Re-prioritizing to Decrease Stress – MOM 2 MOM Mondays {guest post – Karen}

 

It’s time for another school year in our home, and I have been struggling to make sure I will be more relaxed and at peace compared to last year. I have been so stressed, trying to do too much, focusing on the wrong things. Does this sound familiar?

 

I don’t know about you, but my priorities have been wrong. I know the importance of starting my day with the Lord. For many years after becoming a born-again Christian I had a daily time with the Lord in the morning. I would read the recommended Bible Verses, read the article in the devotional booklet and the memory verse plus a little poem or whatever it was called. I would then write down my prayers in a journal. Though sometimes I was just repeating myself, I was still attempting to pray/communicate with God. After having Tabitha, I slowly fell away from having a daily devotion time. I tried while I was nursing her, but it was too distracting. I felt I couldn’t concentrate. After I had more children. I would sporadically pick up my devotional or try listening to an app on the phone, but it was just not the same. The last two years I tried starting the year out right and had great intentions of reading through the Bible and keeping up my devotions.  But here we are 2/3 of the way through 2013 and I was not able to keep up with it again.  

 

Losing my focus on the Lord has affected so many areas of my life. My priorities have gotten skewed. There are so many distractions vying for my time, and of course, without a firm anchor, I find myself being pulled this way and that. It seems there is such a pull to spend time online. I have been so busy with my blog, taking on too much and focusing on my numbers more than the quality of what I am sharing; forgetting what it was I started blogging for – to share what we are doing with other mothers.  So, along with neglecting my time with the Lord, I have been prideful, caring too much about increasing my number and ranking. I have become lazy, always drawn to the computer. I have been focusing too much on what is not important in the grand scheme of things. 

 

By spending so much time on the computer the house has suffered. And because things are so cluttered I can’t find things when I need them. It is harder to stick to “A place for everything and everything in its place” when I can’t figure out where things should go.  This, in turn, leads to more stress (people can check inpatient drug rehab near you for stress relief treatment) , when I can’t find that specific item in the middle of our homeschool day. “Where in the world did I put that ruler? I know I just saw it earlier today. Oh, come on, I know I just saw it, why can’t I remember?”  Additionally, hubby had read or heard somewhere that clutter could be affecting my memory. I am constantly forgetting what I am supposed to be doing. Which, in turn, increases my stress level. 

 

Have you found yourself floundering, losing your way, unsure of your priorities? I have identified three things that I am going to have to do to turn my life back around to where it should be. 

 

 

Top priority is to make sure I am right with the Lord. I desire to live my life for Him and to lead my children in his ways. How can I be doing this if I am not focused in on Him each day?  I won a journal a few weeks ago and I am going to make good use of it during my devotion time.  Starting the day with the Lord is the most important thing that can be done. Remembering that each day is a new beginning in which his mercy and grace flows.  Focusing on the Lord, first and foremost, because he is the one who gives me the strength to do what needs to be done.  I need to let the Lord lead me when it comes to what my priorities should be, because obviously I can’t make those decisions on my own.

 

 

 

My next priority is to get the house decluttered, which I am sure will thrill my husband.  As he has said, if it is so hard to find what I need when I need it because there are too many things floating around, it is sure to add to the stress levels.  Yes, this will mean getting rid of things I no longer need, but think I may need in the future.  I have such trouble letting go of things. But if I am clinging to “things” once again my priorities are wrong. The Lord knows what I will have need of, and will meet those needs. 

 

 

 

At the beginning of each week I now separate the papers into these “daily” folders.

 

 

 

And then each evening or early morning I put them in their workboxes. 

 

 

This is our first year using workboxes and I can already see the benefits. 

 

These are some of the things I’m doing to help get my life and homeschooling routine organized, thereby reducing my stress.  The Lord has really impressed upon my heart recently that He doesn’t want me to be stressed. He tells us not to worry, to be at peace. 

 

Philippians 4: 6-7 says, “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. “

 

And in Matthew 11: 28-30 Jesus says, “28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” “

 

 

 

 

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Hi, I’m Karen and I blog over at Tots and Me. I have 4 little ones ages 6, 5, 3 and 1 who I am homeschooling.  I started my blog 4 years ago to share our activities with other moms of young children. Prior to having the children I worked at a Montessori for 5 years along with another day care, primarily with toddlers, but also with babies and preschoolers. In addition to my blog, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.