How to Avoid Burnout as a Working Homeschool Mom

Have you ever felt absolutely exhausted, bone tired, and nothing you do helps you feel rested? If so, you might be suffering from burnout.

It’s important to learn how to avoid burnout as a working homeschool mom because burnout can leave you feeling stressed, exhausted, and feeling like a failure.

Before you know it, mom guilt has kicked into overdrive, and are in danger of sliding into survival mode.

This week I just can’t cope with life. Every time I think I have my schedule for the week figured out, something changes, and I need to adjust again.

It’s cold, it’s dark, and I feel like everything I do is not good enough. I’m frustrated, overwhelmed, and bursting into tears for what seems like no reason at all.

Is this what burnout feels like to you?

When You Can’t Do It All

Since I’ve been working, homeschooling and mom-ing for a while now, I know I needed a few minutes to decompress.

I grabbed a cup of coffee, my hidden chocolate stash, and a box of Kleenex. Yup, I let myself cry it out.

I am not sure if it’s the increase in the workload that comes with this time of the year, how everyone is catching every single cold and flu that is going around, or the snowstorms that hit and never seem to go away.

But I knew a few minutes of downtime and self-care would go a long way to diffusing the situation.

How did this happen? Simple. I tried to do all the things.

As working moms, let’s face it, we are compelled to do all the things, to go above and beyond what is reasonable.

We would never expect anyone else to tackle what we do each day, and yet…if we don’t get it done, we feel like failures. Ugh.

What Is Burnout?

Burnout can happen to anyone and can vary from person to person.

Generally speaking, burnout is more than being tired, exhausted, and not wanting to do anything. Although it certainly looks like that!

Instead, it is characterized by chronic exhaustion, feelings of frustration and powerlessness.

Being overwhelmed by minor things such as basic everyday decisions of what to eat, wear, and do. Handling everyday tasks is like the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Those suffering burnout often will withdraw emotionally from family and friends in order to cope. They lose motivation and become less productive.

You Can’t Do It All

When I returned to the workforce as a homeschool mom, I was working as a cashier at the time.

The holiday season hit and I went from working 15 hours a week to 37.5 hours a week. Add time to take my husband to work, drop off the kids, pick up my husband, and do car swaps. Whatever time was left over was pretty much non-existent.

Next, I got a sinus infection and throat infection that lasted over three months.

On top of this, I still tried to do all the things.

And by doing that, I set myself up for failure. Sure, it worked for a little while but eventually, it caught up to me HARD.

3 Steps To Avoiding Burnout

If I knew then what I know now, I would have known how to avoid burnout as a working homeschool mom.

Let me share with you the 3 steps to help you avoid burning out.

1. Set Priorities
2. Open the Lines of Communication
3. Practice Self-care

With so many roles that need to be handled, knowing what needs to be done, what can wait, and what can be done by others will help you avoid burnout.

Setting Priorities

All the tips, tricks, and “how-to’s” will never give you an extra hour in your day.

Trust me, I’ve tried a lot and never woke up with a bonus hour in my day.

It’s how we use that time that matters. Understanding that vital point makes a huge difference.

What are you doing with your time? How are you managing it?

For me, setting priorities was a pivotal moment. It was when I realized I do have some control over my time.

The best way is to assess your unique situation and make adjustments as you see fit is by asking these questions:

• How much work time do you need?
• How much homeschooling do you need to do right now? Can you slow down or take a break?
• What tasks can I outsource?

As you ask these questions, be honest and practical with your answers. Learning to manage your hectic schedule is important.

You only have so many hours in a day, and it’s okay to use some of them for eating and sleeping!

Communicate With Others

I can not express how important it is to have open communication with those in your house about what you are going through and how they can help.

As a family, you are a team. Teams work together towards a common goal, and each member of that team has a job to do. The only way teams make goals is with good communication and teamwork.

Therefore, it is important that you talk to your family and make a plan to share the responsibilities of what needs to be done.

Buy time out of your busy schedule and really sit down and communicate with the family members in your house.

Be specific when you ask for help. Dig out the cleaning schedule, print off chore charts, and make a plan.

I’ve been working and homeschooling for over 14 years, and communication is important, especially when you are a working homeschooling family.

This is the Cleaning Planner For Busy Moms I use. Inside you’ll find printable tools to help you stay focused and get things done!

If friends or family offer to pick up the kids, grab something from the grocery store, or help in some way that helps you get things done, say yes!

No one can help you if you don’t admit you need it.

Some helpful ways family can help are:

• pick up the kids from the sitter
• take the kids overnight, if you need a break
• drive you to work if you are juggling one vehicle
• take care of errands
• help out with elderly family members

Practice Self-Care

Another key to learning how to avoid burnout as a working homeschool mom is practicing self-care.

Have you heard the saying, you can’t pour from an empty cup?

I learned the hard way that if you keep pouring from your cup and don’t take the time to refill it, the cup ends up empty.

And when it comes to self-care, the hard truth is you really can’t outsource it. You need to take the time and energy to look after yourself.

Family can take the kids so you can take a break, but you need to take it. 

Self-care is how we cope with the madness, crazy thing we call life. Save your sanity and make self-care a daily routine.

A few ideas for practicing self-care are:

• Take a walk
• Read a book
• Take a bath
• Have a coffee date with a friend
• Start a hobby
• Learn something new
• Exercise
• Eat Healthy
• Drink water
• Make decisions ahead of time and beat decision fatigue

How to Avoid Burnout as a Working Homeschool Mom

When I began working at home as well as working outside the home, life got a little more hectic. Had I not learned from the past, there is no way I would be able to juggle it all.

Now, every month I change our plan to adjust to the needs of our family for that month.

We sit down and have a family meeting and make a plan of action.

I accept help from friends and family. And I make sure I practice even just a few minutes of self-care daily.

Avoiding Burnout Resources:

I don’t think anyone is immune to burnout, regardless if they are working or homeschooling.

All of us are just doing the best we can for our families.

Here are some resources that will help you learn how to avoid burnout:

• Homeschool Burnout
• Overcoming Homeschool Burnout
• 5 Ways To Avoid Homeschool Burnout
• 9 Signs You Are In Survival Mode
• Homeschool Burnout is Real
• The Secret Sauce To Beating Homeschool Burnout

You Can Avoid Burnout

Following these 3 steps is the best starting point when it comes to learning how to avoid burnout as a working homeschool mom.

Being a mom is hard.

Being a homeschool mom is hard.

Being a working homeschool mom is hard.

It’s all hard.

But you can do it. Set priorities, talk to others, ask for help and take care of yourself. Don’t wait.

Make this coming month THE month you can’t wait to start!

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