The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

The
Ordinary
Homeschooler
Mary Hood, Ph.D.

What to Do When You Are

Nice and Crispy This morning I sat down to write an article on avoiding burnout. I’ve written articles about that subject many times and have a popular CD on the subject titled Burned Out vs. On Fire. Unfortunately, I was too burned out to write it one more time, so instead I did what many of us do nowadays: I turned to Facebook and complained about it.

Have you been too busy
to spend a little time
every day with God?

2. I recommend having your alone time outdoors if at all possible. Take a walk in the woods or down by a pond. There is a reason Psalm 23 says, “He ma-keth me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters, He re-storeth my soul.” Go outdoors and commune with your Maker!

3. If you can’t go outdoors for some reason, find (or create!) one small area of your home that is neat, clean, and conducive to restful contemplation.

4. Start by getting yourself in a receptive spiritual mood. Perhaps you could read the above psalm or another Bible verse or a chapter in an inspirational Christian book. If you are out in the woods, recite a favorite Bible verse or two that you have already memorized.

5. Get your hands off that computer! Facebook is not the place to look for answers. (It can, sometimes, be a place to release steam or get the inspiration for an article for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine . . . but that isn’t what you need right now.) Seriously, limit your time on the computer and your cell phone. Get out and exercise or read a good book or find a real friend instead. (I think I might have just put a finger on part of my current problem! Between my work in real estate and my ministry to homeschoolers, plus a little totally unproductive wasting of time, I do spend too much time on the computer these days.)