How To Be Productive & Deal With “Slumps”

If you are wondering How To Be Productive & Deal With “Slumps” you’ve come to the right place!! As a SAHM (stay at home mom) and WAHM (work at home mom) off and on for the last 15 years I’m no stranger to “slumps”. It is so easy to fall into them. Or get knocked down into one. It doesn’t take much either! Slumps are my absolute least favorite part of being a domestic engineer (my fancy way of saying “homemaker”-domestic engineer sounds more save-the-world-ish)!

How To Be Productive & Deal With “Slumps”, Identify The Causes

I think slumps happen to SAH mom’s/wives/grandma’s for a handful of reasons. For one, this is a hard job! After all, it’s a ministry of serving which has potential to bless many people, but can be really really rough for so many reasons. Heaven knows the devil is no friend to any good work, including this job. Another reason it’s rough is we don’t actually get a “paycheck” for all our hard work-add to that it’s lonely, and it’s work that just never ends!

I’ve found that knowing the triggers or causes of slumps (for myself) is helpful for avoiding them (if they are avoidable-some are simply unavoidable). For me slumps can be caused by a number of things. Here are some of the causes I personally fall into them;

• For the first year after having a baby I find slumps are unavoidable at times. Let’s face it, for the first year there’s lack of sleep, nursing (which takes a nutritional toll), and taking care of the baby non stop. All this makes it so easy for the brain to turn to mush
• Before we had established and during times when we were not using our CHORE CHART SYSTEM the kids had a hard time remembering to do their chores and too much work for one person to do would pile up
• When something disrupts our schedule for more than a couple days-it seems like it takes that many day’s to get back to normal
• When someone isn’t feeling well or there is a round of colds/flu-it seems like slumps follow-especially in big families since it can take a month or more to run through everyone in a big family
• When I forget to make lists and I try to keep a mental list-eventually my brain get’s bogged down and I get to tired to remember anything that needs to be done

I’m sure I could think of more reasons for falling in a slump, but these are the main triggers I can think of for me. Your’s might be different.

Slump. N. a period of decreased economic activity

Merriam Webster

How To Be Productive & Deal With “Slumps”

Here are 8 things that help me avoid or get out of slumps.

1. For me, it helps to know my triggers which helps me to either avoid them or try to plan for them. I find if I can have a plan or system ready to put into action for when they happen it helps them not to linger as long
2. One great way to avoid many slumps is to be sure to take some time each weekend to plan out the week ahead. I love day planners for this! Having goals and to do lists are a great way to keep the day’s on track-which keeps slumps at bay.
3. If I’m already in the slump, again, the day planner helps get me out. As I walk through the house instead of mentally making lists I get my day planner and do a “brain dump”. Getting the to-do’s out of my head and on paper where I can visually see them helps.
4. Browse my favorite domestic bloggers. This always get’s me motivated, inspired, and encouraged! Sometimes I do have to be careful that it doesn’t result in a remodel project though. 😀
5. As a Cert. M. Herbalist I’m a huge believer in diffusing pure therapeutic grade (not cheap synthetics) because they work. Studies HERE and HERE have proven peppermint oil for example has positive brain activity enhancing properties. I’ve personally found that diffusing and wearing oils does wonders for me when I’m in a slump. If you want to know more about this CONTACT ME for my free E.O. course.
6. Being careful not to take on too much. I’m really bad about this! I often over schedule. But I’ve found it’s the quickest way to burn out so I’m trying to be more careful not to take on too much. This means saying “No” to some things and people.
7. Taking my vitamins and eating well makes a HUGE difference for me in staying productive!
8. Lastly, it may sound like it would seem counterproductive, but taking Sunday as a day of rest for prayer and some R&R can do wonders when I’m stuck deep in a slump!

Be sure to check out my other posts on HOMEMAKING HERE including What Is A Homemaker & What’s One Worth.

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