Manage Your Energy to Avoid Homeschool Mom Burnout

Much like time, energy is an incredibly valuable resource to a working homeschool mom. And in order to thrive, you need to know how to manage your energy. In this post, I’m going to give you some ideas for making the most of what you have! And finding ways to get more!

Energy and Health Go Hand in Hand

Managing your energy becomes a whole lot easier when you have more of it. And the best way to get more, is to take care of your health!

Here are some ways that really work to give you more energy…

Moving your body is probably one of the best ways to gain more energy. I wrote a post with some easy and quick ways to work out. And it’s super important to find something that you enjoy and that doesn’t take too much time. Because this is how to make exercise sustainable!
Getting enough sleep is definitely up there! I also wrote a post about ways to get more sleep. Sleep is such an important part of overall wellbeing, so make it a mission to prioritize it!
Having a chronic lack of energy could also be caused by underlying health issues. Going to your doctor isn’t always fun, but it’s so important to make sure everything is in working order.
Many people actually have a shortage of Vitamin B12, which plays such a huge role in how much energy you have. Ask your doctor to test your levels and get supplements if they prescribe them.
And yes, unfortunately drinking too much coffee and wine and eating too much sugar isn’t serving you. They feel so good at the time, but you pay for the energy hike with a big crash afterwards.

This TED Talk is a real eye opener of you want some scientific facts to back this.

How to Manage Your Energy Better

Ok, so I’ve spoken about ways to get more energy. But what about the energy you have? How can you make the most of it? As always, there are practical steps to take. But there’s definitely also mindset work to be done!

Practical Ways to Manage Your Energy

Time management is a big part of energy management. And vice versa! When you have your schedule figured out, you’ll be able to find time for rest and working out. And you’ll have more energy!

At the same time, if you know when your high energy times are, you can make the most of your time by doing things quickly and well. And this will give you more time! It’s a beautiful reciprocal system!

But what are some practical steps you can take to make this happen?

You have to make rest and working out a priority! So this could mean letting go of things that don’t serve you in favour of what does. You could do a time audit to see exactly where your time has gone.
Setting boundaries around your time is also a way to have more control over it. Start teaching your kids early on when you are available to them and when you need to work or be alone. I know they’re not easy to set, but once you get used to them, boundaries will make your life so much better!
When it comes to homeschooling, which takes a lot of brainpower, collaboration and presence, you need to find a time when you have lots of energy. Otherwise it can become tedious and difficult very quickly! Figure out when you feel up to it, and more importantly, when your kids are keen. Then you can fly through homeschooling with joy and ease!

Do the Mindset Work

Mindset is such a huge part of having a good life. It sounds trite but I’ve spoken to so many people who have proven this to be true over and over. And when it comes to energy, it’s also the case!

These are some things I’ve learnt which help with my energy levels…

Let go of things you can’t change. For me, this is having a perfectly clean house. In the past, I’d spend hours and hours cleaning our house from top to bottom. And then when it was dirty two seconds later, I was totally annoyed and frustrated and depleted. Letting this go has allowed me to have more energy for things that bring me joy. And are more long-lasting too!
Give up the need for perfection. This has been a hard-won lesson in life. I used to pride myself on my attention to detail and obsessive need for things to be just right, before I realized how much these were holding me back! Getting things perfect takes so much energy. And it doesn’t give anything back because it is also unattainable!
Set some more boundaries. Time boundaries are very important! But so are other boundaries. This could look like saying no to someone who takes a lot of your energy. Or being specific about when or what you’re able to give to others.
Do things that bring you joy, because this will help energy to multiply! You know how it feels when you’re doing something that’s really important to you. You feel alive and excited and inspired! These feelings are energy magnets! So try and fill your life with them any chance you get!

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