The Mama Burnout Syndrome
Even if it is wonderful to be a mother, the great responsibility can sometimes feel overwhelmed. If the mother lacks the necessary support, overwork and exhaustion can lead to burnout syndrome.
The mom burnout syndrome results from daily stress and overload. The mother feels at the end of her strength and lacks the energy to carry out her tasks.
It is a chronic depressive state, which in the most severe cases can lead to very uncomfortable situations. Therefore, this syndrome goes far beyond simple, short-term excessive demands or temporary depression.
It is the result of physical, emotional, and psychological exhaustion.
The most common consequences of Mama Burnout Syndrome include insomnia, weakness, chronic fatigue, digestive problems, and headaches and back pain.
But emotional distancing can also go hand in hand with it. The mother no longer feels comfortable in her role and thinks she is a bad mother. She is less attentive and lacks the strength to get involved with her child.
Stages of mom burnout syndrome
1. Emotional exhaustion
The daily duties of a mother require great physical and psychological endurance. When the mother loses all strength and energy as a result, she feels an inner emptiness and indifference.
In this first phase it can happen that the mother feels overwhelmed when she wakes up and is afraid of her innumerable tasks.
2. Emotional distance
However, a natural defense mechanism usually drives women to continue their tasks mechanically. Yet she distances herself emotionally and often feels cut off from her child, husband and daily life.
3. Reality
In this phase of burnout, the mother realizes the growing gap between her ideal of motherhood and the reality she perceives.
The desire to be a perfect mother has nothing to do with reality anymore. She feels like a failure, loses her confidence and can even develop aggressive behavior towards her child.
Main causes of mom burnout syndrome
Everyday life with a child poses enormous challenges for many women, especially when they also work outside the home. You come home tired and still want to do the best for your child.
You put yourself under pressure to be as perfect as possible in all areas.
But nobody is perfect! You shouldn’t ask too much of yourself, you should let help in your daily tasks.
The big disappointment
The reality of motherhood has nothing to do with the ideal. Bringing all obligations under one roof is usually very complicated.
But you can’t put yourself under too much pressure and you have to accept disappointment. Life is made up of good and bad moments. It doesn’t always have to be perfect. Get help and treat yourself from time to time for yourself!
“There is no way to be a perfect mother, but there are millions of ways to be a good mother.”
-Jill Churchill-
Who is particularly at risk of burnout?
Every mother can suffer from stress and extreme stress, no matter what social status she belongs to or whether she has a child or already several. Overwork and exhaustion can occur after the birth, or even years later.
However, various risk factors can increase the risk of burnout. For example, the burden is much greater with twins or several children with a small age difference.
Single mothers also often suffer from too great a responsibility that they cannot share with anyone. If they lack support, the countless tasks and obligations can also lead to burnout.
What can you do?
You have to accept that nobody is perfect, nor do you have to be. Talk to your family or other mothers to share your experience. Get help, you don’t have to do everything by yourself.
Professional help is also very important in many cases. Consult a psychologist to find a way out of this dark tunnel.
