The world may call them mental health days but for us moms, they're really mommy health days. With work, kids, relationships and a million other demands, mommy burnout is something we pay attention to only after it's hit us. Not sure if you're on the verge of complete mommy breakdown? Here are a few signs that it may be time to take a day off for yourself.
1
You have no idea how you got to the daycare parking lot. Thankfully, your car is awake in the morning.
2
You pass up the chance to attend an all-expense-paid work conference in Las Vegas because figuring out who is going to take care of the kids is more trouble than it's worth.
3
You wear yoga pants to work and feel no shame.
4
Your family is learning to appreciate the simple pleasure of eating breakfast for dinner. By breakfast for dinner I mean cold cereal and frozen waffles.
5
It's easier to purchase new underwear for your family instead of actually doing the laundry. Also, thanks to those ever growing mountains of clothes, your kids now think the laundry room is the play room. Hey, clothes mountains are perfect for climbing.
6
You seriously consider quitting your job to start a candle-making business; even though you've never stepped foot into a craft store and you buy all your candles at the mall.
7
You also seriously consider having another child, conveniently blocking out the fact that maternity leave is not the same thing as an extended vacation.
If any of the above scenarios sound familiar, stop right where you are and schedule a day when you can regroup and recharge. Take it from me, mommy burnout isn't something you can cure with bad dinners, bad business plans, lots of underwear or another baby.
What's my prescription to keep mommy burnout at bay? Find a sitter, a few good books, a bottle of wine and settle in for a pajama day on the sofa. I promise, you'll be good as new once dinner comes around.