Stay-at-Home Moms, Working Mothers, and Homeschool Moms all Suffer Burn-Out

Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month? However, mental health is something we should be concerned with all year long. As a busy mom, finding time and balance may seem impossible. However, your mental and physical well-being needs to come first to ensure the best version of yourself for your family. In this article, we’ll outline fourteen strategies busy mothers can implement quickly to boost their well-being: all simple yet effective options that fit seamlessly into a hectic schedule. Are you ready for mental health tips & strategies for busy moms?

Photo by Julia Avamotive from Pexels

Mental Health Tips & Strategies for Busy Moms

1. Prayer

Researchers have found that when people pray to a loving God who they believe offers them protection, they are less likely to experience anxiety. They have reduced fear, social anxiety, worry, and even obsessive-compulsive behaviors. When you have a personal relationship with The Creator, He is your mental health therapist. Praying can offer you emotional comfort. The benefits of prayer go a long way toward helping the mental load many moms carry. 

2. Prioritize Self-Care

Prioritizing self-care is essential to good mental health. This involves setting aside time just for you and engaging in activities that help you stay fit when it comes to physical health and your mental health issues. Moms may struggle with taking care of their own needs. However, various simple activities might help, like reading a book, taking a bath, going for a walk, or simply practicing meditation for 10–20 minutes daily. You need to find what works for you and make self-care part of your routine schedule!

3. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is essential to our mental and physical well-being, yet as a busy mom, getting a good night’s rest may be challenging. Sleep is tough to achieve for a new mom. But moms of special needs children suffer from a lack of sleep for years or decades. Getting a full night’s rest may be impossible for many moms. If you have extenuating circumstances, it may mean getting a nighttime caregiver for your child. But you may still have trouble falling asleep.

In order to ensure adequate restful slumber, it’s crucial to develop a bedtime ritual that helps you relax and wind down at the end of each day. Try setting the alarm before bed and eliminating electronics before going to sleep if electronics tend to keep you awake. Did you know that sleep is essential for mothers’ mental health? Studies show that lack of sleep can lead to anxiety, lead to depression, trigger mania, and worsen existing health symptoms.

4. Establish a Routine for Exercise

Studies have shown that regular exercise can improve sleep quality and reduce stress and anxiety levels, making it an effective tool for managing mental health. Think about adding exercise into your everyday schedule, such as walking during lunch break or doing quick at-home workouts, which take only 10–15 minutes! Take your time with the idea of working out – even small, manageable changes to your routine can make a big difference. Today is the perfect time to begin that exercise routine you have been thinking about.

5. Connect with Friends and Family

Creating and nurturing social connections not only provides a sense of belonging and emotional support but it can also boost self-esteem and confidence. Therefore, as a busy mom, finding time for friends and family should be a priority.  If distance prevents frequent connection, then consider scheduling regular phone calls/video chats, etc., with those far away; meanwhile, for local contacts, think about setting regular coffee dates as a way to catch up.  

First-time moms may have trouble finding like-minded moms to connect with. Try a local church that offers a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. These groups encourage and equip moms of young children to realize their potential as mothers, women, and leaders.

Originally, MOPS was started for moms with newborns to preschoolers. New moms and seasoned moms came together with a common goal of connection. However, they have expanded the groups to include moms of school-aged children. With family responsibilities resting mainly on the mom’s shoulders, even if she is a working mother, finding a group of women who understand you and encourage you is a good thing.

When you have a group of friends or family, establish a babysitting swap to help care for each other’s children. This allows you to have a night out with your spouse or friends once in a while. 

6. Disconnect from Social Media

For many of us, disconnecting entirely from social media is not realistic. However, too often, as moms, we see things on social media and instantly feel less than. Other families appear to give their children better presents, experiences, vacations, etc. The best thing you can do when scrolling social media is to remember that what you see is the best of the best. Too often, the families that have beautiful homes, well-behaved children, and perfect lives are giving you a false reality. If you want a dose of reality, follow real moms who leave the house with two different shoes on or have absurd lives. These moms can make you laugh and see beauty in less-than-perfect family life.

