Working mom burnout is all too real — here’s how to cope

“Burnout” gets thrown around as a buzzword, but it’s a clinical phenomenon — one that’s particularly likely to affect working moms. 

“Burnout is a state of total depletion. Not just physical exhaustion, but [also] mental [and] emotional exhaustion,” says Jessica DelNero, a licensed clinical psychologist and perinatal mental health specialist at Therapists of New York.

The working mom burnout signs may get dismissed as fatigue or stress, but the condition goes much deeper. DelNero explains that it usually happens when the demand on an individual is unsustainable, and they have zero time for rest and recovery. That can happen when someone is juggling two full-time jobs — a career and parenting — along with the many part-time roles that keep a household running, like housecleaning, life admin and caregiving, without enough time to rest.

While many parents feel burned out, working mothers are 28% more likely to experience symptoms than working fathers, a 2020 survey from virtual family health care clinic Maven reports. And the problem appears to be getting worse: The number of women reporting poor or fair mental health rose 64% between 2016 and 2023, according to 2025 research in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

While burnout isn’t yet a clinical diagnosis, it’s recognized by the World Health Organization. Experts agree it’s real, and there are strategies that can help you avoid it. This is how to spot the signs of working mom burnout early, as well as realistic, sustainable and effective ways to avoid burnout as a working mom.

What is working mom burnout, really?

Working mom burnout is distinct from regular fatigue or stress and other mental health conditions such as depression. 

“When you’re tired things like self-care or a low key weekend recharge you,” says Peggy Loo, a certified perinatal mental health professional and the founder and clinical director of Manhattan Therapy Collective who holds her doctorate in counseling psychology. “Burnout is much more extensive. People don’t recover from burnout with a good night’s sleep.”

And while burnout may look similar to depression, the latter typically has genetic, neurochemical or hormonal causes, while burnout is completely situational, Loo says. “When people experience burnout, they’ve been overextended for too long,” she says. That said, DelNero notes that “untreated burnout can absolutely become depression and often, these two overlap.”

Ryanne Smith is a mom to two, maternal health therapist and facilitator of the Portland chapter of the Chamber of Mothers, the largest non-partisan non-profit advocating for mothers’ rights in the US. The birth of her second child coincided with her then-job’s return to office mandates. 

“Coordinating child care, work travel and responsibilities on top of all the other external factors — decision-making and moving through challenges — felt polarizing,” says Smith.

According to DelNero, key mom burnout signs include: 

• Complete exhaustion
• Irritability
• Emotional detachment
• Loss of patience
• Lack of enjoyment
• Feeling like you’re “running on empty” 
• Feeling overwhelmed 

In fact, the 13th annual Care.com 2026 Cost of Care Report found that 60% of moms reported feeling overwhelmed juggling care and career compared to 42% of dads.

Additionally, you may feel a sense of failure, frustration, disappointment in yourself and resentment toward your partner, says Erin Erenberg, the CEO of Chamber of Mothers. 

“Moms tell us they feel like they’re constantly choosing which part of themselves gets less — their career, their parenting, their health, their relationships,” she points out. “They feel like they’re always behind and always falling short.”

“Moms tell us they feel like they’re constantly choosing which part of themselves gets less — their career, their parenting, their health, their relationships. They feel like they’re always behind and always falling short.”

— Erin Erenberg, CEO of Chamber of Mothers

Why are working moms so at risk of burnout?

There are several factors that contribute to working mom stress and burnout, and many are outside of individual control.

Structural failures

The main reasons working moms are so likely to develop burnout are structural. It’s not your imagination: There is too much on your plate, and it is unsustainable. 

“Women and mothers place incredibly high standards on ourselves, but we’re doing that in a culture that offers very little structural support,” Erenberg says. 

By that she means working moms are lacking adequate, mandated paid leave policies; affordable, accessible and high-quality child care; and affordable, accessible and high-quality health care for parents and children. 

“Generations of traditional gender norms; the myth of maternal instinct and pressure to be a supermom; the fact that paid maternity leave is not guaranteed… all create impossibly high standards for working mothers without adequate support or resources to succeed,” adds Loo. “This often means that they bear the costs of trying to do it all.” 

