Dr. Ioana Popa | Psychiatrist Educator, Executive Coach, Speaker & Spiritual Care Formation
Thriving in Christ | Burnout, Stress, Leadership, Faith & High Performance
For Christian Women Professionals & Servant Leaders called to live, lead, and serve from renewal for the Kingdom. Top 2.5% Globally Ranked.→ Do you feel at times stressed, depleted, or on a “busy treadmill,” with Sunday night blues - even though you love what you do?→ Do you sense blocks in reaching your highest potential for the Kingdom, despite already carrying significant responsibility and impact?→ Do you struggle to fully replenish yourself and access the peace that surpasses all understanding - no matter how many programs you’ve tried - and worry that self-care and deep renewal will only...
Author
Dr. Ioana Popa | Psychiatrist Educator, Executive Coach, Speaker & Spiritual Care Formation
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Jul 10, 2026
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Episodes
121 | Thinking of Career Pivoting? 'When Aligned with God, Doors Open' - with Dr. Diane van Staden 22.02.2024 43:26
As we navigate through our daily lives, we often encounter challenges as we try to give to others and serve in Christ. Whether you're a professional seeking guidance in your own journey or simply looking for encouragement and inspiration in your walk with Christ, this interview is sure to uplift and empower you. In this Renewal Conversation, I want to share with you a remarkable opportunity to gai...
120 | Connecting With God Today - Contemplative Practice for Christian Women 15.02.2024 10:03
*Do NOT drive or operate machinery - during this Contemplative practice* Are you ready for a pause today in your busy flow, to connect with God in Contemplation? One thing that is available to us is the ability to regenerate from inside-out and connect with God in silence and contemplate at the True Self - Soul level. This can nourish our experiences and our self-care practices and can give us the...
119 | Mindset Shift for Trusting Prayers: Steady Seeds for the Kingdom 08.02.2024 14:09
Many times we pray and, if the answers come quickly, we feel so blessed. But what if our prayers aren't answered right away or seemingly not at all? Even if many times we feel strong in our faith, it can be anxiety-provoking not to see answered prayers, and we might even start questioning: did I pray well enough? Am I doing something wrong? What am I missing? Am I not being humble enough? And we c...
118 | Navigating Burnout, Giving, and Self-Care With Cynthia & Molly of Filled With Less 01.02.2024 57:43
Navigating the delicate balance of following God by giving and supporting others while avoiding burnout is a challenge that many Christian women face. It is almost like there is a hidden expectation that in order to follow Christ, we need to be everything to everyone. In this Renewal Conversation, you will hear from Cynthia Damaskos and Molly Sabourin from Filled With Less on this exact topic! We...
117 | Avoid the Slippery Slope of Burnout: Address The #1 Core Belief for Christian Women | Dr. Ioana Popa 25.01.2024 15:19
Is self-care considered selfish? I often hear these phrases among Christian women: “ I am selfish if I take care of myself,” or “I know I need to do self-care but (deep down) I still feel selfish.” As a Christian woman, you might be wondering, “aren’t we supposed to be like Christ and just give, give and give?” There's some truth to that, however the more skilled we are, and the more we give and h...
116 | One Morning Ritual to Strengthen Your Inner 'Navigation System' 18.01.2024 15:01
As a Christian woman, you probably already have a busy to-do list and want to accomplish so much in your vocation, your family and church community, with little time for yourself. What if there is a way that you can regenerate even when you have a lot on your plate? If you're here listening to this, most likely, you want to serve God with all your heart, mind, body and soul. Because of this, you'r...
115 | Hidden Brain Power to Do Holistic Self-Care, for Christian Women 11.01.2024 15:52
As a Christian woman, you probably already have a busy to-do list and want to accomplish so much in your vocation, your family and church community, with little time for yourself. What if there is a way that you can regenerate even when you have a lot on your plate? If you're here listening to this, most likely, you want to serve God with all your heart, mind, body and soul. Because of this, you'r...
