By Ashley Roe, Contributing Writer

Are you feeling overwhelmed as a homemaker? The duties of managing a home are many. Cooking, cleaning, organizing, planning, keeping up with finances and for some teaching and taking care of kids and/or working a job (whether outside the home or working from home) are just a few of the things that we as homemakers are trying to manage on a daily basis. Sometimes we get caught up the in sheer amount of things we need to do that it is easy to get completely overwhelmed to the point of wanting to give up.

All these responsibilities are bound to cause stress now and then so I have tried to come up with four simple things you can do when you are feeling overwhelmed.

Four Steps to Stress Free Homemaking

1) Make time to pray throughout your day

Spending purposeful time with God in prayer and bible study is the key to stress free homemaking. I know that it can often be the first thing to get set aside because there are so many things that need to be done but when you make this a priority you will be amazed at how much it can change your attitude. Your circumstances may still be the same but when you purposefully focus your attention on God and away from your problems, it makes it easier to live with less stress.

A good way to remember to pray more often is to place encouraging scriptures in prominent places throughout your home such as on your computer or phone, above your desk, near the washing machine, in the bathroom or above the kitchen sink. As you go throughout your day doing mundane things like checking your work emails, doing dishes, scrubbing toilets or washing laundry you will have something in front of you to help you meditate on the truths of scripture.

2) Pick just one thing to clean or organize

I often notice that my stress level is directly related to how clean my home is. This is not to say that you have to always have an immaculately clean and organized home. Trust me, mine is far from that. However, one thing I do if I am feeling stuck or overwhelmed is clean something. It’s easier to think clearly when there is less clutter so even simply picking up the mess on the kitchen table can help when you feel a little less overwhelmed.

The point is that you pick one thing and you do it even if it is something as simple as picking up clutter on the living room floor or putting away the – even if this is just picking up clutter that was left on the living room floor or clearing the kitchen table. Just pick one thing and do it.

3) Make a menu plan

This can sound like a lot of work if it isn’t something you are used to but a menu plan is really one of the most important things to stress free homemaking. Not only does having a menu plan save you a lot of money but it also eliminates a lot of unnecessary stress. There are a lot of ways you can plan menus but you need have at least some sort of plan.

You don’t want to be stuck trying to figure out dinner at the last minute or realize that you forgot to thaw the chicken. Or maybe you get into the middle of a meal and realize you don’t have a particular ingredient that you need. Knowing your substitutions can be helpful in this situation but if you plan your menu and grocery shopping ahead this problem can usually be eliminated.

4) Find a routine that works for you 

Finding a routine can also relieve some stress because it gives you an idea of what to expect each day. Obviously, you can’t always stick to your plan but it helps to at least have something to work with. A routine can be as simple or as complicated you like but try to find something that works well for your schedule and personality. For example, I need some structure to keep my day running smoothly but it’s too much for me to specifically plan out what I will do every minute or hour of the day.

One thing I would caution you on is not worrying about it being perfect. I’ve gotten stuck on figuring out a good routine or getting organized many times because I just couldn’t get it perfect like I wanted it. The important thing here is that you have something you can work with. You can always change things around if it’s not working for you.

Start by making a list of things you must get done everyday. Include simple things like eat breakfast, sleep and make dinner. Those may be given for you but it also is something that takes time from your day so you need to account for it. Once you have an idea of what you need to get done everyday, you can work in all the other things. If you want to take it a step further write things that you need to get done every week, month and so on. This may be helpful for figuring out where you can put tasks like doing laundry that you may not do everyday into your routine.

If it’s too much for you now, then just decide on a few things you can do every morning to start your day well and when you are able move on to some things you can do in the afternoon and evening. Just having an idea of when you will do important things throughout the day will help relieve some stress.

Continue to Repeat Step one! 

When you are overwhelmed and want to give up, first know that you are not alone. When you feel overwhelmed and stressed, take time to pray and focus on what’s most important. Even if you can’t bear the thought of making a menu or cleaning for whatever reason, the simple act of making prayer time a habit will help you on your way to stress free homemaking.

Happy Homemaking! 

For a limited time, I’m offering my eBook A Heart Prepared: A simple and effective Scripture memorization guide for FREE! Find out how to instantly download it HERE!