5 Burnout Warning Signs Every Mompreneur Needs to Watch For | Anna Lianna-Monnier

 Anna: That role can be replaced. Nobody can be mom to my child. That's it. And that brings it to a right perspective. Hey, ba mama. Get ready for an episode that will change how you think about stress, success, and self-care.

Manouchka: Hey Boss Mama, welcome to the show.

Today I’m joined by Anna Lianna-Monnier, a psychologist, speaker, and founder of the Center for Emotional Health in Switzerland. After years of working one-on-one with clients, Anna shifted her focus to teaching and educating bigger audiences about emotional wellbeing, burnout prevention, and how we as women can protect our mental health while juggling business, family, and life.

She has worked with organizations like Google, the Red Cross, and Swiss Education Group, helping people navigate high-pressure environments while still prioritizing themselves.

And if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that mompreneurs live in high-pressure mode every single day.

We’re talking about the mental load, why pushing through is not the answer, and how to redefine self-care in a way that actually supports our ambitions.

So if you’ve ever felt like you’re running on empty but do not know how to slow down without feeling like you’re falling behind, this episode is for you.

Manouchka: Hi Anna. Thank you for joining me on the show. I’m really happy to have you here. We know each other because we’ve worked together for a couple of months now, and it’s just really awesome to have you on the podcast because I know you have so much to share with other moms, with other entrepreneurs, and especially around mindset and mental health.

So tell us how you became an entrepreneur.

Anna: Thank you, Manouchka. It’s great to be here. It does make it special because we know each other. It feels warm, so I’m happy to be here and share.

I’m Anna. I’m a mom of a five-year-old, soon to be six in September, happily married here in Switzerland. I was born in Ukraine, and I’ve lived in Switzerland for almost ten years now.

I’m a psychologist, and I’m deeply passionate about educating people on the importance of mental health, emotional health, and taking the journey of healing and self-care in a deeper, more holistic way in order not to end up in burnout. That’s the biggest passion of mine.

And as a mom, as a woman, I’m especially passionate about encouraging moms around the importance of rest, self-care, and me time.

Manouchka: Wonderful. How did you decide to close the private practice you had before and really dedicate yourself to this topic of self-care?

Anna: It definitely came through a personal journey and personal experience.

I did have a private practice, and although I closed it, I still occasionally miss it. From time to time, former clients come back after years, and I do still take them on exceptionally. But it’s true that I shifted into teaching bigger groups because I went through burnout twice myself.

The whole motherhood experience, becoming a mom, changed everything for me in terms of my professional activity, my life, and my rhythm of life.

I went through burnout because my son was born with some health issues. Not only did I enter motherhood, which already changes your life completely, but on top of that, we were in the hospital nonstop for the first few months of his life.

All of that led me to this understanding in my own journey that if I do not take care of myself, I will not be able to provide care for him.

And even though there is such an internal conflict there, because you know your child needs you, maybe even more than usual, and it feels awkward to sit and drink a coffee when your baby needs to be held, actually drinking that coffee and taking that pause would make me stronger and more resourced, so I could come back to him and give him my best.

I know that sounds simple, and I also know it is not easy to arrive at that understanding, but for me that was a very big shift in how I approached motherhood, my relationship with myself, my relationship with my son, and then accordingly everything I do now as an entrepreneur.

Manouchka: That’s really beautiful because I feel like in a way we are in parallel. It’s not just that you are who you are, then you have a child, and you continue being who you were before. Not at all. It’s a revolution, just like you said.

The way you live, the way you rest, the way you do business, whatever it is in your daily life, you cannot just continue the way things were. You have to completely rethink the models you had, the schedule you had, everything. It’s like a puzzle exploded and then you have to create a new picture that actually works for you.

Anna: Exactly. It’s a lot of change. But also, I think, an internal change, literally a change of identity.

We are better now at talking about this than before, but still not enough. There is something so big that happens when a woman becomes a mother. I once heard that it’s not only the baby who is born, but the mother too. And it is so true.

It’s not just one more role given by nature. It’s something huge. I really hope science keeps backing this up more and more because the psychological and physiological changes are enormous.

Manouchka: You are not really ready to be a mom or a parent until the baby is there. You can prepare, and you can prepare for your business too, but until you are actually in the situation, it is very hard to know what you are going to feel and what it is going to be like.

And that leads me to something I am curious about. I’ve been reading a book that talks a lot about postnatal depression. I know it is very different from burnout, but in both cases, you do not always realize right away that you are going through a mental health issue.

How did you know you were going through burnout? And are there any signs that other moms might be able to identify in themselves?

Anna: That’s a very valid question.

With so much change happening, hormonally and emotionally, it is inevitable that as new moms we will have low days, overtired days, difficult days. But I think the real red flag is when it lasts too long and it is not just on and off.

In psychology, we often measure things in weeks. If it lasts more than a week, then ten days, and it is not just the baby blues, then it becomes important to pay attention.

And yes, postpartum depression and burnout are different. For me, the two burnouts I experienced came from different causes.

