Homeschool mom burnout can hit hard and fast or build up slowly over time. It can be closely related to sensory overwhelm!
It’s easy to go through the motions of our day to day routine without doing the deep, uncomfortable work of getting to the root of the problem.
Well, until we are stuck in a state of reacting to our kids & it impacts our connection and relationship. Then it’s not as easy to ignore anymore.
Especially when we realize we’re the ones who need the work. Mom guilt, anyone?
How did we get here anyway? In cycles of numbing out, losing patience, gritting teeth, apologizing, and trying not to yell.
Let’s unpack some common reasons why we end up in burnout from sensory overwhelm.
6 Reasons Why:
Homeschool Mom Burnout & Sensory Overwhelm
Lack of Understanding
Knowing that there’s a sensory, neurological reason for your overwhelm or burnout can be freeing. Your nervous system’s #1 job is to keep you safe, followed closely by finding a sense of comfort & “normalcy.” When we become moms, this expands to include finding the same for our kids. By the way… we don’t always get to choose what’s included in our brain’s definition of “safety.”
Having language to put with your experience, to make sense of it for youself and others = game changer. You’re not an angry monster, mama. You’re not crazy.
Once you have language to understand the problem, you can also work on meeting your legitimate needs so that your brain and body can feel safe, present, & connected.
Inconsistent Boundaries
Once you know what your needs are, set regular boundaries in your relationships & environment so that you can meet your needs. Boundaries often need to be assessed in adjusted as life changes. If evenings used to be your quiet reset time, and now your kid is taking forever to go to sleep… things need to be readjusted (ask me how I know).
Unrealized Priorities
Do you think your needs are important? Does your routine or rhythm reflect that? Saying yes to ourselves means saying no to otherwise good things sometimes, even good things for our kids…and that can be hard.
Problematic Communication
Even if you have language to describe your overwhelm, and you have an idea of what your boundaries are, do you communicate that to important people in your life? Sometimes we make decisions about our needs and forget to communicate those to others so that they can support us, too.
Bonus: Your kids get to learn what you’re learning and how to advocate for themselves, too! Learn more about that here.
Hormonal Shifts of Motherhood & Sensory Overwhelm
Our body kicks into overdrive with hormones that make us more sensitive to potential dangers once we have kids. Beautiful by design, but super easily overwhelmed in today’s modern society of constant stimulation (look no further than your phone). You’ll even notice shifts during your monthly cycle.
Other Stress & Homeschool Burnout
Sensory stress doesn’t occur in isolation. If you’re spending more energy with other stressors: relationship, finances, health, logistics, work… you name it. You’d better bet you’ll hit sensory overwhelm a lot quicker.
What can you do?
The good news is, you can impact these variables and hit homeschool burnout head-on. You don’t have to be stuck in a place of reactivity with your kids. We’ll all have good days, bad days… but most are someplace in between. Feeling regulated means that we can ride the waves, and I’d love to help you do that.
-Contact me for a free initial session and let’s problem solve together.
-Get started by accessing my free resources when you sign up at http://www.sensationalmoms.com