Are you feeling overwhelmed as a mom? Do you feel like you are constantly juggling too many things and don’t know how to get it all done? You are not alone! I remember days of being busy all day long with young kids and then being frustrated that my house still was a wreck! Let me tell you, this does not help your stress levels!
I want to share twenty-one strategies that can help you as an overwhelmed mom regain control of your life. If you are having a hard time, then keep reading! Yes, there will be overwhelming days, but you want those to be more rare. Now, take a deep breath. I promise, there is hope!
Is it Normal to Feel Overwhelmed as a Mother?
You may be feeling that you’re all alone in feeling overwhelmed as a mom, but the truth is, many mothers feel this way. In fact, in the past couple of years, the percentage of overwhelmed moms has risen to 69%! So, it is definitely normal to feel this way at times!
As a mom, you often do most of the care for your children, the household chores, and grocery shopping and errands. It can be so much to keep track of, especially if your children are young and need a lot of hands-on care. It’s definitely hard work, but there are some little things you can do to make big changes!
What Causes Overwhelm in Mothers?
Mom life is hard and there are many things that can overwhelm you as a mom. We’re all different and have different lives, so it won’t be the same for everyone. If you are a new mom, you are still learning and growing. However, some common causes include:
- Having too many responsibilities
- Not having enough help or support
- Feeling like you’re not doing a good job as a mother
- Parenting problems such as colic, sleep deprivation, and discipline issues
- Stress from work or other aspects of your life spilling over into your home life
- Mom guilt
- Not having efficient routines
- Too much stuff everywhere!
- Health issues that affect your energy
Overwhelmed Stay-at-Home Mom
All mothers can deal with feeling overwhelmed, but there are some unique aspects of being overwhelmed for the mom who stays home. As a stay-at-home mom, you may feel like you are constantly juggling housework, child care, and your own needs. You are also more likely to feel isolated, unsupported, and unappreciated.
Introverted moms especially will tend to get out less and therefore struggle with making friends or building a support system. Trust me, I know how hard it can be, but we all need community, especially as stay-at-home moms.
Overwhelmed Mom Syndrome
What even is overwhelmed mom syndrome? Overwhelmed mom syndrome is a term used to describe the condition of being a mother who feels constantly overwhelmed and stressed. If you feel like this, don’t worry, you are not alone!
Around 40 percent of moms feel overwhelmed after having a baby, but as we’ve already seen, it often doesn’t stop then. Many moms continue to feel overwhelmed, and not just occasional. Overwhelmed mom syndrome is hard to put a finger on because it means different things to different people. For some, it might describe the paralyzing feeling that comes with having too many choices and not knowing where to start. Or maybe it’s the sensation of being constantly behind, juggling a never-ending To-Do list while trying to keep up appearances that everything is okay.
For others, overwhelmed mom syndrome could be linked to postpartum depression, which affects about 1 out of 7 new moms. It might mean struggling with chronic stress or insomnia from caring for a newborn around the clock. For still others, overwhelmed mom syndrome manifests as perfectionism and an inability to ever find satisfaction in one’s accomplishments.
No matter what overwhelmed mom syndrome feels like for you, the good news is that there is hope. You’re not alone, and there are things you can do to regain control of your life. Let’s check out some of these strategies.
Overwhelmed Mom Tips
If you are feeling overwhelmed and like you have lost control of your life, don’t worry! Now that we know a bit more about what can cause overwhelm in mothers, let’s discuss some strategies for reducing your feelings of being overwhelmed.
Please don’t try all of these at once, but pick one to start. Also, you may need some extra help until you are able to get things under control
1. Identify your stressors
Once you know what is causing your stress, you can start to develop a plan to address it. It may take some time, but focus on the biggest stressors first. You may find it helpful to write down your responsibilities and then identify the top things that need to change.
For example, if you notice you’re feeling frazzled and rushing around every single time you need to be out the door at a certain time, take a good look at if you’re leaving yourself enough time to get ready. This seems like a small thing, but I can tell you from personal experience that leaving myself extra time made a huge difference!
2. Simplify your life
There are so many things you can do to simplify your life. The small changes that you can make lead to big differences! The more you simplify, the less responsibility on your shoulders. It’s so freeing! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, find just one thing you can simplify to start.
3. Create routines
Create routines and stick to them. Having routines in place can help reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed by giving you a sense of control over your life. Seriously, building routines changed my life! Try to schedule time for all of the important things in your life, such as eating healthy meals, exercising, spending time with your husband, and relaxing downtime (yes, this is a must in order to help avoid burnout!). Routines are especially important during a tough season so that your household doesn’t fall apart.
4. Pray
Talk to God about it. Yup! Just pour it all out. He can handle your emotions and frustrations. Ask Him for help to get things under control. Ask Him to guard the sharp tongue that tends to come when we’re feeling stressed. Pray for wisdom and strength. Prayer should be part of your daily life to help keep you mind and heart in a better place.
5. Get help
Ask for help when you need it. There is no shame in admitting that you can’t do it all on your own. Ask your husband or family members for assistance, delegate different tasks to older children, or hire a mommy’s helper if possible. By taking some responsibilities off your plate, you will decrease that feeling of overwhelm!
6. Say no
Since you are already overwhelmed, this is not the time to take on new responsibilities. One of the best things you can do is say no to any further obligations or responsibilities. Also, take a look at what you’re already involved in and see if there’s anything you can cut out.
