3 Ways to Prevent Mental Exhaustion

Most people do not realize this, but mental exhaustion is not always about how much you have going on.

Sometimes it is more about how little space your brain actually has to process it all.

In other words, friend, you do not need more time. You need more space to think. And in this week’s blog I am sharing three simple ways to prevent mental exhaustion and create more mental space, not so you can fit more into your day, but so you can become more aware of what is actually going on inside your brain, give yourself time to process it, and make room for what God is doing in your life.

Our Anchor Verses

Before we dive in, I want to root us in two verses that I think paint a really beautiful picture of what we are talking about today.

The first is found in Mark 6:31: “Then Jesus said, ‘Let us go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest a while.’ He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t have any time to eat.”

The second is found in Luke 5:16: “But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness to pray.”

I love these two verses together because they show us that even Jesus, a perfect man who was also God, made it a priority to withdraw and connect with the Father. And here is what I find so powerful: the more people that started to follow Jesus, the more often he withdrew.

Friend, that is not a coincidence. The more people need from us, the more we need to connect to the source. And if Jesus needed that, how much more do we?

1: Adjust Your Pace

We live in such a fast-paced and busy world that our bodies are actually being conditioned to thrive in chaos. And that is not what the Lord wants for us. He wants us to slow down and walk at a different pace. Our lives should not look the same as everyone else around us. We are called to be different.

Let me share a story that really brought this home for me recently.

Yesterday I sat down to work at a busy, noisy coffee shop and tried to do my business meeting with God, even though honestly I really did not want to. A list was sitting right in front of me. My tasks were clear. All I wanted to do was start checking boxes.

And friend, it was hard at first. The music was loud. The coffee grinder was going. My heart was pumping. I could feel in my body that I was completely amped up and ready to go. But I prayed and said, “Lord, I surrender my schedule to you. I surrender this need for rush and hurry. Whatever you want me to accomplish today, let your will be done.”

And as soon as I prayed those words, I could feel my body soften. My shoulders dropped. My breathing regulated. And it reminded me of how much power we have when we simply draw near to the Lord.

Learning to Listen to Your Body

Part of adjusting our pace is learning to tune in to what our body is telling us. Our body knows when things feel off, and so often we are moving at such a ragged pace that we miss the signals entirely.

Pay attention to when your heart feels amped up. Notice when your shoulders are tense. Notice when you are holding your breath or rushing from one thing to the next without pausing. These are not just physical cues. They are invitations to slow down and reconnect.

We are also living in a world of constant consumption. Podcasts, YouTube, Instagram, social media, all of it is training our brains to constantly seek more input. And when our brains are overloaded with too much coming in, they have a really hard time processing anything new. That is when the mental exhaustion sets in.

2: Give Yourself Time to Think

Here is something that I think is really important for us to understand. Our brains are processing units, not storage units. They are designed to process information, not hold all of it indefinitely. And when we try to keep everything in our heads, all the business to-dos, the family schedule, the client work, the personal stuff, it creates exhaustion because nothing ever actually gets processed.

The solution is simpler than you might think. You just have to create intentional space to think.

Practical Ways to Create That Space

Here are a few of my favorites:

Journal. I wish I made more time for this because every time I do I feel so much lighter. Journaling is output, and most of us spend our days consuming input without ever giving ourselves the chance to process it. Even a few minutes of writing out what is on your heart can bring so much clarity.
Talk it out. Whether it is with a trusted friend, your spouse at the end of the day, or even the Lord Himself, sometimes just saying the things out loud is enough to give you the next step you have been looking for.
Go on a walk without your phone. Leave it at home. Step outside. Let yourself be in God’s creation without any input coming at you. Start with gratitude, pour out your heart to the Lord, and just let yourself think. These moments of reflection are so transformative and I cannot encourage them enough.

When we create this kind of space, we start to notice patterns. We start to see the areas that need attention. We start to hear the Lord more clearly because we have finally gotten quiet enough to listen.

3: Empty Yourself

This is the one that I think goes the deepest. And it starts with this verse found in Galatians 2:20:

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

When you gave your life to Christ, you died to yourself. He now lives in you. You are a living vessel for Him. And that means this life is no longer about us. It is about what God wants to do in and through us.

And here is the hard truth: a lot of our mental exhaustion is actually rooted in self. It is about how people are making us feel. How our circumstances are affecting us. How heavy everything feels when we believe it is all on our shoulders.

But friend, it is not all on our shoulders. God is in control. He wants to be our strength. He just needs us to be available, empty vessels who are willing to be used.

What Emptying Yourself Actually Looks Like

Practically, this looks like releasing expectations. Releasing disappointment. Releasing the outcomes you have been holding onto too tightly. And then making room for God to move in and through you.

It also looks like a daily conversation with the Lord that sounds something like, “Lord, how do you want to use me today? Open my eyes to the areas where I need to surrender.” And I promise you, He will show up.

One practice I love and want to get back to is what I call floor time. I would pull out my yoga mat, lay it on the ground, set a timer for five to seven minutes, and just lay there. Eyes closed. No music. No phone. Just quiet. And I would pray, “Lord, help me rest. Renew my body. Strengthen my soul.” And what that simple practice did for my mental clarity was remarkable.

Your Challenge This Week

For the next seven days I want you to carve out 10 minutes of intentional time every day without any input. No podcast, no YouTube, no music. Just you and the quiet.

And during that time, ask yourself these three questions and see what the Lord reveals:

What am I carrying right now that feels heavy?
What have I not had time to process?
Lord, what do you want me to notice?

He is always speaking to us. We just have to get quiet enough to hear Him.

A Note Before You Go

To recap, the three ways to prevent mental exhaustion are to adjust your pace, give yourself time to think, and empty yourself and make room for God.

This is part of our ongoing capacity series and there is so much more to come. I am so glad you are here for this conversation.

Friend, you do not have to carry all of this alone. And if you are looking for vetted Christian coaches and service providers who share your biblical values and can support you in your life and business, come check out Purpose Pages. It is completely free to browse and I would love for you to find the support you have been looking for.

Come hang out with us here every single week, and I cannot wait to see you in the next blog post.

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Join the Faith-Fueled Fireside on September 17th at 10AM (AZ Time) – This virtual gathering is an opportunity to connect with like minded mamas who are ready to trade hustle for peace this season.
Join the Free Purpose Gathering Community – A welcoming space for Christian mompreneurs to connect, grow, and be encouraged in both life and business.
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The Armor of God – Bible Study for Women with Video Access
Grace Over Grind: How Grace Will Take Your Business Where Grinding Can’t
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