4 Steps to Beat the Homemaking Blahs
Hi, Stay-at-home moms! Do you ever get the homemaking blahs and lack the motivation to do ANY housework?Perhaps it's hard to be a stay-at-home mom because no one really cheers you on or commends you for doing your job....although my 14-month-old, Cyrus will occasionally clap for me when I'm doing the dishes. He's so sweet. (But I'm pretty sure that's just because he thinks it's funny to see his mom dance! 💃)
For me...It DOES feels nice to get the chores all completed.... and doing them isn't even that difficult.... It's just getting started that's the trick!
I used to have a DIRTY house because I would wear my pajamas almost all day and sometimes just totally let myself dwell in the blahs... and I would do a couple chores, but never feel like I was winning... and I was wondering why I felt so overwhelmed. And bored.
Bored and Overwhelmed at the Same Time?!
I think that all stay-at-home moms go through this Low-to-No Motivation crisis every so often... I do. Those seasons are normal occasionally.But I was stuck in a hampster wheel of No-Motivation for... goodness... maybe 2 years! I lost my motivation and I was feeling lost in my soul. My heart was not in a healthy place!Do you believe me that these CAN help you? Please try them for a week and tell me if you can't tell a huge difference!So here's my tips, how I went from an OVERWHELMED SOUL and OVERWHELMING MESS to an increasingly livable, peaceful space.
1. Make your bed!
I used to think that making your bed was kind of pointless. I didn't see the point, as you are about to get back into it in about 12 hours later! When I occasionally made my bed, I would sometimes grumble: "dumbest. chore. ever."BUT HERE'S WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE.Just like eeeeeverything else in life... this homemaking thing is psychological. You kind of have to psych yourself into getting things done and believe it or not, making my bed actually DOES matter!OK, story time. When my husband was reading a book about youth ministry, he came across a useful piece of advice about how to start a new youth group that I think applies to just about everything in life. I've repeated it to myself several times since then and modified it slightly. Here it is.Schedule an easy win for yourself.Something that you are pretty sure you can 'win' and get some momentum going! Start moving things going in the right direction!The key to starting a youth group from scratch is the same to starting a day from scratch. Schedule an easy win for yourself. Make your bed.Ok, moving on!
2. Get dressed!
Ok, when I read this tip for the first time from FlyLady, my first thought was "No, I like my pajamas." and my second thought was "that's just more laundry to do!" 😳(Please give me some slack on my hatred of laundry at this time... I was a new mom with a 1-month-old baby. I had no idea something so adorable and helpless could triple your laundry load.😜)But then I tried it! I used to get dressed up only to run errands. But now... I felt... almost professional. Like I could really get some serious stuff done. (Again this is psychological, it's an easy win that gets you in the right state-of-mind!)Now this doesn't mean that you shouldn't go put on a cotton dress, pearls, kitten heels, and curl your hair... but FOR ME... it does mean wearing something that you wouldn't mind meeting someone while wearing, usually jeans and a top without writing on it. (haha!)
3. Pray and Give Thanks Throughout Your Day!
I know you're thinking- "Did this chick really just make homemaking into a theological topic?" YES. Yes, I did.My opinion is that EVERY person is a theologian (Theo meaning God and Log meaning thought... everyone has thoughts about God!) and EVERYTHING YOU DO should be done for the glory of God."So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31Even homemaking.God cares about your home. It can glorify Him. Your home is important! Your job is important! Check out this quote from C.S. Lewis:
You should pray all day! Pray as you are washing your dishes, mopping the floor, taking your curtains down to wash them... Even thank God for your household items (even the ones that seemingly require constant cleaning) as you are doing your chores.Check out 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:"Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.…"
Woah, what does it mean to pray without ceasing? What does this look like in real life?
Try saying a one-line prayer whenever you remember to, or maybe at the beginning of each chore. So maybe as you're cleaning your fridge shelves (I personally dislike this particular chore) try saying "God, thank you for giving us good food and electricity to store our food. Thank you for feeding our family."
4. Create a rhythm that works for you!
I shrivel when I hear the word schedule, but rhythm? Rhythm I can do.For me, I start most days with a cup of tea. I play with my son and get chores done while he's awake, and while he's napping I get some time to catch up, rest and pray/read some Bible and some Christian Living books. Some days don't go to plan and that's more reason to not let motivation slip away!So there are my 4 action points on how I went from an OVERWHELMED SOUL and OVERWHELMING MESS to a home that I enjoy. And a clearer heart as well. Goodbye, homemaking blahs!
What about you?
Do you think that thanking God and/or praying throughout your day as a stay-at-home mom might change your point of view?