Lack of work-life balance

Women with more demanding jobs, less child care support and less household support may be especially vulnerable to burnout. 

A 2024 Gallup survey found that women who regularly have family responsibilities bleed into their working hours and job responsibilities bleed into their non-work hours and who think about work during their personal time are 81% more likely to feel burned out than others. 

Socioeconomic factors

Certain parents may be especially vulnerable to burnout. They include: 

• Single or low-income moms. Mothers without a large “village” or the financial means needed to create one may carry more stress and be less able to prioritize their own well-being. 
• Moms of color. The Maven Clinic study revealed that Black, Asian and Latina mothers and Black fathers faced greater levels of burnout than white mothers or fathers of any race. Black mothers are twice as likely as their white peers to experience a maternal mental health condition, in part because they’re also dealing with factors like systemic racism and medical bias in addition to the demands of work and child care, per the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance. 

“Generations of traditional gender norms; the myth of maternal instinct and pressure to be a supermom; the fact that paid maternity leave is not guaranteed… all create impossibly high standards for working mothers without adequate support or resources to succeed.”

— Peggy Loo, a certified perinatal mental health professional

How can you avoid burnout as a working mom?

“Burnout among working mothers is not an individual problem; it’s a structural one,” Erenberg stresses. In other words, if you’re feeling burned out, it isn’t your fault: The system is set up to make you feel that way. That said, there are steps you can take to protect your peace while also pushing for structural changes. 

Create a commute

“[This] really just means, create a small daily transition ritual between home and work,” says DelNero says, explaining that it can be “as simple as a walk, changing clothes or a five-minute mindfulness meditation — just something to signal to the nervous system that one role is ending and another is beginning.”

Loo adds that the transition time can be “really important when you consider that burnout is all about exposure to chronic stress. When you’re running a marathon, those water stations make a huge difference.”

Set one big boundary 

Setting and holding one boundary can help you restore your sense of control, points out DelNero.

“Protect one non-negotiable boundary at work, whether [it’s] declining meetings after 6 p.m., no work phones in bed or protecting one lunch break a week,” she recommends.

Lower your expectations

You subconsciously may be holding yourself to unrealistic expectations. So check in. Try to identify the expectations you have of yourself, even if you’ve never explicitly set them. Then, honestly assess what needs to change. 

“Sometimes what we expect from ourselves is simply not sustainable for a certain life season, and we need to be willing to shift gears,” points out Loo. 

Erenberg notes that most moms don’t want to step back from any part of their lives, but it’s often necessary.

Talk about your division of labor

If you have a partner, getting in the habit of having regular check-ins about who “owns” what tasks can help keep your division of labor from becoming uneven over time, DelNero says. There’s even a card game that can help you have that first, sometimes daunting conversation: the Fair Play Deck is designed to help parents split chores equitably. 

Lean on community

The “it takes a village” phrase can be annoying for anyone who doesn’t have a ready-made village on hand. But Erenberg says there is truth to it: Working parenthood requires help. “When you’re carrying everything alone, the pressure and the isolation compound burnout,” she says. “Community, of course, doesn’t solve every structural problem, but it does remind mothers that they’re not alone in this experience.” 

Local parenting groups are a great place to start. Care of Mother’s CoM Unity initiative offers resources designed to help bring people together across the country. 

Loo says she often encourages moms (and expecting moms) to practice asking for small, specific favors from friends, neighbors and family. Over time, this can help make it easier to reach out when you need a bigger-ticket ask. 

“Sometimes what we expect from ourselves is simply not sustainable for a certain life season, and we need to be willing to shift gears.”

— Peggy Loo

What can you do to heal from working mom burnout?

Not all parents have the luxury of taking a break, even if they’re dangerously burned out. That’s something Erenberg acknowledges, noting that many moms don’t have the “space or privilege” to even think about burnout.  

“When you’re on a treadmill trying to make ends meet and do what your family needs, you don’t get to pause and ask whether you’re burned out,” she says. “You just keep going.” 

