After everything I walked through – divorce, emotional exhaustion, one bad decision after another and a season of feeling distant from God—healing didn’t happen all at once.
It happened in steps.
Small, intentional, grace-filled steps that slowly brought me back to life – emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.
If you’re in a hard season right now, I want to share the exact process I walked through in my Christian self-care journey, in the order it happened for me.
Not perfectly. Not quickly. But faithfully.
Step 1: I Let Myself Be Honest About Where I Was
This was probably the hardest step for me. The first one usually is. Healing didn’t begin when everything got better. It began when I got honest with myself. God already knows…
I stopped pretending I was okay. I stopped trying to be strong for everyone else. And I finally admitted out loud what I was feeling deep inside—hurt, tired, disappointed, and overwhelmed.
For a long time, I thought being a strong Christian meant hiding those feelings.
But I’ve learned this truth:
God can’t heal what we won’t acknowledge.
Honesty was the first step.
Step 2: I Stopped Running From God (Even When It Felt Awkward)
There was a season when I had pulled away from God. My favorite worship songs felt so far away when I would try to listen to them. Going to church seemed like a chore and my prayers were more like complaints.
Coming back didn’t feel natural at first.
My prayers weren’t polished. My quiet time wasn’t consistent. Sometimes all I had were a few honest words.
But I showed up anyway.
And I learned those things mattered more than perfection.
If you’re trying to reconnect with God, start small. He meets you in your effort.
Step 3: I Gave Myself Permission to Rest
This step changed everything.
I was emotionally and spiritually burned out, but I didn’t realize how much I needed rest.
Real rest—not just sleep, but stepping away from pressure, expectations, and constant giving.
Rest is not laziness.
It’s not weakness.
It’s biblical.
God never asked us to run ourselves into the ground trying to prove our faith.
He invites us to rest in Him.
Step 4: I Set Healthy Boundaries
One of the hardest parts of my healing journey was learning to say no.
No to things that drained me. No to expectations that weren’t mine to carry. No to relationships or situations that disrupted my peace.
For years, I believed that saying no meant I was letting people down.
But I’ve learned this:
Boundaries protect the life God is restoring.
And protecting your peace is part of healing.
Step 5: I Released Shame and Embraced Grace
Shame will keep you stuck longer than the situation itself ever will.
For a long time, I carried guilt about my past, my divorce, and the ways I felt like I had fallen short.
But God doesn’t call us to live in shame.
He calls us to live in grace.
Letting go of shame didn’t happen overnight. It was something I had to choose daily—replacing negative thoughts with truth and reminding myself that God’s love hadn’t changed.
Step 6: I Took Care of My Whole Self—Mind, Body, and Spirit
This is where I began to understand what Christian self-care really looks like.
It’s not just about spiritual growth.
It’s about caring for your whole self.
I started doing simple things that supported my healing:
Spending quiet time with God
Getting outside and slowing down
Creating routines that brought peace instead of pressure
Being mindful of what I consumed mentally and emotionally
Healing is holistic.
God cares about every part of you.
Step 7: I Let God Redefine My Purpose
One of the most beautiful parts of my journey was realizing that my story wasn’t over.
It was being rewritten. The book Pathway to Purpose really helped me in this area.
What once felt like a breaking point became a foundation for something new.
God didn’t just heal me—He gave me a new perspective, a new mission, and a deeper compassion for others walking through similar seasons.
That’s where Living Well with Amy was born.
Out of healing. Out of honesty. Out of grace.
If you’re reading this and you feel overwhelmed, let me encourage you:
You don’t have to do everything at once.
Start with one step.
Be honest. Talk to God. Rest.
Healing is not a race.
It’s a process.
And God walks with you through every step of it.
My Final Thoughts
My Christian self-care journey didn’t happen overnight.
But step by step, God restored my heart, my faith, and my life.
And He can do the same for you.
Please feel free to share with someone you know that may need some encouragement right now. Be blessed… this is just the beginning.
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