7. Practice Mindfulness

Being fully immersed in each moment and fully experiencing what’s around us can help reduce stress and improve mental clarity. There are simple techniques you can easily incorporate into your routine that make this part of daily practice more achievable.  Here are some examples of mindfulness techniques you can include as a daily practice:

• Deep breathing: Slowing your breathing down can help ease stress and aid relaxation, allowing the mind to find peace and clarity through focusing on breath work.
• Body scan: Conducting a body scan involves creating awareness in every part of the body, from head to foot, in an effort to reduce tension and promote relaxation. 
• Visualization: Visualization involves conjuring up images that help ease stress while increasing feelings of relaxation and calm. Doing this regularly may reduce tension while providing relief and peace of mind.

8. Setting Realistic Goals

Unrealistic goals can quickly lead to feelings of overwhelm and stress. As a busy mother, it is vital that you set achievable and manageable goals that will leave you calm and relaxed. Break large tasks into manageable chunks as part of this goal-setting strategy, and celebrate each small victory along the way!  To help keep track of your goals, you can make a list or use a handy goal-tracking app.

It is hard to try to fit all our responsibilities into a 24-hour day. It is even more complex when we have many transitional moments throughout our day. 

Going from work to homeschool to conference calls, to making lunch, and back to work again makes my own mental health come under fire. Having a handle on my schedule and knowing where and when I need to be somewhere helps reduce the stress of daily life. I absolutely love my daily calendar and how it syncs with my personal calendar. This has been a game-changer.

9. Limit Screen Time

An excess of screen time can have devastating effects on mental health and well-being, especially as a busy mom. While it can be tempting to use phones or computers in order to stay connected and complete work more quickly, it’s crucial that we limit screen time as much as possible. Try setting aside specific times every day when checking emails, and use a black-and-white filter on your phone to make it less enjoyable to look at for long periods.

10. Seek Professional Help

If you find that your mental health is getting worse despite your best efforts, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. This could include talking to a therapist or counselor or even considering medication if recommended by a doctor. And if you feel that you need more intensive support, you may want to consider going to a rehab center. 

Rehab centers-such as the Real Deal center at https://rdoutpatientrehab.com/ – offer a range of mental health services, including individual and group therapy, medication management, and holistic treatments such as yoga and meditation. These centers provide a structured and supportive environment that can be even more effective than traditional therapy for some individuals.

More Mental Health Tips & Strategies for Busy Moms

11. Practice Gratitude

Gratitude can be an incredible tool for improving mental health and well-being, particularly among busy moms who may get caught up in the daily stresses of life. Spending some time each day reflecting on all that we are grateful for can help shift perspective and boost mood; consider keeping a gratitude journal or simply setting aside a couple of minutes each day to appreciate all the good that surrounds us in daily life.

12. Embrace Imperfection

As a mother, it can be tempting to expect yourself to be a perfect parent – only for this mindset to lead to feelings of stress and overwhelm. After all, perfection is impossible, and it can be madness-inducing trying to reach a state of perfection!  Instead, embrace imperfection as being okay; no one’s perfect, and striving for perfection only leads to unnecessary anxiety and stress.  Some practical ways to teach yourself to embrace imperfection include:

• Practicing positive self-talk: Combat negative thoughts with affirmations; for instance, rather than telling yourself, “I’m a failure,” try this instead: “I’m doing my best, and that’s all anyone can ask of myself.” With practice comes ease in accepting imperfection as part of life!
• Setting realistic expectations: Instead of striving for perfection, strive for progress. Establish realistic expectations for yourself and recognize any accomplishments, no matter how minor they might seem. 

13. Eat Well

Maintaining a nutritious and well-rounded diet is integral for overall mental and physical wellness.  As a busy mother, taking time for meal planning or prepping may make healthy eating more manageable.  Additionally, try incorporating foods that boost brain health into your diet, like fish and nuts.  Finally, a healthy diet and eating fruits, veggies, and whole grains will ensure you provide your body with what it needs for optimal functioning.

