SAHM Burnout Is Real: 3 Simple Fixes For Regaining Peace Today

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Dishes in the sink. Kids fighting over blocks. Cold coffee you’ve reheated three times. You’re experiencing SAHM burnout as they call it. You’re doing a lot— kingdom work — and it matters deeply. But sometimes, even the most meaningful work can leave you feeling scattered, stretched, and a little out of control.

SAHM burnout is real. But here’s the truth: you are not a victim of your circumstances. Being a stay-at-home mom is both a gift and a calling. It’s holy, everyday work—and it’s okay if it feels hard sometimes. As Abbie Halberstadt says, “Hard is not the same thing as bad.” (Her book is so encouraging, by the way!) Please know that you don’t have to be a martyr to be faithful.

Here are some potential reasons as to why your days might feel out of control—and three simple fixes that can help you beat the burnout and regain your peace and purpose.

Problem #1:You’re Pouring from an Empty Cup

When you care for everyone and everything else and neglect yourself spiritually, mentally, and physically —you’re stretched thin and you eventually hit empty. As sahms, many of us are the ultimate Program Manager of our homes — managing the cooking, cleaning, finances, primary caregiver for our children, appointment manager and more. Taking time to also care for ourselves almost always comes last, but it doesn’t always need to come last.

Simple Fix #1: Set one mini goal for each of the following areas of self-care — physically, mentally, and spiritually.

The key here is “mini” goal. If you are a busy mom (we ALL are) or someone who has never really been a “goal getter” before, start small. You want to set attainable goals that help you refill your cup, not deplete it. I’ll share a few ideas below to help you brainstorm:

Physical Mini Goals For Moms:

• Exercise for at least 20 mins 4 days this week. This can be with or without the kiddos! This could be a walk, stretching, strength training – just something that gets your body moving and feeling good.
• Focus on eating 3 healthy & simple meals a day. Healthy doesn’t have to equal complicated. I can whip up a ham, egg and cheese sandwich with 40g of protein in about 5 minutes. Use Pinterest or ChatGPT to provide you with some quick and healthy meal ideas to have on hand.
• Stay hydrated! Use a timer or your reminder app on your phone to remind you to drink. As moms, we get busy and sometimes for get to drink our water. We can’t live off our morning coffee alone, mama.

Mental Mini Goals For Moms:

• Take a 10 minute break every morning and afternoon. If you were working a “real” job, they would require you to take breaks. Being a sahm is no different. Take a few minutes to yourself a couple times throughout the day to make a fun beverage, sit out on the porch or read a couple pages of a good book.
• Limit scrolling to 30 minutes per day total. The mindless scrolling isn’t serving you, mama. We have to limit our consumer mindset, so we can become happy and helpful producers. There are many ways you can limit this such as app limits, turning off notifications or using DND mode, or even deleting the apps entirely off your device.
• Practice gratitude by writing down three things each morning for which you are grateful. No matter what season of life you are in, there is always at least one something for which to be grateful.

Spiritual Mini Goals For Moms:

• Read your bible daily. Listen, there is not a magical amount of time in which you have to spend in the Word for it to benefit you spiritually. While I personally am waking up at 4:30am to read my bible before the kids wake up, that is NOT the only way. If it means you have to read your bible aloud to the children during breakfast, then perfect!
• Listen to worship music while doing your household chores. Even in the mundane we can glorify the Lord and this keeps our hearts centered on Christ. Every morning while we do our morning chores, I turn on some type of worship music and we all feel refreshed because of it.
• Prioritize verse memorization so it’s readily available when you begin to feel overwhelmed or that sahm burnout begins to creep up. Keeping his Word in our hearts is so good for us and we’re called to do this as Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” (NIV)

Problem #2: You’re Not Planning—or You’re Overplanning

When you don’t plan, the day runs you, either ragged or glued to the couch. You become reactive, not intentional. But when you overplan—every hour scheduled, every task color-coded—you’re crushed by your own expectations. We are to be good stewards of our time as it is a gift from the Lord. But how do we find the balance between the two?

Simple Fix #2: Create a Simple Daily Rhythm to Alleviate SAHM Burnout

Instead of a rigid schedule, try a flexible rhythm. Anchor parts of your day around natural routines: breakfast, lunch/reset, quiet time, dinner, bedtime. I have a post that explains how to create a simple sahm daily schedule here if you aren’t sure where to start.

Creating a daily rhythm removes the pressure to “do it all” while still giving your day shape. If you’re not sure where to start, you can download my free SAHM Daily Schedule Toolkit. It walks you through it step-by-step and is one method to helping you overcome the sahm burnout.

Problem #3: You’re Overcomplicating the Everyday Fueling the SAHM Burnout

Odds are if you feel behind, it’s because you’ve set the bar too high. Totally from-scratch dinners, spotless rooms and clean baseboards, elaborate homeschool plans—they’re admirable and truly good things, but they’re not always realistic.

Simple Fix #3: Develop and Embrace “Good Enough” Systems

Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. Rotate 10 of your family’s favorite go-to meals. Focus on three key chores per day that can be done in 20 mins or less. Ditch the Pinterest pressure and Instagram influencer ways. YOU need to decide what is considered “good” for you and your family in this season.

Peace often comes from subtraction—not addition.

P.S. If you want to know how some sahms do it all, you’ll want to be sure to read this post.

Words of Encouragement:

Mama, your value and identity isn’t tied to how productive you are or how clean your house is. Your worth is found in Christ. While SAHM burnout is something many mamas experience, remember that this is good work. As Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

I encourage you to try just one of these small fixes this week. Grace and peace, not hustle, is what will steady your days as you live out your calling.

Need help getting started? Don’t forget to grab my free 5-part SAHM Daily Schedule Toolkit and reset your rhythms with purpose—not pressure.

Pin These Tips for Later

Pin these sahm burnout tips for later in case you need a gentle reminder in the future.