Homemaking is much more than just cooking and cleaning. Here are five tips for finding joy and fulfillment in your role as a homemaker!
Can you find your passion as a homemaker?
When you are young, you’re always asked what you want to be when you grow up. My answers ranged anywhere from doctor, to teacher, firefighter, professional soccer player… even when I was in college, I wanted to change my major five times in the first semester! I was so sure that I wanted to be a nurse in the Air Force, so I signed up for ROTC. Thankfully, I dropped that idea before the semester even began! I decided nursing as a civilian would be an okay job. No, wait, I think I want to work with soldiers who are dealing with PTSD. I’ll change my major to psychology. Actually, no, I really love animals… I think I’ll change to fisheries and wildlife and work as a wildlife rehabber! They only make like $25k a year? Oh… okay then, nutrition it is! (Getting closer, Kait! Haha.)
I ended up dropping out after one year of college because I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. So many different areas of study interested me, how could I possibly choose just one?! I settled on the idea of going to cosmetology school and spent the next 11 years doing hair. Admittedly, I was a talented hairstylist! But I knew it wasn’t for me. My coworkers would talk excitedly about traveling to New York City for a hair show or taking a new class on color theory, but I wanted nothing to do with hairdressing outside of work. They had so much passion for their craft, and I almost felt like a fraud. I dreaded going to work every day, but I still didn’t know what I could possibly go back to school to learn that would fulfill me.
Do you have to have a career to feel fulfilled?
It wasn’t until I met my husband that the thought crossed my mind… maybe no career was going to fulfill me. Maybe I didn’t have to settle on one passion to focus on and profit off of. Maybe I could somehow blend them together and find joy in doing it every day! That is what homemaking has become to me. A way to blend my passions and hobbies, while getting fulfillment from knowing that I am serving my family better than anyone else ever could.
5 Ways To Find Fulfillment as a Homemaker
1. Use the monotonous chores as a chance to reflect
This was one of the biggest game changers for me! Laundry, dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, etc. were always put off until the last minute because they are so monotonous and boring. In fact, they are so boring that you really don’t need to pay attention to them at all while doing them!
These chores are the perfect chance to reflect on your life and be grateful for everything you have. While doing laundry, you can think about all of the fun times you’ve had in that dress you are hanging up. Or reflect on how tiny your children’s clothes are and remember that these moments are fleeting and soon they will not even fit into these clothes anymore. Bringing my focus to the present moment and feeling grateful always makes me feel better. I have also started to view these simple chores as a break in my day. They really are so easy and don’t take much effort. It is all about perspective!
2. Plan out your week
Planning out the upcoming week is so helpful! It is easy to get overwhelmed when you have so much on your plate. I find that each day goes a lot smoother when I have a loose schedule to adhere to. I do those “monotonous” chores listed above daily, but I add in one task per day aside from those. An example of this could be: Monday- mop floors, Tuesday- clean bathrooms, Wednesday- wash bedsheets, and so on. Adding in some activities that you enjoy is important too! Recently I have been doing bowspring yoga once or twice a week while my husband watches my son. Just having an hour to myself to focus on moving my body leaves me feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the next task. Having my week planned out like this beforehand makes it much easier to accomplish the tasks that I need to do each week.
3. Find time for yourself
This is easier said than done! I have a 9 month old son who does not sleep on his own. We are lucky if he takes one nap a month by himself! I don’t mind too much because I love the snuggles, but it can be challenging to get all my work done and find a few moments to myself. What I have been loving lately is listening to audiobooks while he is napping on me. Each morning I make myself an egg yolk coffee and I look forward to that every morning! It’s such a simple thing, but it’s a way for me to take care of myself first thing in the morning and feels like such a treat.
4. Make food that you enjoy
We rarely go out to eat, so cooking three meals a day plus snacks can start to feel boring and tedious very quickly. It can also feel overwhelming! Keeping it simple is key for me, and cooking food that I truly love encourages me to keep it up! I tend to cycle through a select few recipes each month, maybe making one new recipe each week. Our meals are fairly simple and I just focus on combining carbohydrates, fats, and protein with each meal so that we are satisfied and nourished! Baking has always been more fun to me, so I break out of my routine to try out new recipes when I feel like it. I will be sharing many of my favorite recipes as the weeks go on!
5. Recognize that your work is important
It is easy to feel like you are “just a homemaker” when that is how most in our society view homemaking. It is such hard work finding the balance of cooking, cleaning, creating a joyful atmosphere in your home, finding the time to nurture relationships, and taking care of yourself all at once. You are exactly what your family needs and you’re doing holy work!
It’s a journey!
I am by no means the best homemaker in the world, but I’m not the worst. A willingness to learn new skills is crucial to your success as a homemaker and it also keeps things fun and interesting! It’s never too late to learn. I hope you have found these tips to finding fulfillment as a homemaker useful! Leave me a comment below and let me know if you have any tips and tricks of your own. I’d love to hear from you!
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