• On Good Things Utah this morning – Burnout is a well-known consequence of working too hard for too long at your job. Did you know, though, that parenting can cause a similar — but less obvious — problem called “rust out” that’s no less dangerous to your mental health?
    • There is so much joy associated with parenthood. Your heart might’ve fluttered when they smiled — really smiled — for the first time. When they first ate avocado with those new teeth, you might have danced with delight across the kitchen! And who could forget all those baby snuggles? But along with the sweet moments comes a never-ending cycle of bath times, bedtimes, and cleaning up little socks from under the sofa. And sometimes, being a parent leaves you feeling kind of … empty. This is not to say you don’t love your kid to the moon and back. It’s possible your enthusiasm for parenthood as a whole seems to be flattening out, and you might not be sure why.
  • Losing your parenting mojo is an insidious and stagnating problem — hence the term “rust-out” rather than the hotter, faster “burnout” — and during these periods a lack of challenge or excitement in a life too focused on your kids can lead to depression. You slowly lose your enthusiasm for what you do every day, without really knowing that it’s happening. Often it’s because you feel undervalued, or because your day-to-day responsibilities feel monotonous. From a parenting perspective, this super-blah feeling is sometimes referred to as depleted parent syndrome. “I call it ‘slow fade,'” says Brenna Hicks, Ph.D., a licensed therapist and parenting coach in Tampa Bay, Florida and creator of The Kid Counselor blog. Over time, boredom and repetition in your mom or dad life can grow into full-blown apathy that you just can’t shake. This can not only cause mood problems, but also lead to thrill-seeking activities in other aspects of your life that are not in the best interest of you, or your kids. Researchers from Belgium also found that emotionally exhausted parents tend to become inefficient in taking care of their family’s needs, and also start to emotionally distance themselves from their kids. Additional studies indicate indicate that the problem may affect at least 5% of parents in the US and Europe. That might sound like a low number, but it’s really impactful. Slow-fading as a parent affects your sense of self as a whole person — you can’t give yourself what you need if you’re losing who you are, which is completely different than feeling momentarily frustrated as a parent. To read more click here: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/a43413088/rust-out-for-parents/ or tune into a Monday edition of Good Things Utah!