I cannot take one more single thing. This thought echoed in my mind over and over for the first 3 months of the year. I even imagined myself yelling it out loud, shouting it to the top of my lungs. But I never did. It probably would’ve made me feel better. I remember a therapist once telling me to scream into a pillow.
But something inside me still says it wouldn’t be cool to do that. Like, that is weird, when in fact it’s not. In fact, it’s helpful to let it out. But holding it in is my natural default, and if I don’t challenge myself or have support, this is where I land.
So I shut down and couldn’t do one more thing. The first 3 months of this year were hard. For so many different reasons. Transition after transition, not all bad but not all good either, and in any sense I was carrying a lot. In fact, I was carrying too much and not offloading any of the weight. And you know what happens to a container holding something that it can’t hold: it bursts, it spills out, it breaks down, it tears at the seams, it breaks.
Have you been there? Those moments, days, weeks, months, or Lord knows even years when it feels like you can’t take one more thing? I believe we all have. And here’s the thing: most often we don’t know what to do to lighten the load, or have the capacity to even think about how. So I wanted to share 7 ways to care for your soul when you’re carrying a lot.
7 Ways to Care for Your Soul
1. Make space for the hard.
You don’t have to rush past the hard parts, fix it, explain it, or make it okay. Sometimes caring for your soul begins with simply making room to acknowledge: This is hard.
2. Find community to help share the load.
You were never meant to carry everything alone. Sometimes soul care looks like letting someone sit with you, listen, pray with you, or help carry something you’ve been holding by yourself.
3. Connect with Scripture and spiritual practices.
When life feels noisy and heavy, practices like prayer, Scripture, silence, worship, journaling, or simply sitting with God can create space for your soul to breathe. You don’t have to come to God with the right words. You can simply come.
4. Name what you’re carrying.
Sometimes the weight becomes heavier because we haven’t stopped long enough to identify what’s actually there. What are you carrying right now? Expectations? Disappointment? Responsibility? Grief? Fear? Change? Naming it doesn’t make it disappear, but it can help you understand what your soul has been trying to hold.
5. Have compassion for yourself.
You may not be able to do everything you normally do right now. That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It may mean you’re carrying more than usual. Give yourself some of the same grace you so readily offer to everyone else.
6. Care for yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Your soul isn’t separate from your body. Rest. Eat. Drink some water. Move your body. Get outside. Sleep when you can. Talk to someone. Pray. Pay attention to what you need instead of continually pushing through.
7. Give yourself permission to release some of the weight.
Not everything you’re carrying belongs to you. Some things may need to be shared, delegated, postponed, surrendered, or simply released. You don’t have to prove how much you can carry by continuing to carry it. I’m continuing to learn this.
Caring for your soul doesn’t always mean adding one more thing to your already-full life. Sometimes it means making space.
And like me, maybe you need a little space to exhale.
So, here is your personal invitation to join me…
If you’ve been carrying a lot and longing for a place to slow down, breathe, and tend to your soul, my sweet Jodi and I created Exhale: A Soul Care Retreat for Women with you in mind.
February 5–8, 2027 | Wilmington NC
Four days at an oceanfront beach house to rest, reflect, and renew with intentional time with God, soul-care sessions, spiritual direction, nourishing meals, beach walks, quiet, conversation, and space to simply be.
We’re keeping this retreat intimate, with space for just 8 women.
