I’m going to be honest with you: I’m overwhelmed as a mom. We’ve actually talked about this a lot around here, so maybe you’re bored with this monologue, but I can’t help it. You see, I get messages from ladies every month, sometimes every week, asking me for advice, help, or questioning ‘how I do it all.’
I’m a stay-at-home mom (well, working and homemaking and homesteading and homeschooling too!) with five boys, and some days it feels like the mental load is just too heavy. I know you know that feeling: the to-do list that never ends, the little ones tugging, the older kids needing something else, the house needing something, the world pressing in.
And then there’s the whisper: you’re not enough, you’re failing, why can’t you keep up?
If you’re here, reading this or watching on YouTube, maybe you’re feeling that too.
Take a deep breath with me. (Go ahead—pause. Inhale. Exhale.)
You are not alone.
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Why are We Overwhelmed as a Mom?
Let’s name it. Because when we name it, we step into the light.
Note – While we chat, I’m going to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen over on the accompanying YouTube video, but don’t worry, we’ll take some breaks to venture outside, and I’ve also got a fun little gift wrapping nook project that I’ll be showing you as well.
I feel overwhelmed because I’m juggling so many hats—mom, homemaker, homesteader, working mom—and my heart is carrying more than I often let on. While my hands are full, my mind feels even fuller.
I feel overwhelmed because this world is evil, and the longer I live and the more my children grow, the more I sense the darkness pressing in. Yet I’m called to create a home—a safe place, a refuge—amid it all. Maybe I’m just hypersensitive lately to the evil of this world, but the little glimpses I get of the news headlines leave me feeling pressed in by the destruction of wickedness.
I feel overwhelmed by the small things like grocery shopping with five boys, tackling endless household chores, prepping for family events, and carrying the mental load of remembering everyone’s needs.
Then there are the big things—the weight of Scripture, the responsibility of training up my children. It doesn’t matter if you homeschool or not; the weight of training up a child should bear weight every single day of their existence. Our homes should be a refuge, but also a place of training and intentional living.
Then there is the pressure of all the “shoulds” (should be a perfect mom, should have it all together), and the constant comparison that stirs unrest in our hearts. I felt that acutely this week as I watched some other Instagram and YouTube accounts to gain some perspective on my own content development, and by the end, I had descended into the trap of comparison and thought to myself, “I should just shut it all down, I can’t ever compare to them.”
Everyone has it slightly different. We all have different responsibilities, weights, to-do lists, and comparisons we fall into, but that also means we all feel the same traps.
The world feels so evil at times, and even the upcoming holidays, which should calm the chaos, feel more like a band-aid over something deeper—a hush before a storm rather than the peace I long for.
So yes—this messy, raw overwhelm is real. And it matters.
The Faith Anchor: Creating a Home in an Evil World
Here’s a truth I cling to: nothing surprises God. He is sovereign.
And in the dark world around us, our homes—your home—can become a beacon of light.
John 1:5 says: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
That means the darkness is real, yes—but so is the light, and the light wins.
Your home isn’t just a place—it’s an outpost, a little corner where truth, kindness, and love are alive. You don’t have to fix the whole world—but you can protect, you can teach, you can guard.
Titus 2 – Keeper of the Home
In Titus 2, we read that women are to be keepers at home. Now, before I go on, there are a lot of nuances to this word. You’ll need to go and research and press into the Titus 2 theology yourself. Take your Bible and learn from it; don’t rely on me. I’m researching and reading, but I’ve gotten things wrong many times.
And so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:4-5 ESV
It’s a phrase that’s often brushed past, but when you look at the Greek word—oikouros—it paints such a rich picture. It’s not just about being a homemaker in the modern sense of cooking, cleaning, or managing the house. The word combines oikos (home) and ouros (a guard or watcher). That means we are not merely keepers—we are guardians of our homes. We stand watch over the atmosphere, the tone, the spiritual climate of the place our family calls home.
This image changes everything, doesn’t it? Suddenly, the work of folding laundry, preparing meals, or training little hearts isn’t just mundane—it’s sacred. You are guarding what comes in and what goes out. You’re protecting your children from the subtle lies that seep in through culture, media, and even well-meaning voices that pull them away from the truth. You’re setting the spiritual temperature through prayer, scripture, and the way you model love and forgiveness.
To be a “house guard” is not to be controlling—it’s to be watchful. It’s recognizing that evil exists but choosing to be a gatekeeper of peace, truth, and joy within your walls. When we approach homemaking through this lens, it stops feeling like a never-ending checklist and starts feeling like a calling. Every meal, every correction, every bedtime prayer—it all becomes part of how we keep the light burning in our little corner of the world.
