Peace and Harmony Live Here by Wendy Penrod
Posted on September 29, 2018 • Category: Students
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:26-28
Is your home a happy place? Do you feel content there? How about your workplace?
If you are finding that you dread portions of your life, whether it is a home-based business, homeschooling your children, or working for an outside corporation, it may be time to re-evaluate a few things. Feelings of frustration may be compounded if there is an overlap of home-life and work.
Making the decision to be intentional about creating peace and harmony is the first step. Here are a few suggestions:
Create an Environment that Promotes Peace
- Clearly define “work hours” and/or “homeschool hours”. Even if homeschooling or running a home-based business, it is vital to have defined “office hours.”
- Assign realistic times to tasks. For example, a homeschool mom may allocate15 teaching minutes for a math lesson. Is that realistic? Consider “adding padding” to certain lessons, tasks, and/or jobs.
- Put things away as tasks are completed. Clean up your desk, make a list of things to do the next day, and leave.
- If you homeschool or work at home, this may mean having a separate room and shutting the door when you are done-- or actually having a bin to put things into and then putting that bin out of sight.
- Dedicate a few hours a week to keeping your home clean and clutter free. Delegate tasks by making some things the regular job of other household members (yup, that is hard to do).
- Create boundaries. Have intentional discussions (when you are calm) regarding things you feel are toxic in your environment. Choose your words carefully and be sure to validate the efforts of others.
- Remember, when you cannot change another person’s behavior, or a toxic “thing”, change your environment. This is Psychology 101. When is this an issue?
- If others (repeatedly) cannot abide by your defined work/life hours.
- If you are frequently feeling “beaten up” by intrusions or unkind words.
- If you feel unnecessary chaos on a regular basis and it is eroding your peace.
- This could even be overuse of the Internet or phone by your children. Change the environment! Turn off the WiFi and make sure the phones (yours too) are charged/parked outside eating areas and bedrooms during certain hours.
- Self care. Take care of yourself to avoid burnout. What nourishes your mind, body, and soul?
- Peace is earned; it will not pursue you. Ignore your phone and tend to your garden, create something, go for a walk, meet a friend (just the two of you) for coffee, go out on a date night with your spouse, etc.
- Change the alert tones on your phone so you know when it is a child or spouse calling. Ignore the other alerts during your “time off.”
- Start your day in a way that sets a peaceful tone. That may mean getting up early to carve out some quiet alone time - even 15 minutes.
Creating happiness and contentment does take work. So, do not let your hearts be troubled if your efforts are not rewarded right away. Give it some time - the rewards are worth it!