3 Practical Ways to Help Busy Moms Slow Down

As I put on my glasses and roll out of bed, I peek outside our bedroom door. Is anyone awake yet, or can I still enjoy a few more quiet moments?

That’s when I see our son’s light on, and his door cracked. Years ago, we got our kids rise-to-wake clocks, which taught them to play in their rooms until their clocks turned green.

I tiptoe toward his room and peek in through the crack. I see a line of Hot Wheels cars on his bed and him zooming a car through the air, under his blanket, and back toward his pillow. I pause for a moment and delight in his joy.

Children have a unique ability to find joy in the smallest things in life.

Seeing me linger by his door, my son turns and smiles. I hug him good morning, and he says, “Mom, can I finish my race before I come down?” “Of course,” I reply.

As I walk down the steps to start breakfast, I wonder how much joy I miss in life because I’m not paying attention to what is right in front of me. I’m too busy as a mom trying to do everything and do it with excellence.

My mind too easily gets trapped in the mindset that I’ll be happy when life is more manageable. When life is more straightforward. The trouble is, life always seems complicated!

Somewhere in there, I believe a lie: that happiness is a far-off dream, that motherhood will always be busy, stressful, and chaotic. The problem with this mindset is that it robs me of joy today. I miss out on the best moments of my life because I’m too consumed with the idea that life will be better one day.

Motherhood is busy. We often feel burnout from all the things, but we can find joy and wonder in mom life today by learning how to slow down.

God does NOT want us to stay stuck in this mindset. And He doesn’t want you there either.

Today, we can awaken wonder in our hearts, not by adding another item to our to-do lists or buying something from the store to make life easier. Wonder can’t be purchased or made. Wonder comes from learning to deliberately slow down.

We need to ask ourselves:

When was the last time we paused and lingered in a moment with our kids?
When was the last time we took a deep breath and paused instead of rushing everyone out the door?
What does slowing down look like for busy moms?

As you answer those questions, God may reveal some truths to you. In the meantime, I’ve detailed three ways to slow down and savor the moment.

Here are three ways busy moms can intentionally slow down.

First, wake up early and spend time in God’s presence.

I love a good book or devotional, but there is something about saturating my heart with God’s Word. The Bible tells us the Word of God is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). When I spend time reading the Bible and meditating on it, something activates deep within my Spirit.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t manufacture the joy, peace, and contentment that comes from spending time with God.

Second, write out your goals, intentions and tasks.

Writing down my to-do list in a planner helps me see what I need to focus on for each day. As a stay-at-home mom, a lot of my day is unstructured. I’ve realized that too much open space is a recipe for disaster for me. I lose focus, pay too much attention to my phone, and get distracted by the littlest things.

Now I’ve also learned I can’t over-plan my day. In motherhood, you need to be flexible and learn how to adapt to changed plans. But if I intentionally choose my focus early in the morning, it sets my tone for the day.

Lastly, busy moms know how to find true rest and moments of quiet throughout their day.

I need to schedule rest into my life. I’m the kinda girl who gets super excited about ALL THE THINGS. Every opportunity sounds thrilling, and I want to say yes to all of them! The trouble is my mind sometimes gets ahead of my heart and body, and pretty soon, I feel overwhelmed and burnt out.

I’ve learned to give my best yes and say no even if it sounds super exciting. That means I’ve said no to play dates when I KNOW my family needs a day of rest. I’ve said no to writing opportunities because I can’t add one more thing to my already overflowing plate. I’ve learned it’s okay to say no.

God doesn’t need to rest, yet He rested on the seventh day of creation. We can’t GO GO GO all day, every day, and expect not to get tired. Burnout is straight ahead if we never slow down and learn how to pause.

In today’s world, fast is good, and slow is bad. I subscribed to that pace of life for far too long. I’m learning it’s not only good; it’s healthy to pause, slow down, savor, and linger. That’s how I bring joy back into my life.