Not sure if you have mom burnout? I have been there too stuck in such a bad rut that you don’t even see how bad it has gotten. Don’t stress! I am here to guide you through a sure way to completely understand what stage of burnout you are in and the first step to get yourself back on track.
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. The more you notice any small changes, the quicker you can do something about it.
Stage 1: How burnout starts. This can happen for several reasons.
- Boundaries. Not having proper boundaries in place. By not establishing a healthy work routine, you can leave little room for rest. It’s good to understand the importance of rest not only for recovery but also to increase our creativity and productivity. By creating healthy boundaries, you are establishing the fundamentals in self-care. You are creating space for your own feelings and time for the right decisions.
- Having a job that you care about makes a huge difference. We spend a huge amount of our day working so if we hate what we do, it has a huge impact on our happiness and stress levels. To get started you could try a hobby you are interested in or do a class that you think you might like.
- People pleasing. Creating healthy relationship boundaries can help avoid unnecessary conflict. Relationships work best when all parties understand expectations. Communication is also vital in a healthy, stable relationships.
- Perfectionism. Having unrealistically high standards that you may never reach, would push you to never accept yourself. This may have you feeling like a failure. It is good to remember that there is no such thing as perfect. No perfect mom, child, friend, or teacher. Sometimes we need to just focus on progress rather than perfection. Being an ‘A type ‘personality may also mean that you have trouble delegating and getting help when you really need it.
Burnout starts by just not feeling yourself. It may be some fatigue, perhaps an afternoon slump or even some sleep issues. The first step would be to remove if possible or reduce the number of stimulants you are ingesting. Things like caffeine, found in chocolate and coffee and nicotine found in cigarettes actually ‘steal ‘energy from later in the day. Removing these items will allow your body to learn how to balance the body’s natural energy levels.
Stage 2 When we don’t notice these small changes and adapt to improve them, we will see a deterioration. This can sometimes be visible in our mental health. Look at for times when you might act out of character, emotional outbursts or being teary. There may also be heightened anxiety.
It is important to have support during this time. To have people in your life that make you feel loved and secure, that you can talk to. This will enable a healthier emotional well-being. This may be a coach, psychologist, partner, or a friend. Recognizing that you are not ok and asking for help is such a great motivation in beating burnout.
Don’t underestimate the benefits of movement in your week. Exercise plays such an important role in the reduction of stress hormones and the production of endorphins in the body.
Stage 3 the result physical reaction to the contestant sickness
If you do not get help your body will start to really struggle. This may lead to chronic physical symptoms like chronic fatigue and adrenal fatigue syndrome as well as effect your mental health through anxiety and depression.
There you have it! You now know exactly what stage of burnout you have. You can know go ahead and take the first step and how to get back on track. We are routing for you. Need some extra support or want to know where to go from here? Sign up for my regular emails and we will be there every step of the way.