How to Avoid Mom Burnout
Nov 07, 2026Summary
Have you ever been running so hard on the treadmill of motherhood that you suddenly see the edge of a cliff approaching? You think, if I don't hit the brakes right now, I'm going to completely crash and burn! Whether you have barely survived a season of depletion in the past or can just feel your emotional reserves flashing red today, it is a scary place to be. You desperately want to know how to avoid Mom Burnout and set boundaries without feeling like you are failing your family!
In this incredibly practical episode of the Arise Women of God podcast, host Tamara K. Anderson pivots from burnout recovery to burnout prevention. If you think taking time away for yourself is "selfish," we look to the perfect example of Jesus Christ in Luke 5! The Savior routinely walked away from unfinished work and pressing demands to withdraw into the wilderness.
Tamara also unpacks the beautiful biblical principle of "Unharvested Corners" (Leviticus 19) and teaches us how to stop scheduling our days to the absolute edges. Tune in to discover real-mom hacks for micro-naps, find out why laughter actually suppresses cortisol, and learn why seeking out a Christian counselor is an incredible tool to keep you out of the burnout pit for good!
Episode Takeaways
- The Divine Permission to Step Away (Luke 5): Jesus was at the height of His ministry with multitudes pressing in, yet He established firm boundaries. He intentionally withdrew to the wilderness to recharge. You, too, are allowed to say, "Not right now. I need to take care of my physical body." Setting boundaries is Christlike!
- Create Unharvested Corners (Leviticus 19): God commanded the Israelites not to reap to the absolute edges of their fields. As moms, we often schedule our days to the absolute max! Leave unharvested corners in your life by turning off screens an hour before bed and creating margin for peace.
- Laughter Suppresses Cortisol: You have to find ways to laugh! Whether it is a cheesy "dad joke" from your husband or watching funny videos, laughter is a biological release valve that actually lowers your stress hormones.
- Seek Wise Counsel: If you are doing all these things and still feel the wheels coming off, seek professional help! Having a Christian counselor help you untangle your thoughts while keeping you anchored in your faith is one of the best ways to hit the brakes before you crash.
Reflection Questions
- Read Luke 5:15-16. Do you often feel "guilty" for taking a break when the laundry is piled up, and how does the Savior's example change your perspective?
- Look at your schedule this week. Are you harvesting all the way to the edges, or are there "unharvested corners" where you can rest and breathe?
- What is one real-mom hack (like taking a micro-nap in the car or going for an early morning walk with friends) you can implement today to lower your cortisol?
Resources Mentioned
Free Resource: The Mom's Burnout Reset Guide: Trading Survival Mode for Christ-Centered Peace downloadable pdf here: https://www.womenwarriorsoflight.com/the-moms-burnout-reset-guide
Host
Tamara K. Anderson @tamarakanderson
Transcript
https://www.womenwarriorsoflight.com/blog/how-to-avoid-mom-burnout
Tamara K Anderson
00:00:00.480 - 00:12:03.760
Hey my friend, have you ever been running so hard on the treadmill of motherhood that you suddenly see the edge of a cliff approaching and you think, if I don't hit the brakes right now, I'm going to completely crash and burn?
And you think this due to experience because you have either barely survived a season of burnout and are terrified of going back, or or you can feel your physical and emotional reserves flashing red.
This is a scary place to be because you want to know how to set boundaries without feeling like you are failing your family.
Well, stay tuned because by the end of today's episode, you'll know how Jesus established boundaries, how to create unharvested corners in your schedule, and practical real mom ways to lower your stress.
Let's dive in Ordinary Women Extraordinary Faith Walking with Christ we arise God Strong hello and welcome back to the Arise Women of God podcast.
I'm your host, Tamara K. Anderson, and today we are shifting from learning all about burnout to preventing it.
We are talking about how to avoid the burnout cliff altogether.
And as I begin, I want to invite you to listen with your heart and see if you can feel what small tweet God is nudging you to take today.
Here's what we're going to cover in today's episode.
First, the divine permission step away what Luke 5 teaches us about Jesus withdrawing from the multitudes.
Second, my personal real life hacks for sleep, exercise and deep breathing, including my famous mid conversation, my micro naps.
Third, the unharvested corners principle.
How Leviticus 19 gives us the biblical blueprint for turning off screens, keeping our sense of humor, and creating overflow.
Fourth, seeking wise counsel and why bringing Jesus into your professional counseling makes all the difference.
But first, let's begin by looking at the perfect example of avoiding burnout.
When you see burnout approaching, medical articles will tell you to practice self care.
But for a Christian mom, that phrase often induces guilt.
We think, how can I take a break when the laundry is piled up, my kids need me and my husband is working so hard.
Will you look at the verses of Luke, chapter 5, verses 15 and 16 with me?
And this is talking about the Savior.
But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed there.
Jesus was at the height of his ministry.
Multitudes of people were pressing in and they had legitimate needs.
But Jesus established a firm boundary.
He routinely walked away from unfinished work and pressing demands to withdraw and commune with his father to avoid burnout.
You too have to realize that setting boundaries is Christlike.
Jesus intentionally walked away to recharge and you too are allowed to say not right now.