What really matters is recognizing when it is not just lack of sleep or temporary adjustment, but an abnormal tiredness and a feeling like you are falling into a hole. That sounds dramatic, but it is true. Some moms are in this rhythm of nonstop exhaustion, and then it starts to feel like things are only going downhill.

That is where it becomes crucial to ask for help.

Even before that, honestly. Even if it is “just” the blues, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for moms to ask for help.

But to answer your question more specifically, one sign is when the smallest tasks, things you would usually be able to do, suddenly feel crushing. It’s like a guitar string that is so tight that the slightest touch makes it vibrate too hard or snap.

So noticing those signs is very important.

Manouchka: Just to segue slightly into the business aspect, your son is now five years old. How old was he when you started your business, and how did you get everything going? Burnout, work, baby... did everything happen at the same time?

Anna: What was happening was that I was still continuing my private practice after his birth, because I could choose the days I worked with clients. That’s still one of the freedoms of entrepreneurship, even if childcare made it more challenging.

I had help, of course, and I was not working for almost a full year.

But I think because of my personality and how I approach things, I remember rolling the stroller when he was about eight months old, and I was already recording Instagram stories and sharing what I was learning in real time, being very raw and speaking to moms because I was a nearly burned-out mom myself.

Because of the field I’m in, psychology is something very applicable to real life. I always had something to say, and I think that by sharing my personal experience so openly, I was already building community and bringing value.

I would not call it done business at that point, but I knew I was building something. People are looking for connection, whether they buy a product or follow a person. And because I was sharing so honestly, people were appreciative of it.

So yes, in the beginning it was not “business” in the pure form, but it started there, through that raw lived experience.

And then the war in my homeland added another major turning point. Even though I was in safety here, it changed everything for us as a family. I was trying to help fellow Ukrainians, keep up with clients, take care of my child, and still teach. That second burnout was the heaviest one because I was carrying different caregiving roles all at once.

And that’s when I again had to stop and reevaluate and come back to taking care of myself so I could provide better care overall.

Manouchka: I resonate with so much of what you just said, especially around being raw and how that creates real connection.

I teach marketing, and I love it, and I’m good at it. But I do not have all my own stuff done perfectly. So I know exactly what other entrepreneurs are going through, and I can help them with that.

There are things I know I should be doing, like my newsletter, and I was doing them before the baby arrived, but then I let them go. And I also have to be okay with that because I cannot do everything perfectly. I cannot prioritize everything at the same time.

It takes a lot of self-love and self-acceptance, but it is not easy. You have to be able to say: in an ideal situation I would do all of this, but with the bandwidth I have right now, this is enough.

Anna: Thank you for mentioning self-love there, and I would add self-acceptance. They are different, but like sisters.

Accepting all of it. The change that happened. Who we are inside that change. The kind of mom we want to be. The kind of entrepreneur we want to be.

There is so much internal influence, social pressure, and of course social media pressure. We know that. But what is important for me? What kind of mom do I want to be? What kind of entrepreneur do I want to be? That really lands with self-acceptance and self-love.

And even deeper than priorities, I think it comes down to values. What are my core values? What really matters to me?

As much as my business is important, because it makes me feel alive and fulfilled, still, when there is a choice, I know that my child is my biggest project. Nobody can be mom to my child. That role cannot be replaced. And that brings everything into the right perspective.

That does not mean abandoning the rest of yourself. It means honestly answering the question, what is important for me?

Manouchka: I really had to make a conscious decision around that myself.

When I was preparing for my son to arrive, I knew I wanted to move more into education in my business because I wanted a bigger reach. If I only do one-on-one agency work, there is a clear limit to my number of hours and the amount of people I can help.

So I thought, okay, I want to move toward education, and I’m going to set everything up. Except during those nine months, I was so busy with client work that I did not prepare for the future at all.

I knew it was fine, I could do it later. I thought maybe I would take at least three months for maternity leave, but I did not know if I wanted more.

When that time was over, I hit this wall of, okay, now what happens? I have to get back to work. I need to make money too. I cannot put everything on the shoulders of my partner.

So I was in this struggle between needing to make money, feeling like I had to be productive, and wanting to keep going with my business, while also being completely occupied by my son and wanting to give him everything.

I ended up in that period where I was trying to do things while he was napping, which was not really possible because his naps were so unpredictable. And then I felt guilty, because when I was with him I was thinking about work, and when I was trying to work, he needed my attention.

Eventually I came to a point where I asked for support from my parents. I had to be honest about my priorities, and right then it was my son. That first year with him was never going to come back again.

I am so glad I was able to make that choice, and I know not everyone can. My son is about to turn one, and I feel so grateful that I was able to work as little as I needed to in order to still be there so fully for him.

Now I feel at peace going back into my business because I know I did my best for my baby.

Anna: What you are sharing is so important. It is exactly about realizing and deciding again what matters most.

And reaching out for help like you did, bravo, because that always requires courage.