114 | Trust in the Lord: Contemplation on Scripture for the New Year 04.01.2024 8:59
*Do NOT drive or operate machinery - during this Contemplative practice* I hope you had wonderful Holidays! In the beginning of this new year, let's have some time with scripture where you do not have to do much but relax, regenerate, lean in, connect with your soul, with yourself and God as you ponder on 2024. For most of us, January is the time to set goals, and set intentions, and think about w...
113 | Christ the Light of the World: Regenerate With Scriptures for Christian Women 28.12.2023 9:31
*Do NOT drive or operate machinery - during this Contemplative practice* I hope you had a wonderful and blessed Christmas. As you prepare for the New Year and support others, who is supporting you? I want to invite you to a pause for 10 minutes to regenerate and reflect with Scriptures, because ultimately the true renewal comes from God. So consider this your sacred pause to co-regulate with God a...
112 | Self-Regulation: 3 Quick Tips and Skills to Ease the 'Freeze' Responses 21.12.2023 16:30
As a follow-up from the previous week, today I unpack 3 tips and skills to navigate when put on the spot & caught off guard by family members or others, and feel like almost in a freeze response. These 'Up-regulating' tips can be practiced for just a few minutes a day, right in time before the Holiday season, and I encourage you to think of Self-care and Self-regulation as Co-regulation with G...
111 | Three Tips to Deal with Fight or Flight Reactions During Christmas Season (and Beyond) - Part 2 14.12.2023 24:47
Ultimately Christmas is about the great news of the incarnate Christ and the reality of eternal life, inviting us to a season of gratitude. At the same time, preparing for family gatherings and wrapping up the year can leave us wondering: will our peaceful presence be disrupted by the many activities and upcoming interactions? Will we get put on the spot, get more stressed, disappointed or even fr...
110 | How Can Self-care be Godly? Essential Mindset Shift for Christian Women - Part 1 07.12.2023 15:54
As passionate Christian women navigating the demands of the holiday season and upcoming Christmas, while juggling work, family, and/or communities, we often find ourselves torn between wanting to support others and the need to receive support. And sometimes in the back of our minds, it can feel a bit weird, selfish or even indulgent to think of SELF-CARE. Isn't Christian faith all about putting ot...
109 | Navigating Family Dynamics with Psychology - Stay In Flow During the Holidays 30.11.2023 25:54
Returning to our daily routines after big family gatherings such as Thanksgiving, upcoming Christmas, or New Year can be a bit overwhelming, especially if we have to deal with unexpected unpleasant interactions. This can lead to leftover emotions running in the background of our mind, and can silently drain us, leading to chronic stress and a cycle of self-doubt, inner criticism, and subtle defeat...
108 | Peace During Holidays: Pause With Scripture & Deal With Worries 23.11.2023 10:00
As we navigate the Holidays, whether filled with family gatherings or being on our own, we might get triggered, feel worried, or stressed and in need of a reset! Today, I suggest a quick 'divine' pause to reconnect with God and that 'peace that surpasses all understanding' through 4 scripture passages. This way, you can (re)connect with your higher self, true self, soul/spirit. This is a place bey...
107 | Easy Steps to Implement Your One Sticky Sustainable Habit During the Holidays 16.11.2023 16:31
Often the Holiday season can feel like a race, leaving us more tired by the end, with us needing to do self-care 'damage control' in January. I've been there, done that. And many dedicated Christian women and servant leaders are pulled in multiple directions during this time: family, friends, church and work. For example, next week, most of us will be trying to finish our 5-day work week in just 3...
106 | Avoid Stress & Build Your Habits the Easy Way – Using a God-Given Brain Gift 09.11.2023 15:19
As Christian women, many times we long to sustain our daily routines, but with the many life demands we have, it is easy to drop the habits and then feel disappointed in ourselves. This can lead to accumulating stress, burnout, possibly fueling chronic conditions and diminishing our joy for life. But the good news? God has blessed us with a remarkable gift – a hidden brain ability that we don't al...
