Breathe: A 6-Day Plan to Transform Chaos to CalmSample

Day 3: Physical Wellness

Heartsickness Spells Burnout

Burnout is chronic stress that comes from working too hard for too long without downtime and when you feel everything is on your shoulders and there is no room for your desires. When that stress goes ignored, your body lets you know! Burnout results in extreme exhaustion, irritability, and a lack of motivation and productivity. It can lead to chronic anxiety and depression.

But when we share our stress with God and acknowledge our weaknesses, God’s strength and character shine:

“The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31

Rather than waiting until circumstances get better, until life is free of worry and anxiety, God wants us to trust Him to take control of our well-being now, right in the midst of the hard.

Embrace Your Limits

Even if you double down on your efforts to achieve and provide, you’ll still have to confront the spiritual exhaustion that comes with burnout. Research shows that when we avoid people, places, or events to temporarily escape feelings of dread, we actually increase anxiety and reinforce our fears. This is called avoidance anxiety. Studies show that when you do the thing you fear, regardless of the outcome, you lower the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol keeps you awake at night, causes muscle strain, a fluttering heartbeat, and raises blood pressure. As you address your fears, you lower cortisol and restore calm.

When we hit the wall of our limitations, God gathers us in His arms to say, “There is a better tomorrow for you.” Hope gives us permission to do things differently and to believe God will be faithful.

Breath Prayer: When You Feel Burned Out

God knows the challenges ahead of you and nothing will catch him by surprise. “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head” (Psalm 139:5).

Try a breath prayer in response to this promise today.

When you inhale, say “Moment by moment,” remembering that life is lived one day at a time.

Then, vary your breath prayer by whispering one of God’s promises on the exhale: You go before me. Hope is the anchor to my soul. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Scriptures for Day 3

Isaiah 40:21-31

Deuteronomy 31:8

Hebrews 6:19