Your role matters. Your calling matters. Even when you feel undone.
Why You Shouldn’t Be Surprised
Here’s the perspective shift: You shouldn’t be surprised by the overwhelm.
Why? Because expectation and comparison and high-standards are designed to erode. The world wants to whisper that you’re failing.
But in your failures, something beautiful is happening: God is refining you. My failures become the groundwork for His glory to shine through. My weakness becomes His strength. Not because I fix everything—but because I allow Him to hold me through the wreckage.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
Being a mom in this age is hard. You have your own unique set of challenges—young kids, older kids, homeschool, hustle, homemaking, career or not, limited time, limited resources.
It’s okay. Our homes should be places of refuge, yes—but also of industry and training: messy, imperfect, but alive.
We don’t have to be perfect moms. We get to be faithful moms. Moms who keep the light burning in their little corner.
Practical Strategies — A Complete Guide for the Overwhelmed Mom
Okay friend, let’s get practical. Because hard work + faith + small changes = a better place.
As I stood in the kitchen canning applesauce with my boys—two huge baskets of free apples spread across the counter, a baby on my back, and a whole lot of chaos underfoot—I couldn’t help but think about how this moment was such a picture of motherhood itself. It wasn’t ideal. The jars were sticky, someone was always bumping me, and nap time came and went without much success. But with the economy the way it is, and our grocery budget stretched thin, this was a chance to be faithful with what we’d been given. It was also a quiet reminder that God trains us in faithfulness through the ordinary work of our days.
The best thing you can do to fight overwhelm is to show up for your meetings with God. Don’t neglect your Bible and prayer time. Pretty simple, but so many women skim past it, thinking that they are too busy or that they just don’t have enough time, but if you want to fight the daily onslaught of overwhelm, you will meet with the only one who can ultimately calm your heart.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3 ESV
We can also just show up and take the next small step. Don’t overthink it—just start. When my mind feels cluttered with the mental load of motherhood and homemaking, I’ve learned to pour everything out—my worries, my to-dos, my emotions—and let God seal them up one by one. Writing things down or saying them out loud has a way of creating space for peace to enter. Just like those jars of applesauce that eventually will be lined up on the countertop, it’s a way of bringing order to what once felt like chaos.
We can also focus on what truly matters. It’s easy to believe that we need to do everything—but faithfulness doesn’t mean perfection; it means attention. Sometimes the holiest thing we can do is turn everyday chores into moments of training and connection. Talk to your kids as you work, pray over your tasks, and let relational living be the catalyst for teaching and training.
Finally, don’t despise the small wins. You may feel like the house is loud, the jars are sticky, and the to-do list is untouched—but look closer. Those jars on the counter? They’re a testimony that something good came out of a messy day. The same is true for your heart. When you choose faithfulness over frustration, you are guarding your home in the most practical, powerful way.
So much of motherhood is just this—a thousand small acts of showing up, being faithful with what’s in front of us, and trusting that God will multiply the little we have. Whether it’s applesauce, laundry, or bedtime routines, this is where the holy work happens.
Encouragement for You: You’re in the Right Place
If you’re reading or watching this and thinking, “I don’t know what to do next”—you’re in the right place.
Your job is hard. Your role is massive. Your calling is beautiful. This beautiful journey of motherhood and homemaking and faith is full of deep breaths and messy moments.
You won’t always “feel” like the perfect mom. You’ll certainly have hot tears, bad mom days, days you question everything. That doesn’t make you a bad mom—it makes you human.
And because you’re human, you get to lean on the strength of the One who holds the universe.
Closing — A Gentle Invitation
So, dear friend, if you’re feeling that overwhelming sense right now:
- Pause.
- Breathe.
- Choose the next faithful thing in your home or to-do list.
- Give yourself permission to not do it all, but to do this one thing.
- Remind your heart: you are enough, you are loved, you are doing good.
- And when you’re ready, share your heart with someone—tag a mom friend, shoot me a message, open up to your best friend.
The world may feel heavy. The mental load may feel crushing. But you are not alone. Your home, your heart, your humble calling—it matters.
Let’s keep the light burning together, in our “little corners.”
And one day, the harvest will come. I can’t wait to see it.
With love and grace,
Rachael
Mama, homemaker, keeper of the home
More Resources from Healing Home:
– Prayers and Verses for Confidence
– Overcome Overwhelm as a Homemaker
– Scripture Card Pack (FREE)
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