Tired? Stressed out about planning what to teach? Lacking enthusiasm for teaching?
Perhaps you are dealing with homeschooling fatigue. This “syndrome” seems to hit close to the midpoint of the homeschooling year. Commonly it manifests itself in the inability to get work completed, skipped assignments, lack of desire to push ahead with studies, headaches, and just overall feeling “blah”.
Many veteran moms have been just at the place you are. And, truthfully, still struggle with this feeling from time to time. Here are some helpful ways you can combat homeschooling fatigue in your household.
First and foremost, you must take care of yourself! Many times moms believe they must be a martyr to show the world they are godly women and all out for their children. Simply put, if you are not being filled up with good things, you you have nothing to pour out! This includes things like adequate sleep, good nutrition, time with God, and time to relax.
As moms we are so good at making sure our kids get adequate sleep. But, we often fail at this ourselves. If we are sleep deprived, not only can it throw off our day but, chronic sleep deprivation is not good for our health and can contribute to depression, blood sugar issues, and weakening our immune system.
How many of us eat junk food while our kids have a balanced diet? Eating junk food instead of taking the time to prepare healthy food for ourselves is also a big contributor to ill health and ill feelings. The saying, “You are what you eat!” holds true even for the biggest super mom!
Are you skipping time with the Lord in prayer or mediation on scripture in order to get it all done or because you are sleep deprived? We all need this spiritual charge everyday! It isn’t too difficult to see how this lack of balance begins to erode away at even the strongest women!
And then there’s taking time for yourself. What do you enjoy doing? I know this will vary from season to season allotting for the ability in time and resources. But, even a 10 minute tea break in some peace and quiet will go along way to keeping your batteries charged. Don’t be afraid to ask for your spouse’s or other family members help in getting at least a little time to recharge.
In taking care of ourselves we increase our longevity and attitude. Treating our body as a temple is just as important as taking care of those around us. If you are experiencing homeschooling fatigue, it is better to take steps to alleviate this instead of working yourself towards homeschooling burnout!
