268. A deep dive on parental burnout: What it is, why it happens, and how to overcome it

A deep dive on combating parental burnout to start off 2025 with more balance.

In this episode I dive deep into…

- Understanding what parental burnout actually is and how it is different from regular “stress” in parenthood?

- The pros and cons of the rise of the “Parenting Industrial Complex.”

- The output/input formula that will inevitably lead to depletion, and why parents of sensitive children are more susceptible to an imbalance in this equation.

- An exercise you can use to address (and flip!) your personal output/input equation to create more balance for yourself.

- Taking a Family-Systems approach to addressing and treating parental burnout.

- How parental burnout can impact the parent-child relationship, leading to more dysregulated behaviors from our kids, us losing our cool, and creating a self-perpetuating negative feedback loop.

- Why traditional self-care strategies don’t work for combatting parental burnout, and my recommendations for practical, realistic, and attainable strategies that actually do!

LEARN MORE ABOUT DR. SARAH BREN:

https://drsarahbren.com/

FOLLOW DR. SARAH ON INSTAGRAM:

@drsarahbren

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

• The Surgeon General Report: Parental Mental Health & Well-Being 

• In one study, Parents whose children experienced anxiety or ADHD had two to four times higher risk of experiencing parental burnout (anxiety: OR, 2.54; ADHD: OR, 4.41) compared with those whose children had no anxiety or ADHD. [1]

• Addressing systemic problems with Raena Boston, Lauren Smith Brody, and Alexis Barad-Cutler

• Encouraging your child to engage in independent play

CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:

🎧 Quit the never-ending to-do list: How to find balance in the home, at work, and in parenthood with Chelsi Jo

🎧 Is fun the antidote to burnout? How play could be the key to mental health and well-being with Dr. Mike Rucker