MOTHER'S EMOTIONAL BURN OUT - HOW TO RECOGNIZE

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

Emotional burnout is most susceptible to people in helping professions - doctors, psychologists, teachers, social workers and … mothers.

Mom's “work” is closely related to great responsibility, regular communication with the child, emotional involvement and empathy - the main factors in the development of burnout.

And if you add monotony to them, the desire to be an “ideal” mother and the lack of remuneration for your work - overwork is guaranteed.

Burnout develops in stages:

1️⃣ Stage of enthusiasm

At this stage, we “light up” with some idea or project, are full of strength and energy and strive with enthusiasm to implement our plans. But it is here that we do not really assess our strengths and take on responsibilities that exceed our capabilities. For example, we unconsciously make a decision to be an “ideal” mother: I will never be angry, let alone yell at the child, I will devote as much time and attention to him as he needs.

2️⃣ Stage of fatigue

There is a lack of strength, apathy, sleep worsens, emotions dull. We already feel that something is wrong, but we stubbornly continue to do our job - to cook, wash, pick up food, collect toys. Life turns into Groundhog Day, but we still see meaning in our goal, getting joy from communicating with a child, because his smile rewards us for all the hardships. It seems that you need to try a little, pull yourself together, and everything will work out. This stage is dangerous because if you do not take action now, then emotional burnout is inevitable.

3️⃣ Stage of exhaustion

We are still busy with things, but we do them with effort, we become slower, there is not enough time for anything. The accumulated fatigue and lack of sleep dull emotions, you can stumble on the corner of the bed and not feel anything, there is not enough strength to communicate with the child. Chronic fatigue and irritability appear, I want to distance myself and "so that no one touches." We live as if automatically. At this stage, it is easy to freak out and yell at the child or quarrel with your husband over a trifle.

4️⃣ Stage of the crisis

Our body can not stand it and gives up, the accumulated stress translates into insomnia, loss of appetite, exacerbation of chronic diseases. Immunity decreases, colds easily cling. The meanings are lost: thoughts “why did we decide to give birth to a child?”, “It is impossible to live like this anymore, I want to divorce”. Here we become “empty” and insensitive - communication with the child does not touch in any way. Most breakups in couples with a small child occur at this stage.

Burnout stages develop sequentially. The first thing to learn is to pay attention to your condition and recognize the stage of burnout.

Read about how to take care of yourself and deal with burnout in the next article ❤️

Psychologist Alya Sereda

From a series on Moms Burnout