Encouragement for Tired Moms: 5 Ways to Add Joy to Your Life

I discovered a meatball under the china cabinet this morning. Suffice it to say, this wouldn’t be a huge deal if we’d dated meatballs in the past few days; however, we haven’t had meatballs for at least two weeks. We haven’t had meatballs for two weeks. As I scrubbed the floor, I felt compelled to offer a few words of encouragement for tired moms everywhere.

Ten years ago, I spent my days teaching students with disabilities inside the walls of a respected high school. Each new day brought new challenges and changes in my schedule.

During those years, my husband and I traveled overseas often. For fun, we regularly took off across the country with our camping gear in the back of the SUV. Life was filled with adventure and possibility.

I remembered those adventures as I scrubbed the floor this morning. Some part of me mourned the loss of my former life.

I love being a mom. But some days, the daily grind catches up with me.

Some days, I miss socializing with other adults. I crave stretches of uninterrupted quiet time, coffee breaks, and lunch without little hands snatching my food.

Encouragement for Tired Moms

Maybe you can relate. Perhaps you’re a tired mom, and you feel like you complete the same simple tasks in a cycle that never ends.

Maybe you miss the freedom you experienced before having children or the fulfillment you found through your career. Perhaps you miss uninterrupted sleep, quiet showers, and peaceful trips to grocery stores.

5 Pieces of Encouragement for Tired Moms

Today, I hope to offer you five insights to encourage your heart.

1. What feels huge and awful at any given moment might not even make it into the book.

Years ago, a friend offered me the following advice: “If you write a book about your life one day, many of the moments that feel terrible and overwhelming when you’re in the middle of them won’t even make it into the book. Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Weary mom, you probably won’t cross every task off the to-do list today. You might find an old meatball under the cabinet. Someone will spill a full cup of milk on the couch. A diaper will blow out at the wrong time.

Ask God to help you laugh.

These moments will become memories, and God is using the spiritual discipline of motherhood to transform you into the image of his Son. The moments that feel huge and overwhelming today might not even make it into the book.

2. Working and playing both matter, and you don’t have to balance them perfectly to be a good mom.

As I crawled to the couch with my little cowboy on my back, I decided to stop cleaning and play. In no time, we were headed to the woods with a bucket and a net.

We chased moths, toads, and salamanders. We splashed, giggled, and ran through the woods. The playful fun livened our day. We didn’t stay all day, but an hour in the woods changed the atmosphere of the entire day.

I spent years feeling guilty every time I washed dishes instead of playing on the floor with my kids. Most of us have learned that we’re supposed to put people in front of tasks. Every time we fail, we’re afraid we’re chasing an idol.

I believe God has a better Word for us. He asks us to do the work we need to do to serve the people in our lives. And he asks us to do the work with playfulness instead of stress and hurry.

God is asking us to take breaks and play with our kids. He’s also asking us to do the work with open hearts, loving our little ones while they mess up our piles of laundry and freshly scrubbed floors.

3. When the cyclic nature of motherhood wears on you, you have permission to change the schedule.

I thrive on a schedule, but sometimes, the daily routine feels draining. After too many of these days, we pick a day to completely mix things up. We head to visit a friend for the morning, spend a day with my parents, or drive north to Lake Erie for a day. I make sure there’s an appropriate place for a nap (the car seat works), and we enjoy a change in schedule.

What change could you add to your week to infuse a dose of joy? I encourage you to find even an hour to pursue a whimsical interruption this week.

4. This is a season, and it will pass.

When our first child came home from the hospital, I thought I’d never brush my teeth without a baby in my arms again. I thought the newborn stage would last forever. I couldn’t imagine life becoming easier. But it did.

Our daughter is now approaching her seventh birthday. The few months of carrying her everywhere are long gone. This season of parenting little ones will go fast. We honor the season when we don’t wish it away and keep it in perspective. This is just a short stretch of our long lives.

This season of parenting little ones will go fast. We honor the season when we don’t wish it away and keep it in perspective. This is just a short stretch of our long lives. #TiredMom #ParentingQuotes Share on X

5. Find your people and be real with them.

I used to think that since I was a young mom, I needed to join a mom’s group. I tried several, but none of them were a great fit. Finally, I decided to embrace the community I already had. I was intentional to invite my friends for coffee regularly. I started hosting book clubs and study groups in my home. We had potlucks with neighbors, and I joined online blogging communities.

Whether it’s a group of moms, a group of friends, or even an online community, we all need a place to share life with others. Stepping into a community is nothing short of revitalizing.

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I haven’t mastered the art of enjoying every moment of my life as a full-time mom. I’m not sure it’s possible to enjoy every moment of any occupation. But I am taking small steps in the direction of the life I want to live. And we are making progress, one day at a time.

A Free Devotional Book With Encouragement for Tired Moms:

Lastly, I have a gift for you. Would you like to connect with God in ways that breathe fresh life into your weary soul? The Weary Woman’s 20-Day Devotional is my free online devotional to help you connect with God in your worn and weary seasons. You will find 20 daily readings to help you find refreshment in God’s presence. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today!

These books are free on Kindle Unlimited or available to purchase in print:

God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!

Calling all moms and daughters!

Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.

Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, purity, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. We will help you!

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