Every single woman I talk to says the same thing: I am so busy. Woman all over the world are stretched too thin. We let our schedules get full and our minds get overwhelmed.
We try to get the house cleaned, figure out how to drive the kids to all of their activities, how to work on all the school projects, be present in our home, not slack in our church ministries, be available for our husband, and still get a shower in. We are running this endless race until we just crash.
When we allow ourselves to get stretched too thin, we miss out on what truly matters, we allow stress cause us to snap at others, and we risk our own health.
Come to me, all of you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
Go to God. Take your busyness and your weariness and give it to God. Don't let your calendar become so full that you push God out. Be intentional about spending time with God every day.
Don't be afraid to say no. Sometimes we need to be reminded that it is okay to say no. Go through your commitments, can anything go? You don't have to allow your children to do every single activity they want, limit them. You don't have to attend every party or dinner you're invited to. It is okay to say no sometimes.
Give yourself breathing room. Make sure you schedule at least one night free each week to just relax and be with at home. Do something relaxing like a play game, do puzzle, read a book, or watch a movie.
Get sleep. God made us to need sleep. It resets our body and mind. It refreshes us. Go to bed at a regular time each night.
What else do you do when you are feeling stretched too thin?
It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.
I relate so much to this post, Jenifer. I have many things I want to get done in a day, but not enough hours to do them. God is working on me through my One Word for 2020, Linger. In order to linger with him, I have to let some other things go. That is my dilemma: which things do I release? I know the tradeoff will be worth it, but it's still hard to prioritize between good, better, and best sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI wrote today about using our body to worship (and linger):
https://www.lisanotes.com/put-your-body-in-position/
Jennifer, this post resonates so much with me. I someitmes just want to curl up in a room and hide. My calendar(my kids) seems to get fuller and fuller each season. When I feel like this, I tell my husband that I just need to stay home and rest. My chronic pain disease does not make being stretched thin any better. So rest is my remedy. I wrote about encouraging our children to pray, http://keepingthetiethatbinds.com/2020/01/21/encouraging-our-children-to-pray/.
ReplyDeleteSuch a good post and suggestions we all need from time to time.
ReplyDeleteMy post today: http://www.joanneviola.com/2020/01/influence-envy-friendships/
I can relate to this as well, especially when my kids were younger. They each only showed interest in one sport and instrument. I don't know what parents do who have sports practice and games year round. These are great tips.
ReplyDeleteI wrote about a Bible passage that speaks about resolve: https://barbarah.wordpress.com/2020/01/20/every-resolve-for-good/