Most women are aware of the fact that motherhood isn’t easy. Being an effective parent to their children often involves a great deal of willpower. As such, they try the best they can to make it through each day. Unfortunately, after a while, they begin to neglect their own needs, take on too much, and burn out. Believing there’s no time for self-care or a break, they keep pressing forward until things spiral out of control.
If motherhood is naturally a stressful experience for women, how does one know when she’s doing too much? Some signs are subtle while others are more obvious. If you experience any of these symptoms it’s a sign that you’re on the brink of burnout (or are currently suffering from burnout).
You Start Forgetting More and More
A subtle sign that you’re doing too much as a mom is forgetfulness. With all you have on your plate it is common to forget things on occasion. However, if your forgetfulness becomes more frequent, this is something you should be mindful of.
You Lash Out
Sometimes your spouse and children can drive you up the wall, but if you find that you can no longer keep your composure or are lashing out at them unnecessarily, this is a sign that you’re under a lot of stress.
You Feel Drained All the Time
When you’re constantly ripping and running trying to do everything for your family you eventually drain your mental and physical energy. You start to feel more rundown than usual. You may even notice that no matter how much sleep you get, you still feel tired.
You Start Performing Poorly at Work
If things are too overwhelming at home and your health is starting to decline as a result, you’ll find that your ability to be productive in the office is also lessened. The loss of energy, lack of concentration, and undue stress takes a toll causing you to forget assignments, get overwhelmed by tasks that need to be completed, and more.
You Feel Anxious or Down All the Time
When you take on too much as a mother it isn’t long before your emotional health starts to decline. You might find yourself feeling overly anxious or even depressed all the time. When your emotions get this low and nothing is done about it, it could result in mental illness.
You Start Abusing Substances
You might believe that substance abuse and addiction aren’t issues you have to worry about, however, many women who are overwhelmed by their parenting responsibilities often turn to drugs, alcohol, and prescription drugs to cope. It may start off as a casual glass of wine, a pull of a cigarette or joint, or using prescription meds to get more sleep, but over time, you become dependent on them. The good news is there is residential help in California for drug abuse (and other states) where you can kick this toxic habit.
You Stop Taking Care of Your Health
Who has time to tend to themselves when they’re bombarded with responsibilities as a parent? Women are notorious for neglecting their health. They stop caring as much about their physical appearance, eat very little or poorly, and don’t take time to cope with their emotions in a healthy manner.
You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep
Though sleep and mothers are always complicated, a sign that you’re overwhelmed is if you simply don’t have the time to get enough sleep. In the event that you do, you spend many hours throughout the night preparing for the next day or stressing over your children.
You’re Not Enjoying Life
When is the last time you were happy about life? An even better question would be when is the last time you did something that you enjoyed? For mothers who are burned out or overwhelmed, chances are it has been quite some time. It can seem noble to take on all the responsibilities of raising your children and to set your own passions and interests aside for the sake of your children. However, what happens is that you no longer have time in life to be happy which can lead to social isolation and even depression.
With no instruction manual on how to be a mother, you may have thought that some of the above-mentioned warning signs were normal for women to experience. However, this is far from the truth. Though you do have a lot of responsibilities as a mother if you’ve taken on so much that your mental and physical health are impacted you need to do something about it before it spills into every area of your life. If you’ve experienced any of the signs listed above, don’t be afraid to reach out to the right people for help.
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