Tips for Avoiding Parental Burnout

Every parent feels the fatigue associated with raising a family. But one who is experiencing ‘parental burnout’ might find themselves chronically exhausted or overwhelmed by parenting responsibilities. They might feel emotionally detached or as though they are losing the joy of being with their children.

It’s caused by an imbalance between stress levels and the resources available to us. Someone who is experiencing high levels of stress, might not necessarily experience 'burnout' if they also have high levels of resources (e.g. a supportive partner, hobbies, strong sense of community).

USE THE SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO YOU

Don’t be afraid to reach out for support from your community - whether it’s friends, family or neighbours. More often than not, you’ll find that they want to help you. Your neighbour could pick up some milk from the supermarket for you, your friends could take the dog for a walk, or a family member could entertain the children on Zoom while you finish your meeting. People are very open, generous and keen to help, they just need to know the ways in which you need them. 

TALK ABOUT IT

Talking about our stress is the first step to realising the energy attached to it. If you’re feeling distressed, speak to someone you trust and share your feelings and emotions with them.

REDUCE SOCIAL MEDIA USE

We recommend reducing your intake of social media and the news, as this can be overwhelming. You might think you are relaxing over Instagram but actually your brain is becoming more overwhelmed and distracted from the here and now.

STRIVE FOR ‘GOOD ENOUGH’

Be kind to yourself in your expectations. Think about what is good enough for now. All we can ask form ourselves is that we do our best. And our best is good enough.

EMPOWER YOURSELF

Seek out new parenting skills or techniques that might help you in the day-to-day. You might like to purchase a new parenting book for inspiration, or sign up for an online course. Expanding your repertoire of tools will help you to be prepared with calmness and confidence for those more challenging moments.