Are you an overwhelmed homemaker? Does it seem like there is too much to do and not enough time? You aren’t alone and there are things you can do to get past the overwhelm.
When I was first married homemaking was fun. It was like playing house all over again but with a purpose. I kept up with things and had time left over. Each Friday I was done with housework by noon and my best friend came over to eat lunch and hang out.
Somewhere along the way homemaking became overwhelming. Now I always feel like I’m drowning in things I need to do. I look at my to-do list with no idea how I will ever get it all done.
So what happened? That’s the question I keep asking myself because I want to go back to when homemaking was fun and I wasn’t always overwhelmed. I’ve decided to make a list of things I think are contributing to this problem. Maybe you can relate.
Why I’m an Overwhelmed Homemaker
- Social Media. Social media is a huge distraction for many. Not only is it on our computers, but it’s also on our phones. It’s easy to say “oh I’ll just check my email, well while I’m on here I’ll just look at Facebook for a minute…” Soon you are in the social media black hole. With my blog, freelance work, and volunteering I do needing me to be on social media it’s hard to get on, get my work done, and get off.
- Blogging. I LOVE blogging but when you work at home it can be hard to make sure work doesn’t consume everything. I’ve never been good at following schedules but trying to do better because I have to with so much to do.
- Not saying no. If you work at home or you are a stay at home mom or homemaker, you likely find people think you have nothing but free time so if something needs to be done they should ask you. I’m getting better at saying no but for so long I said yes to everything.
- Fatigue. I have Fibromyalgia and I do deal with quite a bit of fatigue. I also tend to have trouble going to sleep and staying asleep. Chronic fatigue can make everyday tasks a struggle.
- We have more stuff. We have been married for 12 years so we have a lot more space and stuff now than we did when we were first married. More stuff means more to clean and take care of.
How to Stop Being an Overwhelmed Homemaker
- Create your list of things that are making you overwhelmed. After you have that list make a stop doing list. Getting rid of a few things that are overwhelming you can make all of the difference.
- Set up morning and night routines. Morning and nighttime routines are so useful. If you do nothing else all day you will still feel like you were productive.
- Use a planner. My current planner of choice is the Erin Condren Petite Planner. You don’t need something fancy though, just something that will work and that you will actually use.
- Set goals. Goals help us know what things are truly important. Know what your goals are and make sure you are you working on them throughout the year.
- Find ways to motivate yourself to clean. I have a lot of things I do to stay motivated to clean, find what works for you.
- Make freezer meals. Freezer cooking is a great way to make sure you always have healthy meal options.
- Give yourself grace. There will be days where things don’t go perfectly, that’s okay. Somedays we will need to order delivery for dinner and the sink will be full of dishes. As long as it’s not every day it will be okay. Make sure you are taking care of yourself.
Additional Resources:
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You get ebooks, courses, printables and more all designed to help you be more productive and less overwhelmed. The only catch is that it’s only available at this low price on March 11th and March 12th so don’t want to get your copy.
- Finding Time for Homemaking With a Full-Time Job
- How to be More Productive and Stop Wasting Time
- When You Don’t Have Time for Homemaking
Is grocery shopping one of the things overwhelming you? Sign up below for my free Guide to Once a Month Grocery Shopping.
Deanna says
Oh, how I relate. And for pretty much the same reasons other than the fact I don’t have anyone else at home during the day. On the other hand, I somehow have gotten myself on too many boards/committees. I do think the social media black hole is the biggest issue.