The stress of living in this fallen world can lead you to burnout if you don’t take breaks to care for your mental health. You’re not meant to carry the burdens of all your responsibilities and pain by yourself. Jesus tells you in Matthew 11:28-30 to come to him when you’re tired and burdened, and he will give you rest for your soul. Your soul includes your mind. If you take mental health breaks when you notice burnout creeping in, you can rely on Jesus to help you find stress relief and renew your energy and motivation. Taking good care of your mental health is essential to loving God with your whole heart, soul, and mind. Here are 10 simple mental health breaks you can try when you’re burned out by stress.
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Have a short conversation with God about how you feel and need him to help you. When stress builds up, prayer can feel hard, but it’s actually the most important choice you can make when you’re stressed. Don’t worry about saying long prayers or using any fancy language. All you need to do is pray honestly, from your heart. You can pray briefly, like “God, I’m overwhelmed,” and God will understand. You can also pray about every situation that makes you feel stressed, because God cares about it all. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages you to pray about everything that concerns you: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Try turning your worries into short prayers throughout the day. When a concern comes, lift it to God immediately, and trust God to help you. When something goes right, thank God right away, as well. This kind of ongoing, honest conversation with God keeps you connected with God, which helps you regularly give your burdens to him and rely on him to help you. Then you’ll be able to embrace God’s peace and enjoy peace of mind.
2. Be still without guilt: Rest in our culture, which glorifies busyness, can be challenging. But rest is one of the most important spiritual disciplines you can practice. Even God rested after creating the world (Genesis 2:2-3). During his life on earth, Jesus modeled the importance of rest. He often withdrew from demanding crowds to pray and recharge (Luke 5:16). You can follow Jesus’ example by setting aside time to be, with no agenda – and don’t feel guilty about it. In Psalm 46:10, God says: “Be still, and know that I am God.” You can rest by taking a nap, sitting quietly with a cup of tea, snuggling with a cat or dog if you have one, or doing something else that’s truly relaxing for you. While you rest in stillness, you can receive the renewal and revival God wants. Then, you’ll be prepared to move forward with fresh strength.
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Music can reach your soul in ways that inspire you, no matter what you’re going through. When you feel burned out, put on worship music that reminds you of God’s faithfulness, let the lyrics wash over you as you sing, hum, or listen. Colossians 3:16 says: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Singing to God is powerful because it’s such a personal way to connect with God that it helps you receive God’s peace well. God actually rejoices over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17), and when you connect with him using your own voice, you can experience his love so intensely that your stress evaporates as God’s peace covers you. Consider making a “peace playlist” of worship songs that remind you of who God is when you’re stressed. Then you can play those songs whenever you need a mental health break that gives you a fresh dose of inspiration.
4. Read a short Psalm to let God’s word reset your mind: The Bible’s words can bring you mental healing when you're burned out. Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The Psalms, especially, express deep feelings – including all the complicated emotions from being stressed. Take a few minutes to read through one Psalm slowly. Let the words speak to your heart. For example, Psalm 23:1-3 reminds you of how God helps you when you need to be refreshed: “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, leads me beside quiet waters, and refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” You don’t have to analyze or study the Psalm; just let its words wash over you. Then breathe and let the words you’ve read become your prayer to God. Experiencing this part of scripture full of human emotions will show you how much you can rely on God to help you when stressed.
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God created you to be part of a community. You were never meant to take your burdens alone. God wants you to enjoy relationships with others, where you all encourage one another. Galatians 6:2 says: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Call or text a trusted friend or family member and ask: “Can we talk for a few minutes? I’m having a rough day.” You might be surprised how much better you feel afterward. God often works through your relationships to remind you of his love for you. Opening up to someone you love and trust about your stress makes it possible to receive their encouragement, which can be a powerful way to let go of stress.
6. Enjoy a wonder walk in nature: When your mind feels cluttered with stress, one of the most healing actions you can take is to step outside and look for inspiration in God’s creation. Try going on a wonder walk – a time of intentionally searching for awe while walking. Instead of rushing or letting your stressful thoughts spin, look for evidence of God’s incredible work around you as you walk. You might notice the way sunlight filters through tree branches, birds singing, or the sweet scent of a flower. Every part of nature can show you something wonderful about God, who created it. Romans 1:20 states: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” When you walk with a sense of wonder, your stress shrinks down next to God’s greatness as awe gives you a greater perspective.
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A few minutes of gentle movement can clear your mind and restore balance when you feel mentally burned out. That’s because your mental, physical, and spiritual health are connected. God will help you with the motivation you need to move if you ask him for it. So, stretch, take a short walk, or even dance to one of your favorite songs to let your body release the physical tension you’ve built up because of stress. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, the Bible reminds you that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Moving your body can be a way of honoring God by clearing your temple of accumulated stress. Even a little physical activity can help your body feel lighter and your mind more focused.
8. Take a gratitude break to notice the goodness around you: Stress narrows your vision until all you can see is what’s wrong in your life. Gratitude reopens your eyes to the blessings God has given you, despite your challenges. Take a gratitude break by pausing and thanking God for three simple blessings: a good meal, a beautiful view outside your window, or a laugh with someone you love. The Bible encourages you in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” When you have an attitude of gratitude, you don’t deny your pain – you just pay attention to God’s goodness that’s still present with you. The more you practice noticing blessings, the more naturally your soul turns toward hope. Gratitude changes your focus so you can be less concerned about stress and more excited about God doing what’s best for you.
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There’s something especially healing about creating something with your hands, such as by painting, baking, gardening, journaling, knitting, or writing in a journal. God is the Creator, and you reflect his image when you create something new. Genesis 1:27 reminds you: “So God created mankind in his own image…”. Creative expression helps you slow down and process your emotions, which enables you to release stress. When you let your hands move, your heart often follows. Making something can turn your frustration into peace because it’s a way of cooperating with God to bring beauty out of a mess. The practice of creating is also naturally enjoyable because God created you to contribute to the world in ways that are unique to you, and creative expression is an important part of that. The more you enjoy creating something, the less you'll be burdened by stress.
10. Do an act of kindness: When burnout makes you turn inward, one of the best ways to relieve stress is to look outward again. Doing an act of kindness – such as writing an encouraging note, helping with a community service project, or praying for a friend – can refresh your spirit as much as theirs. Proverbs 11:25 states: “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Kindness shows you that you still have something to give, even when empty. Serving or encouraging others can change your focus away from your stress and toward your purpose. By showing God’s kindness to someone who’s stressed, you can find healing for your burnout.
In conclusion, stress will accumulate in your life from the burdens of living in this fallen world. It’s important to take mental health breaks regularly to release tension. You don’t have to devote much time to mental health breaks; even brief breaks can heal you from burnout. God will meet you on your mental health breaks and give you the renewal you need!
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