Mom burnout is real! And chances are, if you landed on this page, you are feeling the brunt of being a burnout mommy. Firstly I acknowledge you for being here and taking action to end this burnt-out cycle and everyday struggles you’ve been indulging in over the last few years. And choosing to build healthy habits to avoid mom burnout.
Secondly, I want to remind you if there’s a slight guilt or shame surrounding being a burnout mom. Embrace those feelings and give yourself some grace.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Many of us moms have been there! We’ve felt exhausted! We have screamed (literally) that we need a break from our kids. Blame ourselves for not being more organized and present with our kids because we have so much going on in our life.
Motherhood is demanding! It requires you to wear many hats and job titles. Not knowing the job descriptions of many portfolios beforehand is quite scary.
As moms, we run ourselves into burnout by stretching ourselves too thin because we believe it’s our job to get it done and say yes to everything. The truth is – you don’t have to do it all or say yes to everything.
Be brave, say no to things that don’t serve you, and ask for help when you feel overwhelmed. Saying no and asking for help in any season is imperative for your mental and emotional health.
Now that we’ve gotten asking for help and saying no out of the way let’s look at 5 healthy habits to avoid mom burnout.
5 healthy habits to avoid mom burnout
1. Get more sleep
What are some of the comments you got when you first shared you were pregnant and continue to get as you were on your home stretch to delivery?
You nailed it!
Get all the sleep you can now because you won’t get much rest when the baby comes.
Your sleep pattern changes drastically with parenting. Depending on the season of life, you will get less sleep than others.
Less sleep often means you, as a parent, are a bit more cranky and less enthusiastic about things which can lead to you feeling burnout.
Getting a tad more sleep and building on it can reduce your fatigue, boosting your energy and mood levels.
Getting more sleep is something I’m still working on. By no means I’m a sleep expert, but some things I started doing to get more sleep as a busy homeschooling and CEO mama are:
- I reduced my coffee intake to one cup daily (it wasn’t easy, but I did it). I can vividly remember transitioning from having a gazillion cups of coffee to one cup per day, and then one day, out of the blue, I decided to go for a second cup just because – Well, I felt horrible! I experience mild headaches and fatigue. This indicated I didn’t need that second cup, but I decided to drink it out of habit. So how did I reduce my caffeine intake? I switch that afternoon cup of coffee for an herbal tea – camomille and peppermint are my favs. Then I would have two cups of coffee before 11’o clock in the morning, and from there, I graduated to having only my morning cup of coffee.
- Switch off your phones, tablets, and laptops by 8 PM. This might be hard if you are a mom in the building stage of her business and needs to do her task at night after the kids go to bed. This was me for a long time too! But once I started detoxing from gadgets before 8 PM, I was able to go to bed by 9 PM, which means I can now wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 AM allowing me to start working before the kids are up. I realize I’m way more productive in the morning than at night when I’m already crashed and burned. That’s because my cognitive fuel is full in the morning, and I’m more alert and can be more productive in my business. You see, as we go through the day, our cognitive fuel drains as we commit to more and more tasks. So after a long day of being a mom, you may find it quite challenging to focus at night.
- I supplement with magnesium at night: discuss with your healthcare provider as I never like recommending what supplement someone should or shouldn’t take. What works for me is the magnesium Bis-Glycinate (200 mg). This helped me feel relaxed and calmer, allowing me to sleep better. I feel revitalized and ready to take on my day when I wake.
2. Hydrate more
Hydration is another simple yet effective healthy habit to avoid mom burnout in 2023 and beyond!
When I often share that I have added more water to my day, the first comment I would hear is: ” but when I drink more water, I pee more!”
Of course, you will pee more.
But isn’t it nice to see your pee looking clear and transparent instead of yellowish – (which is a sign you are not hydrating properly)?
I would go for clear pee any time of the day! 🙂
If you don’t hydrate properly, your physical performance will suffer, leading to being a burnout mom.
According to an article published on Healthline, dehydration
- can impair energy levels and mood. (hello, burnout!),
- can cause headaches ( we all have experienced headaches due to dehydration, right?!)
- Constipation ( I can vouch for this. When my kids are not hydrated properly, they become constipated)
A great way to hydrate throughout your day is to:
- track your water intake. ( Sign up below for the happy mom planner and receive a planner page where you can track your water)
- fill a big water bottle and keep it with you throughout your day and sip on it as often as you can
- add lemon slices, cucumbers, berries, or chia seeds to add a little more flavor to your water.
3. Add movements to your lifestyle
Moving our body regularly boosts our mood and increases our alertness, helping us concentrate better. As a busy mom, chances are you are reaching that 10,000 steps easily every day. And that’s better than not getting any movement at all.
Committing to 15 minutes of exercise 3-4 times a day will alter your life as a mom, giving you the energy and clarity you desire. Even if you find it challenging to commit to an exercise practice, start by dancing to your favorite song and playing chase with the kids.
Exercise does not have to be a chore. It shouldn’t be something you dread doing. It should be fun! So have fun with it.
I love doing Miss Linky – educational videos with my kids; honestly, it does not feel like exercise.
4. Supplement to avoid mom burnout
As a mom who is home with two kids, I know how easily it can be to grab that “not-so-healthy food choice” versus the healthy one. Or altogether skip meals only to binge eat in the evening. That’s me, for sure.
Making healthier food choices and eating wisely will influence your mood, how you function as a parent, and your overall health.
Choosing more whole foods vs. processed foods and increasing protein can boost your energy levels, making you feel less tired and more energetic.
As I mentioned earlier, I have no medical background and don’t recommend any one supplement to anyone.
As a previous burnout and cranky mom ( yes, let’s throw that in becasue we all have those days), I saw significant changes to my energy level when I supplement.
Everyone will need their unique supplement combination according to their overall health. To find out what’s yours, you can consult your doctor, talk to a nurse, or research by listening to podcasts and reading blog posts about wellness and health.
My supplements include, as I mentioned before – magnesium, probiotics, and fish oil. I’m hoping to add vitamin c to my combination very soon.
5. Build routines into your life
Building routines into your life will drastically help with feeling overwhlemed and exhausted as a busy everyday mom.
Having routines does not mean you have to be so rigid that you walk around with a checklist every day. That seems quite extreme if you ask me. And it will bring more chaos instead of calm to my life!
So when I say build routines into your life. Inspect your daily schedule to identify what’s working for you and what’s not.
Whatever works for you, leave it as it is. Whatever is not working for you, play around with different ideas on improving those areas so you are not burning yourself out.
You can absolutely change your routines as your season of life changes. There will also be some days when you may not be able to follow your routines becasue life happens.
As moms, we all know that life happens when we least expect it to. On those days, be flexible and support your kids as you teach them how to be flexible and resilient when changes occur.
If you are overwhlemed with the idea of having routines or creating them. Start with a morning and evening routine and then keep stacking on them.
If you have not yet done so, please grab my free Happy Mom Printable Planner to help you go from burnout to prioritizing your life as a busy everyday mom.
