A Break for Mothers: Top 3 Reasons Moms Suffer from Burnout during the Pandemic

PIN FOR LATER

If motherhood were recognized as a professional career, thousands of women would qualify for a yearly award. Child-rearing and household management are far from simple. They’re mentally, emotionally, and physically taxing, and sometimes,the people around herdon’t give her due recognition for her loving work.

Just because you don’t hear her complain doesn’t mean that she’s not having a hard time. This is particularly true during a global health crisis when the world feels like it flipped over and changed overnight. If you’ve noticed your mother acting out of character or losing interest in things she used to like, she may be suffering from burnout. Finding ways to help her recover starts with a good understanding of what drove her motivation and energy to the ground.

Everyone’s at Home

No matter how much she loves you and your father, she cannot deny that she loves her solitude just as much. There used to be a time not so long ago when you’d all go to school or the office, and she can mind her business in peace. The pandemic-induced quarantine stole that from her, and now she’s doing more chores than she ever used to.

There’s also the matter of having little to no privacy. Everyone in the house either lingers near her or calls for her with every opportunity they can get. Perhaps it’s time to start delegating more tasks among yourselves and learning where to find what around the house. Even decreasing the number of times you call for her will do wonders to her depleted energy levels.

Managing Your New Normal

You may be the one struggling with choosing and enrolling for online undergraduate degrees, but it also concerns her in more ways than one. The financial burden of higher education is a given, so have you considered how it affects her that you find distance learning difficult? No one can blame you for that, least of all your mother, which is why it can frustrate her that you’re having such a hard time.

It’s innate for her to want to make life better for you at every turn. It pays to remember that your struggles are her struggles, and she’s with you on all the ups and downs in your life. The same applies to the other changes imposed by the new normal. Every trip outside exposes you to the risk of catching theCoronavirus, and that takes an emotional toll on her.

Keeping up with Zoom

Not all mothers are tech-savvy, so imagine how much more challenging it is for her to switch to remote work due to the pandemic. Five days a week, she’s confronted with a certain degree of computer illiteracy that she has to overcome while ensuring that her work output maintains its quality.

Depending on her profession, the technicality required to deliver her tasks may be higher than usual. She might not realize it herself that her stress is building up because of this, so when you find that she’s suddenly demotivated to work, you know one of the possible reasons behind it.

Addressing the Issue

Above all, you should develop good communication with your mother to know exactly what’s triggering her burnout. Some feel better just by venting through words, and others still need to diversify their routine to feel refreshed. Assuming you know the problem without asking could make your efforts futile. Acknowledge that what your mother is going through is normal, and help her get back up on her feet. After all, that’s exactly what she’d do for you–and so much more.