So, we’ve talked about resets between trips out of the house. We also have heard about the “clean kitchen at night” routine and think that would be nice. We love the thought of coming home or waking up to a clean house, but who has the energy?

Sometimes this is just complaining. We all have the days where we just need to suck it up and get it done. Life is full of hard work, and hard work is hard.

Then again, sometimes this is a red flag.

If we are too busy from running all over to cover the basic responsibilities of life, perhaps we are too busy. The constant overwhelmed, exhausted feeling is a warning sign — time to stop and think.

Even after looking at all the activities and making sure they fit priorities, there are seasons where we need to accomplish more (medical emergency, newborn, moving cross-country, etc.) and exhaustion is part of life. To help lessen the burden, though, we can recognize the increased load and choose to do less for a little while.

• Go to super simple. Frozen pizza is fine. Spring cleaning will happen next spring.
• Delegating doesn’t have to be permanent, whether that be a housecleaner, grocery pickup, or prepared meals. Basics can be covered, even if not with our own two hands.

Or looking at all the activities shows up some stuff that really doesn’t need to be done right now. Cutting back on that stuff will allow us to focus on priorities — loving God and loving our neighbor — instead of running on a hamster wheel. This is our chance to reset our lives (not just the kitchen) and go forward with a better pace. We can calmly cover our responsibilities and enjoy the space to love our neighbors, families, friends, and community as we go.