Are You A Stressed Mum?
Motherhood is beautiful. But it is by no means a cakewalk. The responsibilities associated with being a mum can be overwhelming. At the same time, the pressure to be the ideal mum and raise the perfect kids is too much!
Blame it on the society, in general, that is quick to judge mothers or the social media that set unreal expectations from mothers. But the fact remains, that mothers are too stressed trying to juggle work, household, and the responsibility to raise their children. And this is exactly why mummy burnout is an actual thing!
Are you a stressed mum, too?
If you are a mum, struggling to meet the perceived ideal standards, chances are you go through a lot of stress on a daily basis. Here are a few signs to identify that you are a stressed mum:
You have trouble sleeping.
You are tired at the end of the day, but sleep seems elusive. You turn in for the night but cannot settle for sleep. If this sounds familiar, blame it on the high-stress levels during the day.
You tend to binge eat.
Image source: Medical News Today
You are tempted to eat sugary or oily food a little too often. Even after having a filling balanced meal, you crave a high-calorie treat. If that happens too often, you could be ‘stress-eating’.
You fall sick often.
Did you know that stress negatively affects your immunity levels? If you are under the weather quite a lot, it could be due to the stress.
You are irritable.
Do you snap at everyone for the smallest things? Or do you lose your temper for seemingly no reason? And then you immediately regret your behavior? These could be the signs of mummy burnout.
You feel tired.
Feeling tired is a part of being a mum. But if you feel tired all the time, it could be due to the mental fatigue caused by stress.
You no longer identify with other roles except being a mum.
You find it difficult to bond with your girlfriends or avoid intimacy with your partner. You try to wriggle out of social interactions and avoid going out. If you were never like this before motherhood happened, this change in your personality could be due to stress.
You suffer from frequent headaches.
Image source: Medical News Today
If you do not have a known medical reason for headaches and weren’t particularly bothered by them earlier, mummy burnout could be the reason why you get regular headaches now.
What to do if you are a stressed mum?
If you have identified yourself as a stressed mum, don’t worry. First of all, know that you are not alone. A lot of mothers go through this. A few simple steps can help you manage your stress better and get back on track.
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Take some time for yourself.
Have some downtime where you do things you love, such as reading a book or listening to music or gardening.
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Practice relaxation techniques or meditation.
Every once in awhile, take some time to slow down and focus on relaxation.
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Reconnect with other people.
Have a heart-to-heart talk with your husband, meet your friends, go out for lunch with your family.
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Eat healthily.
What you eat matters a lot in your overall well-being. Consciously eat healthy meals and have healthy snacks at hand for cravings between meals.
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Ask for help.
You cannot do everything on your own. Ask for help from people around you.
Image source: Institute for Family Studies
Apart from all this, accept that nobody can be perfect. Free yourself from the pressure to be what others deem perfect. Be yourself. Believe in yourself. Love is what matters the most and as long as you keep loving your children, a little slip here and there does not really matter in the long run. You can read more on our Motherhood Reads where we interviewed our mummies on their struggles as a mum.
So, take it slow, mummies. You are awesome just the way you are!
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