7. Implement downtime
Downtime is incredibly important in the life of a mom as well as your children. If your children still take naps, this is a natural downtime each day. Perhaps your children no longer take naps. If this is the case, you can still implement downtime via quiet time. This will give you a break from the busy as well as give them a chance to emotionally recharge.
Want to learn more about living a simple life? Maybe you want to live more intentionally or find easier ways to do things. Be sure to learn how you can get started today!
8. Go outside
There are so many benefits of fresh air and sunshine. Even if you have a new baby, try getting outside for at least 15 minutes each day. It’s a great idea if you go for a brisk walk as well. Spending time outside will help bring down the stress, breathe the fresh air, and enjoy the beautiful things in the world around you.
9. Limit social media
One of the best ways to free up time in your day is to limit how much you’re on social media. Not only does this give you time for more important things, but you also are not exposed to as much to compare yourself to. Practically all of those on social media are putting forth their best self. Now, there are some great accounts to follow for encouragement and practical tips, so by all means feel free to continue to follow those. However, do be careful.
10. Exercise
Exercise is important not only for your physical health but also your emotional health. It is a fantastic stress reliever as well! While you may feel like you don’t have time to exercise, even 15 minutes of exercise or short exercise bursts throughout the day can be beneficial.
11. Eat healthy
I know that “eating healthy” can mean different things to different people. That said, cutting out processed food and increasing real food can be a great start. Most of us are not replenishing our bodies with the nutrients we need. Increasing protein and incorporating a variety of fruits and vegetables will help your body get what it needs to supply you with energy.
12. Take time to recharge
As a mom, you are serving and pouring out so much. If you continue to pour out and not refill, it becomes a constant battle to maintain patience. Can you relate? Taking even a short, much-needed break to do something you enjoy, such as reading or sitting with music and a cup of tea, will recharge you emotionally and mentally.
13. Practice gratitude
If you are really looking for a great way to change your perspective, practicing gratitude is a great way to do that! It doesn’t take much time to focus on the positives or what you are thankful for, but by doing so you will be less likely to think about how terrible things are or how overwhelmed you are. By being grateful, you’ll have a much better outlook on why you’re doing what you’re doing.
14. Prioritize
When you realize you are becoming more and more overwhelmed, it’s a great time to sit down and look at your priorities. What needs to happen in order for you to survive and your household to function? What are you doing that doesn’t line up? Stop doing those things and only focus on the things that do need to happen.
15. Do something you love
This sort of goes along with taking time to recharge, but I’m thinking of something that may take a bit longer than a short break. If you love cooking or baking, be sure to keep doing it. If you love to do something crafty, take an evening a week to work on your latest craft. Not only will this recharge you, but doing what you love will help you stay connected to who you are besides wife and mom.
16. Spend time with friends
Maintaining friendships is important as a mom. We are not meant to be alone while our husband is at work all day every day. Whether you meet some friends for a play date, go to a women’s Bible study, or have a monthly ladies’ night out, spending time building that community is crucial. The best friends are those who will encourage you in your faith, provide emotional support, and guide you in the motherhood journey.
17. Organize for functionality
What do I mean by “organize for functionality”? Basically, don’t make things harder on yourself. Put things where they most make sense. For example, put your pots next to your stove, coffee supplies near the coffee machine, and cleaning supplies where they’re easily accessible. You want things to be easy to grab when you need them.
18. Focus on what YOU can control
Have you ever seen the circle of things you can control versus outside the circle the things you can’t control? There are many things in life that you have no control over such as the future, actions of others, and what others think of you. However, you do have control over things such as what you allow your mind to dwell on, how you spend your time, and how you handle challenges. Strive to grow in the areas you can control, and let go of the things you can’t.
19. Play worship music
I don’t know about you, but I feel that music makes everything better. Don’t want to clean, blast some upbeat praise music. Having the overwhelming feeling of stress building up? Put on some relaxing instrumental music to calm you. Specifically Christian music can also get your focus off yourself and place it on God. He is the One that deserves our praise.
20. Stop multitasking
I used to always think being able to multitask was a good thing. However, multitasking is a myth. It turns out that you can’t really do several things at the same time. In most cases, both things are taking twice as long and getting subpar attention. Focus on one thing at a time and you will be much better off. Yes, you can listen to music or a podcast while you clean, but it won’t work well to cook dinner while answering a text while trying to clean up the table.
21. Write out tasks
As a young adult, I prided myself on being able to remember everything, including work schedules, without writing much down. Since then, I’ve learned that it’s really not a good idea to keep all that stuff building up in your head. If you think of something you need to do, write it down or put it on a digital to-do list. If it’s a task that can be completed within two minutes, just do it. Writing down and organizing similar tasks is a great way to keep yourself on track.
To the Overwhelmed Mom
Motherhood is a full-time job filled with beautiful moments as well as bad days. Remember that you are the perfect mother for your children, especially on the tough days. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to be the best mom ever, but instead focus on the positive things that make motherhood rewarding.
As a fellow mom, I’ve been where you are. However, now that you have some strategies to help you be less overwhelmed, what step will you take today? What is something that is causing you the most overwhelm? Just pick one thing to start, and I’d love for you to comment below.
Check out these helpful posts:
How to Create a Daily Routine and Stick to it!
45 Brilliant Mom Hacks to Make Life Easier
Top 10 Realistic Simple Living Tips for Moms
