Permission to Rest This Christmas: A Message for Exhausted Women
You're Allowed to Be Tired
Can I tell you something?
You're allowed to be tired this Christmas.
I know that sounds simple. Maybe even too simple.
But how many of you needed to hear it?
You've been going nonstop. Shopping. Cooking. Cleaning. Planning. Making sure everyone else is happy. Making sure everything looks perfect.
And now you're exhausted.
Your body hurts. Your brain feels foggy. You want to cry for no reason.
And somewhere in the back of your mind, a little voice says: "You should be grateful. You should be happy. What's wrong with you?"
Nothing is wrong with you.
You're just tired.
And you're allowed to be.
Why Rest Feels So Hard
Here's what nobody tells you about rest:
It's not just about lying down. It's not just about sleep.
Rest is about feeling safe.
And for a lot of us? We don't feel safe resting.
We feel guilty. We feel lazy. We feel like if we stop moving, everything will fall apart.
I get it. I really do.
For years, I couldn't rest without feeling guilty. Even when my body was begging me to stop.
I would sit down and immediately think of ten things I "should" be doing instead.
Sound familiar?
That's not laziness. That's your nervous system.
Your nervous system is the part of your body that controls stress. When it thinks you're in danger, it keeps you moving. It keeps you alert. It keeps you in "go mode."
And for many of us? Our nervous system has been stuck in "go mode" for years.
Even when there's no real danger.
Even when we desperately need to rest.
The Truth About Christmas Exhaustion
Let me tell you what's really happening in your body right now.
For the past few weeks (or months, or years), your body has been running on stress hormones.
These hormones have kept you going. They've helped you power through when you were exhausted. They've helped you smile when you wanted to cry.
But those hormones come with a cost.
And that cost is showing up now.
The brain fog? That's your brain running out of energy.
The body aches? That's tension you've been carrying for weeks.
The stomach issues? That's stress affecting your gut.
The emotional breakdowns? That's your body finally feeling safe enough to show you what it's been holding.
You're not broken.
You're not weak.
Your body is just telling the truth.
What Mary Knew That We Forget
I've been thinking a lot about Mary lately.
You know, Jesus's mom.
We put her in nativity scenes. We make her look peaceful and perfect.
But the real story? She was probably terrified.
She was young. Probably a teenager.
She was pregnant before marriage in a culture where that could get you killed.
She had to travel when she was nine months pregnant. On a donkey.
She gave birth in a barn. With animals. No doctors. No hospital. No family around her.
And stillβGod showed up.
God didn't need perfect. He didn't need pretty. He didn't need her to have it all together.
He just needed her to trust Him.
If your Christmas feels messy this year, you're in good company.
If your body is forcing you to slow down, maybe that's not a failure.
Maybe that's God saying: "Stop trying so hard. I've got this."
Permission to Let Something Go
Here's what I want you to try this week:
Pick ONE thing to let go of.
Just one.
Maybe it's:
Making one more dish
Hosting when you're exhausted
Buying one more gift
Keeping the house perfect
Pretending you're not tired
Pick one thing. And let it go.
I know what you're thinking: "But if I don't do it, who will?"
Maybe nobody.
And maybe that's okay.
Your kids won't remember if the house was spotless.
They'll remember if you were present. If you were calm. If you were actually there with them.
Your family doesn't need you perfect.
They need you healthy.
And right now? Your body needs you to stop.
What Your Body Really Needs
Your body doesn't need another to-do list.
It needs safety.
And safety starts with small choices.
Safety sounds like:
"I'm going to sit down for five minutes."
"I'm going to say no to this one thing."
"I'm going to let someone else help."
"I'm going to rest without feeling guilty about it."
These aren't small things. They're huge.
Because they tell your nervous system: "We're okay. We can slow down. We're safe."
And when your nervous system feels safe? Everything changes.
Your energy starts to come back.
Your brain fog clears.
Your stomach settles.
Your body can finally start to heal.
Rest Is Not Selfish
I need you to hear this:
Rest is not selfish.
Rest is not lazy.
Rest is not rebellion against God.
Rest is how God designed your body to work.
Even God rested. On the seventh day, He rested.
Not because He was tired. Because rest is sacred.
Rest is when your body heals.
Rest is when your brain processes everything.
Rest is when your nervous system resets.
You can't heal without it.
You can't think clearly without it.
You can't be the person God called you to be without it.
So when that voice in your head says "you should be doing more"?
That's not God's voice.
God's voice sounds like: "Come to me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest."
A Simple Practice for Today
If you're reading this and feeling overwhelmed, try this right now:
Put one hand on your heart. One hand on your belly.
Take three slow, deep breaths.
In through your nose. Out through your mouth.
As you breathe, say this out loud or in your head:
"I am safe. I am enough. I can rest."
That's it.
Three breaths. One simple truth.
This tells your nervous system that you're okay. That it's safe to slow down.
Do this whenever you feel overwhelmed this week.
In the car. In the bathroom. In the church parking lot.
Wherever you are.
Your body will thank you.
What If You Actually Rested?
Imagine something with me:
What if you actually rested this Christmas?
What if you said no to one more thing?
What if you let something be imperfect?
What if you stopped trying to make everyone happy?
What would happen?
I'll tell you what wouldn't happen:
The world wouldn't end.
Your family wouldn't fall apart.
You wouldn't be a bad mom or a bad Christian.
But you know what might happen?
You might actually enjoy Christmas.
You might be present with your family.
You might laugh without forcing it.
You might feel like yourself again. Even just for a moment.
That's worth more than a perfect Christmas.
That's worth more than doing it all.
You're Not Alone
If you're reading this and feeling seen, you're not alone.
There are thousands of women just like you.
Women who are tired.
Women who are trying so hard.
Women who feel guilty for needing rest.
Women whose bodies are begging them to stop.
I see you.
God sees you.
And you don't have to keep pushing.
You can stop. You can rest. You can let go.
It's not giving up.
It's giving yourself what you need.
Your Invitation
So here's my invitation to you:
Give yourself permission to rest this Christmas.
Not after everything is done. (It's never all done.)
Not when you've earned it. (You already have.)
Right now. Today. This moment.
Take one deep breath.
Let your shoulders drop.
And know that you're allowed to be tired.
You're allowed to rest.
You're allowed to let something go.
Your body has been waiting for you to hear this.
Now it's time to listen.
