Homemaking and the Art of Slowing Down

Inside: Why slow homemaking will change your heart about your work at home. The days of your life are something to enjoy, not rush through. Take a deep breath and enjoy the view.

When you stay home, there’s a lot to do. And sometimes, you feel like you have a lot to prove. And don’t get me wrong: being busy is a good thing, and so is productivity. But so many of us have the tendency to turn life as homemakers into an endless parade to do lists and spreadsheets and systems. Chances are, this is a life you wanted. Don’t forget to enjoy it.

Wake Up Slowly

The morning sets the tone for the entire day. I don’t mean wake up slow like let the birds chirping wake you up. In fact, I suggest an alarm, an early rise, and some peace and quiet before everyone else gets up.

Enjoy A Little Morning Silence. Resist the urge to immediately check your phone or turn on the TV. I totally understand the temptation to check your phone first thing, but try to resist for a while. A peaceful start to the day will ground you and prepare you for whatever lies ahead.

Have Your Coffee and Watch the Birds. For many, that first cup of coffee is special. Don’t gulp it down mindlessly. Notice the warmth of the mug in your hands. This is a good part of your day. Enjoy it!

Chores Aren’t Just a Thing to Check Off

Housework is often seen as a chore, a tedious necessity. And for sure, it can be. But if we’re supposed to be enjoying the process of our day how can we do that when we’re just rushing to get through a task, only to start the next test, repeating this endlessly?

Do One Thing at a Time

Focus on a single task. Does this sound obvious? But I bet you very rarely do it. How often are you just driving somewhere without listening to something, or just cleaning without also prepping dinner. You might think multitasking is efficient, but it’s not. You’ll get through tasks better and with less stress if you do one thing at a time.

When you’re washing dishes, enjoy the warm water and the bubbles. This is what is what you’re doing right now. Folding laundry? Notice the fresh scent and soft textures. (This feels weird at first!)

You’ll have the urge to check your email, put on a podcast, do something else. But stay focused on the task at hand. It’s less stressful and it’s more efficient too.

Cooking With Love

Some nights you’re in a hurry to get things on the table. But, slow homemakers know that preparing food is an act of love. This sounds cheesy. It’s still true.

Start Dinner Early

I like to start dinner so early it almost feels ridiculous. There’s nothing enjoyable about scrambling around, slamming down pots and pans, and stressing everyone out.

Of course, sometimes afternoons are busy and this is impossible. In that case, I recommend starting a small dinner task (chopping, making salad dressing, etc.) early in the day. It makes dinner in general feel less overwhelming when you know some of it is already done.

Enjoy The Process

Cooking shouldn’t feel like a chore. There are a lot of ways to make feeding your family more enjoyable. Beyond starting early, try having a glass of wine while you cook, listening to music (not with headphones!), and setting the table in a pretty way.

Create A Home You Like

Slow homemaking isn’t just in your mindset. It’s also a part of your physical world. I am a big believer that your physical surroundings matter greatly. You have to like your home.

Declutter

Clutter is a breeding ground for stress and overwhelm. The good news is, it’s fixable. Decluttering makes your life easier in so many ways. You’ll magically find that you have more time when you own less.

Add Decor (Simply!)

Once you’ve pared down, you can add. Family photos, fresh flowers, petty quilts. The goal is to add what you think is pretty, but not to add clutter. If you focus on attractive utility, you won’t go wrong.

Let Go of Perfectionism

Are you in such a hurry to get things done because you have something to prove? Because you want to be the best? Because you want to be perfect? Let that go.

No one is perfect, and trying to be will prob you of presence and joy. This doesn’t mean giving up and being lazy. It means realizing that you can only do what you can do, and trying to do twice what’s realistic will not make anyone like you more.

Find Beauty in the Everyday

We talked about enjoying your coffee, the dishes, your home. But look outside and all around. The world is still beautiful. Take a moment to enjoy it. Let your children see you do that too.

I hope you found this useful and inspirational. Of course there is a lot to get done every day. But it’s important to enjoy those days too.