Overwhelmed by Chaos? Feel Free From Noise and Clutter!

bright blue background with woman in retro clothing and brown curly hair, blue and white striped shirt, large gold hoop earings and black overalls with finger to her lips as if to shush someone with title overwhelmed by chaos?

Hey Mama!

Do you wake up in the morning feeling overwhelmed by what the day is going to bring? Or maybe you wake up hopeful, and by the end of breakfast, the overwhelm has set in and you realize this is on track to be a day just like all the others. With all the clutter and noise surrounding you it can be hard to avoid that overwhelming, stressed and spread thin feeling even if you have a plan in place for the day. It can make your home, you, and your kids feel like chaos is all around. Let’s cancel out that noise, get rid of the clutter, and take control again!

When you’re surrounded by clutter and noise in your mind, then it’s really hard to take a moment to think, or even to rest and collect yourself. We are continuously working on completing the to-do list, looking after the children, tidying up the house, tending to your own needs, managing your business, all while educating your children, handling schoolwork, and guiding them to become a mighty child of God.

Escape the Constant Noise

You’re doing all of this while thinking to yourself, or maybe it comes out of your mouth a time or two, let’s just be real, “I’m going to lose it if you don’t just be quiet for a minute.” Does that sound familiar? It’s not easy to stay calm and collected when there’s constant noise all around you. Yes, kids, the TV, or music, but also the rest of the noise. The annoying noise from society. Society places pressures on you that you’re constantly feeling racing though your head. You can’t get it to stop and it can be a huge contributor to that overwhelmed feeling rising up inside.

The comments you see or others’ posts on social media that make you feel less than or unworthy. The hustle and bustle this generation has become accustomed to that makes you feel like you just can’t keep up. The whole phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” has become so real. The whole be more and do more feeling that it’s causing all this extra noise that you just can’t quiet down. This brings on the feeling of being massively overwhelmed.

Finding Peace in the Chaos of Motherhood

What happens when there is finally silence in your home and you sit down to take a moment to rest? Is it a struggle to get your mind to stop or is the noise constant that you don’t even get the chance to stop? I had so much extra stuff around my home and in my mind that I couldn’t focus. I would sit to get work done and my mind would just whirl with the other things that needed to be done. The overwhelmed chaos of it all was too much.

Pressures that had been put on me by others. Pressures that I had put on myself that I couldn’t live up to. Expectations for myself and others that were unreasonable. When I would sit to decompress or sit to get work done, the noise just wouldn’t stop. When I would lay down on my pillow at night, no matter how tired I was, the noise still wouldn’t stop and my sleep was far from restful. It’s time to clear the clutter, silence the noise, and be still.

It’s time to clear the clutter, silence the noise, and be still.
Jen McGraw

Clear the clutter and find stillness. Noise is a stress source, triggering hormone release. It includes various forms, like traffic, screaming kids, music, or TV. Noise isn’t just external; it also sparks internal stress and hormone reactions. Social noise is defined as, “the influence of personal and relational factors on information received which can confuse, distort, or even change the intended message.” Social noise, influenced by personal factors, can create confusion and mental stress, often unnoticed.

From Overwhelmed to Rest and Balance

When Covid happened and everything shut down for a time, it was a forced break for a lot of us. Some took advantage of it willingly. Some did reluctantly. I was eager for a break. My prayers for a break were rooted in my constant busyness and genuine need for one. I was beyond overwhelmed and it felt like the only option, especially given our situation in California where expenses were high. I had no alternative but to keep working tirelessly. Bills had to be paid and we were living paycheck to paycheck despite the good money we were both making. If I took a break, things wouldn’t get paid. So I didn’t have a choice.

When I was forced to take that break, I was so willing to take it. But some were very reluctant and some found ways to continue not knowing how to or not wanting to take that break. Now, life has slowly gotten back to normal for many of us and that overwhelmed chaos is back. Those that took a break forgot what it was like and went right back to their go go go mentality whether out of habit or pressures, or because they didn’t have a choice. No matter what area you are in, it is time to learn to rest and sit without the forced break. It’s time to learn to make it a way of life.

