Avoid Mom Burnout: 5 Unexpected Places to Think Clearly for Busy Moms

It is not a secret that motherhood is a very noisy place. As busy moms, it is imperative that we find a quiet place to regroup, regather, and recenter.

So, if you feel like you need some time alone to gather your thoughts, I want to reassure you that you are not alone. It happens to ALL of us moms, one way or another.

So read on and see how you, too, can find peace and quiet in ordinary times of the day at unusual places.

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What is Quiet Time?

Technically, quiet time is finding a quiet place to think away from a full house’s ongoing hustle and bustle. Especially if you are a stay-at-home mom.

Interestingly enough, however, quiet time for moms is more than being physically silent. Quiet time involves stillness of mind, body, and soul. A chance to re-align, reassess, talk to God, and refresh your soul.

The length and frequency of quiet time do not matter, but it should be enough time to help you refuel and be frequent enough as needed.

Quiet time might differ depending on your needs, beliefs, and practices. For instance, quiet time might include:

Spending time with God, reading His word first thing in the morning.
Watching TV alone after the kids go to bed.
Finding time to exercise.
Taking a walk.
During daily chores (laundry, dishes, driving, folding clothes, cooking, etc.).
Gardening
Sitting on the porch for a few minutes with a cup of tea/coffee.
Reading a book.
Taking a bath/shower.

My favorite quiet times include reading God’s word, gardening, and reading. However, most of my quiet times these days consist of cooking while my husband plays with the kids and sneaking into our back garden for a few minutes while everyone in the house is busy doing their own thing.

Why is Quiet Time for Moms Important?

Depending on our current phase of motherhood, our lives can become very, very loud.

Externally, we are constantly exposed to crying babies, screaming toddlers, loud teenagers, and a home full of buzz and commotion. Add to that the external chaos of social media, the news, current events, and other factors, and you can see why moms need quiet time often!

Internally, we are also consumed by everyday noises, such as our endless to-do list replaying over and over in our heads. These are expectations, responsibilities, workloads, worries, and the other million things that we moms crowd our minds with.

That said, I know it isn’t easy or possible to escape the madness.

However, getting small bits of clarity throughout the day is extremely important to refocus, recharge, and reboot.

Why? Simply because we need our sanity to take care of other humans.

And yes! You are still a good mom if you take some quiet time. It is almost a requirement to keep our sanity!

So, how and where can we find some peace and quiet?

Easy! Book an all-day spa and drink champagne as you receive a heavenly Swedish foot rub.

Alright, alright. Fine.

That isn’t very realistic. But I’ll tell you what is…

Here are 7 unexpected and realistic ways to find quiet time to help you gather your thoughts, think more clearly to prevent mom anxiety, and avoid mom burnout.

1. Mornings with God

One of my best quiet times involves refueling my spirit with God’s word.

We often think that spending quiet time with God has to be elaborate and complicated, which can even become intimidating for moms looking to start an early morning quiet time routine with God.

Honestly, whether it is reading the Bible, meditating on a verse, saying a small prayer, reading from a devotional, or writing in a grateful journal… these are all great and simple ways to spend some quiet time with God, in a way that is doable and realistic for most busy moms.

I’ve found that spending time with God before the kids wake up is the best way to get my day going in the right direction.

Daily Grace Co. has a great collection of beautiful devotionals and study guides for mornings with God.

2. Early Morning or late night

One of the best ways for a busy mom to find quiet time is to do it either before the kids wake up or after bed.

That valuable time in the early morning hours of quiet and stillness is like no other. I feel it sets the tone for a great school morning routine, and it allows me to start the morning on a more positive note.

But if late night works better for you, that is also a good option.

Watching TV or reading a book are great quiet time ideas for moms looking to unwind at the end of a busy day.

3. During Daily Chores

Oh, the lovely home chores we all love to hate.

Believe it or not, we can find some much-needed quiet time during most of our daily chores. Although there might still be some chaos in the background of rambunctious little voices, you can still find some inner quiet as you do these daily duties:

Washing dishes
Cooking
Laundry and folding clothes
Vacuuming

I like to take this “time to myself” to watch a video, put on music, pray, or work silently.

4. Walk and exercise

It is no secret that physical exercise is great for the mind, body, and soul.

However, it is also no secret that it is often hard to find time to do that as a busy mom.

Taking a daily 10-minute walk and feeling the sun on my skin is one of the best ways to clear my mind and help me refocus, especially as a work-from-home mom.

Again, waking up before the kids can allow you to get a quick workout.

5. Bathroom Time

When you are a mom, if there is ANY chance we can turn into quiet time, we take it!

And that is when bathroom time can become sacred. Well, that is if your kids are past the age of two. Otherwise, this fifth “quiet time place” does not yet exist for you.

I still remember using the bathroom with a toddler sitting on a stepping stool singing the ABCs and taking a shower with a baby on a stroller at eye-sight!

But I digress! If you have older kids or your husband is home, bathroom time can be a great quiet alternative when all else fails.

The shower is where I am completely alone, and I get to do all of my creative thinking. It isn’t rare that I step out of the shower a few times to write something down.

Another great alternative is taking a bath. Light your candles, put a few drops of your favorite organic essential oils, put some music, and enjoy.

6. During Traffic or Driving

Although this one seems a weird suggestion, it is one of my favorite places to get mental clarity.

I admit that being stuck in traffic is one of the most frustrating things that can happen, especially if you have kids on board and they are rowdy.

However, we often underestimate the power of some alone time, even if it means being surrounded by other cars moving at a snail’s pace.

In other words, there can be a lot of chaos around you, but you can still learn how to find quiet time within.

Next time you are stuck in traffic, try putting soothing music on the radio and direct your mind to productive and positive thoughts.

Here is a handy list of what I used to do when I would be stuck in traffic when I worked as a nurse:

Pray
Reflect on things taking place in my life and how to improve them.
Counting my blessings.
Starting a grocery list.
Set some goals.
Sit still and just be (sometimes, looking at my surroundings—the vast sky, birds, other commuters, construction workers, firetrucks rushing to an emergency… makes me realize how incredibly blessed we are to be living).

I don’t know about you, but I think all those things beat being angry and lashing out at other drivers who ultimately can’t do anything about your situation.

I like to keep a notepad and pencil in the glove compartment because it isn’t unusual for ideas to come flowing to me as I do that.

Of course, you can create voice notes on your phone these days. But avoiding cell phone use while driving (even in standstill traffic) is always a good idea.

So, try one of these ideas next time you are stuck in traffic, ideally by yourself without the kids. I guarantee you will be a much happier mamma when you get home from wherever you go.

7. Embrace a Hobby

While some moms require silence, others consider quiet time to be engaging in something that they enjoy doing.

Think of something you love to do and find at least 10-15 minutes a day the time to do so.

Here are some examples:

Read
Garden
Knit, crochet, sow
Paint or draw
Craft
Bake
Cook

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Find something that brings you peace and joy, and do it!

Takeaway

As moms, we are incredibly busy all the time. So, it becomes hard to find quiet time to allow us to regroup and reset

Ultimately, it comes down to how we use our time.

The truth is, we can’t find the time because there isn’t any. Instead, we have to make the time.

We do that by carving out windows of time before the kids wake up when they go to bed or incorporating our quiet time throughout our day as we do our chores or daily necessities.

What times of your day can you incorporate quiet time today?

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