Need some Homesteading Pick Me Ups?
Chances are, if YOU need a few homesteading pick me ups, then someone else does too!
Homesteading is hard work.
But What About Pinterest?
No matter how many Pinterest pictures you see of the perfect garden, those darling goats, and little chickens running around, that’s not the whole story!
Pipes break underground—when it’s raining or snowing.
Building projects stretch out.
Plants die.
Foxes get the chickens.
AdTrees fall on buildings, cars, your garden…
Inflation happens and prices rise.
Or just discouraging days come for no apparent reason, other than the stresses of life.
Because of blogs and Pinterest and social media, even the country living experience can seem to be more glamorous when others live it, but hard for us!
What’s Really Genuine?
I’m pretty sure sure that if you ask anyone who’s homesteading, living off grid, or trying to lead a self-sustaining life in the country, they will tell you that there are days of just plain work. Those same people may show you pictures of accomplishments—because blood, sweat and tears made those accomplishments possible. They earned those happy photos!
Maybe we should start posting the shots of the busted pipes with raw sewage seeping out, or the kale plants that froze because the greenhouse blew open on a 10 degree night. How about the broken tools, the shoving logs into the wood stove at 1 am…and 4 am…and 6, in the greenhouse, in the cabin, and in the camper. We could definitely show pictures of the washed out driveway, and the tough guys out in the downpour routing the water away! And we could show you mud. Plenty of mud.
But before I go off on too much of a rabbit trail, the point is that homesteading, gardening, country living, off grid living, and building are hard. Some people try to do all of those together (um…that would be us), and that’s even more challenging. There are rare families who can afford to just do everything all at once, but many of us have to do the best we can with what we have, which may not be much.
So…if you’re one of those in the trenches, or just want to do something to help out a friend who you see getting bogged down, I have a few quick pick me ups for homesteaders.
Homesteading Pick Me Ups
- Just say thanks.
- Say thanks to those struggling right beside you—that’s right—your family!
- Send a note of encouragement to another homesteader—nothing fancy, just to let them know they’re not invisible in their work world.
- Shorten your To Do List. I know! I know! You’ve got a ton to do, right? If you’re like me, it’s more than you’ll ever get done today, anyway, so why not give yourself a little break? I’m not talking taking the whole day off—I’m saying make your list doable! Give yourself like 3 things that you know you can accomplish! Then get to it and get them done! Voila! Instant success! You’ve accomplished something! Don’t knock it til you try it!
- Some days when we are down in a funk, we need small victories! I know that I get overwhelmed (to the point of shutting down and heading over to social media to see what every other perfect homesteader is up to—making my feel all the worse) when I have a huge list. Make it manageable, try again tomorrow, and knock things out inch by inch!
- Pick the pansies, smell the roses
- Get off of your property! Don’t run away, but sometimes you need to get a fresh perspective. Then come right back and jump in with new vigor.
- Sometimes stay home and just plug away. We can’t always run away from our tasks. Some days we just need to push up our sleeves and start with that task we are procrastinating on. Again—it’s little by little. (I recently read an article on The Power of Consistency Very good info there on the Inch By Inch process).
More Homesteading Pick Me Ups…
Try one or more of these! Keep going until you feel better. What helps on one day may not help the next.
- Give thanks. Not to others this time, but to God.
- Have you thanked Him for your property?
- Your country home?
- Your family?
- Flowers each season?
- Sore muscles?
- Food on your table?
- Your garden?
- Your pets?
- The arrowhead your son found?
- The water in your well?
- Gratitude changes you. Try it.
- Keep a journal. Read it occasionally to remember that good things—we all have blessings!
- Take a Staycation Day at home. Enjoy your land. Take a walk. Give yourself rest from the demands that keep you away from home. This can help you to remember that your homestead is not just about work. You chose it as a haven from the world. Let it be that for a day.
- Make a campfire
- Cook outdoors
- Lay around in your hammock
- Talk with your family at home
- Take a walk that’s not rushed
- Putz around in your garden for fun, not to accomplish a huge chore!
- Listen to your birds
- Take pictures
- Make memories
- Spend an hour on a useful hobby you live but don’t otherwise have time to do
- Cooking/baking
- Painting
- Birdwatching
- Plant ID
- Building
- Crocheting
- Playing music
- For me—I’d go looking for wildflowers, read, or maybe try sewing. Your homestead does you no good if you can’t stay home and enjoy it sometimes!
Remember…
Try to remember that social media is great, but it only tells part of the story! We post our joys and accomplishments, and less often, our failures and flops. So go there for inspiration, but keep in mind that behind every smiling toddler may have been seven tantrums! That house that looks like people don’t even live there? Ask yourself if that’s reality! I want a clean house, but I want it comfy enough that we can relax—and we have a whole houseful of guys, so forget Pinterest!
Spread Love…Give Someone Else some Homesteading Pick Me Ups to Brighten Their Day!
Below is an excerpt from a note I sent a fellow homesteader recently. Imagine if you could receive or extend such a greeting.
Hi!
…
I don’t know if you need to hear that your blog is an encouragement, but it is. Sometimes I wonder why we are doing this when regular life would be so much easier. I think we all have those days. But we do it because of the independence and the belief that there are blessings from country living. …
Take courage if you need it! Keep pressing on…
Laurie, Ridge Haven Homestead ❤️
The Bible has over 3500 promises! Certainly we can find one that meets our needs as homesteaders! Below I’ve shared a few of my favorites, but you can find those that speak to your heart as well!
Feel free to print these out and hang them up in your home, or share them with a friend.
Bible Promises for Homesteaders–Free Printable for You!
MORE Bible Promises for Your Homesteader’s Heart. ♥️
The journey may be long, but day by day we will get there! I hope that you will find some hope as you utilize these Homesteading Pick Me Ups!
My hat is off to you and your family for all you do to live of the grid. It’s great to read the good things about anything we do but I think the failures teach of something and are a great inspiration to keep going.
Yep! We learn most from our mistakes!
Thanks for sharing a bit of an inside look at the life of a homesteader. It’s so important to acknowledge that even the things we choose and love are hard sometimes! Even those of us living on the grid can benefit from some of the pick me ups you shared here. Thanks!
Oh, definitely!
Thanks for your insight!
Such great reminders, along with encouragement and I like the stay vacation suggestions!! Everything is a season is one my reminders.
That’s something good to remember!
HI Laurie, thank you for sharing the honesty and some vulnerability in homesteading. I love the list of Pick Me Ups. Thanking God is always a first, but I also love the picking out 3 or so things you know you can do. I know if I look at a pile of stuff, it is SO discouraging to even get started. If you do a few things, you also may get something else done that wasn’t on your day’s to-do list. Thanks for the insight.
True! Thanks for stopping by!