Burnout in Homesteading: How to Overcome

Make Homesteading Fun Again

Homesteading is often romanticized as a life of simplicity, connection, and self-sufficiency. But if we’re honest, it can also feel overwhelming, especially when life’s demands leave us stretched too thin. Over the past several years, I found myself battling burnout, juggling a packed schedule, mental health challenges, gardening dilemmas, and the overall weight of trying to do it all. It was exhausting—and it took the joy out of what I once loved.

This year the goal is to make homesteading fun again! If you’re feeling the same way that I was, let me share what I was dealing with and what changes I plant to make to bring joy back into our homestead for myself and my family.

Recognizing Burnout

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It creeps in when our to-do lists grow too long, our expectations become too high, and we stop giving ourselves grace. In the cold, slower winter months, I feel like I have so much free time, so I bite off more than I can chew, ordering chickens and ducks, planning out meat chicken production for the summer. Sign the kids up for all kinds of 4-H and homeschool activities and then all of a sudden, spring arrives and the calendar is full and my winter free time is long gone. The downslide mentally for me often starts in the garden. I would plan massive plots filled with every herb, vegetable and flower imaginable, only to be discouraged when pests, weather, or time constraints sabotaged my efforts. Add in the care of too many animals, the constant maintenance of the homestead, and the pressures of everyday life, and I was running on empty. My mental health suffered, my marriage suffered and my relationship with my kids suffered, and I started to question if homesteading was even worth it.

Taking a Step Back

The turning point came when I allowed myself to step back and reassess. Homesteading didn’t have to mean doing everything perfectly or keeping up with an idealized vision. I realized that scaling back could actually make my homesteading journey more sustainable and my home life more enjoyable.

Here is the plan for what we want to do to take a few steps back in the attempt to make homesteading fun again.

1. Downsizing Animals and Garden Space

One of the most freeing decisions I made was downsizing.

Animals: Instead of juggling chickens, goats, horses, rabbits, and ducks, I prioritized the animals that brought the most joy and value to our family. We are planning to get rid of Chickens as our new Amish neighbors can get us eggs for quite the deal. We are still considering keeping a few ducks as dual purpose. Their eggs were very popular in the farmstand when we could find them in our run! We are downsizing the size of our chicken yard to make space for a horse arena so we can spend more time enjoying our horses, including our newest addition, Buddy, a 20+ year old gelding we saved from a kill pen. Less time spent on animal care meant more time for planned fun and relaxation.
Garden: I will only be managing 1 vegetable garden plot, less space to weed will make it much more manageable, and in the long run will make my weed pressure more manageable so I can expand in the future more easily if I decide to. Instead of growing every vegetable, I will focuse on our family’s favorites and low-maintenance crops. Raised beds became my best friend, making gardening easier and more organized. I also will manage my small covered tunnel so I can extend my little happy garden on either side of the season. Don’t worry, to my locals reading this, I will still be doing my plant sale in the spring with many options in veggies, herbs, flowers and seeds!

2. Involving the Kids

Homesteading can be a fantastic way to bond with your children, but it’s easy to lose sight of that when you’re overwhelmed.I I have always considered homestead chores “My Thing” and didn’t want to force my kids into a lifestyle they weren’t interested in. As they have grown they have all had their own little interests in the lifestyle that have added to my work load. Caring for 4-H animals, and managing time to practice shooting sports etc. now gets to be added to their daily to-do’s. I want to make homesteading more interesting to my kids to inspire them to dive even deeper and of course keep my little 3 year old busy:

Mini Projects: We want to built birdhouses, painted garden signs, and made fairy gardens in small pots. These activities are creative and can give the kids a sense of ownership, of a space that used to be “Mom’s”
Animal Care: My kids can take on age-appropriate chores for their pets and 4-H animals, like collecting eggs and filling waterers. They feel empowered most days to get up and do things outside early in the day, and it took some of the workload off me. As with anything with kids, there are days it is more challenging.
Playful Gardening: I want to turn planting and harvesting into games. For example, we’d race to see who could pick the most tomatoes or find the biggest zucchini. For my kids that signed up for crops for 4-H, they will continue to have their own garden plot that is completely their own, and must manage from start to finish!

3. Letting Go of Perfection

One of the biggest lessons I learned was to let go of perfection. My garden doesn’t have to look like a magical instagram page, and it’s okay if the weeds get a little out of control. By shifting my focus from outcomes to experiences, I hope to find joy in the process rather than stressing about the end result.

4. Embracing Seasonal Rhythms

Homesteading naturally follows the seasons, and I started leaning into this rhythm rather than fighting it. Winter became a time for rest and planning, spring for planting, summer for enjoying the fruits of our labor, and fall for harvesting and preserving. Recognizing that each season has its own pace helped me feel more grounded.

5. Prioritizing Self-Care

Homesteading is physically and mentally demanding, so taking care of myself became non-negotiable. I set aside time for activities that rejuvenate me, like reading, working out, or simply sipping tea on the front steps. When I’m well-rested and happy, I’m a better homesteader and parent.

Rediscovering Joy

By downsizing, involving my children, letting go of perfection, and embracing seasonal rhythms, I truly hope to rediscover the joy of homesteading. Our smaller, more manageable homestead will feel a lot less like a chore and more like the haven it was meant to be.

If you’re feeling burned out, remember: it’s okay to scale back. Homesteading is about creating a life you love, not a life that leaves you drained. Start small, make it fun, and watch as the joy returns—for you and your family.