🍂 Grateful, But Tired: How to Practice Gratitude and Guard Your Energy This Holiday Season

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Let’s just go ahead and say it: this season is beautiful, but it’s also a lot.

Between the grocery lists, school events, church gatherings, family dynamics, and end-of-year deadlines, it can feel like the holidays come with a heaping side of overwhelm. And for those of us who are high-capacity, high-achieving women—the ones who “hold it all together” for everyone else—it can be especially hard to admit we’re not doing so well ourselves.

We love this time of year.

We are genuinely grateful.

But we’re also tired.

Sound familiar?

🤍 When Gratitude and Burnout Collide

Can I speak to the part of you that’s weary but doesn’t feel like she’s allowed to be?

Maybe you’ve told yourself:

• “Other people have it harder. I should just be thankful.”

• “I have so many blessings—I don’t want to sound ungrateful.”

• “I don’t have time to rest. There’s too much to do.”

But here’s the truth, sis: Gratitude doesn’t cancel out your need for rest.

You can be thankful and tired.

You can be blessed and burned out.

You can love your people and still need boundaries.

God never asked you to trade your wellness for your witness. In fact, He cares about both.

🛑 Why Overextension Isn’t the Same as Generosity

During the holidays, we often equate love with doing the most—more meals, more events, more giving, more showing up.

But can I gently remind you?

Overextending yourself isn’t the fruit of the Spirit. It’s the result of operating from pressure, not peace.

And let’s be real—burnout isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a blinking light on the dashboard of your soul, saying “Hey girl, something’s not right.”

Jesus didn’t rush through life. He paused. He pulled away. He napped during storms (hello, power move). He modeled rhythms of rest and intentional living—not because He was weak, but because He was wise. 

✋ How to Guard Your Energy Without Guilt

So how do we move through this season with gratitude without losing our sanity?

Here are three grace-filled ways to stay grounded:

1. Check In Before You Say Yes

Before you RSVP, volunteer, or take on “just one more thing,” ask:

• Is this mine to carry?

• Does this align with what God’s asking me to steward right now?

• Will this cost me peace, presence, or wellness?

You’re not being flaky—you’re being faithful with your capacity. Saying no is not a betrayal. It’s a boundary.

2. Create Quiet Spaces (Even if They’re Small)

Stillness doesn’t always look like hours of solitude in a cozy cabin (though let’s be honest… that sounds amazing). Sometimes it’s:

• A 5-minute deep breath before the day begins.

• Putting your phone in another room while you make dinner.

• Choosing worship music over noise while driving.

These tiny pockets of peace are soul oxygen. Make room for them—your future self will thank you. 

3. Let Gratitude Be Gentle, Not Guilt-Driven

Gratitude is meant to lift your spirit, not shame you into silence.

It’s okay to say, “I’m so thankful… but I’m also overwhelmed.” That’s not complaining. That’s being honest. And healing starts in honesty.

So write the list of blessings. Count them. Savor them. But don’t use that list as a weapon against your humanity. 

🌟 What If This Year Looks Different—On Purpose?

What if you don’t have to host everything?

What if you don’t have to run yourself ragged to prove your love?

What if this year, you embrace a softer, slower kind of celebration?

One that honors both your heart and your health.

Friend, you have nothing to prove.

Your worth isn’t in how beautifully you decorate, how many pies you bake, or how full your calendar is.

Your worth was settled at the cross. 💛

💬 Let’s Make This Practical: Here are a few journal prompts to help you stay anchored this week:

• What’s one thing I’m truly grateful for in this season?

• Where do I feel physically or emotionally depleted?

• What’s one boundary I need to set for my well-being?

• What’s one small way I can invite stillness into my day?

☕️ You’re Not Alone in This, Sis

We’re women around the well.

We come tired, hopeful, messy, and in need of living water.

And Jesus meets us right here—in the middle of the busy, the burnout, and the blessings.

So let’s take a deep breath.

Let’s thank God for the beauty and the boundaries.

Let’s walk through this season with gratitude that doesn’t require overextending, and peace that passes understanding.

You can be grateful.

You can be tired.

But you are not alone.

God is not done with your story—and He’s not asking you to hustle your way to holiness.

Rest is still holy.

Stillness is still strength.

And grace is still enough. ✨

If this spoke to your heart, let’s keep walking together through this season with grace and gratitude.
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