The Mental And Emotional State Of Parents In 3 Words Or Fewer

It's been a loooong year. Here's how some parents feel right now.

It’s safe to say we’ve all had a year from hell. Parents, in particular, have had it rough. If we’ve been lucky, we’ve kept our children alive and safe during a supremely trying time, but our mental health has suffered as a result. Others, of course, have dealt with much, much worse.

It’s no secret, then, that parents across the country (and the world, really) are fried. So we asked our Facebook community to explain their current mental and emotional state in three words or fewer.

Here’s what they had to say.

Surviving not thriving
Decision fatigued, exhausted
tired. bored.
muddling through
grateful, proud, broken
anxious, exhausted, frustrated
”just. keep. swimming”
tired, hopeful, grateful
Hopeful cautious drained
Done. Just done.
Making it work.
losing my mind
Frustrated, exhausted and done
Exhausted, disappointed, drained.
extra crispy
Exhausted. Heartbroken. Hopeful.
Frazzled, tired, grateful
Drained.
survival mode
overwhelmed and responsible
emotionally bankrupt
tired, sad, hopeful
Tired. Grateful. Hopeful.
Tired, broke, bored

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Illustration by Franziska Barczyk for HuffPost

Exhausted. Cautiously optimistic
Mentally fragile...physically drained and getting a covid divorce.
Hopeful. Stronger. Proud.
Burned out. Hopeful.
Tired, anxious, depressed
Exhausted but hopeful
Stressed, tired, hopeful
Feeling more connected
Stressed but blessed
Frustrated. Grateful. Mixed.
NEED A VACATION
Cabin fever, exhaustion.
Sh*t show ringmaster
Humble, grateful, hopeful
Brittle, stabby, thankful
Grateful, loved, fortunate
Drained. Emotional. Protective
Isolated, inadequate, and unbalanced.
Exhausted, mentally fried, frustrated
All health critical