. Shorter or disturbed attention
Burnout can cause cognitive issues wherein a mum would find it difficult to focus on a matter well or for too long. A stressful mind usually brings down the focus on to a negative aspect in any situation. This might also result in the above aspect where the mother would start hating motherhood. Only because the constant focus is driven into negative situations in what is carried out.
7. Lack of interest in self
This could be a typical situation where the mental battle starts resulting in physical dilemma. A mommy who is experiencing burnout would visibly start losing interest in looking good, her basic hygiene or taking care of herself.
How to overcome Mommy burnout
1. Getting serious about relaxation
Relaxation is a commonly used term to overcome daily overwhelm or stress. ‘Just relax’ is a word that slips of any mouth to comfort someone who might be in the slightest tense situation. This, however, is a time to step up beyond and get serious and get deeper into relaxation. There are numerous relaxation remedies, therapies and services offered for relaxation. What is important is to make this a priority in the day to day life.
2. Establishing an enriching daily routine
You might say it is impossible. But you only need to believe it is possible and just be open to the new possibilities of a well balanced life. There are plenty of resources to help you get started in organizing a healthy routine and you can start this step by step.
3. Detach from devices
Yet again, might seem impossible yet, detaching from devices can open you to a new breath of air. This would help you connect better with your family, your day to day tasks
4. Delegate
Sometimes mummies make a convenient decision of doing it all themselves and unfortunately underestimate the ability of their partner, elder kids or any supportive person in the household. You need to build more communication, teamwork and confidence in those in your household and start sharing tasks with all. This will not only make life much easier for the mother but will also make the whole parenting experience a joyride.
References: webmd.com , verywellmind.com, forbes.com
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