Time and Money Worries Give Way to Holiday Stress
The APA and OPA offer 5 practical ideas to reduce stress during the holiday season.
Read moreBeing a parent is the most rewarding, and yet, the most challenging job you will ever have. However, when balancing work, relationships, and parenting gets to be overwhelming, you may experience what is known as “burnout.” Many individuals, known as “The Sandwich Generation,” are providing care not only to their children, but to aging parents as well. Burnout is a state of complete emotional exhaustion, and it is quite common. Burnout occurs when all of the care you can offer is given away to others, and you leave none for yourself.
Symptoms of Burnout Include:
• Fatigue that does not resolve even after getting a restful sleep.
• Irritability, impatience, resentment and/or anger toward your family.
• Persistent sadness and/or crying frequently.
• Fluctuation or change in weight and/or appetite.
• Insomnia or hypersomnia (oversleeping).
• Headaches.
• Heart palpitations and/or panic attacks.
• Chronic worry or anxiety.
• Prioritizing the needs of others over your own.
If you are experiencing burnout, there is hope. Investing time and energy to care for yourself is the first step in overcoming burnout. At Dalton Associates, we offer counselling services from therapists who specialize in child-care and elder-care and other stress-related issues. Contact us at 1.888.245.5516 to connect with the support you need.
American Psychological Association (2007). Stress Tip Sheet. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2007/10/stress-tips.aspx
AskDrSears.com (2012). Avoiding Mommy Burnout. Retrieved from: http://www.askdrsears.com/?q=topics/child-rearing-and-development/avoiding-mommy-burnout
Bourg Carter, S. (2011). Feeling the Squeeze: The Stress of Caring for Two Generations. Retrieved from: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/high-octane-women/201108/feeling-the-squeeze-the-stress-caring-two-generations