3 Ways to Overcome Overwhelm as a Homemaker

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Struggling with homemaking stress? Learn 3 powerful ways to overcome overwhelm—prioritizing what matters, decluttering, and staying close to Jesus. Find peace in your daily life with practical tips and biblical encouragement.

You are not alone if you are juggling too much. Who isn’t these days? But it’s not just the never-ending to-do list, it’s the rising grocery costs, the political turmoil, the ever-present family member needs, the weight of juggling too much, keeping a marriage strong, the working mom/stay-at-home mom conundrum, the pressure of maintaining a home, and the stress of homeschooling. Your list might be different than mine, but the result is the same. Overwhelming feelings can creep in quickly.

Fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 ESV

If you’re feeling the pressure of too much stress, you’re not alone. As I’ve been thinking through this in my own context I realized there are three different ways I’m adjusting our lives to navigate the emotional overwhelm and regain a sense of control. Although, do we ever really have control? I guess that’s a topic for another day!

Here are three powerful ways to overcome overwhelm as a busy homemaker.

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3 Ways to Overcome Overwhelm

Someone called me a ‘high capacity’ woman recently and first, it caused me to pause, but I didn’t argue because I automatically knew that it probably was true. I’m not saying that to put myself on a pedestal or anything like that because I suspect that those who get lumped into the ‘high capacity’ category are probably also overwhelmed, so our constant big capacity might just be to our detriment!

I mention it because if you are a high-capacity lady, you might have found yourself landing here because you are tired of it all. So here’s a little encouragement and reminder for my high-capacity mamas. God doesn’t call me or you to perfection. He calls me to faithfulness. Overcoming overwhelm isn’t about doing more—it’s about surrendering more. It’s about recognizing that I don’t have to carry it all because Jesus already has.

As we launch into these mostly practical tips, that might just be the most important thing to remember. Be faithful to your calling and surrender more to his leading. You’ll most likely start to feel and see a great reduction in your overwhelm.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

1. Deciding What’s Most Important

I find that one of the common causes of overwhelm is trying to do too much at once. We as moms and homemakers are quite apt at the juggling act of ‘too much’.

If we want to be successful people we need to prioritize tasks and desires. The first step to reducing overwhelming thoughts is to decide what truly matters in your personal life.

A rather silly but actually quite practical example of this was recently when I was stressing about my store-bought milk instead of buying raw from a local farm.

Raw milk offers incredible benefits for physical health, but driving to the farm every week takes a significant amount of time, plus the cost is quadruple for a gallon of milk. It’s totally worth the cost when you really dive into the research, but is it worth the stress and guilt I was putting myself through? With four children, our homeschooling schedule, my fifth pregnancy, and a long task list, I had to evaluate what I would need to give up to make room for this decision.

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of raw milk, I encourage you to listen to this podcast with Homesteading Family and Sally Fallon Morel.

Ultimately, I realized that choosing raw milk would mean sacrificing the sense of balance I feel when my home is tidy. As much as I wanted to prioritize physical health, maintaining a tidy home helps regulate my emotional state. This decision required a mindset shift—acknowledging that I couldn’t do everything without creating ongoing stress.

We’ll get back into a routine of getting raw milk, but right now I’m going to focus on feeding my family other nutrient-dense items like sourdough and fermented veggies that are easier for me to produce in this season of our lives. If this scenario sounds applicable to your own situation, I want to encourage you to remember the gifts of seasons that God gives us.

It’s certainly an overused Bible verse, but Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us,

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV

Not everything can be the most important thing at the same time. Sometimes the healthiest way to navigate overwhelming feelings is to let go of what isn’t vital in the present moment.

Practical Tip: Create a list of your important tasks and prayerfully consider what needs to stay and what can be released. Ask God to show you the big picture of what He wants for your personal life in this season.

2. Reduce the Clutter

Another common sign of overwhelm is sensory overload from too many physical items in our environment. When I’m facing overwhelming feelings, one of the first steps I take is to reduce the clutter in my home. Physical clutter often contributes to mental clutter, increasing stress levels and making it harder to focus on the important tasks at hand.

You don’t have to go far to find real research that supports this, but a cluttered space can lead to a lack of control, higher stress levels, and even negative emotions.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal
Matthew 6:19 ESV

When our homes are filled with clutter, it can feel like unseen forces are working against us. Taking small steps to reduce the number of tasks and items in our home can create a happy place where our minds can find rest.

I find that I also have to learn to be at peace with the mess. I’m not talking about too much clutter, which something that we should reduce if we can. I’m talking about the mess that little feet, little hands, and little minds scatter everywhere.

We’re in the beginning of spring months and I’m finding that the constant mud from my adorable boys coming in and out can be a very triggering thing! On the day that I was shooting the accompanying YouTube video footage for this blog post, I must have recharged my Shark Chordless vacuum cleaner about 3 times, which is two times more than I would typically on a day at home. I cleaned up the same floor area time after time.

I finally stopped and looked around. How much time had I wasted doing the same task over and over while my innocent boys were just being kids?! It can be such a hard balance to learn to keep the clutter down, while also allowing the beauty of childhood messes to shine through. It’s okay to struggle with it, it’s not okay to be triggered and then react poorly to it.

I have a video and blog post on combating mom rage biblically if you are interested.

Another great podcast about keeping a home tidy and clean is from Farmhouse on Boone’s podcast with Dana K. White. They will talk about her new book called “Jesus Dosen’t Care About your Messy House.” It’s a good listen no matter if you are someone who is naturally tidy/clean or not.

Practical Tip: Set a specific time each day to declutter one small area of your home. Even 15 minutes of focused work can bring a sense of control back into your daily life.

3. Remain Close to Jesus

Despite all our best efforts, there will be times when life is overwhelming simply because of external factors or issues outside our control. Traumatic events, relationship issues, or even just the stress of normal living can bring overwhelming thoughts and negative feelings that no amount of time management can fix.

In these seasons, the most important thing we can do is remain close to Jesus. This is another one of those overused Bible verses in Christian circles, but as I often say, it’s overused for a reason. I often find myself returning to this verse and quoting it over and over again.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

When your heart rate is rising and the weight of the world feels too heavy, take a deep breath, grab a glass of water, and spend time in prayer. Use the mundane moments of motherhood to reflect on God’s Word and pray! I always find that the monotony of the kitchen and laundry are perfect times for this. Meditation on God’s Word can help regulate emotional overwhelm and shift our negative thoughts toward His truth.

I don’t know about you, but I need God’s truth every single day. Don’t wait for someone else to preach to you God’s truth, preach it to yourself daily.

Develop a self-care plan that includes daily prayer, reading Scripture, and listening to worship music. When you feel the signs of overwhelm creeping in, turn to God’s Word before anything else.

From Overwhelm to Peace

Overcoming overwhelm as a homemaker isn’t about achieving perfection or completing every task on your list. Actually sometimes to find joy, I think we need to set aside those task lists!

If we want to reduce overwhelm when it becomes a consistent problem start by finding a different perspective, creating healthy boundaries, and drawing near to Jesus. Whether you’re navigating high expectations, mental health issues, or just the common signs of too much stress, there is hope when we turn to our savior.

Above all, know that God sees you in every stressful situation, even if it’s just the simple stress of a day at home. He is the unseen force guiding you back to a sense of balance and joy in your home. Take those deep breaths and trust that He is working all things together for your good.

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