Let’s be clear, Motherhood is sacred. Life-giving. Purpose-filled. Soul-shaping.
And…It’s exhausting, infuriating, overstimulating, and not even a little bit fun most days.
If you’re wondering how to cope when motherhood is overwhelming, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. You’re just living the reality no one puts on greeting cards.
Here are 3 real truths I’m owning this Mother’s Day—and if you’re a mama, I bet you’ve felt at least one of these in your soul:
1. All I Want for Mother’s Day Is to Not Be a Mother.
I love my kids. I adore the 3 humans I’ve helped raise. I love the late-night talks, the deep belly laughs, the privilege of watching them grow.
But when asked that dreadful question of What do you want to do for Mother’s Day…The only thing I want is to be left alone for 24 hours. Silence. Solitude. To not be touched, needed, or distracted.
You can keep your homemade cards and flowers. Give me a hotel room, a giant robe, takeout, and no one calling my name for anything.
Want to know how to cope when motherhood is overwhelming? Give yourself permission to want a break without guilt. You’re not selfish. You’re human. You’re allowed to want rest. You’re allowed to not want to be “on” all the time.
2. Being a Mother Is Not Fun (And I Love My Kids).
Motherhood isn’t fun. It’s not a party. It’s not a Pinterest board. It’s definitely not the curated highlight reel on Instagram.
It’s early morning meltdowns over the toast being too burnt. It’s pretending to care about playground drama at 8:47pm. It’s watching them make poor decisions and having no real control. It’s the emotional load of trying not to traumatize them… while realizing just how traumatized you are.
How to cope when motherhood is overwhelming? Start by separating the role from the relationship.
You can love your child and hate the job most days. You can cherish your bond and still find the work of motherhood boring, frustrating, and soul-draining. You can love the little human and still fantasize about living alone in the woods with good Wi-Fi, the smuttiest of smut and all the snacks to yourself.
3. You Can Love Motherhood and Miss Who You Were Before. And who you’ll be after.
I’m proud of who I’ve become through motherhood. I’m dope as hell and I know I wouldn’t be here without my kids or my husband. Still, sometimes, I miss the woman I was before and dream about the woman I’ll be after.
I miss spontaneous nights out, eating without sharing, and silence that lasts for days. I dream of sexy vacations, getting lost in a book for days and quiet mornings as the sun rises.
That doesn’t make me a bad mom. It makes me a whole-ass human.
How to cope when motherhood is overwhelming? Embrace the whole role—not just the parts the world says are acceptable. The messy, mundane, magical, maddening parts. The parts you laugh at. The parts you cry through. The parts you hide. The parts you celebrate.
You’re allowed to want your identity. Your dreams. Your quiet. You’re allowed to be a woman and a mother, not just a vessel of sacrifice.
Final Thoughts (Before I Go Back to Daily Body Invasions)
This Mother’s Day, let’s normalize it all: The deep love. The deep fatigue. The longing for alone time. The craving for meaning, magic, and a moment of damn peace.
If you’ve ever whispered “I love you” to your child, while secretly imagining what it’d be like to check into a spa alone for three days—welcome. You’re in the right place.
How to cope when motherhood is overwhelming? You let go of the pressure to love every second. You laugh when you can. You cry when you need to. And you remind yourself: you’re doing a damn good job.
Happy Mother’s Day, Rebel Mama. You deserve every bit of love—especially from yourself.
Comment below, What are you wishing for this Mother’s Day?
Lots of love and rebellion… Talk soon, stay grounded.
