Over the years, I’ve had to break some bad habits that were actually making homemaking harder than it needed to be.
Some of the things I was doing were making my days more stressful, leaving me feeling overwhelmed, and making it harder to care for my home and family.
The good news is that small changes can make a big difference.
If you recognize yourself in any of these bad habits, I hope you’ll be encouraged to know that change is possible for you, too!
1. Not Taking Care of Myself
This was the first bad habit I had to break, and it’s actually where my journey toward becoming a better homemaker began.
I still remember the day I realized I needed to make a change.
I walked past a mirror in my home and stopped in my tracks. I did a double take because I couldn’t believe the reflection staring back at me.
I remember looking at myself and asking, “Who are you?”
I didn’t even recognize myself anymore.
Somewhere along the way, I’d gotten so busy taking care of everyone else that I’d stopped taking care of myself.
That day, I changed out of my frumpy clothes and put on a cute graphic T-shirt and a pair of navy blue shorts. I took down my messy ponytail, fixed my hair, and put on a little mascara and blush.
Nothing fancy. Just a few simple things that made me feel human again.
When I looked in the mirror, I felt like a different person. My circumstances hadn’t changed, but suddenly I had more motivation to get off the couch and start doing the things that needed to be done.
That experience taught me something important: when I take better care of myself, I’m better able to care for my home and family.
And self-care isn’t just about how I look.
I’ve also learned that I need hobbies, goals, books to read, and interests outside of homemaking and homeschooling.
Getting outside for fresh air and sunshine, taking a shower, getting dressed, and spending time with the Lord are other simple ways I care for myself.
I’ve learned that taking care of myself isn’t selfish. It’s part of being a good steward of what God has given me.
2. Letting Messes Pile Up
I used to let the dishes stack up next to the sink and the dirty laundry grow bigger and bigger throughout the week.
Then I’d look at the mess and feel completely overwhelmed.
The bigger the mess became, the less I wanted to deal with it. And the less I wanted to deal with it, the bigger it became!
Eventually, I realized that small messes handled consistently are much easier to manage than giant messes handled occasionally.
For example:
- A sink full of dishes feels overwhelming, but spending 5-10 minutes washing dishes after each meal is manageable.
- A kitchen counter covered in clutter feels like a big job, but putting things away after using them takes very little time.
- Eight loads of laundry piled up all week feels overwhelming, but doing one or two loads a day feels much easier.
I’ve learned that doing a little bit every day prevents me from spending an entire weekend trying to catch up.
You don’t have to clean your entire house every day. You just need to develop a few simple habits that keep the mess from getting out of control.
Small daily efforts really add up!
3. Waiting Until the Last Minute to Do Important Things
This is one I’m a little embarrassed to admit!
Many days, I’d sit on the couch until about an hour before my husband came home. Then suddenly, I’d realize I needed to figure out dinner or wash his work clothes for the next day.
I’d spend that last hour running around trying to get everything done before he walked through the door.
Eventually, I realized I couldn’t keep living that way.
Proverbs 21:5 says, “The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want” (KJV).
I’ve found this to be so true in my homemaking. When I think ahead and take care of important things before they become urgent, my days are so much more peaceful.
So I started planning dinner at the beginning of each week. Then, each morning, I made sure I knew what we were having, had the ingredients on hand, and had meat thawing if needed.
I also started a load of laundry every morning, often before breakfast.
By taking care of these important tasks early in the day, I could move on to other things without constantly worrying about what I’d forgotten.
Planning ahead actually gave me more freedom with my time.
Instead of feeling guilty when I sat down to rest, I could relax because I’d already taken care of the things that mattered most.
4. Going to Bed Late and Getting Up Late
These are two habits that tend to go hand in hand.
For years, I’d stay up much later than I should have. I’d watch one more show or scroll a little longer on social media.
It felt nice at the time, but I always paid for it the next day.
I’d wake up tired, lie in bed until the last possible minute, and then rush through the morning feeling behind before my day had even begun.
Eventually, I realized that the choices I made at night were making my mornings harder.
I had to become more intentional about my sleep habits.
Going to bed earlier wasn’t always as fun as staying up to watch another show, but it made my mornings so much better.
I had more energy and patience, and I could start the day feeling ready to take care of my responsibilities instead of struggling to get going.
I don’t think we need to have a perfect morning routine or wake up at some ridiculously early hour to be good homemakers.
But getting enough rest and establishing a consistent bedtime and wake-up time can make a tremendous difference.
5. Allowing My Phone to Distract Me
The last bad habit I had to break was allowing my phone to distract me from the things that mattered most.
Years ago, social media had a much bigger hold on me than it does today. Instagram was where I spent far too much of my time, and eventually, I got rid of many of my social media accounts.
That change helped tremendously.
But even now, I have to be intentional about how I use my phone.
It’s so easy to pick it up for one quick thing and suddenly realize that much more time has passed than I intended.
Ephesians 5:15–16 reminds us to “walk wisely and redeem the time” (KJV).
That passage makes me think about how I’m spending the little moments throughout my day. Am I using my time wisely when I spend an hour scrolling on my phone?
Those little moments really add up.
It’s not about never enjoying my phone. It’s about making sure it doesn’t take priority over my home, my family, or the work God has given me to do.
This is one of the principles I talk about in my course, The Motivated Homemaker Blueprint.
Building better habits and learning to manage your time can help you stop feeling so overwhelmed and become more intentional about caring for your home.
If you’re struggling with any of these habits, don’t feel discouraged. Choose one thing you can work on today. You don’t have to fix everything at once.
And remember, homemaking isn’t about having a perfect house or being a perfect homemaker. It’s about faithfully caring for the people and home God has entrusted to you.