If you’re emotionally exhausted and worn out, mama, here are 5 things you need to remember. This is for tired moms, angry moms, and those in between.

I remember the day I had an anxiety attack… the anxiety attack that told me something was off.

I had two kids at the time, toddlers, and was pregnant with another. Hormones were raging, I was fatigued, and there was a pile of dishes to be washed.

I laid on the bed shaking with anxiety because of a pile of dishes. 

For minutes I laid there thinking about how I hated those dishes. How I didn’t want to wash them. How I was going to have to wash them or have a filthy kitchen that would be nearly just as bad as having to wash the dishes. Even though I do dishes fast and it’s not an Important Thing in Life… I was so emotionally exhausted that the thought of doing one more thing was enough to nearly give me a nervous break down.

At least I thought I was going to have a nervous break down. Apparently those don’t actually exist…

(Tell that to my heart rate)

5 Things Emotionally Exhausted Mothers Need to Remember

There are seasons when we’re so messed up we don’t even know if we can go on. When you are feeling overwhelmed… here’s what you must remember.

How to follow your gut

It can be extremely difficult to figure out what’s happening in your head when you’re feeling over it. Prayers feel jumbled, your thoughts race, you feel peace, then panic, then peace, then panic. You can barely make a decision without second guessing yourself and you are, quiet simply, Past The Point.

The goal during this time is to try and harness what peace you do have and hang onto it. You’ve got to learn to follow your gut again. When you pray and ask God for direction, you’ve got to learn to ferret out that peace and go with it. It feels impossible, but being able to figure out your own thoughts and emotions are key.

Read: The Stay At Home Mom Schedule That’ll Keep You Sane

How to say “No” and stick to it

If you’re emotionally exhausted, odds are you’re burning both ends of the candle. This may be because you’re working outside the home and in the home, you’re up all night with your babies, you’re having health issues, or life is just hectic and busy. Or, it could be all these things. One of the best thing we mothers can do when we’re feeling over it is to learn to say no.

Here are a few people we must learn to say no to:

• Ourselves | Guilt, the “need to be needed,” or a critical spirit need not be our boss. We can starve them out. We don’t have to do every little thing we always did for everyone. We simply don’t.
• Our spouse and kids | It is not loving towards your spouse or your family to run yourself into the ground doing things for them they are capable of doing for themselves. You were not called by the Bible, God, or anyone else to martyr yourself for your mate or your children. You can help them, love them, and let them take care of their own responsibilities at the same time.
• Others | People may want you on their committee, want you to babysit, want your opinion, need help with their work, and so on and so on. If you’re weary and over it, you can simply say “This is not a good time for my family, feel free to ask me at a later date.” The End.

How you are renewed

Recently, I participated in 15 Days to a Healthier You with Money Saving Mom and I was struck by one of the tasks she gave in the second lesson. We were supposed to think of things in our day that drained us and things in our days that gave life. I was shocked to realize that my day was nearly entirely filled with things that drained. The things that drained took up so much time I barely had time (or took the time) for things that gave life.

These are not necessarily big things either. But whether they are easy or hard, we simply must put some activities in our days that rejuvenate us so we’re able to love and serve our families as we desire. These may include:

• reading a book
• exercising
• taking a shower
• reading the Bible
• praying
• doing our hair, makeup, looking nice, etc.
• chatting with a friend
• playing a game with our children
• writing in a journal

Even if it’s been years since you felt like “you” try to remember what gave you life and do those things again.

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How you got here

I think examination of our situation is a critical thing to do. If we’re feeling completely overwhelmed and over it, often we forget how we arrived there. Sometimes it’s obvious. Pregnancy, for example, makes you feel like you’re losing your mind. Moving, another example, is such a highly stressful act that you may become easily overwhelmed due to all the changes and decisions that must be made.

Lately, my husband and I have noticed our children are going a tad off the rails. We’ve decided we need to buckle down a bit and get their behavior back on track. We don’t want to be hyper controlling parents, but when most of the day is spent combating attitudes then it’s time for a change. Having children misbehaving left and right is extremely draining, and you’ll be so happy you took the extra time to find proper consequences for misbehavior.

Read: 32 Consequences “Mean Moms” Use

How to ask for help

This is a big one.

“Asking for help does not mean that we are weak or incompetent. It usually indicates an advanced level of honesty and intelligence.” Anne Wilson Schaef

If you are going to crack it. Be honest and ask someone for help. 

If you think you can’t go on. Be honest and ask someone for help. 

If you think you are a horrible person and just don’t even know what to do. Be honest and ask someone for help. 

Call your pastor, friend, family member, a hotline, or reach out to a stranger on a forum on the internet… whatever you do… don’t try to go at it alone.

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