When Survival Mode Becomes Your 9–5
Burnout doesn’t always look like collapsing in bed and sleeping for twelve hours. Sometimes it looks like showing up every day, on time, with a coffee in your hand and a smile that doesn’t quite reach your eyes.
For single moms, burnout is different. It’s not just about work stress — it’s about the constant juggling act that never lets up. You leave work and head straight into your second shift: cooking dinner, helping with homework, bedtime routines, dishes, laundry, bills. There’s no “clocking out.” There’s no real reset. Just an endless loop of doing.
And here’s the thing about burnout:
- It sneaks up on you. One day you’re powering through, the next you’re staring at your inbox like it’s written in another language.
- It’s not laziness. It’s not weakness. It’s your body and brain saying, “We can’t keep running on fumes.”
- It’s survival mode stretched too thin.
Sometimes I catch myself thinking, If I could just get caught up, I’d be fine. But that’s the trap. Burnout isn’t solved by a weekend off or a bubble bath — it’s systemic. It’s what happens when the load is bigger than one person can reasonably carry.
So if you’re in it right now — if your chest is tight, your patience is gone, your spark feels dim — hear this: you’re not broken. You’re tired. And you’re carrying too much alone.
Burnout doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’ve been showing up relentlessly, even when you needed rest.
Small Ways to Reset Burnout (When You Don’t Have Time for a “Reset”)
1. Micro-breaks over big breaks. You may not be able to take a week off, but you can give yourself ten minutes without your phone, in silence, breathing, or stretching. Little resets keep you from hitting empty.
2. Delegate something — anything. Even if it’s ordering groceries for delivery or letting your kid pour their own cereal. Let go of the idea that you have to do it all.
3. Move your body gently. This isn’t about gym time — it’s about moving stress through. Walk around the block. Dance in your kitchen. Shake it out.
4. Say “no” without guilt. Burnout thrives on overcommitment. Protect your bandwidth like it’s gold.
5. Do one thing that’s just for you. A podcast in the car, a funny show before bed, a book, a walk. It doesn’t have to be productive — it just has to be yours.
Questions to Ask Yourself
- Am I tired, or am I drained? (They’re different.)
- What can I take off my plate this week without the world falling apart?
- Am I asking for help, or am I assuming I can’t?
- If my best friend was feeling this way, what advice would I give her?
- What would rest look like if I didn’t feel guilty about it?
A Podcast Pick for Burnt-Out Moms
“We Can Do Hard Things” by Glennon Doyle — Real, raw, and funny conversations about life, motherhood, mental health, and survival. It feels like listening to a group of women sit around a kitchen table being brutally honest — and sometimes, that’s the exact medicine burnout needs.
Relentless Reminder: Burnout is not weakness. It’s proof that you’ve been carrying too much for too long. You don’t need to be tougher — you need space, support, and rest. And you deserve all three.
The Relentless Motherhood 
I know you have something to say, shoot it to me straight…