How to Avoid Depleted Mother Syndrome: 10 Tips for Moms

If you are feeling overwhelmed as a mom, you are not alone. The “depleted mother syndrome” is a term used to describe the feeling of exhaustion and depletion that many mothers experience. It is a very real phenomenon, and it can have a significant impact on a mother’s ability to function.

In this blog post, we will explore 10 tips for avoiding depleted mother syndrome.

What is Depleted Mother Syndrome and Symptoms?

If you are reading this post, I bet you saw the title and could resonate with the phrase “depleted mom”.

I know, because when I first stumbled upon it, I too could resonate with it. If you are in the thick of it these tips may seem unreachable or even unrealistic.

But rest assured, THIS TOO WILL PASS.

This season of life, motherhood, and just feeling burnout out will not last forever.

Start taking small steps to creating the life you love.

It’s time to take the reins of your life, mama.

YOU HAVE GOT THIS!

Depleted Mother Syndrome (DMS) is a condition that can occur when mothers do not get enough support and assistance in their parenting role.

This can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion, feelings of inadequacy, and a sense of being overwhelmed.

DMS can also cause mothers to feel disconnected from their children and their own lives.

If you’re struggling with depleted mother syndrome, know that you’re not alone. And there is help available.

These tips include scheduling regular breaks, setting boundaries, and asking for help. If you’re struggling with being a mom, I hope these tips will help you to feel more in control and less overwhelmed.

Other names for Depleted Mother Syndrome

 The depleted mother syndrome was first introduced via the book, Mother Nurture – A mother’s Guide To Health in Body, Mind, and Intimate Relationships. 

Similar terms that are related to DMS include:

• Mommy Burnout
• Parental Burnout
• Stay at home mom burnout

There are several things that can predispose a mother to DMS:

• Including a lack of social support
• Insufficient sleep
• Unrealistic expectations (Whether created from you or someone else)

However, there are also several things that mothers can do to prevent or reduce the symptoms of DMS.

Why mothers suffer from burnout

• Mother’s are always working.- whether its from being a stay at home mom or outside or work outside the home kinda mom.
• Everyone in the family relies on mom for answers to EVERYTHING!
• Moms do not get sick days.
• Overstimulation from loud sounds, bickering of children, too much physical touch, etc.

How To Recover From Mom Burnout

1. Exercise.

There are the moms who seem to be able to get workouts in consistently, and then there are the moms like me who, 1. Don’t like to workout, 2. Don’t have the time, and 3. Would rather be doing anything else with my limited time.

It’s certainly a discipline to workout, but I highly encourage you to try and make time for it.

For years, I was intimidated by going to the gym ( I did home workouts with kids climbing on top of me), but this year I got a gym membership.

and I surprisingly LOVE IT!

Going to the gym is a great way to incorporate “me time”, it’s a place where I can be something other than ‘mom’, a place where I can meet other people who are also working on better versions on themselves, and my husband happily encourages me to go.

And lots of gyms now have childcare for a small fee, that can make it easier to go even if you don’t have a partner or support system to watch your kids.

Not only is exercise good for you, but it also:

• Helps you sleep better
• Feel better about yourself
• Reduces brain fog
• Helps you to feel less stressed and anxious.

Even if you don’t have time or energy to work out every day, try to at least get on the treadmill, take a walk with the kids, or do some squats while babywearing!

2. Get enough sleep.

Get enough sleep.

You might be surprised by how much more energy your body has when it’s resting!

Sleep is important for both your mental and physical health, as well as that of your baby’s.

While everyone requires different amounts of sleep, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get at least 7 hours per night.

The same holds true for babies—however, newborns and toddlers require even more consistent sleep than adults do.

3. Good nutrition.

Getting proper nutrition can be hard as a mom, it’s sooo easy to eat junk food or skip meals when you are too busy. but, all these tips like exercise, getting enough sleep, getting proper nutrition will add up and accelerate your burnout.

• Eat well.
• Avoid processed foods, fast food, and meat.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables (especially broccoli).
• By organic when possible
• Take vitamins and supplements

4. Ask for help.

Listen, I know you CAN, but…

You don’t have to do it all on your own.

