6 Warning Signs You’re Headed to Burnout as a Nurse Mom

...and what to do about it before it's too late.

As a nurse, you’re trained to watch for early warning signs in your patients. But what happens when the one in need of care is you?

If you’re a mom working in healthcare—balancing shift work, home life, and your calling to care for others—this post is for you. You might be carrying more than you realize, and it’s time to check your own vitals.

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It creeps in slowly, wrapping itself around your mind, body, and spirit until one day… you don’t recognize yourself anymore.

Here are 6 signs you're headed down the path of burnout—and how to start reclaiming your time, peace, and purpose.

1. You’re Exhausted… But Rest Doesn’t Help

You get 6–8 hours of sleep (sometimes), but you still wake up feeling foggy, heavy, and depleted.
This isn’t just physical tiredness—this is soul fatigue.
When your energy doesn’t match your daily demands for too long, your nervous system starts waving the white flag.

2. You’re Irritated… All. The. Time.

You used to enjoy your work. You loved snuggles at bedtime. Now you’re snapping at patients, your kids, your spouse—and yourself.
The guilt hits hard, but the resentment is real.
You feel overstimulated, under-supported, and tapped out.

3. You’re Operating on Autopilot

You're there—but not really.
You forget things constantly.
You zone out mid-task or scroll endlessly just to numb out.
Life feels like one big checklist you’re trying to survive.
This disconnection is a red flag that your soul is running on fumes.

4. You Feel Guilty Taking Care of Yourself

Let’s be real: Christian nurse moms are champions at pouring out.
But when it comes to receiving rest, help, or time alone? You feel selfish.
Friend, even Jesus withdrew to quiet places.
You are not weak for needing a break—you’re wise for recognizing the need to refuel.

5. You’ve Stopped Dreaming

Remember when you used to have passion projects? Hobbies? Vision for the future?
Now it’s just survival mode.
If you’ve stopped dreaming or even hoping—burnout is dangerously close.

6. Your Body Is Speaking—But You’re Not Listening

Nurse, you know the body keeps the score.
Headaches, gut issues, muscle pain, frequent illness…
These physical symptoms are often early alarms that your stress has turned toxic.
Don’t ignore them. They’re holy signals to pause and realign.

✨ You’re Not Broken. You’re Carrying Too Much.

Burnout doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means your body, mind, and spirit are asking for relief.

As someone who has lived through burnout and come out stronger, I want you to know:
There is a way out—and you don’t have to do it alone.

🎯 Take the Quiz: Am I in Burnout?

If you’re nodding along to this post, take the free quiz to assess where you are on the burnout scale.
It’s quick, insightful, and packed with encouragement and next steps based on your results.

👉 Take the Quiz Here