The Burnout Syndrome In Mothers
Until recently, burnout syndrome was viewed as a work-related disease. The main symptoms are stress and physical and mental fatigue caused by long working days. Now this diagnosis is also being applied to the family environment. Especially with mothers, both first-time women and those who have more than one child. Sounds logical right?
The well-known “ burnout syndrome ” is more common in workers who are exposed to an aggressive environment for many hours a day. But don’t forget the most difficult job anyone can take on: bringing up, caring for and taking responsibility for a child.
The burnout syndrome: question after question
Is there a more strenuous job than caring for children? Is there more stress than that created by feeling like your work never stops? Isn’t it stressful to see how many things you have to do in 24 hours? Isn’t it terrible to know that you are exhausted but cannot rest? Doesn’t it hurt that you feel guilty about wanting to throw it all out?
These questions are asked daily by millions of mothers around the world. Raising children, looking after the house and husband, and working is an overwhelming phase in life that affects us all. So you shouldn’t feel guilty every time you cry because you want to go to bed but your baby doesn’t want to sleep.
As mothers, we usually ask more of ourselves than we can really give. Our routine with our little ones begins early in the morning, at noon we feel exhausted, but we keep going. Exhaustion catches up with us at night. And when we finally put the baby to sleep, we want to run away and guilt overcomes us.
We need to realize that we need help or that we may have burnout syndrome. If we don’t do anything about it, we will allow our situation to get worse. And postpartum depression, which is the baby’s first months of life, haunts us for a long time.
Ask for help whenever you need it, and most importantly, take the time to take care of yourself.
How do I know if I have burnout syndrome?
According to specialists, the symptoms of burnout syndrome are the following:
- Extreme exhaustion. When you get up, you want to stay in bed and do nothing because of the few hours of sleep and the accumulated fatigue.
- In all of your activities, you ignore your meal times. You eat very little. You know it’s a mistake not to eat well, but fatigue wins the fight.
- Discouragement and disinterest. Repeating certain tasks, like feeding the baby, fighting clutter, and changing diapers, will make you act automatically. You think the chores are your obligation and you lose interest in things that you once enjoyed. These include: listening to music, making a rich dessert, going for a walk, and reading a book. You think it would be irresponsible to waste time on these things.
- Bad mood. Because you are not doing what you want, but what you are supposed to, you will want to distance yourself from your partner, but this will only worsen your emotional state.
- Guilt. You feel guilty every time you want to cry because you can’t anymore. When things don’t go as expected, when you find the house messy again, when you don’t want to wake up, when you hear the baby cry at midnight, or when you respond to your partner in a bad mood. Apparently, guilt is your best friend during this difficult period.
If you are one of those mothers who have burnout syndrome, don’t be afraid to accept that you cannot bear as much responsibility on your own. Ask for help whenever you need it, and most importantly, take the time to take care of yourself. If you are fine, your family will be fine too.
Talk to your partner and relatives to tell them how you feel and what support you want them to provide. You will find that you will feel better if you allow them to work with you. And you will enjoy the wonderful and chaotic world of motherhood.
