Hey mom, do you feel like you’re carrying the weight of your family and work on your shoulders? Are you exhausted and foggy all the time but finding it hard to fall asleep? Do you lay awake with racing thoughts running through ‘to-do’ lists or thinking about what’s on for the next day? Burnout among parents, and in particular, moms, is real and has been a huge feature of the global pandemic. Women are taking on the mother load when it comes to managing family and caring duties – and they are burning out.

According to a white paper released by the Black Dog Institute* women are still taking on a higher proportion of home and caring duties alongside paid work, and it’s not surprisingly then that their mental health and wellbeing is suffering. Women on average spend 13-hours a more than men each week doing unpaid work and 4 extra hours on childcare. Yes, you read that right! Women spend on average 17 hours more of their ‘spare’ time doing unpaid home-based caring duties. It is no wonder that we are seeing so many women presenting with exhaustion, difficulties sleeping, feelings of sadness, and exhaustion, irritability, fogginess / forgetfulness, and repeated episodes of physical illness.

If that sounds like you, then it is time to stop and consider where you can start to make changes. An hour, a day, weekend or week off is a great place to start. Then think about what you can delegate, stop doing, or start doing. Don’t let perfectionism, shoulds, or the tendency to sacrifice your own stuff get in your way – burnout means we need extra to find ways to balance stress and find extra resources or support.

And if you can’t see a way out, then I’d encourage you to consider talking to one of our team. Some of our behaviours and thinking may be deeply entrenched due to our past history, or other factors may be at play. With the support of a therapist, you can understand what is driving you so you can start making the changes you need to live a happier, healthier life – with maybe just a bit more time for you.

Reference: Modern work: how changes to the way we work are impacting Australians’ mental health White Paper. October 2021. Sydney, AU: Black Dog Institute

https://talkspacepsychology.com.au/news/managing-family-and-caring-duties/

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