Parental burnout: five main signs and how to cope

One day you wake up and feel empty. You may want to do nothing just to stay alone or cry a river and throw things. You may feel angry with your beloved child for no reason. Take a deep breath. It’s okay. Perhaps you deal with parental burnout.

No matter, either unrealistic expectations, lack of support and communication, or people-pleasing behavior caused this state of mind; the first step is to recognize the common symptoms. This will lead to the next step – taking positive action.

So, the five main signals of parental burnout are:

• Emotional disconnect from your child
• Irritability
• Chronic fatigue
• Sleep problems
• Feeling guilt or shame

Moreover, you may feel frustrated, face the difficulty of remembering things, or would like to avoid communication and stay isolated. You may notice that your behavior and your interests have changed.

How to help yourself?

Burnout is straightly connected with both physical and mental exhaustion.

There is a first-aid kit to help you cope with it.

Less

• self-criticism
• planning
• communication with toxic people

More

• sleep
• relax
• self-compassion

No one knows better than you what makes you feel better. Create a list of such things and doings, and indulge yourself. Sometimes even a short walk in a park, an unusual meal or going to the cinema may help.

What else you can do?

Join or create a supporting group of parents with similar experience.

Talk to your spouse, friends, or parents. Choose an understanding, empathetic person to share your feelings with. Support and kind words may do a great job.

It can be really hard to cope with parental burnout by yourself. If you are depressed, anxious, and urge to self-harm or harm others, please don’t hesitate to consult a therapist who specializes in helping parents who are experiencing burnout.