Here's a bit more from THE MYTH OF SUPERWOMAN, which I'd like to say a few things about.  You combine that article with this one:  Homeschool Burnout  and I'd say that if you suffer as I do from overwhelmedness and burnout, you'll leave these articles with some good, practical advice to start you on your way. 

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"But what about the Proverbs 31 woman?" you ask. "Isn’t that biblical ‘Superwoman’ supposed to be our ideal?" Well, yes and no. Yes, this woman is to be our model in all that we do or attempt to do as women, and, yes, we should strive to emulate her. But we need to be careful that we do not misread this excellent passage or misunderstand its application to our lives. The first thing most people say when they read this passage is "When does this woman ever sleep?" After all, she "rises while it is yet night," but "her lamp does not go out at night." But we miss the cultural context here. Back before the days of electricity, people used oil lamps to light their homes. In Old Testament times, a lamp was essentially a small dish with a wick lying down in the oil. A raised spout on one side lifted the wick high enough to keep it lit and to prevent it from "drowning" in the oil. The wise woman had to keep her eye on her lamps to make sure the wicks were trimmed regularly and to see that the lamp basin did not run out of oil. No oil, no light. No oil, no fire to kindle the kitchen hearth in the morning. When the Bible tells us that "her lamp does not go out at night," it is saying that this woman remembered to make sure her lamp was full of oil before she went to bed. When she did this, she wouldn’t have to re-start a fire in the morning (remember – no matches in Bible days!). In other words, this woman is prudent and is taking care of the smallest details of her household. One application we can take away from this passage is to think about tomorrow before we go to bed so that we can wake up ready to start our day’s tasks.

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First, let me say that I LOVED THIS PIECE.  You mean I get to sleep???  That Proverbs 31 woman used to scare me to death, but taken in context it makes so much more sense.

But as to preparedness, I'll have to be honest here -- this is where I feel that I fail.  Preparedness.  I am too often ill prepared for my days.  I'd learned to fly by the seat of my pants a long time ago.  I am not project oriented, but rather relational.  I like people.  But see, I like MY people too.  My little people, my teen people, my "husband" people.  My married and out of the house people and their little people.  With more preparedness on my part, I do believe that all those relationships would have a bit more shine and luster around them.

When I was reading the article I posted on Homeschool Burnout, and read this from the article: 

"... there are a few key things that cause us to feel overwhelmed and under-supported, that contribute to that feeling of always being on edge and the tenseness in our bodies, and that make us want to throw up our hands and quit."

And this:

"Another thing that can be done is to go through each room of the house and note anything that is irritating. Rooms have a powerful effect on our sense of well‑being. They can make us feel like prisoners in our own homes or make us feel gracious and relaxed. Are there certain colors that make you feel tense? That make you feel relaxed? Could the room be re-arranged so that the pattern of traffic flow is better? Could simple changes be made that contribute to a sense of peace and order?"

Or how about; IS THE DECOR THEME OF YOUR HOME CALLED EARLY DISASTER?"  Well, there you have it.  My home is not in order.  I've worked to bring it into order, but I am not a project finisher.  Our office STILL has an overflow of homeschool books from other years, though I have BEGUN and even MOSTLY gotten things out of there.  My laundry -- I am ashamed to say I have not tamed the laundry monster YET.  My home -- the spot on the wall where the wallpaper began to tear and I never did fix it even though it's right in the middle of the wall behind the couch -- the upstairs hallway overflowing with laundry -- the never ending paperwork that needs to be filed from their schoolwork ... the dishes that managed to pile up in the sink again.  Most of my home is a source of irritation to me, and it's rooms speak to me all of the time ... "Here I am ... another job undone.  WHEN are you going to get to ME?"

On the other hand, a woman's work is NEVER done.  There does come a time when we say "The house will have to wait.  Right now I'm reading to my children, because they will grow up too soon."  And that is fine.  But what happens to me, is that I am spending time on other things, and then panic sets in and I know I now must shift my attention to the HOUSE and the children get cheated.  Not good.  Most of us KNOW when we're doing this.  We get that nudge from the Holy Spirit.

I'd have to say that those two things are my two main irritants.  Things not being in order, and a lack of preparedness leave me with a tightness in my chest and a sense of panic.  "WHERE ARE YOUR SOCKS?!  WE HAVE TO LEAVE NOW!"  (Not yelling, just panicky, and the kids think it's their fault when it's MINE.)  I'm really talking to myself in those moments.  It's not fair to them.

Preparedness.  Time for the children.  Having our homes in order.  Putting our families needs first --  especially our husbands.  Being relational with other women and giving/gaining encouragement.  Quite a balancing act ...

Like me, do you spend TOO much time in front of the computer?  Maybe you're escaping because you are feeling overwhelmed and burned out.  Maybe like me, you should take measures to face the overwhelmedness and burnout head on.  The computer can still have it's place.  We CAN learn to balance this, and other things in our life that may be out of balance.

I think I'll focus a bit more on this for a while.  Maybe I'll call my married daughter for some advice.  She's a lot better at all of this than I am.

To be continued .