5 Signs that you are a burnt-out parent

1. Extreme fatigue

Signs that you’re a burnt-out parent. Being a parent is one of the most exhausting things that you can do. It will be mentally, physically and emotionally draining. This can show itself in many ways, and sometimes you will struggle to even generate thoughts in your mind. This is mainly caused by overwhelming feelings, as your child continually demands your attention.

You will likely get fed up with the talking that they do, and the persistent questions. By the time they have gone to bed, you will not want to say another word. Unfortunately, sometimes after they have gone to bed, they come out of their room and face you with another dilemma. Topping it all off, you will have the mess to tidy up. This is instead of doing what you should be doing. What you should be doing is relaxing in the little free time that you have.

You may be fed up with them saying mummy or daddy repeatedly. You might wish that your name was something different entirely. If you are really tired, you may rebel, and feel like you don’t want to do anything. The weight of everything pushing down on you is causing problems. From the cleaning duties, and the meals that need cooking, are all contributing to your burnt outness. You may be feeling like the world is on your shoulders. With feelings of loneliness, and worry, without much hope for the future.

This is a clear sign that you are burnt out, and that you need a babysitter for at least one night. This would be beneficial so that you can let your hair down, clear your mind and regenerate. It’s important to heal, and when you have had time to yourself you will feel much better. You must also remember that it is alright to desire space and doing so is not selfish. Although most parents struggle, some have more support than others. I think that all parents feel this way sometimes and it’s a perfectly natural feeling.

2. Poor diet

When your kids are causing you unnecessary stress it is rather common that you will reach for easy snacks. These may not be the most beneficial for your health, and in general, you may crave comforting foods that you hope will make you feel better. Unfortunately, these will reduce your energy further and cause you to eat more unhealthy foods.

To decrease the possibility of this happening and to keep those bad foods off your brain you should make sure that you always have healthful snacks on hand ready to battle hunger at the most unpredictable of times. Remember, that just because they are healthy it doesn’t mean that they can’t be comforting. Snacks that I enjoy that enhance my mood are the likes of dark chocolate, dates, figs, pistachios, and rice cakes with peanut butter or hummus.

It’s not just unhealthy foods that you’ll be reaching for. You may also crave caffeine for a pick-me-up, this could be in the form of coffee or worse – energy drinks that contain a ton of sugar that will likely give you a sugar-crash.

Some parents reach for alcohol, which is where the saying it’s wine o’clock comes from. This suggests that wine will help you to cope. In turn, you will be left with a nasty hangover and mixing this with screaming children to deal with is not a great mix. Doing this excessively could, of course, lead to alcohol addiction which comes with its own sets of problems.

3. Raising your voice

When your household is busy, your mind is full of things to do, and your children have problems that need to be solved. All of this noise can almost feel as though you need to raise your voice and shout to get yourself heard.

It is a part of trying to be louder than your children to gain back that power and take authority over the situation. As well as raising your voice you may be very snappy and, this will be your reaction to most encounters. In this argumentative way, it will be difficult to get on with anyone and may even cause arguments between you and your spouse. Sometimes you may just get looks of disapproval.

4. Poor mental health

A huge percentage of all people in the world suffer from one type of mental health or another. As a parent, if you spend a lot of time being constantly stressed, or worried this could lead to poor wellbeing.

If you find yourself feeling sad most of your day, or lack reasons to feel happy or excited about anything then its likely that you may be feeling depressed. One of the most important things to know if you are suffering is that of course, you are not alone. The next thing is that talking to other people can help ease the pain and if you can you should speak to a doctor who may be able to refer you for counselling. If you are a burnt-out parent, you must take a break if you can!

5. Feeling that your child is trying to annoy you

Your child is just being themselves and you can’t help it but pick up on every little thing that they do. You hear them tapping on the wall and it frustrates you, you can’t bear the sound of them eating and you don’t know why they are out to get you.

If you feel like your child is deliberately trying to aggravate you then you may be burnt out.  If you spend too much time with anyone you can begin to develop feelings of anger or look at things more negatively. Even if you spend heaps of time with your best buddies, you will ultimately get frustrated and require your own space.

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