Help for the Overwhelmed Stay at Home Mom

If you’re suffering from stay at home mom overwhelm you aren’t alone. Many stressed moms are overwhelmed by motherhood and from there, it’s a short trip mom burnout.

Let me start by saying it’s totally normal to feel this way. As a mom, especially a first time mom feeling overwhelmed, you might think you’re doing something wrong. Or that feeling this way makes you a bad mother.

There’s nothing further from the truth.

You have dedicated your life to taking care of your children.

To being there when they need you.

You’re the one who changes the diapers, wipes the snotty noses, and constantly cleans up messes.

But you also get to see the first steps, hear the first words, and go on all the daily adventures.

Being a stressed out mom means you’re there, you’re present and you’re trying.

And with a few small changes, you can go from a struggling stay at home mom to succeeding.

There is help for the overwhelmed stay at home mom, and that’s what we’re going to cover in this post.

 

Advice for the Overwhelmed Stay at Home Mom

 

Get Enough Sleep

I almost laughed out loud as I typed that! Whether you’re a new mom or a seasoned mom,  sleep deprivation is something I’m sure you’re familiar with.

But did you know that sleep deprivation in moms  can occur for up to the first six years of parenthood?

I honestly wasn’t too surprised to hear this.

Getting the kids to bed can be a challenge, no matter their ages.

And it’s typical for us to stay up later even when we’re tired, just to get a few moments of alone time.

But I remember well when my kids were babies, and my best advice if you’re  a first time mom is to sleep when the baby sleeps.

The laundry can wait. The dishes can wait. Your shower can wait. I know as an overwhelmed new mom you might not think so, but they really can.

And hubby can help with dinner when he gets home.

Once you have more than one child, sleeping when the baby sleeps isn’t necessarily an option. That is unless you have a toddler who can lay down with you as well.

If you have older kids, see if they can keep an eye on the younger ones while mama catches some zzz’s for half an hour.

You can even take advantage of a friend or family members offer to help and let them watch the kids for a few while you nap.

Which leads me to the next tip…

 

Accept  Support

Don’t be afraid to accept assistance from those who love you.

Family members and friends who offer to cook, clean, do laundry, run errands or watch the kids are such a blessing. Let them support you when you need it!

Motherhood is hard, ya’ll! For the love of all that is holy, let your people help out!

Declutter Your Home

According to Psychology Today, clutter can make us feel stressed out, anxious and overwhelmed.

Let’s face it, having kids means having lots of stuff!

But that’s the thing, when we let the stuff get out of hand and sort of takeover, it can quickly cause us to become one overwhelmed mother!

Depending on how much stuff you have, you may need to recruit help with this task.

One good thing is you can tackle one area at a time as you are able.  The whole house doesn’t have to be done at once.

For me, I choose one area of one room to focus on. It’s still making progress and makes me feel really good once it’s done.

 

Get Organized

I don’t know about you, but I was way more organized before I had kids!

It seems like with each child, my house became more and more disorganized.

Now you can do what I suggested above and get rid of your clutter, but you still need to go a step further and organize what you have left.

My favorite organization tip (from someone who is organizing challenged…is that even a thing or did I just make it up? LOL!) is to use baskets, boxes, and bins. Anything really that keeps things put away and can be divided into categories.

You can use baskets  and pins for organizing your pantry, closet, counters, kids toys and so much more.

In fact, it’s a great way to do a quick clean up. Grab a basket and toss the things that are out of place in it. Then clean it up later. 🙂

By keeping things clean and organized, you’re actually helping to avoid that weighed down feeling that being disorganized causes.

According to Good Housekeeping there are things organized moms do every day.

 

Things Every Overwhelmed Mom Needs

 

Take up a Hobby

Maybe you already have a hobby that has been put on the back burner since the arrival of children.

Or, maybe you need to find something that interests you to work on that brings you joy.

Either way, hobbies for stay at home moms are helpful for relieving stress.

It’s calming to have something to work on that you enjoy.

Whether you get out of the house or work on your hobby at home doesn’t really matter.

It’s making special time for your hobby can actually keep you from being an overwhelmed mom.

If it requires the support I mentioned above to take part in your hobby, fine.

Or maybe play a good movie for the kids and you can partake in your hobby while keeping an eye on them too.

Mom Break

Ask any SAHM if she wants a break and I’m 100% positive you’d hear a resounding YES!

Stay at home mom burnout is real.

And burnout often leads to what?

SAHM depression.

Trust me, this is a place you don’t want to go.

Now I don’t want to get into a conversation about depression itself, because that’s a whole other post.

And I’m not speaking of postpartum depression.  (Although if you think you’re experiencing this, please get help. Click here for resources and emergency phone numbers.)

What I’m talking about here is stay at home mom depression that is brought about by circumstances.

Whether it’s lack of social interaction, a feeling of loneliness or even a lack of purpose, if you’re a mom feeling overwhelmed then you need to take a break.

See our Me Time Ideas in this post!

This is one of the best things you can do for yourself as a stay at home mom.

You will come back  more refreshed and ready to not only tackle what you have to do, but to enjoy it!

Plus, most moms miss the kiddos as soon as they’ve been away for even a little while.

 

I hope you get the mom help you need, and find this post Help for the Overwhelmed Stay at Home Mom useful.

Please feel free to reach out with any thoughts, tips or ideas. I read each and every comment and email I receive.

 

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