The best way to deal with parental burnout is to try and avoid it altogether. While it may seem hard at first, once you establish some healthy habits and parental limits, you will no longer have a problem with burnout.
- Take care of your body. Eat well. Sleep well. Exercise regularly. If your body is fatigued or sick, you will not be able to avoid burning out and piling on stress no matter what else you try. This is a necessary step if you normally go day to day without proactively working on wellness.
- Build a support system. Whether it’s your spouse, parents or hired babysitters, know who to call when you need to talk or take a break. Have a plan. Count on the people around you and trust that they will be there when you need them.
- Learn to communicate with your teen. You will be surprised how much stress can be eliminated when you and your teen learn to keep open the lines of communication. It really is half the battle.
- Take some me-time on a regular basis. You should schedule in me-time even when you don’t feel stressed as preventing it is the goal.
- Manage your parental expectations and guilt. You are not a superhero and neither is your teen. Do not expect that you can be everything to your teen and don’t expect him to hit all of the lofty goals you may be dreaming for him. You will be setting yourself up for failure. Then you’ll have to deal with the guilt.
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