For a long time, my life felt like a constant rush. Go, go, go. Something was always demanding my attention: work, family responsibilities, ministry commitments, deadlines, and the endless pressures of daily life. I was busy, stressed, and running on empty. From the outside, everything may have looked fine. But beneath the surface, I was exhausted!

My schedule was full, yet I rarely made time for myself. I convinced myself that looking after my health would be a priority after this, or when life was less hectic. What mattered to me was getting things done. But that became a major problem when life never actually slowed down.

At least not until 2023.

That was the year I embarked on a new season. We had just celebrated our third wedding anniversary, and I was ready to continue my academic journey. During the first year of my doctoral studies, I decided to resign from teaching to focus on my degree. To be honest, I realised later that I should have resigned at the end of the previous school year. But I guess I needed that time to process stepping away from my career.

Looking back, I can see how God used this season to slow me down. For the first time in a long time, I had the space to reflect and honestly evaluate areas of my life that I had completely neglected.

Yet even with fewer responsibilities, I was so taʻefiu! I found myself instantly searching for more work to do. I picked up extra work when I didn’t really need to. I packed my schedule with tasks because being hyper-productive was my norm.

What surprised me most was realising how uncomfortable I felt with simply being a student. It was as though I had become addicted to working, SMH! My identity was so tied to my output, and I struggled to just rest in the season God had provided. Instead of embracing the opportunity to recover, I instinctively tried to stay busy.

By the beginning of Year 3 (2025), God began revealing something heavy to me: I had spent years caring for everyone else’s needs, doing all the things, to the point that productivity became an idol. As a result, my eating habits were poor, rest was nonexistent, exercise was a sporadic battle, and sleep was constantly sacrificed in the name of getting more done.

That realisation led me to a difficult but necessary question: Am I honouring God with the way I care for the life He has entrusted to me?

As Christians, we often talk about serving God with our time, finances, gifts, and talents. But faithful stewardship also includes how we care for our bodies. Our bodies are not separate from our spiritual lives; they are part of how we worship, serve, work, love, and fulfil God’s purposes.

Caring for my health isn’t about chasing a perfect appearance, looking “snatched”, or pursuing worldly ideals. Taking care of myself is a way of showing gratitude for God’s grace and provision. This was the mindset shift I needed! It steered me away from quick fixes and toward building consistent and sustainable habits.

• I started making more intentional choices about what I ate, and let’s be real, how much I ate cause what even were portion sizes?! That was the biggest change. I remember watching a video on socials where someone pointed out how we often pray for our food to “nourish our bodies”, yet the food on our plates is completely unhealthy lol! It was a total nudge to me. Do I eat all the fruits and veggies in the world now? No. The goal wasn’t and isn’t perfection. It’s learning to fuel my body in ways that support my health, energy, and overall well-being.

• Before 2023, I was struggling with the weight I had gained during COVID, and struggling even more to accept it. I tried to do too much at once, which led to nothing consistent. One moment, I was hitting the gym for months, the next I stopped. I would push myself through intensive workouts, lifting heavy or running up to 6km non-stop, acting like I hadn’t gained 20kg since 2020! I learned that consistent, responsible movement is far more valuable than occasional bursts of intensity. I stopped trying to chase past PBs at the expense of my joints. I think my poor knees are now paying the price for those decisions.

• I used to treat sleep as a luxury. I’d sleep an average of six hours and tell myself, “All I need is four, so that’s pretty good”, SMH! But my lack of sleep was wrecking my mood, decision-making, and energy. When you run on empty, you start to excuse poor choices just to get through the day. It wasn’t easy, but now I am averaging 7-8 hours of sleep a night, more than I ever had in the last eight years of my life.

Overall, learning to rest has been a massive mental shift. We live in a world that celebrates burnout, and resting feels lazy or unproductive. Yet throughout Scripture, we see God’s way of work and rest. Resting is a physical reminder that I am not designed to carry everything on my own. Ultimately, I have to slow down and trust the One who gives me true rest.

My journey is far from finished. I still have my difficult days, setbacks and moments when my old habits creep back in. But health and wellness are not about reaching an endpoint. They are about daily stewardship. My journey is no longer defined by the scale, fitness goals, or aesthetics. It’s about gratitude. It’s about stewardship. It’s about honouring God with the life He has graciously given me, so I am fully equipped to show up and serve Him and others.

So, I leave you with the same question that disrupted my life and redirected my steps: Are you honouring God with the way you care for the life He has entrusted to you?

With much love and prayer,

🙏❤️

Ella