At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.
–Barbara Bush
Feeling overwhelmed as a mom seems to just be part of everyday life these days, especially after almost a year living with the COVID-19 pandemic. Life has totally changed this year, and there is definitely a lot of hope surrounding the new vaccines. However, for those of us with kids under 16, the worries about the virus will still be here until our kids can be vaccinated or until heard immunity is reached. This is just one of many examples of what may be causing the feelings of overwhelm you may currently be experiencing in your own life.
Here are some other causes of overwhelm in motherhood:
- Trying to do it all yourself.
- Financial stressors
- Relationship instability
- Parenting stressors
- Putting other people’s needs above your own.
- Being socially isolated
- A lack of self-care
- Feeling like there’s too much to do and not enough hours in the day to complete everything.
- A lack of emotional connection with others.
- Too many feelings and emotions hitting you all at once.
Would you add anything to this list?
I’ve also noticed as a parent, when my kids are experiencing emotional pain, I’m often right there with them experiencing it too. It’s hard not to hurt when our kids are hurting. Emotional boundary setting is truly difficult to do with those we’re closest to, and so very hard to do with our own children. But, it’s also important to notice this pattern that might be showing up in your life, so that you can find and keep your internal calm, even if your child is cycling through a myriad of emotions right in front of you. So, how do you actually accomplish this feat? By taking care of yourself first.
Here are some coping strategies for the overwhelmed mom:
- Make time for meditation
- Come up with a daily mantra
- Spend time outside
- Get some exercise
- Make time to journal
- Talk to someone about how you’re feeling
- Spend time with a beloved pet
What are some of your own strategies for coping with overwhelm as a mom?
The offset to motherhood overwhelm, as hard as this might sound, is often in finding compassion and love within you.
