Preventing Burnout

Principles

If you’ve stayed tuned to social media this week, you might have heard Chappell Roan’s viral comment about parenting:

“All of my friends who have kids are in hell. I actually don’t know anyone who’s happy and has children at this age…like, a 1-year-old, 3-year-old, 4 and under, 5 and under… I’ve literally not met anyone who’s happy, anyone who has light in their eyes, who has slept.”

There’s a lot to unpack in this quote. If there’s a thread of truth, it’s that parenting can create a perfect storm for burnout. The demands are constant, and the moments to catch your breath can feel few and far between.

The good news? While we can’t eliminate every stressor, we can equip ourselves with strategies to protect our energy and reclaim our sense of self. Here are a few places to start:

• Your Values: When you’re clear on what matters most, it’s easier to make decisions that protect your energy. Reflect on joyful memories, consider the legacy you want to leave, and notice recurring themes. Let those values guide your yeses—and give you permission to say no without guilt.
• Rest: Rest isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. Even when your plate is full, small intentional pauses (what some experts call “micro-moments”) can be deeply restorative. Prioritize sleep, nourishment, and small moments that feed your soul.
• Empathetic Expectations: You don’t have to do everything perfectly. Adjust your expectations to honor the season you’re in. Choose self-compassion over perfectionism, and remember that your best—however it looks today—is enough.
• Social Support: You weren’t meant to do this alone. Be brave enough to reach out—to friends, neighbors, fellow parents—and create space for honest connection. Ask questions that go deeper than small talk: “How are you really doing?” You might be surprised by how many others are quietly craving the same support.

Here’s the hard truth: we live in a society that doesn’t offer enough structural support for parents. Affordable childcare, flexible work policies, and real community care are still far too rare. That’s why it’s so important for parents to fiercely protect their well-being—because the system isn’t doing it for them. Your rest, your joy, your peace—these aren’t indulgences. They’re necessities. And you deserve them. 

A Few Perspectives

New York Times bestselling, award-winning co-authors and sisters, Emily and Amelia Nagoski, on the truth about rest:

It’s true that rest makes us more productive, ultimately, and if that’s an argument that helps you persuade your boss to give you more flexibility, awesome. But we think rest matters not because it makes you more productive, but because it makes you happier and healthier, less grumpy, and more creative. We think rest matters because you matter. You are not here to be “productive.” You are here to be you, to engage with your Something Larger, to move through the world with confidence and joy. And to do that, you require rest.‍

from Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

As Anne Helen Petersen, author of Culture Study, put its, burnout is not a personal failing:

[Burnout] isn’t a personal problem. It’s a societal one—and it will not be cured by productivity apps, or a bullet journal, or face mask skin treatments, or overnight fucking oats.

from Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation

Pause for Reflection

How will you protect your well-being this weekend?

Continue this reflection in the Moment for Parents app.