9 Ways to Battle Mommy Burnout

I love being a SAHM. It is great, but some days it’ll be 10 in the morning and I’m ready for bedtime. After I became a stay at home mom mommy burnout happens more than I thought it would. And “some days” can turn into “some weeks”.

My little guy likes to push my buttons without even knowing it, like when he’ll magically find that pen I hid from him and color all over the couch. Unfortunately, I can’t always send him to grandmas house whenever he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed (or when I do).

So when we have a rough night (or week) and I know the next day is going to be extra tough I try extra hard to take a little bit better care of myself so that I can be a better mom throughout the day, and not feel so burnt out. Because let’s be real, being a mom is hard, and some days are harder than others.

Here are 9 ways to battle mommy burnout before lunch (or anytime really):

-Take a vitamin.

I know what you’re thinking. A vitamin, Ash? Really? But for reals, vitamins help with keeping your energy up. I really like this one. There’s B12 in the vitamins that help give you more energy because it contributes to turning your food into energy, so you make it to bedtime (which can feel forever away sometimes).

If I wake up and feel sluggish because I ate too much from the takeout we had for dinner (again) I’ll take a probiotic along with my vitamin. This one helps a lot. It helps my digestions get back to where its supposed to be and gets rid of that “sitting like a brick” feeling.

I know if I have more energy I am a lot more patient, which in turn makes me feel not so overwhelmed. Just by taking a vitamin and/or probiotic it will help you feel like you’re taking better care of yourself so you can take care of your little one. Check out those vitamins here and probiotics here.

-Meditate

Give yourself some time by yourself, whether its while your little one sleeps or while they are playing in the other room. All you need is 5 minutes to yourself to focus on your breathing or to stretch or whatever helps you feel more at peace.

You can download an app for your phone that can help you meditate and recenter. If you’re religious you can pray and/or read the scriptures. Yoga is great too! There are a lot of 10-minute routines on youtube. Find one that you will like and give it a try.

But stay off of social media! I know when I get a few minutes to myself I will mindlessly start to scroll through my news feed. This will only stress you out more. We all know that people only show their highlight reel, not what’s happening for real in their life. So don’t make yourself feel worse by comparing your chapter one to someone chapter 21.

-Get outside

We all know that getting outside is good for us but when we feel like we are stuck in a rut then we isolate ourselves into being a hermit. Well, at least I do.

It will make you and your little one feel so much better! It will help break up the day. So that bedtime will feel like it comes much faster (which for somedays is what I hold out for).

And if it doesn’t make you feel better it will tire your kiddo out so they will have a nap/quiet time which means time for yourself. And that will make you feel better.

-Giggle

This one is my favorite! This one always makes it easier for me to come back to being a more patient mom.

It makes me realize that this moment in my life isn’t going to stay forever and I’ll miss it one day. Missed naps and all.

This changes both of our attitudes. After we play and giggle for a minute my little guy will want to play by himself (mostly it’s for 10 minutes before he wants me again) which gives me that little time to breathe and try to feel like myself again.

-Call someone

When I start to feel burnt out I isolate myself. I will think no one wants to hear about how I clean the house all day (and how it still looks like a mess when I go to bed.) Or how my little guy won’t nap (again).

When you talk about what’s bothering you it can help you get it off your chest and move past it. When you feel like your stress is validated you’ll have some reassurance that you’re not the only one who feels they don’t have their stuff together. At least that’s how it makes me feel.

Maybe they will even give you some advice on something that can really help. Or just to feel listened to for a moment, which a lot of times is all I need. It helps when you’re running on empty.

-Get dressed

Get out of your pajamas! I usually will change out of my pajamas into a new set of pajamas and that doesn’t help either. I just end up feeling more unlike myself and I get stuck into a vortex of frumpiness.

Put on something that makes you feel put together. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Put on your favorite t-shirt and your favorite pair of jeans. Or leggings if you aren’t into the whole “jeans” thing. And a bra. I have a hard time doing this one when I know I’m not going anywhere (too much information?)

If you feel less frumpy you’ll feel more like yourself. You know, that person you used to be before you were covered in rejected baby food.

-Brush your teeth and wash your face

I’m usually pretty good at brushing my teeth but sometimes it’ll be 2 in the afternoon when I realize I haven’t washed my face (ok maybe it’ll be 2 days before I realize it, but that’s beside the point).

Even if you don’t have time to do a whole skincare routine, get the gunk off of your face. Use a face wipe or even if you are out and about (or at home wishing you were out and about) a baby wipe works great. You’ll feel better.

Brushing your teeth will do the same thing. It will help you feel like you checked something off of your to-do list and give you a sense of accomplishment. Which will help you tackle the terrible twos with more confidence.

-Eat something healthy

The oldest (and most dreaded) trick in the book. When I’m stressed I reach for sugar. Any kind. Even those nasty little chocolates that everyone seems to give out for Halloween.

Make sure your healthy meal or snack is something you like. Don’t just eat kale because someone says it’s healthy (unless you like kale.) That will just make you feel worse! Eat a banana and peanut butter or avocado toast. My favorite is a green smoothie, I get the sweet that I crave but with all the nutrients that I need.

If you are fueling your body with good foods you won’t feel sluggish. This will just help you in every aspect of your life, not just mom life.

-Do your hair

My poor hair. I’ll go a day or two (or four or five) with the same hair that I slept in. It’s a sad thing, I know. When I just brush it out and throw it into a top knot I feel so much better!

You just need to do something with your hair. You really don’t need to do anything fancy. Even if you don’t brush it out for a day no one will notice. Because I’ve been there, done that.

It will help you feel more put together which helps fight mommy burn out so you aren’t as frustrated when your kiddos are screaming at you for no reason, or in my case where they tell you “No” about everything. (I literally mean everything.)

Try all of these or just of a couple of them to help you not feel so burnt out. Let me know in the comments how they helped you! Or if you have some tricks that help you I would love to hear them!

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