Working Mom Burnout: How to Overcome it in 7 Simple Steps

Being a working mom is HARD, and juggling your career, family, and personal time can feel impossible. You feel like you’re always behind, always exhausted, and always letting someone down.

But working mom burnout isn’t inevitable.

With the right tools and systems, you can take control of your time, protect your energy, and show up as your best self—at home and at work.

I’ve personally avoided burnout as a working mom using the strategies we teach inside the Lifehack Tribe—and I’ve seen our clients transform their lives using them too.

Let’s walk through exactly how to do it.

💡Key takeaways:

• 81% of working moms are burned out—and they’re 28% more likely to burn out than dads
• Burnout shows up as physical exhaustion, emotional detachment, and constant overwhelm
• You can overcome burnout by prioritizing self-care, setting boundaries, planning ahead, and building supportive systems

Steps to beat working mom burnout: 

1. Prioritize yourself
2. Set boundaries
3. Get support
4. Partner with your spouse
5. Master weekly planning
6. Create systems
7. Learn how to prioritize

Let’s start from the beginning…

What is working mom burnout? What science says 

Working mom burnout isn’t just being tired—it’s a state of chronic physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and overwhelming responsibilities. 

It’s fueled by: 

• The “double shift”: Studies show moms work the equivalent of 2.5 full-time jobs when combining paid work and unpaid family responsibilities
• Unequal division of childcare and household labor: Even in dual-income households, women typically handle 65% more of child-related tasks
• Higher workplace stressors: Including wage gaps, promotion biases, and the “motherhood penalty”
• Impossible societal expectations: The pressure to excel professionally while being fully present for every moment of your children’s lives

Working mom burnout statistics

• 49% of mid- to high-income working mothers experience burnout
• 51% report feeling stressed and 42% say their job has a negative impact on their mental health
• Working moms are 28% more likely to experience burnout than working dads
• The average working mom spends 98 hours a week on work and childcare-related activities 

But with the right strategies, you CAN find balance.

First, let’s discuss what working mom burnout looks like.

What are the symptoms of working mom burnout? 

Before we get to solutions, let’s identify what burnout actually feels like. Working mom burnout builds gradually, making it easy to miss until you’re deep in it.

You might be experiencing burnout if you notice:

1. Physical exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix: Feeling constantly drained, regardless of how much rest you get
2. Emotional volatility: Snapping at your kids, partner, or coworkers over small things
3. Reduced patience and increased irritability: Your fuse is shorter than it used to be
4. Emotional numbness or detachment: Feeling disconnected from your family or work
5. Decreased productivity and focus: Tasks that used to be easy now feel impossible
6. Chronic anxiety or dread: Feeling constantly worried or overwhelmed
7. Self-doubt and inadequacy: The persistent feeling that you’re failing as both a mom and professional

Perhaps the most painful symptom? The overwhelming guilt that you’re somehow a “bad mom” for struggling—which you absolutely are not.

While burnout can feel inescapable, I promise it isn’t. Let’s talk about how to break free.

🧡 Note: If you’re experiencing severe burnout with symptoms of depression, please consult your doctor. The strategies below are effective for managing daily stress but aren’t substitutes for professional medical advice.

How to deal with burnout as a working mom? 

These aren’t just theoretical tips—they’re the exact strategies I’ve used to avoid burnout while building a business and raising a family, and they’ve helped hundreds of our clients do the same as business owners, managers, executives, and employees. 

Take our client Alexis, for example. As a business owner, she was stretched so thin she had no time for her daughter’s hobbies. But our 60-Day Lifehack Bootcamp helped her beat burnout, scale her business, and COACH her daughter’s team!

It all starts with prioritizing you.

1. Prioritize self-care (even when it feels impossible)

I see too many working moms push self-care to the back burner, assuming they’ll get to it “someday.” That day never comes.

I get it. There’s always something to be done, and making time for yourself feels indulgent.

But here’s the truth: Self-care is strategic.

It’s the oxygen mask principle—you can’t help anyone if you’re running on empty.

The key is finding what genuinely recharges you. For me, it’s a weekly pedicure every Friday afternoon—my sacred transition from work to weekend.

Effective self-care can be very simple: 

• Take five deep breaths in the shower
• Spend 10 minutes with a book during lunch instead of scrolling
• Go for a 15-minute walk alone around the block
• Practice 5 minutes of meditation before bed

Learn more about effective self-care in this quick video:

But getting to a point where you can prioritize yourself requires you to set strong boundaries. Let’s look at those next. 

2. Set boundaries that protect your energy

As moms, we often feel like we have to say yes to everything. But without boundaries and saying no, we end up struggling to manage stress and burn out.

Setting boundaries feels uncomfortable at first—I know because I struggled with it too. 

When I first started practicing boundaries, I worried people would think I was selfish. But instead, I found my relationships improved and I felt more aligned with how I spent my time. 

Because every “yes” is a “no” to something else. And ultimately, boundaries teach others how to treat you.

Start small by:

• Communicating clear work hours to your family and colleagues—and sticking to them
• Scheduling personal time in your calendar with the same commitment as a client meeting
• Practicing saying “no” to commitments that drain more than they give
• Creating tech boundaries like no-phone zones or times

Not sure how to say “no”? Here’s how: 

3. Build a support system

The most dangerous lie working moms believe? That we should be able to do it all alone.