Embrace True Rest for Enhanced Productivity and Peace

We have all the goals and ambitions but because of that we keep going to try and reach these goals, hit that mark, become what we think we need to be due to the pressures surrounding us or the pressures put on us. Or, often times, the pressures we put on ourselves. Did you know that there is proven research that shows when you take a break, like a REAL break – mental and physical, turning off the noise and you just sit and rest, you are more productive? Who would have thought? It will increase your focus, productivity, and mental capacity. It helps you recover from stress. Isn’t that amazing?

If it’s true rest, then it’s about being intentional and shutting off the noise. You turn off the TV. Leave your phone off. All the things that cause the extra noise in your mind, just shut it off. Be done with it for a moment.
Jen McGraw

This break, true rest, it doesn’t mean sitting and binge watching your favorite show or scrolling through your phone for an hour. Now we all enjoy watching a couple of shows and I have been known to binge watch a time or two. Are wanting to silence the noise and get rid of the overwhelmed chaos surrounding you, this is definitely not the way.

If it’s true rest, then it’s about being intentional and shutting off the noise. You turn off the TV. Leave your phone off. All the things that cause the extra noise in your mind, just shut it off. Be done with it for a moment. We are so glued to the TV. So glued to our phones. So glued to our computers or whatever technology is around us. That we don’t take a moment to just turn it all off and take our eyes off of everything else and put our eyes on Jesus. And then we are able to eliminate the overwhelm.

Fostering Stillness and Connection in a World of Constant Noise and Overwhelmed Feelings

It’s important to be able to just be still and silent if even for just a moment. Teaching our kids this essential skill is crucial. Otherwise, they’ll find themselves in a similar situation as we are now, just at a much younger age. That is something you want to avoid. Our kids experience constant noise throughout their day. It is a way of life for them. They don’t know how to be bored. They crave constant stimulation. This is why we see so many children overwhelmed and disregulated. We can’t teach them to be still and rest when we don’t know how to either. It just doesn’t work. How can we teach someone something that we do not know ourselves or are modeling for them?

We’re having a TV fast this weekend, not for religious reasons. I’ve noticed the TV causing issues at home with crying and bad attitudes when it’s turned off. James is always eager to watch TV from the moment he wakes up, even though we don’t do it every morning. Georgia suggested a two-day TV break to focus on family activities, and she chose spending time with me and doing crafts over more screen time, which meant a lot to me.

It’s Day 1 of our TV break, and it’s going surprisingly smoothly. James has asked a few times but is handling it well without tears or arguments. Georgia, on the other hand, is peacefully resting and exploring a library book about animals, which I find quite refreshing. The overwhelmed feeling that we all have with the noise has been less and the day overall has been so much more peaceful.

Intentional Silence Amidst Life’s Chaos

So how do we silence the noise when life just keeps on coming at us? First thing you have to do is be intentional. When I’m overwhelmed, it’s hard to be intentional, but it’s crucial. If you are not intentional, then things will continue as they are. When you are scheduling out your week, make sure you find that time that you can pause. Look through your day and week. When would be a typical time that you could take a moment? Would that be during the kids’ nap or downtime when they’re playing by themselves, independent play or while they are doing independent learning for school? Or maybe before your kids wake up.

There is going to be one part of your day where you won’t have as many distractions. Having your kids around is perfectly fine. In fact, it’s beneficial for them to witness you taking a break from the noise and resting. This demonstrates the significance of pausing and allowing overwhelming feelings to subside. No matter how busy you are, no matter what you have going on just taking that moment to pause shows them how important it truly is.

No matter how busy you are, no matter what you have going on, taking that moment to pause shows your kids how important rest truly is.
Jen McGraw

Effective Planning to Manage that Overwhelmed Life

Another way to manage your overwhelmed life is to have your schedule and brain dump completed before you rest. I’ve talked a lot about brain dumps and scheduling your week and your day. Not necessarily minute by minute but in those blocks. So you have everything scheduled. You completed your brain dump, emptying your mind. Perhaps you schedule a pause in your day, sit down, and explore this concept to assess if my advice holds true. However, your mind refuses to cease its thoughts about pending tasks.

