Fighting symptoms of mom burnout? Try these tips to start setting healthy boundaries, and get back to enjoying Christian family life.
Worried you've got symptoms of mom burnout?
If you’re a burned out mom, you are not alone.
Motherhood is hard work! And let’s be honest, not every community is supportive of the big job that moms have.
Stress, anxiety, and perfectionism can easily lead a mom into burnout mode. But guess what? You can change that!
As a Christian counselor, I’ve been blessed to help hundreds of women work through seasons of burnout and set healthier, real-life boundaries that work for them and their families.
Want a few ideas? That’s where we’re going today.
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Healthy boundaries will help your symptoms of mom burnout
Feeling stressed? Struggling with some burnout? You are not alone, mama.
Between the kids, the house, the bills, your marriage, your work… it’s a lot. And one of the keys to managing the stress and ENJOYING the hard journey is… boundaries.
Eek. I know. Boundaries. It’s a word that brings up a lot of emotions. But today, it’s a word that will bring hope to your heart.
Today, we’re tackling the topic of stress, burnout, and how to set boundaries to help with it all. =
Symptoms of mom burnout
Every mom has seasons of life that are more stressful than others. We all face moments of anxiety, worry, anger, or overwhelm.
But how do you know if that’s becoming a problem?
Well, as a counselor, I always look for a few key symptoms to tell me that burnout might be coming soon (or already be here).
Here are some of the most common mom burnout symptoms:
- always feeling on-edge
- having trouble sleeping
- getting sick a lot or feeling ill
- not caring as much about what’s happening for your family
- irritable and complaining a lot
- going into “fight, flight, or freeze” mode every time a new stressor pops up
- no longer enjoying the things of family life that you used to
Of course, everyone might struggle with these feelings from time to time!
But if they’re happening a lot, or these symptoms are stopping you from enjoying Christian family life like you used to, it’s time to do something about it.
Why do Christian moms struggle with burnout?
Jesus has promised us abundant life (see John 10:10). So why do we still struggle with emotions like stress and burnout?
Well, He also promised that in this world, we will have troubles! (See John 16:33.)
Christian moms face the same troubles in life that everyone else faces. You might struggle with anger outbursts and yelling. Just like everyone else, you have bills to pay and a busy schedule to keep up with. Perhaps you’re wrestling with marriage struggles or feeling confused about your faith.
Unlike moms who don’t know Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit living in you. His power, his strength, his grace will get you through ANY and EVERY trouble in this life! Jesus has overcome it all.
But that doesn’t mean the troubles and trials aren’t difficult.
As we continue to fight against sin, temptation, and stress, there is a practical tool that we can build in our lives. That tool is setting healthy, realistic boundaries for everyday family life.
4 ways that real-life boundaries will help your mom burnout symptoms
The idea of boundaries typically brings up a lot of emotion. But here’s the thing: boundaries are not a magical cure.
Stress is a normal part of life. Boundaries will help, if they are realistic. But at the end of the day, the only way a Christian mom can avoid mom burnout symptoms is to give it all to Jesus and lean on Him.
He is our rest, our peace, and our refuge.
WANT MORE? Grab my Finding Your Identity in Christ devotional workbook.
Boundaries take work, they change with different seasons of life, and no one can create “perfect” boundaries. You are not an island; you have a family and friends and a lot of things going on! Your boundaries must be realistic with everything (and everyone) going on in your life.
Let’s look at 4 types of boundaries that you’ll need, if you’re dealing with symptoms and problems of mom burnout.
Emotional boundaries
You might not be struggling physically, and you might have the schedule under control.. but how are your emotions, friend?
Moms give and give and give. Between our marriage and our kids, so many people need your heart and your energy.
So what boundaries have you put in place around your heart?
It can make such a big difference to carve out a few minutes on a regular basis to simple refresh yourself! Find out how your self care blesses your family. And then grab my FREE list of 51 Self Care Ideas for busy moms.
- Connect with other people who don’t “need” as much emotional energy from you.
Make time for God, grab coffee with friends, or join a group that’s focused on fellowship and not volunteering. Yes, God wants us to give to others. But He also provides people and opportunities to bless and nourish you!
- Know your personal values, and live into them.
Yes, this is similar to clarifying your priorities so that you can say yes or no to adding things to the schedule. But this also really helps your emotional control! When you know what is most important to you, you will find more peace and purpose even on crazy days.
Spiritual boundaries
Did you know that it’s helpful (and possible) to set spiritual boundaries?
This should start with clarifying your own faith. Having doubts and questions is fine, but if you are spending time reading books or learning about things that are against God’s plans, your spiritual life will feel confusing and difficult.
But even when things are going great in your faith, you might still struggle with symptoms of mom burnout!
(Because, as we already looked at, sin is real and troubles in the world are common.)
So try these two things to get spiritual boundaries in place that will help you STOP feeling so burned out.
- Pray over everything that stresses you out!
- Ask God for wisdom and direction, especially when you are struggling.
READ NEXT: The Incredible Power of Becoming A Woman Of Prayer
Listen to Episode #140
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Disclaimers: I am a licensed therapist but my podcast, blog, and resources are not professional or personal advice. I am an affiliate for many of the resources that I link to, and may earn a small commission if you purchase through my link. Read my full disclaimer here.