That’s why structural and cultural changes are so necessary. Individual coping strategies can only go so far. 

But unless your situation changes, untreated burnout will likely get worse. These strategies can help alleviate the burden to prevent that from happening. 

Name the problem

Simply acknowledging that you’re burned out by saying it out loud is a good start, says DelNero. “Many working parents (especially mothers) try to push past and through,” she notes. “Talking openly with a partner, friend, manager and/or therapist about what is happening can create space for practical adjustments and support.”

Take a commitment break 

“Burnout recovery often involves scaling back,” says DelNero. She suggests temporarily dropping non-essential commitments, such as social obligations, a child’s extracurriculars or certain work responsibilities if possible. 

Schedule recovery time 

Rather than dreaming about your ideal but aspirational vacation, build small blocks of recovery time into your schedule in an attainable way. You might designate a half hour one evening per week for a walk or workout. Or if dinner is usually your responsibility, ask your partner to take care of it every Monday.

Think big

While not feasible for everyone, ideally healing burnout requires a big life change. 

“Burnout isn’t a person’s failure to balance everything on their plate, so recovering doesn’t usually happen by just trying to pick yourself up from your bootstraps,” says Loo. “It usually means the entire system you’re in needs a revamp.”

For example, consider whether it’s time to look for a new job, ask your boss for a flexible work schedule or change your child care arrangement. In Smith’s case, leaving her job was essential for her recovery. 

“Many working parents (especially mothers) try to push past and through,” she notes. Talking openly with a partner, friend, manager and/or therapist about what is happening can create space for practical adjustments and support.”

— Jessica DelNero, a licensed clinical psychologist and perinatal mental health specialist

When should you seek professional help for working mom burnout?

Burnout can have serious consequences, including an increased risk of parental substance use, suicidal ideation and child neglect maltreatment, according to the WHO. 

DelNero says the following symptoms are signs that it’s time to seek professional help, such as a therapist or support group: 

• Persistent exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest. 
• Physical symptoms of stress: chronic headaches, stomach issues, sleep disturbances. “This is a sign that the burnout is so significant it is now affecting the body,” she says.
• Symptoms of depression and anxiety, including low mood, hopelessness, brain fog, anhedonia or suicidal ideation. 

Why is it so hard to prioritize yourself as a working mom?

Mom guilt is yet another consequence of the lack of structural support for mothers. “Our society has sent the message that a ‘good mom’ should always be putting herself last, so prioritizing their own needs can feel uncomfortable or wrong,” DelNero says.  

Smith fell into exactly that trap. “I started to feel overwhelmed and the first thing that went was my self-care,” she says. “I was finding myself having chronic pain and insomnia from not being able to care for myself.” Ultimately, she says finding self-compassion was as important to her ability to recover from burnout as finding a better work-life balance. 

Self-care is family care and child care, says Loo. “When you’re doing well, you show up more present and emotionally available for everyone else in your life.” 

In fact, research shows that parental stress can lead to behavioral and emotional problems in their kids, according to a 2024 systematic review. 

“Children tend to do best when their caregivers are regulated, emotionally available and not running on empty,” points out DelNero. “Additionally, when a child sees a parent rest, set limits and care for themselves, they are getting the message that their needs matter too.”

A final word on working mom burnout

Working mom burnout doesn’t happen because mothers are failing to manage their time or expectations; it happens when the demands placed on them exceed what any one person can realistically sustain. While individual strategies like setting boundaries, asking for help and creating small moments of rest can make a meaningful difference, they can’t fully compensate for the broader structural pressures many families face.

Recognizing burnout for what it is — a signal that something in the system isn’t working — can help mothers approach the problem with more self-compassion. And leaning on community can also keep moms from feeling alone. But it’s also essential for more workplaces and policymakers to address the root causes that make burnout so common in the first place.

In short, burnout isn’t a sign that you’re doing something wrong. As Erenberg concludes, “It’s important for mothers to recognize that wanting both family connection and professional ambition is not unreasonable. That desire isn’t the problem; the lack of support around it is.”