Discover how shifting your mindset about productivity and rest can transform your homemaking. Learn to embrace fruitfulness, adjust expectations, and find peace.
Joanna Forrester is a wife of 13 years, a homeschooling mother of five—including two sets of twins—and a thoughtful steward of her home. She enjoys delving into both the philosophical depth and practical realities of homemaking, recognizing that daily faithfulness shapes the atmosphere of her household.
With a keen mind for both big-picture thinking and hands-on management, Joanna brings a reflective and intentional approach to her roles, always seeking to refine her work with wisdom and grace.
You'll enjoy listening to our conversation on the Simply Convivial Podcast!
How we talk to ourselves about our work shapes how we experience it. We might not even realize it, but the words we use—our inner narrative—can either build us up or tear us down. When we think of homemaking as a mechanical system to optimize, we start treating ourselves like machines, expecting efficiency and consistency. But we’re not machines—we’re living beings. And as living beings, we function in seasons, with rhythms of work and rest, growth and pruning.
Are You Thinking Like a Machine?
Many of us operate under the assumption that productivity is the goal. If we don’t check off our entire to-do list, if we didn’t accomplish something tangible, then we believe we “did nothing.” But that’s not true.
If you woke up, fed your children, changed diapers, taught a lesson, or prepared a meal, you were productive—even if it didn’t feel that way. Too often, we tell ourselves a false story: “I didn’t get anything done today.” But that’s a lie.
The truth is that homemaking is full of unseen, ongoing, and repetitive work. Work that doesn’t result in a completed project at the end of the day is still fruitful work.
This shift—from measuring productivity to recognizing fruitfulness—is critical. The work of homemaking isn’t about maximizing efficiency. It’s about faithfulness.
Stop Lying to Yourself
Changing our mindset starts with recognizing the lies we tell ourselves. When we say, “I didn’t do anything today,” we are dismissing the real, valuable work we did. If we constantly reinforce that message in our own heads, we start to believe it. And that discouragement seeps into how we talk to our husbands, how we model work for our children, and how we view our own worth.
What if, instead, we acknowledged the work we’ve done? Instead of saying, “I got nothing done,” we could say, “I cared for my family today. I showed up and did what needed to be done.” That small shift changes our perception and allows us to see our work rightly.
Embrace Seasons and Rhythms of Work
Homemaking isn’t a static process—it ebbs and flows. Mondays feel different from Saturdays. Some weeks are packed with energy, while others require more rest. Instead of fighting this natural variation, plan for it. Expect that some seasons will be slower, and that’s not failure—it’s life.
A crucial part of this shift is resting before you need it. Many of us treat rest as a reward: “Once I get everything done, I can sit down.” But you will never get everything done. There will always be another load of laundry, another meal to prep, another mess to clean. Rest isn’t something we earn—it’s something we need.
By building rest into our days intentionally, we prevent burnout. When we take the time to pause—whether by reading for 20 minutes, stepping outside, or simply sitting still—we refuel. And when we refuel, we’re better prepared for the next round of work.
A New Story for Your Homemaking
Instead of chasing an ideal of constant efficiency, we can recognize that homemaking is living work. It doesn’t follow a straight line or a formula.
It’s not a checklist to complete but a calling to fulfill. And when we embrace that truth, we stop striving for impossible perfection and start finding peace in the work itself.
Change your story, and you will change how you experience your homemaking.
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