Burn Out in Mommies: Its Okay and There’s No Shame in It!

Burn Out in Mommies: Its Okay and There’s No Shame in It!

What is a Burn Out11 AM. It’s a usual mundane weekday. You have done the laundry and the maid has done the dishes and your kids are in school. You quickly make a list of things that need to be done for the day.

• Pick up the costume for fancy dress day at the school.
• Soak the beans for the next day’s tiffin box.
• Take your child to his therapy session.
• The other one to his tuition.

Now is the only time you get in the whole day when you can do normal person activities like browsing the internet. So you log into an online shopping website and spot a lovely yellow saree. Only to remember that your child doesn’t like yellow. It causes him to panic and you decide against buying it. You then decide to browse FB and find yourself looking at pictures of your friend holidaying at some exotic location. People instantly crave for a holiday yourself. You need a big break but you have too much on your plate. And you immediately feel guilty about even thinking about a holiday with all the chores left.

Days pass by and every once in a while you crave some change and feel guilty about wanting it. You experience temper tantrums, impatience and sometimes mood swings. You badly want a change. This process is called Burn Out.

Burn Out can happen to anyone and everyone. It can happen in the workplace, it can happen in relationships and it is most common to happen to caregivers. Due to a lot of cultural and social factors, especially in India, we are in a habit of completely neglecting our mental health.

Mental Health is the most vital for humans to function efficiently. By being a part of a collectivistic society, we tend to pay less attention to self-care especially as parents and mainly as women.  We forget the most important thing that is, We can only take care of others when we can take care of ourselves. So it is very important to fulfill our needs so we can fulfill the needs of people around us. But make yourself the priority.

How To Take Care of Yourself?

                                             

                           “You owe yourself the love that you so freely give to others.”

 

1. Make a list of things you enjoyed doing before kids

Pick one activity from the list that you haven’t made time for, and make the time. Always ensure to remind yourself of the “you” that existed before kids and husband.

2. Start small

A lot of the time, self-care as a mom evokes visions of massages and pedicures at the salon. That’s not what self-care truly is (though an afternoon at the salon would be nice!)

Little things like taking a daily shower or bath as a mom can be revitalizing, but can also be majorly overlooked.

3. Workout at home

Getting moving and staying active is more important than ever because let’s face it, mamas, we’re not getting any younger. So if you find it too difficult to go to the gym, the great thing is that it’s never been easier to workout at home.

4. Get enough sleep

Sleep matters! Getting enough sleep also means a refreshed mind to tackle the next day. More nights spent worrying will also ruin your day to come. Do what you can to get sufficient sleep.

                                                    

“Loving yourself isn’t vanity, it’s sanity.”

5. Involve your kids

If what you miss doing can be done with your kids, then do it! Involve them in your hobbies and your life so that they can see that you are more than just “mom”.

6. Let go of the control

Parenting makes us all control freaks, so much so that we don’t realize when it kills the spontaneity in us. Have last minute picnics, long drives and keep the fun alive.

Final thoughts

Remember that your kids are watching. Show them you, not just “mom you”.

Most importantly, remember to go easy on yourself.

Know this, the feelings of burnout won’t last forever.

You are doing the best you can and that’s all your children need but you have to take care of yourself as well. You are important, your family sustains itself and functions because of all that you do all day long.

What do you do that helps you get out of your mommy funk?

Share your views and leave a reply. Thank you!

What is a Burn Out

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