As much as you love your kids, it’s okay to admit that being a Parent isn’t always fun. In fact, it can be draining when your toddler asks you to play hide and seek with them for the millionth time, and all you want is just an hour to yourself.
Placing your children’s needs before your own is just what parents do, but it can leave you feeling more weary than you ever thought was possible. If you’ve been constantly finding yourself in a depleted mental space, you might be dealing with parental Burnout.
Burnout is common and happens for a multitude of reasons. According to a survey conducted by researchers at Ohio State University, more than two-thirds of parents experienced Parental Burnout in 2021.
Parental burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by the chronic stress of parenting. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, but with burnout, you’re stressed to the next level. You become unable to perform your duties and keep up with life’s demands.
Parental burnout has gotten a lot of attention in recent years, thanks to the pandemic. But the condition is nothing new. People have been experiencing it for decades, especially since women entered the workforce.
Having too much on your plate can result in burnout. Some common parental burnout signs include fatigue, irritability, emotional exhaustion, sleep deprivation, lack of motivation, detachment, a sense of despair, and feelings of being trapped.
You can’t pour from an empty cup, so if you’re suffering from burnout, what you need to do is recharge your mind and body. There are ways you can alleviate your burnout and learn to cope.
Ask For Help
Even when you have a supportive partner who helps out at home, there are still plenty of tasks and activities left to go around. You could always benefit from the support of others. When you need a break, seek out a babysitter. Or ask another trusted mom to take your toddler for a few hours and offer to do the same for her on a different day.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
Additionally, parenting groups are a great way to meet and connect with others who can relate to your experiences. They can help you feel seen and understood. Maybe they might even give you new perspectives on things you hadn’t considered before.
Be Kind To Yourself
Feeling like you’re past the breaking point doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent. Not by a long shot. It just means that you need some extra support.
As a parent, you will definitely feel frustrated and fatigued. Instead of beating yourself up for feeling this way, give yourself some grace and allow yourself to feel your feelings.
How you treat yourself matters. Remember that you can’t do everything alone. Give yourself a pat on the back for all that you have done already, and be kind to yourself.
Prioritize Your Health And Practice Self-Care
Your physical health is linked to your mental well-being, so make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating well, and finding time to exercise. A twenty-minute power nap during the day can boost your energy levels. Even just sitting on the couch for a few minutes with a mug of hot tea can help you reset.
In addition to that, it’s important that you practice self-care daily. It seems impossible when you’re always busy with the kids, but just two minutes every morning to breathe and focus on yourself can help you unwind. If you have more time, you can journal, take a relaxing bath, or go on a walk.
If true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe
She Moved Her Teen Son Into Her House After She Found Out That His Dad Was Forcing Him To Fork Over His Paychecks To Help Pay The Bills
A Little Girl Bullied Her Daughter And Stole Her Lunchbox, So She Dumped This Kid’s Lunch Right In The Trash
A Mass Grave of Over 450 Bodies Was Uncovered In Poland, And Several of The Bodies Were Treated As If They Were Vampires
While Digging On Her Family’s Timber Property For A School Project, She Came Across A 34 Million Year Old Whale Skull
47 Years Ago She Left Home After A Heated Argument With Her Husband And Never Made It Back
Size Does Matter: How To Choose The Perfect Rug For Every Room In Your Home
Many Americans Know This Famous Historical Civil War Anthem, But A Lot of People Don’t Know That It Was Written By This Woman