I need to step away and take care of my physical body and depleted soul.
So what does withdrawing look like in modern motherhood?
The Mayo Clinic actually gives some incredible guidelines for lowering cortisol or stress, and I want to share how I put my own real mom spin on them through the years.
First, they recommend starting with the basics, watching what you eat and exercise.
And I totally agree.
But my favorite hack is I have found a group of women in my very neighborhood who I walk with in the early morning.
Not only is the exercise great, but it hits another medical recommendation fostering healthy relationships and friendships.
So talking with women who care about you is therapeutic.
Also, going on dates with your spouse or meeting with friends for lunch helps you return to your to do list with so much more emotional bandwidth.
Second, they say get plenty of sleep Now I know mamas, babies, toddlers and special need kiddos or teens are laughing at this one.
And I have laughed about this one as well because I survived on very little sleep for so many decades and I had to learn to give myself permission to take micro naps whenever possible.
If I hadn't done this through the years, I would never have survived.
My husband still doesn't understand how I can literally fall asleep mid conversation in the car.
But you have to grab rest while you can, right ladies?
Third, let's talk about relaxation exercises.
I have incorporated deep breathing into my frequent drives to the grocery store or running errands.
When I feel anxiety and stress creeping in, I take some deep cleansing breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth like this and verbally remind myself out loud, I am safe, I am happy, I am well.
So take a couple of those deep breaths and remind yourself that you are safe, happy and well.
And finally, journaling.
I love this one prayer and my journal are my venting places.
It really does help to write out what is causing your stress and then give it to God instead of holding it all in.
Another major key to avoiding burnout is creating boundaries in your life.
In Leviticus 19:9, God gave the Israelites an agricultural law when they harvested their fields.
He commanded them not to reap to the absolute corners of their field.
They had to leave a little bit of excess unharvested corners for the weary to find substance.
Mamas, we schedule our lives right up to the absolute edges and we can Also, learn to leave unharvested corners in our days.
How do we do that?
First, turn off screens before we go to sleep.
Give your eyes and your mind a break from the devices for at least an hour before bed.
Leaving a break from social media is an unharvested corner that protects your peace.
Second, take time for hobbies and simple dates or breaks.
Read, listen to music.
Watch a favorite show.
Listen to an audiobook.
I like that one because I often am doing chores while I'm listening to something fun.
My husband and I have also watched several old TV shows together through the years and because it's harder for us to get out with our special needs adult son now, watching those shows still acts as a simple connecting date.
Third, have a sense of humor.
You have to find ways to laugh.
My husband has a magnificent sense of humor, which I have appreciated more and more through the years when we have both been carrying heavy burdens.
It brightens my entire day when he cracks one of his cheesy dad jokes.
But the cool thing is laughter suppresses cortisol.
I remember being in a hospital bed after a terrible car accident over 20 years ago and and asking my husband to bring me something fun to watch.
And believe it or not, we watched the Three Stooges.
I watched the Three Stooges in my hospital room just to give me something to laugh about and something to bring joy in a very difficult circumstance.
And I even had a broken rib and it hurt to laugh, but I needed the laughter release so terribly.
Fourth, remove unneeded tasks.
Organize what needs to get done and prayerfully and unapologetically remove the rest.
You don't have to harvest the whole field.
Oh my friend, when you make boundaries, you have the emotional energy to look at challenges in a new way and change how the stress affects you.
Finally, if you're doing all these things and still feel the wheels coming off of you, one of the absolute best ways to hit the brakes and avoid a total crash is to seek professional counseling.
A good counselor can help you learn specific coping skills to manage your stress and reframe your challenges.
I highly recommend reaching out to someone like my co host on this podcast, Wendy Christensen.
Wende is a Christian Counselor with over 30 years of clinical experience and what I love about Wendy and what I recommend you look for in any therapist is that they bring God into the stress management and the healing process.
Because at the end of the day, psychology is helpful, but Jesus makes everything better.
Having a professional help you untangle your thoughts while keeping you anchored in your faith and is an incredible tool for avoiding burnout.
Oh my dear sister, you do not have to drive yourself over the edge.
You are allowed to take a micronap, you are allowed to step away from the multitudes and you are allowed to laugh at cheesy dad jokes or funny videos.
If you want an unstructured way to start building these boundaries and unharvested corners into your life today, I I invite you to go download our free guide down in the show notes below.
Click the link to download your free copy of the Mom's Burnout Reset Guide.
Inside we walk you through the exact steps to evaluate your schedule, implement the not to do list and establish sustainable Christ centered rhythms that will keep you out of the burnout pit for good.
Grab your free coffee today and start giving yourself some room to breathe again.
Oh my dear friend, your physical and emotional health matters to God.
Our Savior.
Jesus Christ knows exactly what it feels like to be demanded of and he modeled the perfect rhythm of work and rest.
As we close, I invite you to act on one thing that God has whispered on your heart that you can do differently.
Then lean into his grace.
Take a deep breath in the car and know that you are safe, happy and well in his hands.
Thanks for joining us today and until next time.
May you arise, lean on God and do life God Strong.
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It helps us grow and ensures heaven's whispers stay at the top of your feed whenever you need them most.
