The burn out

No advice, just real talk from a mother in burn out.

I use my blog to share alot of informative, (hopefully) helpful tips on parenting, wellness and varied bits imbetween. But this post is a little different. This blog is a little more... expresive. A rant more-like. Whether you are a SAHM, working mum or somewhere in the middle - i'm sure you arent a stranger to the burn out every now and then. Some of you maybe more often than others.

For a little background for those of you who are new here, welcome! I’m a self-employed SAHM, I have two little girls, 3 & 1. I do social media in my spare time, as well as Oopsiie. Although I may be self-employed, I categorise it more as a hobby or passion. I adore my girls, I love being a mum, and I will always be a mum above everything else. But I also love having a hobby that has the potential to turn into a career as the girls get older. It’s something for me. As mothers, we give so much, and i love that! But I think it’s important to do things for yourself sometimes too. You’re allowed to love being a mum and have separate hobbies and passions at the same time. With all that said… how on earth do we juggle it all?

Between laundry, dishes, breakfast, lunch and dinner, more laundry, baby bottles, nappies, more dishes, bedtime routines, nursery runs, clubs - when do we make time for ourselves? Do any of us really have it figured out?! I certainly do not. Just when you think you’ve got the hang of it, something new swings your way - whether it’s something in your personal life or simply a teething baby.

I say this to my mum a lot, I never feel like there are enough hours in the day to do it all.

If we’re letting our guards down here, I’ve been feeling the burnout intensely lately. Time management has never been my forte and I’m really trying to work on that. I feel like mum guilt goes hand-in-hand with burnout. I start to feel really unmotivated, I’m late to everything and I get super forgetful. I also really struggle when I’m on my period.

My periods before Jasmine were horrific. I was typically bed-bound for at least the first day or two. I was nearly convinced I had endometriosis when it was at its peak. Every month seemed worse than the last until I fell pregnant with Jasmine. For some reason, or miracle, when my periods returned postpartum, they were far more manageable than before. However, things were much different again after my second pregnancy with Rosie. It wasn’t until month five postpartum that my periods returned, in contrast with the first time round at the typical six-week mark. Every month since their return has been worse than the last – making burnout even more, well… burnt out. Even without burnout, I dread my period every month. The best way to get through it, when that time comes around: cancel all plans and make a bed on the floor with the sofa cushions – which, I’ll admit, is actually super fun, and the kids love it.

As I said before, this blog post is a little different to the usual. My conclusion doesn’t include any tips or recommendations. I simply came here for a little rant. Maybe that’s the recommendation though. Maybe all we need sometimes is to talk. Just to be listened to. Understood.

If you’re experiencing burnout, please don’t feel alone in this. We’re all in this together, us mums. Who do we have if not each other to lean on? I’ve left the comment section open on this blog – use it and be heard. <3