Ways to Combat Stay-At-Home-Mom Burnout

This article includes contributions from Constance Williams and Jasmine Luter

As mothers, it’s easy to lose ourselves while caring for our families. Between the school work, play dates, doctor appointments, dishes, laundry, etc. we often drop the ball on the most important task: taking care of ourselves! We always think we can squeeze time in at some point in the day but that usually turns into a decision between sleep or self-care. When we lack time for ourselves, it begins to affect the way we show up for those around us. Overstimulation, feeling alone or overwhelmed, misplaced anger, and even resentment.

So how do we combat this stay-at-home-mom burnout?

By prioritizing self! When we think of self-care our minds tend to drift towards girls' weekends, weekly massages, shopping sprees, etc. Which we all enjoy but they’re not always accessible to us. I would LOVE to drop the Littles off and head to Belize for a month. Trust me! But home life would probably slip into chaos without us, right? So then what does self-care look like for a SAHM?

For me, it’s the little moments and things I do for my own personal enjoyment and relaxation. Taking time to do my facial routine every night, for example, is something that helps me wind down after a day of diapers, tantrums, and toy throwing. It pulls me into the moment and allows me to focus on just one thing. Myself. Making time to garden, enjoying a HOT cup of coffee, or even just journaling for five minutes a day. These are all things I do JUST FOR ME. Not to make my babies smile, my house ‘perfect’, or my partner happy. These small acts allow me to deposit into my ‘joy bank’ so that I have it to spread to others. You can also find things that bring you happiness through a creative outlet such as writing or taking a dance class. When needed, go to therapy to navigate the peaks and valleys you may be experiencing in this season of your life. While we may tend to enjoy talking with friends or relatives, a non-biased third party to help address and assess deeper issues is quite helpful and will aid in you being a better mom, wife, and person!

Share below how you deal with Stay-At-Home-Mom burnout!