10 Ways to Get out of Mom Funk (When Your Feeling Overwhelmed)

Mom Funk: A mood felt by mothers. Overwhelm, stress, sadness, anxiety, and frustration are all common symptoms.

Mommy Burnout: The emotional and physical exhaustion that you feel from the chronic stress of parenting. It’s feeling like you’re over your kid sometimes,” Dr. Sheryl Ziegler, TODAY

Avoid Burnout as a Busy Stay at Home Mom

I have been stuck in mom funk for days at a time. I wanted to be left alone, didn’t want to do anything productive and I just wanted to sit in front of the tv with ice cream, candy, and any other junk food I could get my hands on while my house was empty. Does this sound familiar? Sometimes the mom, mommy, mommmmm….whats for dinner? What are we doing today? Where are my shoes? Wheres my water? Can really get to ya. Now don’t get my wrong, I love my kids so so much, but sometimes mamma needs a freakin break!

We all have those days when we can’t get on track with important (and nonimportant) tasks. We have lost motivation, are feeling overwhelmed, debilitated, worn out, guilt, anxiety, and all we want is to feel somewhat productive again! This is what we call mom funk or burnout and it really sucks. Some of us resort to yelling at our kids, eating all the junk in the house, or spending hours scrolling on our phone. Unfortunately, all that does is make us feel guilty and does not fix the problem. If only it was that easy.

The good news is you are not alone. Want more good news? There are ways we CAN improve our moods and become our effective, happy, somewhat sane selves again!

This blog post may contain affiliate links. These don’t cost you anything extra, but they allow me to continue running this site and providing free content for my wonderful community. Thank you for your support!

Stop the Mom Funk and Get Back on Track!

Since us moms are already overwhelmed, I have detailed 10 easy ways to get rid of mom funk. Here’s how…

1. Write It Out

My love for a brain dump runs deep. Writing out everything on my mind and getting it onto paper is my number one go-to anxiety reliever! I do brain dumps daily. Sometimes multiple times a day. It is such an easy way to get everything off your mind and onto paper.

Sometimes the overwhelm I feel as a mom is simply because I have a million things on my mind. Daily chores, activities, home projects, bills, etc.. all weigh on my. Getting it all out on paper definitely takes the weight off my shoulders and gives me the opportunity to assess what is important and what can wait.

2. Breathing Exercises, Meditation, or a Quick Yoga Flow

This one can only take 1 minute! You can do breathing exercises anywhere, on the toilet, washing your hands, putting your shoes on. There are zero excuses for why you can take a few deep breaths!

Equal Breathing Technique:

When you’re on the toilet simply take 3 big deep breaths. A deep breath in through your nose and a slow exhale through your nose. To focus even more on your breath cant to 4 has you inhale and count to 4 again as you exhale through your nose. Adjust the number count as needed to make it comfortable for you.

4-7-8 Breathing Technique:

• Breath in through your nose for a count of 4
• Hold your breath for a count of 7
• Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds (make a whooshing sound as you exhale)
• Repeat up to 4 times

Meditation

When I suggest meditation I don’t mean lying in silence for 20m (if you can great!). I personally like guided meditations that are 1-3m. I really enjoy Meditation Studio for a quick break or to fall asleep at night.

Yoga

If you have more than a few minutes, Boho Beautiful on YouTube is the only yoga I can stick with! They have a large variety of flows, stretches, and meditations that vary in length. Surely to work for any busy mom!

3. Get Outside, Go for a Walk, Get Fresh Air

Natures natural antidepressant! Go outside and be mindful. What do you smell? What do you feel? What do you hear? Is it cold? Warm? Are the birds chirping? Remove yourself from your current overwhelmed mind and be present with nature.

While your outside, endulge in a good audio book! Some libraries offer free downloads, or try out a company like AudioBooksNow.

4. Take a 15-Minute Break

Lay down, scroll on your phone, chat with a friend, vent in a trusted Facebook group (if you need one, I have my Chaos Made Easy Mom Group for this exact purpose!). Take a break to do something that can let your mind rest and reset. BTW you might want to do this locked in a closet/pantry/bathroom to hide from your family 😉

5. Change Tasks and Set a Timer

I know I work better in short increments of time. Setting a timer helps me know there is an end to whatever I am doing if I am feeling overwhelmed.

6. Plan out Your Day/Week/Month

I recently planned out my blog content for the next 3 months and plan out my week every Sunday. Having everything on paper takes it off my mind and frees up space for things like patience. 😉 Check out my post on doing a time audit. This will help you analyze all of your re-occurring to-do’s and get everything scheduled, including the time to rest!

7. Make a To-Do List

I LOVE to-do lists. How do you even function without one??? Haha. But seriously, within my weekly planner, I make a to-do list for each day and add/remove as needed.

8. Talk to a Friend and Vent

It’s okay to complain and have moments of negativity. We are human!

9. Focus on Gratitude

I like to start every morning by just saying “thank you” and taking a deep breath in. I am alive, I have an amazing family, a safe home, etc…

10. Take a Day and Just Be in a Funk

This is some of the best advice my sister has ever given me. When something crappy happens, she always tells me; take a day, be mad/upset, and move on. Allow yourself to feel the feels and be pissed. Give yourself time, and then get back to it the next day!

In Conclusion…Get Out of Your Funk Mama!

As a mom, it can be easy for overwhelm to take over and get into a funk. Losing motivation, feeling major burnout, exhaustion, guilt, anxiety, etc… is, unfortunately, part of the game for our generation of adulting. Is this okay? No. But I do think it is a reality. The good news is, we CAN improve our moods and become our effective, happy, somewhat sane selves again with a few our handy toolbox of self-improvement hacks.

Related Mental Clarity and Productivity Articles

• How to do a Brain Dump for Instant Mental Clarity + FREE Template Download!
• Find Support with the Chaos Made Easy Mom Community Group
• Find Yourself Again After Becoming a Mom

Overcome Mom Overwhelm and Increase Productivity

Join The Busy Moms Getting Stuff Done Community Group!

Looking for more help to manage the chaos mom life brings? Join my FREE Busy Moms Getting Stuff Done Community Group to connect with like-minded moms where we help each other simplify life and get more stuff done!