With schools being closed and millions of Americans unemployed, families are forced to spend a lot of time together. With the current rise in cases and delayed re-opening, families will have to stay together longer than expected. Do what you can to alleviate family burnout and avoid strained relationships during the pandemic and beyond.
How Do You Know You are Feeling Family Burnout?
Family burnout is when you feel physically and emotionally exhausted by your family. Exhaustion can leave you unable to handle usual tasks, or feeling irritable. Everyone is home for days on end, with a lot of time on their hands, which is not easily sustainable. This is especially true if you are a single parent, as you have to raise your kid by yourself in isolation. You have to find ways to entertain them without their friends or school, which can be a tiring task.
How Do Kids Experience Family Burnout?
Burnout in children can appear as anxiety, irritability, poor academic performance, or staying isolated from everyone. Teenagers may be more likely to experience burnout because of the higher academic workload. There is also a greater need to see their friends or spend time with their romantic partners. Growing up can lead to many arguments with parents, leading to more stress and irritability. You can still love your family and want a break from those you see all the time.
How Do You Reduce the Impact of Family Burnout?
Parents should use encouragement when their kids are acting out from lockdown stress. Start by creating a routine in your home for sleep, meals, and study time. This way, everyone has an idea of what is planned for the day, which can reduce their boredom or anxiety. If you’re co-parenting, share the burden. Take time off from childcare and household duties, and let your partner take over.
Ensure that the workload is equal, but don’t be “Super-parent” – no one can handle this without help. You can also switch up the activities for the kids. Take them to the park, swim in the pool, go for a family walk, and more. To take care of yourself and your family, you should speak to a therapist if being in the house too long with your family becomes overwhelming.
Untreated burnout can lead to fatigue, anxiety, or depression. At Alta Loma, you can learn how to relieve your exhaustion to make living with your family more manageable. This program includes individualized therapy, recreational activities, mindfulness, life skills classes, medication management, and more. For more information, please call us at (866) 457-3843.