Thriving in Christ | Burnout, Stress, Leadership, Faith & High Performance

How do we lead from a grounded presence, responding to the many demands of our work, families, volunteer work, and church communities, without compartmentalizing, all while praying unceasingly? Compartmentalizing can be helpful in the short run (sometimes for years and even decades), but in the long run, it takes a toll on us, leading to chronic stress, burnout and even disconnection from God in s...

As Christian Women, our lives are blessed with many different relationships: with our spouse, children, friends, family members and co-workers. And as we continue to grow and become better human beings, it is natural to want others to change as well - for them to be more compassionate and loving. Nonetheless, we can become so easily magnetized by what others are doing, and if they do not change (o...

Christian women find themselves in toxic relationships more often than they think. So what do they do when this happens? Sometimes it is possible to shift such relationships and move through transformation, but sometimes it isn't. Sometimes it is possible to leave, but sometimes it isn’t. Either way, we need God's help, like a 'parting of the Red Sea' moment, to move through such difficulties. Cor...

As decades pass, things continue to shift in our lives as Christian Women: maybe in our roles at work, our family or church. How does life look after many decades of living? Is aging something to be feared? And who are you at the core as a daughter of Christ, no matter the season? Allison McCune Davis has contemplated questions like these and, eventually, when she turned 60, made the decision to e...

Although trauma is common, it can block many Christian women from seeking help, while living successful professional lives. It is not uncommon to then go into a 'shell' and not share the experience. Some may feel at fault, filled with shame or guilt, and try to forget the experience or bear it silently. To overcome an extreme traumatic experience that impacted her life with depression for almost 2...

How do we find strength in God in the workplace?   Why do we, as women, compete at times against each other, despite God creating us with the natural tendency for cooperation and mutual support? And how do we find ways to connect with each other, while dwelling in God's trust and abundance? Answers to questions like these are essential for women to achieve their highest potential, and ha...

How do we regenerate and stay on God's vine when we are so busy leading and serving in Christ? How can we do self-care, when sometimes it feels selfish, and set boundaries when it feels so uncomfortable? If you are reading this, you've most likely tried many things to solve this and they haven't worked. That's because they were band-aids you were putting on top of a burdened foundation, created by...

How often do we pause to actively listen to God during the hustle and bustle of each day? And when we do, are there simple questions we can ask to be in God's presence more readily? Seeking connection with God can be tricky at times, but a worthwhile pursuit, and learning how to be authentic with our various reactions is a big part of it. Julie Honeycutt is on a mission to do this not just for her...

Even though acquiring emotional intelligence is a popular trend in our culture, it is unfortunate that, as Christian women, we are still frowned upon and labeled as "too emotional." Nonetheless, emotions are vital. And there are many ways we can learn from our emotions: from our underlying needs, to the emotional tone of others and much more. We can also use emotions as a barometer for our connect...

What can we do when we discover that we are experiencing burnout? Are there steps to take? If you have known me for a while, you are aware that I burned out twice and since recovering, many of my programs and presentations are centered exactly on this topic. Jesikah Wells went through burnout as well and in this Renewal Conversation she shares her journey of Burnout and the steps that she took to...

Is there hope in chronic stress and irreversible conditions? How do we keep our joy and zest for life? Where is Christ in the suffering? Last week, I shared an inspirational story about a Christian woman overcoming blindness and her connection to God leading her to a life of gratitude and fulfillment. Today, I have the honor to share with you the recent health journey of Cynthia Damaskos, and how...

What do we do when a massive disease knocks at our door unexpectedly? When our life changes as a consequence, how do we still find God in the midst of suffering? Humanity has wrestled with these questions for centuries, and there are unending books to try to find the answers. But there is nothing like hearing the LIVED answers from someone who faced such a major traumatic event and moved through i...

Stress and busy lives can often hide our deep purpose in life, without us knowing it. We keep going until life happens and we HAVE TO stop and pause. When I was going through my second burnout, pausing felt almost impossible, to the point that one day I had to walk for hours! In that 'pause,' I've increased my capacity to be in the present moment and trust God to show up in my life. I am happy tha...

