Something I’ve been learning even more about lately – making the whole of life sustainable. Pacing myself for the long haul, instead of a back & forth of sprinting and collapsing.
And part of that sustainability is actually enjoying and resting within my work.
What do I mean, exactly? Here are a few examples:
Relax my shoulders and slow down, instead of rushing through the dishes. Sometimes light a candle or play some music. Motherhood/Housewife work, while full of deep challenge and exhaustion, IS still beautiful work. And we do have surprising authority to frame it and go about it in whatever manner we wish! May as well relax and enjoy the beauty in it. 😊🍃💞
When the kids are all loud & crazy, just breathe deep and let go of my desire to control and restrain it all, ALL the time. Let them have times to be loud and rambunctious, while I go about my work peacefully, and smile, enjoying the beauty of happy noise. 😊🍃💞 (And sometimes, join in!;) Long walks are also great for blowing off some steam… for both kids and moms, lol.
Peck away at the to-do list, instead of attacking it like a thing that needs to get done and put behind me. Think of those lovely paintings of women hanging laundry. They don’t look very rushed, do they? I spend most of my day on my feet working hard, but I try to be about it like this – enjoying the sunshine & breeze in the midst of the task. There’s usual no real reason to rush. The list is eternal! 😂 It’s not going anywhere. I may as well relax and go about it peaceably, one thing at a time. 😊🍃💞
Shift from thinking of my kids as a little preschool to manage, and more as friends to go about my days with. We live life together. Sure, I’m their guide and authority for a while. I do run a pretty tight ship. But I enjoy their company, and love just living our days side by side. I used to just try to survive them, until I could get a break… and sometimes I still slip into that. But the more I can slow down and enjoy their presence, the happier we all are. 😊🍃💞
Joy is the serious business of heaven. Put things like “pick flowers,” “light candles,” and “play games with kids” on your to-do list. They are just as important, even more so, than cleaning the bathrooms!
Our work as homemakers never ends, so relaxing into the daily work of it, is so key to making slow living a tangible reality – especially if you have little ones.
Blessings to you all! 😊🍃💞 I’d love to know – how do you enjoy and relax into your work?
Slow Scenes of Home 