9 Signs Your Body is Begging for a Break

Are you showing these signs your body is begging for a break? Better question: are you listening to your body? Today we’re talking about burn out, self care, and how to advocate for ourselves.

Signs Your Body Is Begging For a Break

This episode is from The Realistic Nutrition Podcast. You can listen by clicking the soundbite above or subscribe and have the episodes come to you when they’re fresh and new!

So how do you know when your body needs a break?

Honestly, if you’re asking that question chances are you need the break. I’ll dive into it more in this blog post.

How “balance” can be really unattainable when it comes to our professional lives vs personal lives.

I personally don’t believe in balance. I don’t feel there is a true attainable level for it.

I’m either serving my business and feel like I’m failing as a mother or I’m spending time with my family and enjoying myself and feeling like I’m failing my business.

It’s never a win. So I figure that there isn’t a true evenness, sometimes certain things fall.

If I’m winning at both my business and my family life, guaranteed my house is a disaster.

I feel pressured by social media to be the perfect mom, and I can feel like a failure. That’s my truth right there.

Signs our bodies are begging us for a break.

1. You’re tired all the time and you feel run down. Does it feel like you need to sleep all the time? Rest up. Take a break. I know it’s easier said than done, but take a few days off from your workouts and dive into some self-care.
   
2. You’re irritable and grumpy. Snapping on the kids and husbands? I think it’s time to chill and take time for you.
   
3. Skipping your period? Take a look at your training schedules and stress levels.
   
4. You’re super hungry, or you’re not hungry at all. If you’re super hungry, your body can’t keep up. Your body is working hard to keep you fueled and your brain fueled but you’re working too much. Cortisol (stress hormone) can stimulate your hunger levels. Or your body can just shut down and not want food. Your body is smart!
   
5. You’re sick. When you’re sick it’s time for your body to rest and heal. When we’re going through something stressful, we tend to get sick after. This is because stress can suppress our immune system (source).
   
6. You keep getting injured. Chronic wear and tear with workouts, if you find you’re getting injured over and over. It’s time to take a break and don’t work through the pain. Rest is integral to your physical fitness.
   
7. You have a sore jaw. If you’re like me, you’re a clencher. I know when my jaw gets sore, my body is giving me a sign that I need to breathe and rest.
   
8. Your urine is dark. Dehydration is a sign you need a break. Drink up! Here’s how to get more water into your day.
   
9. Brain fog. We hear about “mommy brain” all the time, but you guys – it means you’re tired. I said it before and I’ll say it again – rest.

Not only are these signs that your body needs a break, but I highly recommend you go and speak to your doctor. Get blood work on and make sure there is nothing more to these signs.

How to overcome mom burnout

Setting boundaries is the key to overcoming burnout. Setting boundaries for yourself, how you’re treated, and how much you can get done in a day.

Give yourself some grace! It’s not going to come over night.

Ask for help. As women, we seem to have a hard time asking for help. This is something we truly need to get over. You can’t do all the things (and shouldn’t be required to). This also falls under asking our partners for help. Parenting should be split in half and as women, we tend to let that slide because it’s not how we were raised. It’s their children too, it’s their house too, it’s their dinner too. Share the responsibility.

Self care. We will dive in that in a minute.

Self care routines and our pick-me-ups this week

Self care doesn’t always mean a bubble bath to relax. It isn’t a hot shower (that’s basic need). Here are some self care ideas.

• Window shop at the mall without the kids
• Manicures (professional or DIY)
• Take a walk (even if it’s with the kids, pop them in the stroller and listen to your favorite podcast)
• Do something that fills up your cup, makes you happy, and don’t feel bad about it.
• Unfollow accounts on social media that make you feel bad about yourself.
• Learn how to meal plan and get organized for the week. (Join my meal planning workshop here.)

Here are more self care ideas.