Creating Balance Without Burnout: Overwhelmed Working Mom Edition

When you feel overwhelmed with the pace and demands of life, YOU HAVE 3 OPTIONS: 

1 – Just keep going 

Suck it up, Buttercup! Even when you’re exhausted, uninspired and unwell, keep showing up to serve everyone else. Refuse to take time away from work. Refuse to change pace. Refuse to set boundaries (AKA risk disappointing others). Refuse to make time to take care of you.   

At BEST this choice ends in BURNOUT. 

2 – Shut down certain areas of life 

Keep showing up where you “should” and “have to,” and, to stop the drowning feelings, cut out all “optional” things. The most likely areas to shut down (the ones we mistakenly call optional): marriage, family, social, and self-care. 

This choice leads to marriage strain and struggle, distant children who frequently act out, no social life, loneliness, and zero scheduled time to care for your own needs. 

This choice ends in a complete lack of balance, disappointment, continued STRUGGLE, and ultimately: BURNOUT. 

3 – Seek clarity, speak up, and CREATE what you need 

DECIDE - IN YOUR MIND - what you want your life to look like, and begin to create those circumstances in your reality.   

Create a vision that includes taking as good of care of yourself as you do of others. Create a vision that includes time, money, and energy for YOU, and your wellbeing. 

This is the most upfront work. It takes self-exploration, self-awareness, and the courage to set boundaries. It will require you to view BALANCE AS A WAY OF LIVING + BEING, rather than a destination. 

The changes you'll need to make, and boundaries you’ll need to set, will look different for every woman and household, and they’ll also change and evolve over time. (Especially as your kids grow and their needs change.) 

This choice, and ONLY this choice, leads to the balance you cravvvve, no matter what changes and challenges come your way! It leads to deep connections, true happiness, and genuine fulfillment. 

And yes, it also still leads to a lot of work. That's just the truth. Every path for the working mom requires a lot of effort, but not every path leads to the same results and outcomes. 

UNDERSTAND: failing to acknowledge that you HAVE needs, wants, and desires that must be met (AKA claiming ignorance) DOESN’T change the fact that those needs, wants and desires exist!

Pretending you’re not drowning, when you are, won’t save you.

Pretending you’re happy and fulfilled, when you’re not, won’t sustain you.

Here is what I know for sure. Failing to CHOOSE YOURSELF and arrange your life to meet your own needs, too, chronically and long term, leads to discomfort, disconnection, and dis-ease.

Which choice will you make?

I’ll take option 3 for $500, Alex. 🙋‍♀️