🍂 Breathing Room: Let Go & Make Space

Saying no so your soul can rest.

We discover what we’ve been missing when we release what no longer serves us.

Social media is a tricky space for a writer. It’s been a place of connection and growth for me—a tool that’s expanded my worldview and deepened my empathy. But here’s the hard truth: for a long time, I let “It’s my job!” be an excuse for mindlessly scrolling for hours each day. It was a crutch, and I didn’t realize how much it was costing me.

I’ve been off my personal social media for nearly two weeks now. (I will be sharing sporadically for Liturgies for Parents.) While I miss catching updates and connecting with others, I feel less anxious and depressed. I have more energy (mental and physical). I did not how fatigued I was until I stopped staring and scrolling. I feel better than I have in a long time. I’m working on my manuscript with new inspiration.

Apparently, there’s a TikTok trend (ironic reference, I know) of women sharing stories of how, after breaking up with a toxic boyfriend, their mysterious health ailments disappeared. (I heard about this ON THE RADIO because I’m a geriatric millennial.)

Anyway, my relationship with social media morphed into something similarly toxic. The more time I spent with it, the less it loved me back. Co-dependent? Definitely. Psychologically manipulative? Without question.

I’m not saying this to climb on a high horse or claim I’m holier-than-thou for taking a break from social media. (Let’s be real—after this sabbatical, I’ll dip my toes back in, but hopefully with firmer boundaries in place.)

But I will say this:

Making space in your life so you can fully breathe isn’t just good—it’s necessary.

When was the last time you gave yourself breathing room?

Remember Yourself

Part of my seminary work this semester is participating in “holy listening” circles, which are essentially a bunch of folks training to be spiritual directors participating in group spiritual direction.

When it was my turn to share, I shared my trepidation about taking an extended pause from social media.

“It’s kind of embarrassing,” I admitted, voice tinged with hesitation. “But I wonder—will people remember me?”

We took the standard two minutes to reflect silently.

One of my fellow participants gently said this:

“You said you’re worried about others remembering you,” she paused, “but what if in doing this, you remember yourself?”

As we enter the busiest time of the year, I wonder: What would it look like for you to remember yourself?

Elimination

When I eliminated social media, I felt it immediately: The weight of the noise I’d been living with floated away. My mind, which had been so fatigued, felt lighter. And my creativity returned.

Earlier this year, I visited an M.D. who focuses on holistic health integration. I was fatigued beyond what I’d ever experienced and desperate for answers. When people asked how I was, I fought the urge to say, “Bone tired.” My doctor did a bevy of tests, which gave us some answers, but she also suggested an elimination diet to see if I had any food allergies or sensitivities. I admit — I rolled my eyes. What kind of woo-woo was she talking about? I resisted—it sounded inconvenient and restrictive. But I was exhausted enough to try to find answers.

For three weeks, I cut out common allergens and slowly reintroduced them to see how my body reacted. It wasn’t easy, and I missed many of my favorite foods. But it was worth it. I discovered that gluten and dairy were contributing to migraines, joint pain, and exhaustion. By eliminating them, I felt so much better.

This experience taught me a few somethings:

Sometimes we need to let go of what’s not serving us to make space for what will.

Sometimes, we have to take things out of our lives to figure out what to add.

Sometimes saying no opens the path for where to say yes.

Words for This Week

You’ll find prayers and reflections for Thanksgiving and the week ahead in both Every Season Sacred and To Light Their Way. Check out the reading guide below. Next week, we’ll have December’s plan!

Reading Plan For November

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Space to Breathe

Sabbath, especially during the holiday season, can feel out of reach. Work, family, and endless obligations can pile up until we feel there’s no time for us to catch our breath.

But our minds, bodies, and souls don't have infinite capacity.

As Advent approaches—a season of waiting and preparation—what might you gain by letting go of something that no longer nourishes you?

Space to breathe.
Space to grieve.
Space to lament.
Space to rejoice.
Space to hope.

Sometimes stepping away can feel like a loss. But breathing room can also help us realign with what matters most.

This season, may you find the courage to release what’s not yours to carry—and discover peace in the space that opens up.

What’s Behind the Paywall?

You’re stepping into a sacred rhythm of reflection and renewal when you join the full Year of Breath community. Here’s what you can look forward to each week:

• Daily Breath Prayers (Monday–Friday): Short, contemplative prayers to help you find peace and clarity in the busyness of life.

• A Curated Playlist: Songs chosen to match the week’s theme, creating space to pause, reflect, and rest.

• A Weekly Benediction: Words to carry with you—a blessing for the days ahead.

• Phone Wallpaper: A beautiful reminder for your lock screen, keeping this week’s breath prayer or scripture close at hand.

• Scripture: Handpicked verse that grounds us in God’s Word, connecting faith to our daily lives.

This is a space for weary souls to exhale, reflect, and find a bit of quiet in a loud world. If you’ve found the free newsletter meaningful, consider joining the full Year of Breath community to go deeper.

Advent Reminders for New Seasons

I’m honored to have written this year’s commentary for “Words for the Beginning: Advent Reminders for New Seasons.” A Sanctified Art is a team of artists in ministry who create multimedia resources for hundreds of churches. They collaborate to bring scripture and theological themes to life through visual art, poetry, liturgy, curriculum, worship installation art, coloring pages, graphic design, and more.

It’s such a gift to be a guest writer for them.

About Words for the Beginning

Advent is a season of endings and beginnings. As the calendar year comes to a close, a new church year begins. Christ’s birth ushers us into new ways of living and loving, yet the world as we know it spins madly on. In many ways, pregnant Mary was surrounded by endings—large and small, personal and political. But Mary proclaimed hope in a God who was and is making all things new.

Christ’s birth offered a beautiful new beginning for shepherds and Magi alike—all the while, King Herod tried to bring Christ’s story to an end. When we ourselves navigate seasons filled with endings and beginnings, we need reminders.

We need words that can feel like steady ground, like a path for our feet to find as we step forward into the unknown. 

This worship series is shaped around several reminders we all need from time to time: you are a blessing; we can’t go alone; do the good that is yours to do; hope is worth the risk; love knows your name; don’t forget to laugh; and the road isn’t straight.

No matter what you are facing or what this new day brings, love is your beginning.

You can purchase an individual copy of the devotional or access their whole Advent worship collection.

Each week (beginning with Advent and concluding with Epiphany) offers art, reflections, poetry, and hymns to give you strength, courage, and grace.

As you journey through this season, may you find words for belovedness and hope. May you find words for beginning again.

Breath Prayer

This season, we’re invited to make space—physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. In a world that demands so much of us, carving out breathing room is an act of faith. As we exhale what no longer nourishes us, we make space to inhale God’s peace and presence.

These breath prayers are inspired by the practice of creating space—removing what distracts, drains, or weighs us down—and inviting God’s renewal.

As you pray this week, let each breath remind you of the sacred simplicity of drawing near to the One who sustains you.