Unless you’re literally the only person who can complete a specific task, hand it off.

I know it’s hard—I resisted asking for help for years. I thought it meant I was failing, or that no one could do things “my way.”

But here’s what I learned: Getting help isn’t a weakness. It’s the key to balance, both at work and at home.

Get support in three key areas:

At work:

• Identify tasks that don’t require your unique skills and delegate them
• Use a virtual assistant for admin work, email management, or research
• Talk openly with your manager about workload and priorities

At home:

• Have direct conversations with your partner about equitable distribution of household labor
• Assign age-appropriate chores to children (even young kids can help)
• Create a family calendar system where everyone can see shared responsibilities

In your community:

• Join groups like the Lifehack Tribe where you’ll find accountability and understanding
• Consider professional counseling for personalized support
• Build reciprocal childcare arrangements with other parents

For example: Sabrina, a single mom who joined our 60-Day Bootcamp, was trying to handle everything herself as a new entrepreneur. She discovered that accountability was what she needed to get a lot more done and spend quality time with her son. 

Hear about her experience in this video:

Finally, consider what you can outsource: 

• Grocery delivery services
• Meal preparation or meal kit services
• House cleaning (even monthly helps)
• Laundry services
• Childcare (including mother’s helpers)

I’ll share the best tasks I’ve EVER outsourced in this video:

4. Partner effectively with your spouse

If you have a partner, balancing work and family should be a team effort—but many working moms carry an uneven load.

Studies show that even when both parents work full-time, moms typically handle significantly more childcare and household responsibilities.

The solution starts with honest conversations:

• Share your experience without blame or accusations
• Be specific about needs rather than general complaints
• Focus on partnership rather than scorekeeping
• Express appreciation for contributions, however small
• Revisit arrangements regularly as circumstances change

For my husband Demir and me, creating an equitable partnership has been an ongoing process. We’ve learned to work together as parents and business partners through clear communication and mutual respect.

When both partners feel heard and valued, the entire family benefits.

Next, let’s look at something that will make all the difference for your productivity and time management.  

5. Master weekly planning (the Lifehack Method way)

One of the key reasons I’ve avoided working mom burnout is because I never start my week unprepared.

I use our five-step Winning the Week Method to stay on top of everything without getting overwhelmed:

1. Review last week — What worked? What didn’t? What needs to change?
2. Set intention and goals — Focus on 1-3 priorities that truly matter
3. Break down and prioritize tasks — Separate urgent from important
4. Calendarize everything — We use Google Calendar and Asana to track both work and family commitments
5. Review and adjust — Build in flexibility for the unexpected

This system creates clarity and prevents the constant mental load of remembering everything.

You can get started TODAY with our FREE Win the Week Worksheet:

But even the best plans get interrupted by sick kids, work emergencies, or life surprises.

That’s why I recommend planning for the unexpected by adding buffer time to your calendar. When something inevitably goes off-track, you have the margin to handle it without derailing your entire week.

See how I plan my week in this video:

6. Create “set it and forget it” systems (for home and for work)

The less mental energy you spend on routine tasks, the more you have for what truly matters.

That’s why Demir and I have built “set it and forget it” systems for both our business and family life.

For example:

• We have clearly defined daily chores so there’s no confusion about responsibilities
• Our recurring services (dog walker, house cleaner, food prep) come at the same times each week
• We use Asana to track everything from bill payments to school events
• We automate as many household tasks as possible (subscription deliveries, bill payments, and so on)

These systems eliminate the mental load of remembering and renegotiating responsibilities.

Hear more about our family systems in this video:

7. Learn how to prioritize the right tasks

Most working moms try to do everything. 

But instead of spreading yourself thin, learn to prioritize strategically.

I use the 1:4:5 method for my daily to-do lists:

• 1 “big rock” task — The most important thing I’ll tackle when my energy is highest
• 4 medium tasks — Important but less intensive items
• 5 small tasks — Quick wins that can be done in minutes

By tackling your big rock first, you guarantee progress on what matters most. Even if your day goes sideways afterward, you’ve still moved the needle on something significant.

This approach prevents the burnout cycle of working frantically all day yet feeling like you accomplished nothing.

See how I structure my day as a working mom in this video:

How this working mom went from burned out to never missing her daughter’s water polo games

Alexis, a small business owner, and mom of three who came to us completely overwhelmed.

She had recently taken over a franchise business with little structure, was working around the clock, and had no time for what mattered most (her children). 

Through our 60-Day Lifehack Bootcamp, she implemented the exact strategies I’ve shared with you. The results?

• She restructured her business to run more efficiently with less of her direct involvement 
• She not only attended her daughter’s games but became the team’s assistant coach
• Her business is now the #1 business in its category – in the world!

The transformation wasn’t about working harder—it was about working smarter and aligning her time with her true priorities.

Want to achieve balance, get more done, and enjoy life? 

So, those are the best strategies for fighting working mom burnout and showing up as your best self every day.

With strategic systems, boundaries, and support, you can create a life that energizes rather than depletes you.

Want to take the easiest step to getting started?

Download our FREE Win the Week worksheet for your most productive, stress-free week yet. It’s our weekly planner that shows you exactly how to use your week in the most productive way possible – and save 10+ hours every week. 

Read more:

Time Management Strategies for Busy Working Moms

Business Owner Burnout: How to avoid it & recovery

How to Manage Your Time as a Coach