A Terrible Day Didn’t Take Me Out— And Here’s Why.

Some days remind you that burnout recovery isn’t a straight line.

I recently had one of those days—and it almost swallowed me whole.

Burnout recovery doesn’t mean you never have hard days. It means hard days don’t become your norm. It means you experience them differently. With rhythm. With grace. With recovery.

You ever have just one of those days where every part of you is moving and stretching—but none of it feels grounded? The kind of day where even your accomplishments feel exhausting. Where you’re doing all the things, and yet, you’re haunted by the feeling that you aren't doing well enough?

Sis, even on the burnout recovery journey, those days still show up. The difference? You know they don't define you. You learn how to meet them with softness. Not shame. And most importantly, they don’t repeat in a cycle of depletion.

I'll tell you about one of those days I had recently.

It started as a typical morning - making sure everyone was out of the door at the right time. Then I worked in my clinic seeing patients. After that I made my way through lunchtime traffic straight to my own doctor's appointment, then home just in time for another meeting.

Then I ran a time-sensitive errand—something my son needed for his swimming lessons. I had to do it that day.

Immediately after, I hopped on project meetings in the car (there wasn't a good place to take a meeting where I was). Laptop on the dash. Hotspot from my phone. Getting interrupted by phone calls that I actually had to take.

I was flustered. I wasn’t as prepared as I wanted to be. I felt it. The inner critique. The tightening in my chest. The mental spiral: I should have done more to be ready.

The ride home was long. The sun was already down. I tensed when I looked at the time—it was later than I thought. I called home to update them on my ETA. Then I hunched over the steering wheel and let out a deep sigh, the kind that escapes when your body’s been holding more than you realized.

I was hard on myself. Frustrated. Tired. Defeated.

I was ready to call the whole day a failure—until I remembered something: Recovery doesn’t require perfection. It requires returning.

So I took the humility of the day and leaned on God for the rest.
"Today was a lot, and I wish I did more to prepare. It doesn't feel good. God can make up for my weakness. And tomorrow will be a new day."

When I got home, my son’s face lit up. He was so excited to see me. I focused on our bedtime routine. The snuggles. The book. The prayer.

And just like that, the day began to melt away. Not because it wasn't hard. But because I knew that it was ending. And I had faith that I would have new mercies available to me in the morning. Grace from God, and grace I would give myself.

The next day, I had another full workday ahead. I usually use the standing function of my desk to keep from being too sedentary. Part of me wanted to keep that height to prove I was back on track after yesterday. I paused—and chose comfort instead. The bit I could give my body while I was still working mentally. I let my body sit in the chair. When I had a brief gap in my schedule, I took a nap. Nothing major. Just a small window of rest. I kept my plush blanket on my lap through my afternoon meetings. I changed into something comfortable. Looser. Softer.

I still worked. I still showed up. But I did it wrapped in softness.

This is what burnout recovery really looks like. Not a new checklist. Not hustle in a prettier outfit. But a new relationship with how I show up.

Hard days happen. But recovery is what keeps them from becoming your lifestyle.

I don't want to be unrealistic. Sometimes we need to sprint and stretch to get important things done.

But we have to be aware of when labor vs rest is NECESSARY and draw a boundary when that season overstays its natural bounds.

Don't forget where and when we are. This culture glorifies continuous labor at the expense of wellbeing. Bodies are for profit. We have been trained to ignore the signs that it is time for a season of rest.

We can start with our faith. Jesus said we can come to him with our burdens. If you don't know where to start because you've never given yourself the space before - start with Him.

It requires you to be intentional. Find a quiet moment and surrender.

God designed you with sacred limits—and the grace to return to balance. You just need to tap in.

Don’t wait until these days blur into a burnout season.

If your spirit recognized something in my story—if you’ve been having one of those days more often than not—consider that your invitation.

That tug isn’t just exhaustion. It might be the Holy Spirit nudging you. Not just away from the chaos—but toward a rhythm of recovery.