105 | Encouragement for Your Day - Scriptural Guidance for Support 02.11.2023 14:31
As a Christian woman, are you striving to give and serve others in Christ, toward the Kingdom? And do you have moments when you feel stressed and worn out, with countless activities to juggle, commitments to keep and decisions to make? While at the same time, longing for joy and that 'peace that surpasses all understanding'? Today we are going to take some time with the scripture, so that you can...
104 | Know Thyself to Love Others Better and Avoid Projection as a Defense Mechanism 27.10.2023 28:44
Here is one of my favorite Bible verses, that summarizes my life's work: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:36-39 NKJV This is a favorite verse for many Christians, and in our shared faith, many of us hyperfocus o...
103 | Types of Stress, Burnout, vs Resilience in Christ 20.10.2023 19:46
'What are some types of stress?' 'Is there good stress and bad stress?' I hear these types of questions often. Stress can manifest in numerous ways and there are many layers to stress. And we also use the word 'stress' to describe actually 2 different types of possibilities. And, if left unchecked, stress can affect our lives in countless ways, including leading to burnout and potentially a host o...
102 | Contemplation on God’s Nature for Christian Women - A Short Pause in Your Day 13.10.2023 11:31
*Do NOT drive or operate machinery - during this Contemplative practice* As we navigate our busy lives, it's essential to pause, renew, and regenerate ourselves and our souls with moments of contemplation on God's word so that we can keep on giving to others in Christ with joy, energy and that 'peace that surpasses all understanding.' As Christian Givers, the world often demands our constant atten...
101 | Walking With God and Preventing Burnout: Renewal Conversation With Janell Wood and Dr. Ioana Popa 06.10.2023 58:22
In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, especially as Christian women dedicated to serving others, it's not uncommon to sometimes dismiss the signs of burnout. "It is not happening to me" is a common subconscious thought. We often push ourselves to the limit, thinking it's our duty in Christ to keep giving without pause, but then feel a sense of subtle shame or guilt when we say no. All this...
100 | Befriend Your Perfectionism: 3 Phases of How Change Really Happens 29.09.2023 23:50
As Christians, we share a deep longing to be closer to God - to follow in His footsteps and to be like Him. It's a beautiful vocation, yet there are common dilemmas that many of us face on our journey, which can lead to Burnout. In our pursuit to live as Christ did, we often struggle with the ingrained impulse for perfectionism. One of the ways in which perfectionism can show up is in the hope tha...
99 | Worried About Burnout? Common Mistakes to Avoid: #1 - Hyperfocus on Setting Boundaries 22.09.2023 25:04
As Christian women, we know that we are created in the image and likeness of God - we long to partake of the living waters and carry the light of Christ into the world. But sometimes, in our enthusiasm to serve and help others, we might say "yes" to too many things, taking on more than we can handle. But eventually, we might find ourselves juggling too many responsibilities, feeling overwhelmed or...
98 | New Research! Don’t Have Time to Exercise? Even 5 Min. A Day Can Make a Difference 15.09.2023 13:31
Many Professional Christian Women, in the midst of their busy lives and the multitude of responsibilities, do not have time to take care of their own well-being. Because they are so eager to prioritize caring for others and their communities, in a Christ-like manner, it is difficult for them (if not impossible) to find time to exercise for 30-60 min a day. But here's the good news: more and more s...
97 | Stressed, Tired, Burned Out? ‘Living Waters’ Contemplation for Christian Women 08.09.2023 14:31
*Do NOT drive or operate machinery - during this Contemplative practice* Are you tired, stressed and/or burned out, caught in the 'whirlwind' of your daily life as you give, serve and lead others in Christ? Wondering if you could truly relax for a few moments and be filled with that peace that surpasses all understanding and connection with God? I don't know about you, but if I just take a break o...
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