Working Moms and Stress

Many working mothers will not admit that they are burned out. To do so would be an admission that they are not Superwomen---able to balance family obligations and work demands while wearing high heels. However three sure signs that you are burned out are:

-loss of interest in regular activities;
-loss of sleep;
-or feelings of panic.

In an article, "Working Mothers,Where is All of this Stress Coming From?" psychologist, Dr. Sherrie Bourg Carter is quoted as saying that once a working mother determines that she is burned-out, she should take steps to detemine why. Among the reasons that Dr. Carter cites for stress are:

•Limited time
•Not enough money (at least not enough to do the things you feel you should be doing for your children - ie: enrolling them in all activities)
•Pressures from the spouse, who may feel neglected because of the time you spend on other things
•Physical and hormonal changes from childbirth and aging
•Worrying about the children in a general sense - their safety, their well being

As a coach who works with working mothers, I see these stress factors all of the time. I frequently coach my clients to take steps to address, one by one, the things, people or activities that are causing them to burn-out. It's important that working mothers clients realize that they can't keep running on fumes. They are not only jeopardizing the quality of their own life and health, but also the quality of their most treasured relationships.