Even when you’ve already done a brain dump. The silence just makes all the noise louder. If you do your brain dump and get your flexible weekly schedule all completed then you would have gotten all those thoughts out already. You can silence your mind. Silence the overwhelmed chaos around. What if it is actually stuff you forgot and neglected to write down in your brain dump. Now you are sitting down to the quiet and all of sudden all of the things you forgot are coming up in your mind. This happens to us all. Start your silence break by doing another brain dump. Write all the things that are floating around in that packed brain of yours out on paper so you are not worried about forgetting it when the time comes.

Then you can silence your mind, everything is out of it. You are now able to sit in peace, no overwhelm, for a moment before you get back to that list.

Embracing Simplicity to Overcome Overwhelm

Don’t overcomplicate this. Are you someone who tends to overanalyze everything, seeking perfection? Keep it simple; it’s easier than you think. You don’t require a full hour of silence. Many of you are here to learn time management because you’re busy with everyday tasks. So, start with just 2, 5, or 10 minutes – whatever works for you. Don’t overthink it. Simplicity is key. Just 2 minutes can make a HUGE difference.

If it is difficult for you to get into a peaceful state of mind, to get all the noise to stop, you can set up a diffuser with calming oils or your favorite scent. Grab your favorite cozy blanket and a cup of tea. Whatever it takes to be able to get your mind and body ready to be still and rest. If all that is too much work, and you can focus without all the fluff then go sit on your comfy chair. Put a blanket over your head and tell the kids not to bother you for 5 minutes.

Make sure you have your phone far, far out of your reach with the ringer off. That is one of the top distractions. If you hear it ring or hear it vibrate on the counter, then you are going to start thinking, “Is that important?” “Who messaged me?” “Who is calling?” And that is definitely not what you want to do. So make sure your ringer and vibrate are off – it’s on silent and you will have no idea if anyone texts or calls you.

Finding Solace in Silence: A Moment of Connection and Clarity

This also doesn’t have to be a time of complete blankness in your mind. I often use this time to connect with God in the middle of my day. Just to sit with Him for a moment. My mind is clear, the noise surrounding me is silent, I can hear His voice without all the clutter around me.

My grandma is an amazing woman. She had 7 kids and still managed to run the house, teach the kids how to live a Godly life, and spend time with Jesus herself. I remember her telling me a story of her putting her apron over her head while she was in the kitchen so she could pray for a moment without all of the distractions from the kids. Sometimes that is all we need for a moment of rest and put feeling that overwhelm aside. Pull your apron over your head. Block out the noise around you. Focus on Jesus for just a moment.

Pull your apron over your head. Block out the noise around you. Focus on Jesus for just a moment.
Jen McGraw

So why is this time to silence the noise so important? Like I mentioned before, all the noise we have in our lives causes stress on our minds and our bodies. It is actually harming us and making us feel more stressed and spread more thin than we actually are because we can’t see clearly through all that noise. God did not create us to have all this noise and clutter clogging up our lives. If you can be intentional about finding just 2 minutes a day, then you will begin to feel more clear, refreshed, and energized. Now more the merrier but 2 minutes a day is a great start. It will become easy for you to tune out all the noise around you that you don’t want to hear.

Teach Our Children to Silence Chaos to Live Free of Overwhelm

It will become a habit, and your kids will notice the positive changes it brings. You can teach them to avoid overwhelm at a young age by embracing this practice. Let’s break the cycle of noise and busyness in our generation and show our kids the value of silence. Our generation may struggle to hear God clearly due to the surrounding noise so let’s ensure our children don’t face the same challenge. Silence the noise to hear God’s voice more distinctly.

Thank you God for the Mamas reading right now. And thank you for teaching us how to rest and be still and how to hear your voice more clearly. Allow them to let the overwhelm leave them as they quiet the noise. Let these Mamas hear your voice more clearly than they ever have before. And let them begin to be that example that they so long to be to their kids. Let them grow closer to You and closer to their kids. As they do, their kids may also grow closer to You. May you give them strength and help them find those little cracks in the day so that they can sit and rest and focus on who You are.

Amen.