My best guess is it’s all the things.
It’s the struggle to feel seen, productive, it’s the constant worry you are doing something wrong, it’s the unending need for more and more patience, it’s the lack of understanding from those that aren’t living the same life, and the severe lack of societal appreciation for the effort and talent it takes to run a home well.
It could be the long hours with few real mental or physical breaks. It might be the guilt you have for expressing anything but gratitude for your job; even though in other roles it’s okay to love what you are doing and also get worn out from it sometimes too.
It’s possible that the break-neck pace of keeping up with kids all day long may leave you mentally and physically depleted and more susceptible to mental illness. These are just a few of my guesses… even acknowledging all the ways the job isn’t easy, the guilt for not loving every moment at home with my kids with perfection is still real and relentless.
Let’s explore what anxiety and depression looks like and how we can overcome as stay-at-home parents.
What Is Stay-at-Home-Mom Depression?
According to Parents.com about 27% of moms choose to stay home with their children and about 25% of these Moms report feelings of loneliness, isolation, loss of purpose which has come to be known as Stay-at-Home-Mom Depression.
Some other “signs or symptoms” of SAHM Depression are feelings of sadness, stress, anger, and persistent worry. Generally, just experiencing less happy emotions than your working counterparts.
Many moms feel concerned about sharing their struggles with these negative feelings (me included) because the cultural idea that being a SAHM is a “gift” or “easy job” has made reconciling feelings of anxiety and depression difficult.
Not to mention the mountains of media on Instagram and Pinterest that paint only joyful and perfected pictures around what stay-at-home-parenting should look like.
It can be easy to feel like you are just doing this thing wrong if you don’t wake up every day with a motherly spring in your step and are unable to daily dress your children in matching clothing.
Honestly, it can really just feel like the world doesn’t get it. But I do, other SAHM's do, and most importantly God does.
Here are 4 ways to overcome SAHM depression.
Photo Credit: ©tatyana_tomsickova