I feel the summer mom burnout.
June was great, but I spent the majority of the month as a taxi driver for my kids to go to ALL the things. Between the Uber rides, I’d try to do dishes or laundry, or pack for the upcoming tournament. It was a constant sprint from one thing to the next. It makes your days and weeks fly by, but I am left exhausted.
When I talk to fellow mothers, I don’t think I am alone in this burnout feeling. So, I did what I am best at doing. I tried to fix the problem. Never a great idea, I don’t recommend it. A tired mom trying out a new routine or process with tired kids is not a great recipe. But <NOW> I am officially going to hand this mom burnout over to God.
I recently completed a 6-day bible study on the bible app called, “Burnout and God’s Invitation to Rest.” I really enjoyed it and I feel empowered to allow God to give me the rest that I need and that He desires for me to have.
Today, I want to give you a little rundown of what I learned and want to take with me for the second half of this summer.
Let’s dive in…
The culture today wants us to CRAVE MORE, HAVE IT ALL, and BELIEVE BUSY IS GOOD.
God desires for us to be rested, refreshed, and renewed.
The quote I read that made my hair stand up was from Dr. Jim Smith.
“The number one enemy of Christian spiritual formation today is exhaustion.”
Exhaustion? I am exhausted. Reading this is when the Holy Spirit spoke into my heart and I knew I needed to make some changes. God doesn’t want me to be exhausted, therefore I don’t want to be exhausted. Rest is God given, not a necessary evil.
Matthew 11:28-30
I learned in this bible study that tired isn’t always a bad thing. There is actually “good tired” and I believe that. There are many days where I feel “good tired.” But I found that I also end many days “dangerously tired.”
How do you know if you are good tired vs. dangerously tired?
This is when I, officially, started to panic a little. I very much related to the DANGEROUSLY TIRED symptoms more than the good tired symptoms. I have a feeling that I am not alone in this…
But how can I be good tired? Today, I am going to share 5 simple ways to help make this transition from dangerously tired to good tired.
#1: Drive the Speed Limit
Do you feel rushed when driving? Do you get upset when you hit a red light? Make a point to set your cruise control on the speed limit. Release the pressure to rush or make good time.
#2: Set Limits on Apps
Do you find yourself staring at your phone? Even though you have a million things you need to get done. Set limits on the the time-sucking apps. These limits will force you to use them in a more intentional, impactful way.
#3: Start Small
The thought of taking an entire day (aka the Sabbath) to rest is extremely stressful. Start small. Rest for an hour. Take a nap, spend an hour sipping coffee on the porch, take a long slow walk at sunset.
#4: Give your Phone a Bedtime
Work with your spouse and kids (if they have phones) to come up with a time that all phones go on the charger. Just 20 min of scrolling prior to bed is robbing us of rest and really adds up over time.
#5: Ask Yourself WHY before saying YES
New opportunities, playdates, camps, parties are always being thrown our way. None of these things are bad, but not all of them are good for us. Before defaulting to always saying yes to things, ask yourself… “Why would I say yes?” “Why would this be good for us?”
Galatians 1:10
My Prayer
Dear Lord, Thank you for desiring rest for my life. Help me understand the importance of rest and value it like you do. Continue to teach me the importance of rest. You created me and know my every need, please keep me in your will. Restore and refresh my soul in order to better serve you and my family better. Amen.