Transitions are not easy, and changing our vocation is even harder. However, with God, all things are possible, especially as we strengthen our connection with Him. Dr. Sheila did just that: she trusted and connected with God day by day, which allowed her to pivot and shift her vocation. Dr. Sheila Jackson, today's guest in Thriving In Christ show, holds an Ed. D in Transformational Leadership and...

The balance of mind, body, heart, and soul is precious. We often consider feeding the soul and mind with reading and prayer, but how often do you consider eating to nourish your mind and soul? There are always times when we find ourselves eating unhealthier. Usually, those times are when we're stressed out, when life seems to take control, and we have very little time to think about much else than...

May Easter (Pascha) bring you much hope and peace as you celebrate the resurrected Christ. Today, I have an inspiring faith story from a wonderful Christian woman, along with her practical regeneration tips for the body, specially if you have to sit for a long period of time! Alessa Caridi is the Power Posture Pro, a Master-Certified Pilates Instructor and a "workday health interrupter. In this Re...

Thoughts are powerful, and how we listen to them and believe them makes a big difference. Many of us take our thoughts for granted, but what is interesting is that both our thoughts and our emotions are not necessarily the truth — and we can choose them based on how helpful they are or are not. Jenny Harkleroad experienced a devastating moment in her life and discovered the power of choosing her t...

Are you enjoying silence and contemplation? If so, wonderful, but know you are not alone if you don't. For most people, it is tricky to sit quietly without their minds getting distracted and being pulled in many directions. And, consequently, it is not uncommon to feel a sense of defeat and draw the wrong conclusion that "I am not good at this." It takes time to sit in contemplation and tap into w...

Here are a couple of good questions to ask yourself daily: did you give to others without replenishing your cup? Did it slip your mind that modeling your self-care and healthy self-love can allow others to see it and then do it, too? In the hustle of bustle of our busy life while leading and caring for others in Christ, it is easy to forget that our joyful and refreshed presence is inspiring to ot...

How often do we eat, to only be distracted while eating, not even noticing when we reach out for seconds, and ending up feeling guilty for not controlling ourselves? Most us of women have a complicated relationship with food, leading us at times feeling dissatisfied and even intensely disappointed with ourselves and our bodies. And fasting during the Lenten season only complicates things, at which...

Do we really need to be motivated to do something? What if, instead, all it takes is one step forward? Waiting for motivation to peak seems awesome, but unfortunately, it is never a good strategy. We've been told to be motivated before we take action, when, in fact, motivation is like the wind. We never really know where it will pick up, for how long, or how strong it will be. So then, what are we...

What do you do when you're feeling overwhelmed and negativity is starting to cloud your joy? Can you remind yourself that things will not always seem as they are right now? Do you remember to empower yourself? We can feel empowered and co-create with God. Yes, there may be circumstances we might not be able to change, and yes, the natural response is to be overwhelmed. But we all have a choice. If...

As Christian Givers, we love to serve and give to others, but how often do we find ourselves overdoing it and then running on empty?  I am reminded of the Bible parable of the 10 virgins and how the five foolish ones had no more oil in their lamps. Sometimes, giving too much to others can feel this way: we have no more "inner oil" to sustain our giving.    From this perspective, it...

Have you ever had a chance to live in another country for an extended period of time? It can be such a transformative experience. As a psychiatrist, I've read an interesting article about the "third individuation," which describes another layer of identity integration happening for people who immigrate or live for an extended period in another part of the world (the first two major identity format...

Do you find inspiration, compassion, and beauty in the real world? Do you have a saint who guides you? My guest in this podcast, Anberin Pasha, is a film producer and human rights activist. Her film, Love to the End, is about St. Maria and makes aspects of Orthodox theology accessible to a broader audience. But her journey to Christ took her all over the world, and she found Him waiting for her in...