Overcoming Summer Burnout

Burnout. It happens every summer. The heat saps my energy, my motivation. We school year round – and it’s better for us that way – but every summer I hit a wall. It tests my self-control. It pushes me to lean into God.

I could just quit. I could just say this is the end of the school year. We could pick up here and keep going next year. We could.

In my heart, I know I can’t. This year has been unusual but full of so many blessings. We took off so much time to move into the house that God provided. We took off time to spend with in-laws who moved to be near us for the winter. We took time to travel and see family this May – twice. We enjoyed the blessings that God gave us.

That is worth so much.

I know God wants me to enjoy His blessings. And I feel Him whispering to my heart to keep going. I can’t throw my hands up in the air and quit for the summer. We need to press on. Pressing on requires a hundred percent – not of my strength alone, but a hundred percent of me relying on God.

Summer burnout will come. But summer burnout doesn’t have to stay! When I start feeling that Summer Slump, it’s time to take action.

  • Schedule a short impromptu break
  • Get out of the house–plan a field trip, a park day, a swimming day
  • Organize the school area or shelves. Purge the clutter!
  • Make a countdown until the end of school and start planning an End of School Party
  • Adjust the school schedule for half days or short weeks.
  • Evaluate goals and adjust them if necessary

We do need breaks. Everyone needs to take time to refocus, rest, and regroup. We will do just that.

God also wants me to be a good steward of my time, seeking Him early in the morning, resting well at night. When we are rested both physically and spiritually, we are able to accomplish the tasks God call us to do.

I look out the window at the scorched earth, already giving in to Summer’s heat. It’s so easy for our soul to feel the same way when we battle the daily heat of life without watering it. We will find ourselves in a spiritual burnout so quickly.

Spend time in the Word. Feast on The Bread of Life, fuel for the journey ahead. Spend time in prayer. Drink deeply of the Living Water, refreshment for the exhausted soul.

Summer doesn’t last forever.

Background Image Source: Dead Flower by David Wagner

Amber OliverAmber teaches her three children from the heart of Texas, while God teaches her heart through the journey of homeschooling. Seeking purpose in the mundane, Amber hopes to encourage other mothers as she shares what God puts on her heart. Find her on her blog, Classic Housewife, Facebook, and Google+.