It is okay to be who you are with all these different parts of yourself as a woman. There is a lot of rediscovering yourself in motherhood. It is important not to abandon the other side of who you are, but at the same time to fully acknowledge when motherhood is the priority and your world.

That does not have to be forever, but maybe in this season, that is what matters.

Manouchka: So how do you integrate self-love and self-care into daily life in a practical way?

Anna: That is such a good question.

For me, it comes back again to knowing yourself. If we know ourselves well, hopefully we also know what self-care really is for us.

It is not generic advice from Instagram. It should be connected to your actual needs and desires.

For me, one way I care for myself is by having small moments of quiet time during the day. Tiny moments, really, but they are crucial. That helps me come back fresher, and then I can create again.

I also work on myself deeply. I am a psychologist who goes to see a psychologist for therapy. So I do not mean only feel-good self-care. I also mean the deeper forms of care.

Going to a doctor on time is self-care. Setting a tough boundary in an unhealthy relationship is self-care. It is not only about bubble baths and feeling good. But even on the practical side, yes, it can be things like coffee, a massage, small moments alone.

If I go for a massage, I know it will have an impact on me for the rest of the week. I know what works for me. And that matters.

That’s why it is so important to know yourself and your needs, and then become responsible for them.

I remember in one of the workshops I asked people, what do you need right now? And many were stuck. They could not answer. We know what we need to get done, but we do not know what we need.

That question is so basic, and yet so many people cannot answer it because we are always on autopilot, always rushing, always hustling.

Manouchka: It is such a powerful question because it impacts everything we do, and yet we forget it.

It brings me back to the launch of this podcast, because I realized I wanted to speak to more entrepreneurs because that is what I needed too. That is how I feel I can make a difference.

It has been such an important transformation in my life, and I know it is for other women too. So my need was connecting with others, and that became my why. It completely shifted my mindset.

Before the baby arrived, I was trying to speak to all solo entrepreneurs. I was also trying to appear perfect when I talked about myself and my services. I was trying too hard, and I was not happy with it because it was not really me.

Now that I have let go and I know exactly why I am doing this, and that I am speaking to the right people, mom entrepreneurs, it has completely changed my approach. I feel so much more relaxed because I am more in tune with who I am.

Anna: This is so beautiful.

It really comes back to the why. It is probably also what you wished existed for you. That makes it even more genuine and powerful.

I felt the same. I was trying to build a business, I was a new mom, and I knew there had to be other moms doing the same. But I did not find a lot of support in that space. So I think it is so beautiful when something is born from your own real need and experience.

That’s why people can relate. They feel when it is real.

And I am cheering you on because I truly believe that with the birth of my child, my best projects were born too.

Manouchka: Thank you.

If a mom is listening right now and she is starting to feel that edge of burnout, what are the first three things you think she should do?

Anna: It depends a bit on the stage she is in, but if she already feels she is on the edge, I would say first: ask for help.

And not only practical help. Emotional help too. Someone who can really listen and hear her without judgment. The relief that comes from being heard and not judged is huge.

Second, stop and have an honest conversation with yourself. What is happening with me? Do not hide. Do not pretend. Do not say, “I should be okay.” Do not force strength.

And third, sooner or later, if you are approaching burnout, seek professional help. Therapy or psychological support.

Manouchka: One little self-interested question: how has the experience been for you of working with a marketing coach?

Anna: It’s been great. And I think it is one more example of asking for help.

As entrepreneurs, especially in the beginning, we often have to do a lot ourselves. I was always somewhat curious about marketing and able to pick things up, but working with a coach gave me not only expertise I could outsource, but also accountability and support.

At least in my experience with you, it has also been about building a relationship. It is not only technical help. It is someone walking alongside you.

So yes, I definitely recommend it.

Manouchka: Wonderful. Thank you so much.

Last question, and maybe the most important one of this whole interview: what do you hope your son would say about you in the future?

Anna: I wish that my son would say about me that his mom was resourced, alive, and joyful. That she knew how to enjoy life, and that he picked that up from her.

That she was not overworking or exhausting herself all the time, but that she was a peaceful person who also knew how to rest and enjoy.

Manouchka: I love that. It’s beautiful.

Where can people learn more about you, what you offer, and connect with you?

Anna: The best place is Instagram. That is the platform I use the most, and I use it with pleasure and very regularly. That is where people can really connect with me.

Manouchka: We’ll have all the links in the show notes. Thank you so much for coming on the show. I’m really happy we had this time because we weren’t just talking about work, we were talking about life and how work is part of it.

Anna: It was a pleasure. It was really a nice flow. Thank you so much for having me.

Manouchka: There you have it. We had a beautiful conversation with Anna, and we covered so many topics, from having your own business to transitioning into being a mom, discovering that new identity, and what to do when you start feeling burnout coming and need to slow down and take better care of yourself.

One of the biggest takeaways for me from this conversation is that you need to ask for help and not be shy about it. Sometimes it simply means having someone who can really listen to you and understand you without judging you. That feeling of being connected to someone else, and accepted, is essential.

Take care.