Mom Burnout Is Real and I’m Running on Vibes and Coffee

Kattie Muniz
4 days ago
4 min read

Let’s be honest: motherhood is a full-time job with no vacation days, no sick leave, and the pay? Well, let's just say it's compensated in sticky hugs and unsolicited advice. Enter mom burnout — the uninvited guest that crashes your mental space, drains your energy, and makes you question if showering is a luxury or a necessity.

Some days, I genuinely wonder if my soul is powered solely by caffeine and chaos. If you’ve ever made a grocery list while your toddler was yelling at you about the ethical implications of cutting their sandwich wrong, then congratulations: you might be one meltdown away from official burnout territory.

The caffeine chronicles: Surviving on vibes and coffee

If coffee were a love language, moms would be fluent. It's the silent partner in our daily chaos, the warm hug in a mug that says, "You've got this," even when everything else is screaming, "You don't." But when your third cup of joe is the only thing keeping you from a full-blown meltdown, it's time to acknowledge the signs of mom burnout.

Look, I'm the first one to de-influence you about the impact of caffeine. I don't need hate speech against caffeine. But the truth is, coffee does mask the exhaustion and doesn't actually help us in the end.

Us millennial moms have fully immersed ourselves in this hustle culture and what's funny is, even the holistic, homeopathic moms are still hustling.

When the line between tired and numb blurs, it’s not just about needing rest—it’s about needing relief, support, and actual boundaries.

The stats don't lie: Mom burnout by the numbers

93% of mothers admitted to experiencing burnout due to feeling unseen and underappreciated.
39% of moms report having less than an hour of personal time a day.
49% of mid- to high-income working moms say they’ve hit burnout recently.

These aren’t just random numbers. These are our lives. These are the moms crying in their parked cars, hiding in the bathroom for five minutes of peace, and wondering why they feel so alone when surrounded by tiny people all day long.

What these stats tell us is that mom burnout isn’t about being “bad at balance.” It’s about a system that glorifies over-functioning and labels asking for help as weakness. We’re expected to carry it all — and smile through it. The result? Chronic fatigue, emotional depletion, and a generation of moms quietly running on fumes.

The mental load: More than just a buzzword

Beyond the physical exhaustion lies the mental load — the invisible checklist that never ends. Remembering doctor's appointments, organizing playdates, managing household chores, and ensuring everyone's emotional well-being. It's a relentless cycle that leaves little room for self-care, leading straight to the heart of mom burnout.

It’s also the reason you feel like your brain is 47 tabs open with music playing somewhere. Moms aren’t just tired — we’re mentally maxed out. And no, your partner asking, “Did you remind me about that thing?” isn’t help. It’s just one more thing to manage. The weight of managing a household while appearing “fine” is heavy — and we shouldn’t have to carry it alone.

Recognizing the Red Flags

Mom burnout doesn't announce its arrival with fireworks. It creeps in subtly:

Constant fatigue, even after a full night’s sleep.
Snapping at your kids for minor things.
Feeling emotionally numb or unmotivated.
Wondering if this is just what motherhood feels like forever.

If you feel like you’re going through the motions but not actually living, you’re not broken — you’re burnt out. And the worst part is, society has conditioned us to normalize this. We brush it off with jokes and memes, but the exhaustion is real, and so is the damage it does to our joy and mental health.

Strategies to combat mom burnout

Set boundaries: Saying no is an act of self-preservation, not guilt.
Seek support: Whether it’s therapy, mom groups, or texting a friend, connection is vital.
Schedule "me time": Even 15 minutes to read or scroll in peace counts.
Get professional help: Therapy is not a luxury — it’s healthcare.

Also, let’s normalize asking your partner to take the kids without needing to fake an emergency.

I'm going to say this one more time:

YOUR PARTNER IS THEIR DAD!

Let’s normalize canceling plans, skipping laundry, and choosing yourself for once. Because the only way we survive this motherhood marathon is by pacing ourselves — and occasionally hiding in the pantry with snacks.

Building a supportive community

Isolation makes everything worse. Finding other moms who get it — who’ve also cried at school pickup or forgot about pajama day — is healing. That’s why community is key to fighting mom burnout. Whether it's finding other moms at a park and talking to them, finding events online, or simply walking over to your neighbor for 5 minutes. That’s gold.

Even one conversation where someone says, “Me too,” can pull you out of that pit of loneliness. And yes, it takes effort to get dressed, pack the diaper bag, and show up — but showing up for yourself matters too. You can’t pour from an empty coffee cup. (Though we’ve all tried.)

Mom burnout is not your fault. It’s not a personal failure or a lack of gratitude. It’s what happens when you give 100% every day without refilling your own tank. It’s what happens when we glorify being “supermom” and forget that even superheroes take off the cape sometimes.

So take the nap. Leave the dishes. Text the friend. Say no to the extra volunteer duty. And say yes to anything that brings you back to yourself. You deserve more than survival mode.