• Have your spouse take over, he did help make your children, after all.
• Ask TRUSTED friends, family members or neighbors to watch your children while you take a break.
• If you are lucky enough to have a day off, consider booking a professional cleaning service or asking friends to stop by every day or so.
• If you are working outside the home, ask co-workers or other parents who can stay with the kids while you get out of the house for a bit during lunch.
• Your church community may be able to help as well; sometimes churches will offer a “parents night off’ where you can drop the kids of for a deep discount for a few hours.
• Even just attending church services you will often times find free childcare via the church nursery (you will have to volunteer in exchange later) But, it’s worth it to rejuvenate.

5. Do less.

Avoiding Depleted Mother Syndrome is not an easy.

It requires a lot of self-control, and learning to say ‘ no’, but it’s worth the effort.

If you can manage to do less, your life will be much happier and stress-free.

Having a decluttered and organized home can help you to do less.

Limit your activities to only the ones that are most important—you can’t do everything!

If you do less, you’ll have more time for yourself and your family, which will make everyone happy.

RELATED POSTS:

• Beginners Guide to Functional Minimalism.
• 5 tips to help you declutter your home when you’re overwhelmed.

6. Set Boundaries: Say no.

Saying “no” is an important part of learning to cope with depleted mother syndrome.

It can be hard to do, especially when others ask you for favors or offer help. However, saying “no” allows you to take care of your own needs and those of your family.

No one else will take care of them as well as you can, so it’s up to you to make sure that everyone knows what they need from time-to-time as well as how much work they’re capable of doing on their own.

• Say no when people ask you for favors
• Say no to events you don’t want to attend
• Will saying yes, to this person or thing require energy I do not have?
• Will saying yes be good for my mental health? Or will it stress and overwhelm me even more?

How to say no without guilt:

• AVOID phrases that leave room for interpretations- “Maybe, I don’t know, I’ll check and see”.
• Be absolutely clear- “I will have to pass, No thank you”
• Be kind/gracious when saying no- “Thank you! I’m honored. Or I appreciate you asking”.
• Offer an alternative- “I will call you and reschedule,

7. Make time for your marriage.

If you are having trouble finding time for each other, try scheduling date night or at least one day a week where you and your husband can go out and do something fun together.

Or you can do what me and my husband do. After we get our 3 kids to bed, we spend 1 intentional hour together. It could be grabbing a cup of chamomile tea and talking on the couch or watching our favorite show together (currently The Witcher).

Carving out dedicated time together can really make a difference even if you are just at home.

8. See a counselor or therapist.

A trained professional can help you figure out what’s causing these issues and give you suggestions for how to make them better.

• If you don’t have money to see a counselor—talk with a friend or family member who could be a sounding board for some of these issues.

9. Use meditation or yoga to ease low moods.

• Meditation and yoga can help you feel
• more at peace.
• more centered.
• Meditation and yoga can help you feel more in control.
• Meditation and yoga can help you feel more grounded.

10. Pay attention to your body’s warning signs that you need more self-care.

A healthy self-care routine is essential for moms who want to avoid depleted mother syndrome.

If you are feeling burned out, exhausted and overwhelmed, it’s time to take action.

But how do you know if your stress levels are reaching critical mass?

There are some clear signs that signal when it’s time for some TLC (tender loving care). These include:

• Less energy than usual
• Feeling irritable or short-tempered with others
• An overall sense of being overwhelmed by life’s demands and responsibilities

If these symptoms sound familiar, then acknowledge them and make a plan for addressing your needs.

Sometimes just a few minutes alone can help lift your spirits; other times, taking a hot bath or walking around the block might do just as much good.

Whatever method works best for you will depend on the individual situation at hand.

It’s okay to put yourself first as a mom.

It’s okay if you need to take a break from your kids.

If you want to read a book, or go for a walk, or go to the gym without them.

It’s also okay, if you need help doing things around the house or with your children.

You are not a bad parent because of these things;

In fact, I would argue that it makes for better parenting when we are well-rested and our sanity is intact.

To the mom who is exhausted

I hope you found these tips for avoiding depleted mother syndrome helpful.
Remember that it’s okay to put yourself first as a mom!

Leave me a comment below about what you do to avoid mommy burnout.