Summer is often idealized as a period full of sunny days, relaxed schedules and quality time with family. As a stay-at-home mom, though, the reality is often different. Summer can feel overwhelming, chaotic and lonely all at once.

When you’re spending all your time keeping your kids fed and entertained while trying to find five minutes to yourself, it’s easy to feel like your mental health is taking a back seat. While it can be tempting to ignore your mental health, it’s important to address any symptoms that arise. One person’s mental health affects the whole family. Taking care of yourself can be essential to taking care of those around you as well.

Why summer can be hard on the mental health of stay-at-home moms

Being a stay-at-home mom in general is not easy. A study found that stay-at-home moms are 2.43 times more likely to have depression compared to working moms. Factors that may contribute to this include stress from constant labor and social isolation from other adults. During the summer, these challenges often become more intense. As a stay-at-home mom, most of your self-care time likely comes when your kids are at school. Over the summer, you lose this reprieve. While it can be nice to see your kids more, it can also be exhausting.

Here are a few common challenges stay-at-home moms face when school is out:

• No breaks — When kids are home full-time, your usual breaks will likely disappear. There’s no school drop-off giving you a few quiet hours. No set routines to help organize your day. That nonstop togetherness (while sweet at times!) can also feel exhausting.
• Emotional overload — As a stay-at-home mom, you might be expected to be the snack maker, activity planner, referee, comforter and cleaner all at once. That kind of pressure can lead to emotional burnout. If you’ve ever felt like you’re dissociating or “not really there” during parts of your day, it may be a sign you’re dealing with more stress than your brain can handle.
• Loss of identity — During the summer, you might bury your own needs and feelings to focus on your kids. While you give them all your time, your kids might not always appreciate your help in the moment. This can lead to feeling unwanted or unimportant. When you focus on your kids 24/7, you may have trouble figuring out who you are outside of your role as a mom. In addition to feeling unimportant, you might struggle with existential questions about your identity. Professional mental health support can be key to managing distressing thoughts and feelings.

How a Virtual Partial Hospitalization Program (vPHP) can help stay-at-home moms in the summer

When you notice that you’re feeling anxious or depressed, you might recognize that you need professional treatment. However, you might also think getting the help you need is impossible while keeping track of your kids and all of their summer activities.

Here’s the good news: You can get support without packing the kids into the car or figuring out child care. A Virtual Partial Hospitalization Program (vPHP) brings treatment to you.

A vPHP is a treatment program that offers structured mental health support from your own home. A Virtual PHP will typically include daily virtual programming, regular sessions with licensed clinical therapists, group therapy, psychiatric support and more.

Here are some of the ways a vPHP helps parents maintain their wellness and their peace of mind:

• Accommodating schedules — As a mom, your schedule doesn’t follow a nine-to-five format. That’s why a good vPHP is flexible. Your care team can help you design a treatment plan that works around when your kids are most likely to be busy, sleeping or relaxing.
• Getting support when you need it — It’s OK if you’re not enjoying every moment of motherhood. Feeling irritable or sad doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent; it just means you might need more support. If you’ve been waking up angry or you feel like crying all the time, it might be time to explore what’s underneath those feelings. A Virtual PHP can help you identify emotional triggers and build coping mechanisms in your home environment, letting you put them into practice right away.
• Caring for yourself while caring for your family — You’re probably really good at doing things for your family. However, doing things for yourself might feel harder. The beauty of virtual treatment is that you don’t have to choose. You can get the care you deserve while still being present for the people you love. As you start feeling better, more grounded and more hopeful, your family can benefit too.

Get mental health treatment that meets you where you are with Lightfully

At Lightfully, we believe in treating the whole person, going beyond your symptoms to treat the underlying drivers. Our Precision Care Model (PCM) helps us create a personalized plan that’s as unique as you are. Whether you’re dealing with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or something else, we’re here to help you heal in a way that works for you.

Change is possible. When you’re ready to start a virtual treatment program that works with your schedule, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.