Tired Mommy Diagnosis: “Ya Doing Too Much” Syndrome

Do you ever have days when you feel like you are going to mentally explode?  Where the to-do list is so daunting you become paralyzed with inaction? You may not be able to place your finger on the exact term to describe it but I have found one: YaDoinTooMuch Syndrome. It disproportionately affects moms because of our super human powers to keep multiple balls in the air, but even the greatest super heroes have their moments of weakness.

We ALL know the symptoms:

  1. Fatigue
  2. Irritability (towards partners/husbands and kids)
  3. Feeling overwhelmed
  4. Juggling multiple incomplete “Pet Projects”
 You may be thinking “Nicole, this is how I feel ALL the time.”  True! But what’s unique about YaDoinTooMuch Syndrome is that you mentally and physically feel like “yep I overdid it.” You feel like you are at the point of no return and literally want someone to rescue you from the mounting to-do list. You physically and mentally can’t do anymore and you do not know how to say “enough is enough”

Multiple Causes:

  1. Trying to be super mom to your kids
  2. Not holding your husband/partner accountable for their fair share of to helping maintain the house
  3. Not knowing when to say “No” and not recognizing your own personal limits
  4. Biting off more than you can chew
  5. Having a warped view of reality and the true number of hours available in a day
  6. Not having grace with yourself enough to be perfectly imperfect
I self-diagnose myself with YaDoinTooMuch Syndrome AT LEAST once a month. During my latest bout with the illness, my husband and I spent a weekend hosting a 5 year-old birthday party, an adult-only movie night, AND an investment club meeting all in the same weekend. WHO DOES THAT? —ME!
Since you can’t turn off being Mommy we have to recognize when we are dealing with a YaDoinTooMuch Syndrome and get in front of it.

How to tackle random bouts of YaDoinTooMuch Syndrome:

  1. Slow the hell down!  We are not in a race with anyone but ourselves. No one is tracking how much you get accomplished in a day
  2. Be intentional about your sleep! Being a mom will always be one of the hardest jobs in the world, but we can’t be the best moms we can be if we are dead dog-tired. Go to bed on time to shoot for 7 hours of sleep and celebrate when you get a solid 6.5 without a random “Mommy I had a nightmare” waking you up in the middle of the night.
  3. Don’t make your kids be as over-committed as you are. They do not need to be in every club. You don’t need to live vicariously through them for experiences you did (or missed as a child) because the busier they are the busier you will be!
  4. Become more mindful of your me-time so that the recovery of YaDoinTooMuch Syndrome is that much faster since you are being self aware.
 There you have it!  A four step action plan to combat and heal yourself from the occasional bout of YaDoinTooMuch Syndrome.
#EveryMomNeedsAMommyBreak
About the author:
Nicole is a working mom living in the big city with her two beautiful children and husband. She recently added the title “Mommy Blogger” with the launch of her blog The Mommy Break Project. Her mission is to be intentional about putting herself first for an entire year, at least once a week (that’s 52 mommy breaks) so that she can achieve the perpetual state of “happy mommy.” She hopes that her journey inspires moms to do whatever they need to do to be their best mommy! When she is not busy being a mom, wife, and blogger, she enjoys entertaining, reading and knitting. Follow Nicole and her journey @ The Mommy Project. You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram, or hit her up on Twitter @MomBreakProj.

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One Comment

  1. Hey Nicole! This blog rings true for me! I know that I’m definitely a member of the YaDoinTooMuch syndrome as most moms do. It’s almost addictive because I when I have a down day (which is very far and few between), I feel like I’m not doing enough. It’s so easy to forget to take time out for ourselves because we feel responsible for everyone else. Thank you for reminding me to take some time out for me!

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