Children/Teens/Parenting: Parental Burnout: You are NOT Alone

             Parenting can prove difficult under “normal” circumstances… so, the potential for parental burnout during a pandemic is likely. This post aims to provide signs to be aware of, as well as strategies to help prevent or mitigate parental burnout. 

What is Parental Burnout?

            Firstly, it is essential to understand exactly what burnout is. Most of the time, the term ‘burnout’ is utilized when speaking of work burnout. In this domain, it is largely the same idea. Parental burnout can be defined as, a state of emotional, physical, and mental fatigue caused by extreme stress. It can become triggered when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands (Queen & Harding, 2020). Does this sound familiar?? 

Associated Symptomology

            In order to further identify burnout and the effects of burnout, there are several symptoms worth mentioning. To begin, burnout can appear in the form of extreme physical or mental exhaustion (as mentioned above). With these two extremes comes associated symptomology. These include but are not limited to:

Difficulty sleeping 

Decreased ability to concentrate 

Emotional detachment 

Anxiety 

Depression

Increased addictive behaviors (over/under eating, increased alcohol use, increased drug use, etc.)

Irritability

Frustration

Increased tension and conflict between partners  

Feelings of inadequacy 

Higher risk of violent behaviors

Numbness 

(“Newport Academy”, n.d.).

Let’s Dive Deeper: What is the Root Cause of Parental Burnout?

Although it was rarely talked about, parental burnout was first studied over 30 years ago. Since then, the concept has become much more widely known and studied. Although parental burnout can often be associated with outside stressors (work, relationship conflict, caring for older parents, and so forth), it can also be triggered by parenting directly. According to the research today, the root cause of parental burnout stems from a discrepancy between the demands and the rewards of parenting. In other words, although parenting brings challenges, if the positive aspects of parenting do not outweigh the negative aspects, the potential for burnout increases. Surprisingly, the chances for, and occurrences of burnout is relatively high. In one particular study of 2,000 parents, 63 percent reported feeling symptoms of parental burnout. That means more than half of the parents felt burnout in some form. Luckily, although the probability of parental burnout is high, there are ways to counteract and prevent it (“Newport Academy”, n.d.). 

Therefore, if you have felt parental burnout, or are feeling it currently, below is a list of ways that people have found helped or a relief from burnout symptomology: 

Reach out for help: find a professional who can help you, a close friend, a family member, a co-worker, and so forth… 

Understand you are not alone: times are extremely trying, and as one study reflected, 63 percent of parents experience burnout! You are not alone. 

Allow self-love and compassion: remind yourself that you are doing the best you can. 

Find others that are also experiencing what you are (this could take the form of a support group, a Facebook group, a few close friends, etc.)

Find structure: finding more structure in your life can provide comfort and relief. 

Lean on your significant other and family 

Resilience: know that you are strong and able to build your resilience in times of difficulty.  

Support your mood: exercise and a healthy diet can increase mood and provide more energy.

(Smith et al., 2020)

Let’s Summarize 

            The main takeaway from this post is simple… parental burnout is a common occurrence. Therefore, if you are experiencing it, have experienced it, or are afraid you are beginning to experience it, reread this post! There is help available, research available, and an individual going through the exact same thing. For more resources and information, there are several resources linked below. Also, do not hesitate to reach out to Couples and Family Counseling Center. 

Resources

https://www.vox.com/22060380/covid-parents-burnout-schools-closed-kids-pandemic

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

https://www.nationalparenthelpline.org/find-support

References:

Identifying Signs and Symptoms of Parental Burnout. (2019, December 10). Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/nassau/lifestyle/identifying-signs-and-symptoms-of-parental-burnout/771258/

Smith, M., M.A, Segal, J., Ph.D., & Robinson, L. (n.d.). Burnout Prevention and Treatment. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm#:~:text=Burnout%20is%20a%20state%20of,unable%20to%20meet%20constant%20demands.

Queen, D., & Harding, K. (2020). Societal pandemic burnout: A COVID legacy. International 

wound journal, 17(4), 873–874. https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.13441