Mothering is one job role you can’t take a break from. Even if you are away from your children, you are still a mum and have responsibilities 24/7. It is easy to feel pressure as a mum, and sometimes you can get so over-worked trying to be the best mum you can be that you can put yourself at risk of suffering a mental or physical collapse. It’s known as ‘mum burn-out’ and it isn’t healthy for you or your family.

To help you avoid mum burn-out happening to you, we’ve come up with five quick tips so you can stay happy and healthy as a mum.

1. Don’t over commit

Have you offered to bake a cake for a friend’s birthday, attend the school assembly, volunteer at the school and clean the house, all over the course of one day? By taking on too many commitments, it is easy to feel exhausted and this can sometimes lead to burnout.

Don’t feel you have to be a Super Mum and do it all – in fact, doing less and putting your whole heart into everything you do will make you a better mum. Why? Because you’ll be happier and healthier for it!

2. Spend less time commuting

Do you feel like you’re continuously in your car, driving your children places? Try and cut down on all this commuting by enrolling your kids in classes, sports activities and schools that are close to home.

For regular commutes, why not ask around and see if you can carpool with other mums to help share the driving each week? It’s good for you and your family – and it’s better for the environment too.

The less time you spend in the car, the more quality time you can spend with your children.

3. Schedule in some downtime

All mums need a break at some point, or they risk facing breaking point. Schedule in some downtime just for you, doing something you love. You might take some time out to be pampered and get your nails done or have a home massage - or maybe enrol in an art class or another hobby you’d like to do regularly.

Remember – looking after yourself is looking after your children, as it’ll make you a better mum to be around.

4. Be flexible with your plans.

If you try and run everything to a tight schedule, it can be very stressful when things don’t go to plan. Try and give yourself ample time to get places and have a back-up in place for when things don’t go the way you expected them to.

With these things in place, you’ll feel more confident about being a mum and you won’t be kicking yourself if you’re late for an appointment once in a while.

5. Outsource some chores

Do you feel as though you spend endless hours on housework? Why not outsource some of these chores? Especially if you’re a working mum, it can be difficult to find the time to do simple chores, such as cleaning the house or grocery shopping. See if you can hire a cleaner, and, even if you can’t afford one each week, a fortnightly clean will still be a positive help. Ask your husband or partner to take it in turns with you to do the shopping or order your groceries online if you don’t have time to pop out to the shops.

Taking some of these household chores off your plate can decrease your stress factor dramatically and help you to avoid burn-out.

There are always solutions to find ways to lessen your load – and your stress.  Hopefully these quick tips give you the chance to step back and reflect on your role as a mum in a positive way. We all want to be the best mums we can, but remember that, sometimes, by doing less, we can actually achieve more.

Kristen is a mum of two boys and a community manager for Blys, an online service that brings massages to your home in an hour. Blys is available in Sydney & Melbourne, 7 days a week, from 8am to midnight.