Is your soul in balance? A balanced soul means that our core, our very essence, is in alignment with the rest of our life, mind, and body. I know when my soul is “off”; I begin to snap at people in traffic or start planning escape routes out of town to avoid life. After a difficult season in my life when I was burned out, I found that there were three things I needed to do to bring my soul back to balance.

Reflect

Reflection is a process. Reflection requires that we take a step out of our ordinary routine to meditate on God’s movement in our life and to listen for how God might be speaking in that moment. In reflection mode, we are reminded that we are not alone on this journey and that God has a plan for us. I have found my time of reflection to be life-giving, especially when I feel like nothing is going right or will ever go right. I am reminded of times when God showed me a better way.

Take a Time-Out: Practice a meditative spiritual discipline such as silence or stillness. Use a journal to document your thoughts.

Pause

Taking a pause is important because we can get so caught up in the busyness of life. We can go, go, go without taking a moment to just be still. Jesus was all about being still. He often went up on a mountain or traveled “to the other side” to take a moment of pause. (I also believe Jesus was all about naps!)

Push the Pause Button: Take a personal retreat to reconnect with God, even if it’s only the five minutes you have in the shower. Or take a nap—it can do wonders for your brain productivity, attitude, and heart.

Listen

God has something to say, but you must be in a place to listen. This goes hand in hand with pausing. If there is so much noise that you can’t think straight, you will not be able to hear what God is saying or hear what your body and mind need. There needs to be space for you to get out of your own head. I understand that this can be difficult, but I promise, it is necessary. Too much chatter can cloud your mind and heart. If you are clear of chatter then you are clear to make wise decisions.

Clear the Chatterbox: Take one night a week to turn off the TV or silence your phone for a time of peace. A social media fast can help to calm the chatter in your head, heart, and soul.

Matthew 11:28

“Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

There must be time and space for us to reflect, pause, and listen to what God is doing in and around us. There must be time to replenish what has been drained and to restore what has been emptied. If this process of replenishment and restoration doesn’t happen, burnout is inevitable. And when burnout happens, it is not pretty and it is not easy to recover from. If you are feeling off-balance, take ten minutes this week to reflect, pause, and listen to God so you can live a fuller, happier life.