The Working Parent’s Guide to Avoiding Burnout
Are you burning the candle at both ends by trying to have a career, put food on the table, and raising healthy, happy kids? Use these tips and tricks to avoiding burnout as a working parent!
The more work you do, the more it can lead to burnout. Unfortunately, as a working parent, you have more work on your plate than most people can handle. Burnout is a state of chronic mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that comes from too much work or work stress.
Parenting is incredibly stressful on its own, but when you throw in career and household tasks to juggle, it can make burnout difficult to avoid. But there’s good news! Burnout isn’t inevitable.
You can prevent it easily with some simple strategies that advocate for your health and happiness.
7 Tips For Avoiding Burnout As A Working Parent
If avoiding burnout is one of your goals as a working parent, here are 7 tips that will help reduce stress and give you more enjoyment while you nurture a career and raise a family.
1. Set Boundaries
Boundaries are a very important tool to avoid going over your limits. If you have no boundaries, you may be dealing with more work or chores than you can handle in 24 hours.
Know your limits and set boundaries when you can’t meet a deadline or take on another project. Boundaries are especially important if you find yourself people-pleasing in a self-sacrificing way.
Here are some ideas:
- Stick to your work schedule.
- Avoid doing excessive amounts of work at your job, including taking on extra assignments or helping coworkers excessively.
- Ask for help with the kids, dinner, or household tasks so you aren’t bearing the burden on your own (this can be from your partner, a friend, or a relative!).
2. Divide Parenting and Chore Tasks
When you get home, you’ll likely have a lot of parenting and chores to get done outside of work. Most people have to juggle multiple roles, but you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew.
At home, delegate tasks to other household members to divide and conquer. Assign specific tasks to each other so one person doesn’t end up with the entire workload.
It may take some creativity to work around everyone’s schedules! Remember – many hands make light work and everyone pulling their weight is crucial for avoiding burnout!
3. Take Advantage of Childcare Support
Children often have different caretakers during hectic work events and schedules. This is totally normal and beneficial! It’s healthy for a child’s development to be exposed to different types of authority.
Use daycare or babysitters whenever you need to in order to get all your tasks done without stress. Split childcare between your other family members or your partner. Take advantage of time when your kids are with another caregiver to get any work done that requires a lot of focus.
4. Personalize Your Workspace
Make your workspace comfortable and productive. When you’re able to work in an environment that is tailored to you, the job is easier in many ways.
Add some graphic designs or personalization to your high-visibility shirts or safety gear with fun brands like Armed American Supply.
5. Practice Self-Care
It’s easy to lose yourself when you’re juggling multiple responsibilities. You need to make sure your needs are being met, too!
Take advantage of work days to rest and relax; don’t overwork yourself. Make time to destress, spend time outside, or do hobbies—set goals for what you’d like to do and keep track of those goals.
Take care of your physical and mental health by taking care of yourself in any way that you need. Self-care can mean different things depending on your personal needs.
6. Take Frequent Breaks
Breaks are just as important for productivity as they are for avoiding burnout. If you’re all work without rest, burnout will happen easily. Schedule break time during your work days or parenting times.
If your kids don’t allow much time for breaks, put on a movie or schedule nap time so you can take a break yourself. It’s okay if you need to take more time to get chores done. You’re not superhuman, so you need to treat your body with care.
Resting your mind and body is very crucial for a healthy work-life balance.
7. Schedule Healthcare
One of the most important acts of self-care is to receive healthcare. Make an appointment with your primary care physician, dentist, and any mental health professionals if applicable.
Even if you don’t feel like you need mental health support, professionals can help you sort through your thoughts and heavy workloads to reduce stress. If you feel bogged down by mental fatigue or low work energy, a therapist may be exactly what you need to feel (and perform at) your best!
Avoiding Burnout As Working Parents Summary
The best way to be a great parent with a satisfying and rewarding career is to take care of yourself.
Split tasks, childcare, and chores whenever you need to. Avoid taking on more than you can handle; breaks and boundaries can work wonders for your mental health. You should have a medical team that you see regularly to keep your physical and mental health strong.
Keep a lookout for signs of burnout which include excessive stress, fatigue, and major difficulty in performing your work. Listen to your mind and body—they often tell you what is needed for avoiding burnout.
