I’ve been feeling the familiar pressure of burn out for weeks now.

Dealing with my baby boy’s constant facial eczema, misdiagnosis’ for my own health, scheduling and rescheduling a kidney surgery for myself which will put me out of commission, trying to prepare for said surgery by making sure I pump enough milk, homeschooling my 4.5 year old and keeping up with weekly gymnastics and ballet lessons, helping organize things and fielding messages for our thriving local moms community, keeping up with text messages from friends, regular check ups and appointments for everyone including the pets, all the grocery shopping/meal prep/baby food making, preparing for holidays and special occasions, house projects, house cleaning…..the list is bottomless. 

And yet. The world tells me that my value as a stay at home mom isn’t that much.

There’s no paycheck attached to my name. No work experience that’s accepted on a résumé.

But I’m growing human beings. And not just growing them but making sure they thrive. And in the process….receiving the pressure that I thrive too. That I somehow just make that happen. That I “make time for you too Mama”

But how do I create time?

In between diaper explosions and dishes and meal making and consoling and ten million other tasks that happen constantly and all at once.

Create time? Find time? When most days I have to sacrifice ten things just to shower for ten minutes while simultaneously watching small children?

I don’t have family down the street. But I do have friends. And I don’t think I’ve ever stopped to ask if they could help me have a moment….even though they’ve offered! Because they’re moms too and it seems like too much to ask to add to their load.

So here is the answer I’ve come up with that I’m trying this week.

Simplify. 

Clear the schedule of anything that’s not necessary. Clean what matters. Focus on these things for me and the kids:

-Food

-baths

-play (connection)

-rest 

Those four things could fill an entire day in themselves. Without any added extras. Yet somehow those are the things that feel like too much once we’ve added extra curriculars/house projects/managing play dates and text messages and honestly anyone else outside of our home. 

We won’t be hermits forever.

But we can’t keep drowning in the endless pile of to do’s culture puts on us.

And that we put on ourselves.

This week I’m challenging myself to write down everything I have running on the tabs in my head, and slashing out anything that doesn’t HAVE to be there right now. 

The overwhelm is too much. We aren’t God. We can’t run everyone’s universe. The work set directly before us is very often more than enough.

And maybe once we find the balance of a simple life in every aspect, then we’ll also find a surplus of time. In which we can pour from a full and healthy cup. 

Moms deserve more than the breadcrumbs of life left on the floor. You literally need the whole sourdough loaf. You’re more than likely the motor of your home. You set the tone, you power and fuel the people there. 

It’s more than self care. It’s more than regular maintenance. 

It’s the circuit box for our whole family. It’s the soil we’re planting the future generation in. But also…..it’s the key to thriving ourselves. 

You don’t need to drown. You simply need to throw in an anchor. And not be swept away by waves that were never meant to disrupt your peaceful waters. 

What are the essentials. 

Plant your roots there. Let the anchor hold you there.