14. Practice Relaxation Techniques 

Practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga, or tai chi to alleviate stress and promote mental clarity is beneficial in relieving anxiety. Stress management is a good first step in mental health support. While time constraints make finding time for such practices challenging, many simple relaxation strategies exist that you can implement quickly into your routine that you can do for as short or as long a time as you want every day – even for five minutes.  Some examples include:

• Mindful coloring: Coloring can be an amazingly relaxing and therapeutic activity. Find a coloring book featuring intricate designs and soothing hues, then spend some time each day coloring.
• Progressive muscle relaxation: This technique involves gradually tightening and relaxing each muscle group in your body one at a time to reduce tension and promote peace. 

15. Connect With Nature

Exposing yourself to nature can significantly boost mental health and well-being, but finding time can be hard when life gets in the way of enjoying its many advantages. When mental health challenges arise, even just taking a quick walk through a park or taking part in outdoor activities such as hiking can have significant health benefits; simply taking advantage of what nature provides by sitting back outside can have great rewards.

16. Creative Activities to Engage With

Engaging in creative pursuits can play an essential part of improving both mental health and well-being.  There are plenty of simple activities you can add into your routine that could reduce stress while improving mood – coloring, painting, writing or playing an instrument could all offer excellent stress reduction and happiness-inducing opportunities!

17. Take Care of Your Physical Health

​Often, our physical bodies have changed from pregnancy, nursing, shifting hormones, perimenopause, and menopause. We shrug off physical symptoms as expected, but sometimes our physical symptoms signal something is off in our hormones, vitamin levels, or other crucial systems. Mental health care starts with taking care of our physical health care. 

If you don’t have health insurance, that can prevent you from taking care of your physical health. Be aware that there are plenty of options for you. Look into local health screenings and clinics that offer low-cost care for moms in need.

18. Laugh Often

​Laughter really is great medicine. Going out with friends or following a comedian who makes you laugh will help in that department. Consider finding a good comedy show to make you laugh. Ask friends for recommendations for the latest show that doesn’t have you worrying about the stresses of life, but just makes you laugh. 

Learn to find humor in everyday life and laugh at yourself. Spilling coffee on your new outfit on the way to an appointment doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Laugh about the absurdities of life.

19. Take a Vacation

If you work a full-time job or even a part-time job, take your vacation days as a vacation. You don’t have to go anywhere special, but plan some time with your kids for fun and adventure, even if it is in your own backyard. These needed breaks help your mental health more than you realize. Use the vacation days to do things you never do. Pick up fast food and go to the park. Throw a blanket in the backyard and watch the clouds. Deep breath the fresh air. Do something ordinary or extraordinary. 

20. Get up and Dance

​Did you know that dance can release chemicals in the brain to reduce stress? Getting up and dancing for a few minutes makes you feel good. Create a favorite musical playlist. I have two – one for dancing and one for cleaning while I dance. When I remember to dance, I feel better! Get up and dance and reduce work stress. You will feel significant differences in your mood pre and post-dancing! 

Conclusion

Being a busy mom requires prioritizing one’s mental health and well-being. Whether you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, by following strategies like limiting screen time, practicing gratitude, and embracing imperfection, you can become the best version of yourself for your family and yourself. Don’t be intimidated by prioritizing yourself – your family will thank you! 

Frequently Asked Questions?

What areas have the highest rates of depression?

​Data shows that depression is highest in the United States, South Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.

What states have the highest rate of mental illness?

As of last year, 2022 – Ranking 1, 2, 3, and 4 are New Jersey, Florida, Georgia, and Texas.

What states are the lowest ranking when it comes to mental illness?

As of last year, 2022 – Ranking 48, 49, 50, and 51 are Utah, Oregon, Wyoming, and Colorado. (There are 51 states because the District of Columbia – Washington D.C. is included).