Burnout doesn’t resolve itself with time. It deepens with neglect.
And when left unchecked, it doesn’t just drain your energy—it dulls your clarity.
It strains your relationships.
It convinces you that depletion is normal.
That exhaustion is just part of the calling.

But that voice inside—the one quietly asking for space, for breath, for mercy—you shouldn't ignore it.
That will come at a cost: your joy, your rest, your ability to hear God clearly.

Let today be the day you shift.
Not out of shame—but out of alignment with what God has always intended for you: renewal, balance, and mercy that meets you every morning.

I’d love to help you make this sustainable. That’s what I do in my coaching program—walk with women as they reclaim their rhythm and peace.
(You’ll see more on that below.)
But in the meantime, here are three simple places to start...

3 Ways to Make Room for Recovery:

1. Name the Pattern Without Shame
Those days will come—days where everything feels like too much, where you question your worth because you're tired, forgetful, or simply stretched thin. But notice if those days are becoming the rule instead of the exception. Pause and name it. Write it down. Pray about it. Awareness is the first step toward breaking the cycle.

2. Let Comfort Be a Healing Tool
We’re often taught to only reward ourselves after the finish line. But what if comfort wasn’t the prize—but the path? Maybe you can’t cancel your afternoon, but you can choose tea over coffee, music over silence, softness over tension. A warm blanket. A slow bedtime. A voice note to someone who gets it.

A mindful shower. Worrying about what comes next doesn’t make the water run faster. You can just be in the shower. Let it wash over you without planning the next move. Set a timer if it helps, but give yourself permission to fully arrive in that moment.

These small rituals can become sacred interruptions to the chaos.

3. Reclaim your Time
One hard day won’t break you. But seven in a row without a pause? That’s erosion. Build recovery into your weekly rhythm—not just as emergency relief but as sacred maintenance. Sabbaths, mornings off, “nothing evenings,” screen-free Sundays—pick what fits your life.

But what if the season you are in calls for a busy week? That’s real. And if you know one is coming, look at the weekend—or the next week—and make as many pockets of rest as you can. You must let your body and mind recover and reset. Defend your peace like your life depends on it. Because it does.

You’ve probably tried to rest before. Maybe you’ve journaled. Taken a day off. Said “no” once or twice. But you’re still tired. Still stretched. Still wondering if this pace is the price of your purpose.

You don’t just need rest—you need a rhythm.
One that honors your calling, your capacity, and your context.

That’s what I help you build.

Not how to eliminate hard days—but how to recover from them without losing your rhythm.

I help you figure out how to live in divine balance in your context.
We untangle the fear that makes you over-function.
We build a life that supports rest, connection, and purpose.

Because less burnout doesn’t mean less success.
It means more—more clarity, more impact, more of the life you’ve been quietly yearning for.

This work will shift how you lead, love, and live—without disconnecting from the people or purpose that matter most.

If this spoke to you—if you’re a high-achieving woman of faith who's been managing just one of those days more often than you'd like—I’d love to hear from you.

💫 Reply to this email with the word FREEDOM (or click here) to schedule a free 1:1 discovery call with me. 💫
Let’s uncover the root of your burnout—and map your path forward.

You are not behind. You are not broken.
You are carrying more than anyone can see, and still—grace is available to you.

There is a way forward that doesn’t require you to abandon your ambition or your calling.
A path that honors your purpose and your peace.

Let your next step be a sacred return.
To rhythm. To breath. To mercy that meets you every morning.

You were never meant to run on empty.
And you don’t have to anymore.

With tenderness and truth,
Dr. Devin
liberatedpathscoaching.com 

👋 P.S. If today was one of those days, I’m so glad you made it here. This space is for you.
The Spirit-Led Path to Ease is a sacred space intended for healing.

We’re building toward something more interactive—live touchpoints, community connection, and real-time growth. You’ll be the first to know when it drops if you are subscribed. I cannot wait to walk this path with you in deeper and more dynamic ways.