What I Wish I Knew Earlier About Mom Burnout

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For the first time, I saw myself as a mother. It was an amazing moment that made me feel like half of my identity had been found. After all the years of waiting for this moment, it was finally here.

It wasn’t until after he was born that we learned exactly how everything would be different. We knew we were going to be tired but didn’t realize how common mom burn out was past the newborn phase.

These past 4 years with our son have been blissful and magical, but many parts have been tough, especially the nights. The real exhaustion started happening when as a mommy I was fully in charge of feeding and sleep (due to breastfeeding).

Reality quickly set in: my work wasn’t getting done, my coffee intake increased significantly, and balancing the mental load of parenthood turned out to so hard. This is what being a parent looks like? No wonder so many people are burnt out!

–>Find Out The Truth Behind Drinking Coffee And Breastfeeding <–

What It’s Like To Be A New Mommy

It is an amazing feeling to become a mother. This little nugget in your arms just makes the endorphins in your brain explode and there are so many new and exciting things to look forward to as a family.

However, when it comes time to welcome a new baby into the world, parents have no idea what they’re in for, (I for sure didn’t). Many things that come with being a parent can take a toll on a family and themselves.

For me, I was so busy after my son was born because I was breastfeeding him and also managing my pet sitting business without any real maternity leave. I would work when he was nursing or sleeping but life was rushed and it didn’t always feel worth it.

Here Are 5 Things I Learned That Will Help Avoid Mom Burnout

1. Be open-minded. Being a mommy will present challenges you can’t anticipate ahead of time. But it’s still super rewarding!
2. Parenting won’t be perfectly split 50/50 but finding a happy balance with your partner is important.
3. It’s normal to sometimes feel overwhelmed and want time away from your baby. That doesn’t mean you are a bad mom (just makes you normal).
4. Your child might not sleep through the night until closer to 3 years old.
5. Parenthood is a marathon, not a sprint. Discovering what type of self care you need to fuel up is absolutely critical to avoid mommy burnout.

–>Check Out More Mommy Tips For The 1St Year Of Parenting<–

How Being A Mom Has Changed My Life

Being a mom has taught me that I need to slow down and smell the roses. If I don’t, who will? It has helped me focus on the journey, rather than the destination because you realize that every day is an opportunity to help your child live a meaningful life.

They say to enjoy these years because they go by so fast. What they fail to acknowledge is moms deserve support while still enjoying parenthood.

As long as you take small daily actions to alleviate the stress and worry that can come with motherhood, you may enjoy your young children for a long time. Self-care exercises, talking to a therapist, and so on can be so helpful. I really love positive affirmations as a way to re frame my day in a meaningful way.

–>You Can Download Some Of My Favorite Mom Affirmations<–

Why Are So Many Moms Burnt Out?

Our world is so fast-paced, and giving it your all can be exhausting. Moms are constantly put under pressure to provide for their families, be superheroes, juggle everything on top of looking great! It’s no wonder many feel overwhelmed and exhausted.

Society has a skewed view of what it looks like to be a mother. It’s some weird mix of traditional values, modern expectations with a click of social media perfection. But it’s not only moms who are putting themselves on a high pedistal. It’s society as a whole!

We all know how much time and effort goes into parenting – but the one thing we don’t take enough time to do? Put ourselves first. The problem with that is it’s easy to become burnt out which means mommy guilt kicks in again because you’re not capable of multitasking anymore.

4 Ways To Avoid Burnout Or Manage It Better If You Can’t

It’s important as a mom to realize you don’t have to overbook yourself just because other moms do it too. Don’t feel like you should never say no or break plans for fear of letting people down or hurting someone. It’s important to take care of yourself and prioritize the things that matter. If you’re not able to avoid burnout completely, there are always ways to cope with it better:

1. Make sure to practice self-care so that you can avoid exhaustion and mommy guilt.
2. You deserve balance, which means possibly saying no, getting outside help, and so on.
3. Find an outlet for your stress so that it doesn’t turn into anger or sadness (exercise, hobbies).
4. Continuously ask yourself if what you’re doing is worth the effort and if it’s sustainable in the long-term.

Tips For First-Time Moms On How They Can Prepare Their Self-Care Routine Before The Baby Is Born

If you’re about to become a mom, one of the best things you can do for your sanity is taking some time to think about what self-care routine works best for you. Whether it’s a morning yoga session, meditation practice or even sleep in on the weekends – get this into your schedule sooner rather than later.

This is important because you’ll need to learn how to prioritize yourself and take care of your mental health from the beginning before mommy guilt kicks in. Moms become too busy taking care of their kids that they forget about their own needs. You can prevent this by taking care of yourself first.

The more you do it the easier it will become, and soon self-care will be your new healthy habit!

Then set way to start is to think about your personality type, your “self-care sweet spots”, and the things that bring you joy so that you know what to do when you need more energy.

–>Unsure Where To Start? This Self Care Planner Can Help!<–

It’s better to think of your self-care plan before labor so that it will be easier during the transition. Be sure to start this process early because it’s an important part of life as a mom – one that many moms don’t take enough time for.

5 Ways You Can Figure Out How To Include Self-Care As A New Mommy:

1. Look at your schedule and cancel all recurring commitments that don’t serve you. Replace some of that time for me-time every week (even after baby arrives).
2. Tell yourself over and over that it’s normal to want time away from the baby. You deserve to care for yourself and your baby needs a healthy mommy.
3. Work out your parenting strategy with your partner. The last thing you want is to fight about who does what before the baby arrives. (if your partner is not helpful read this)
4. Find support wherever you can. All parents need encouragement! If it’s friends, family, online groups, or other sources of help, lean on them during this precious time.
5. Learn to say no. The people worth keeping around will respect your boundaries. You’ll have more time for activities you like.

My Experience Of Being A Parent, 4 Years In The Making

This coming April, my family and I will celebrate a huge milestone: the 4th birthday of our son Luca. We shared many celebrations these past few years, and every single one always gave us a sense of pride in the little human in our life. It’s been a wild ride and we’ve learned so much about the love of being parents.

Every day we are reminded that he is now becoming a fully independent person and we have seen his personality form as he discovers more about himself.

The most unexpected part of this journey is how much work I have done on myself! Because as a parent you realize that you can’t raise a child witht healthy habits if you are not modeling them yourself. And this includes how to practice self-care.

–->Use This Mental Load Worksheet To Help Delegate Child Care<–

Take This First Step Towards Avoiding Mom Burnout: Use Positive Affirmations!

The truth is that mom burnout will probably happen to you at one point or another during your parenting journey, but it doesn’t mean it needs to define your identity as a mom.

It should not be something we feel guilty about; instead, we should embrace it as a part of the job. We all deserve time to recover from these moments and make sure we are taking care of ourselves so we can take better care of our kids.

That’s why I created this list for moms with positive affirmations specifically designed to empower us when those dark days come.

Download these 40 positive affirmations now as a first step to managing your mom burnout!

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