Do you find yourself being the one everyone relies on — the responsible one, the capable one, the one who holds everything together?

If you’re overly responsible, rest can start to feel impractical, joy gets postponed, and peace becomes something you hope to get to later — after everything else is taken care of.

In today’s episode, Bonnie shares a deeply personal story about laying down over-responsibility. Through Scripture, neuroscience, and soul care, this episode gently invites you to make space for peace and joy — not by doing more, but by letting go.

This episode will help you recognize how over-responsibility shapes your inner life and offer a compassionate path toward rest, safety, and renewal — without pressure or obligation.

Key Takeaways
Why being overly responsible often leaves little room for rest and joy 
How Jesus’ invitation to “lay down your nets” can lead to peace instead of pressure 
Why chronic responsibility keeps the nervous system on alert — even during good 
One soul care practice to help you release stress & renew peace & joy

Breath Prayer
Inhale: I lay down my nets
Exhale: I follow You in peace

Today's Scripture:
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” Matthew 4:19–20 (NIV)

  → Take Bonnie's Most-Loved Soul Care Courses:


 Breathe Rest with Jesus:
A Loving Course to Create Wellness Rhythms of Peace with God’s Promises

Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-breatherest/

Breathe Joy with Jesus:
Create Happy Wellness Rhythms to Cultivate Joy with God's Promises
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool/

Praying the Psalms for Wellness:
A Life-giving 8-Week Wellness Course to Release Stress, Renew Peace & Find Rest for Your Hear
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-prayingpsalms/


Lent Wellness Study (Seasonal Offering)

A 6-Week Healing Renewal For Your Heart With Jesus in His Love
Register at https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-lent/

 → Take the FREE Soul Care Quiz at soulcarequiz.com

Get your personal wellness assessment and learn which area of soul care you need most.
 →  Eucalyptus Shower Steamers for instant calm at Bonnie's Soul Care Store

  Join the Soul Care Newsletter:
https://thebonniegray.com/subscribe

  Watch YouTube Devotionals:
https://youtube.com/thebonniegray

  Bestselling Books by Bonnie:
https://amzn.to/3NpVYQd

 Follow Bonnie on Instagram & Facebook:
@thebonniegray

Do you find yourself being the one everyone relies on &mdash; the responsible one, the capable one, the one who holds everything together?
If you&rsquo;re overly responsible, rest can start to feel impractical, joy gets postponed, and peace becomes something you hope to get to later &mdash; after everything else is taken care of.
In today&rsquo;s episode, Bonnie shares a deeply personal story about laying down over-responsibility. Through Scripture, neuroscience, and soul care, this episode gently invites you to make space for peace and joy &mdash; not by doing more, but by letting go. This episode will help you recognize how over-responsibility shapes your inner life and offer a compassionate path toward rest, safety, and renewal &mdash; without pressure or obligation. Key Takeaways Why being overly responsible often leaves little room for rest and joy  How Jesus&rsquo; invitation to &ldquo;lay down your nets&rdquo; can lead to peace instead of pressure  Why chronic responsibility keeps the nervous system on alert &mdash; even during good&nbsp; One soul care practice to help you release stress &amp; renew peace &amp; joy Breath Prayer  Inhale: I lay down my nets Exhale: I follow You in peace Today's Scripture: &ldquo;Then Jesus said to them, &lsquo;Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.&rsquo; Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.&rdquo; Matthew 4:19&ndash;20 (NIV) &nbsp;&nbsp;&rarr;&nbsp;Take Bonnie's Most-Loved Soul Care Courses: 
&nbsp;Breathe Rest with Jesus: A Loving Course to Create Wellness Rhythms of Peace with God&rsquo;s Promises
Register at&nbsp;<a href="https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-breatherest/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-breatherest/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1768848995048000&amp;usg=AOvVaw35Rf8VSguMN0Nx3IjA2hOJ">https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-breatherest/</a>
Breathe Joy with Jesus: Create&nbsp;Happy Wellness Rhythms to Cultivate Joy with God's Promises Register at&nbsp;<a href="https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1768848995048000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3WNy0D4-LwbebspXQWKdnb">https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool/</a> Praying the Psalms for Wellness: A Life-giving 8-Week Wellness Course to Release Stress, Renew Peace &amp; Find Rest for Your Hear Register at&nbsp;<a href="https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-prayingpsalms/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-prayingpsalms/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1768848995048000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0jU6rVR8a0I_SF1YdUiSHH">https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-prayingpsalms/</a>
 Lent Wellness Study (Seasonal Offering)
A 6-Week Healing Renewal For Your Heart With Jesus in His Love Register at&nbsp;<a href="https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-lent/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-lent/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1768848995048000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0aILsNvlzQ6-Nmmxq3ELyg">https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-lent/</a>
&nbsp;&rarr; Take the FREE Soul Care Quiz&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="http://soulcarequiz.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://soulcarequiz.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1768848995048000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-ume4pZtgGCyLr9UOs2p0">soulcarequiz.com</a>
Get your personal wellness assessment and learn which area of soul care you need most. &nbsp;&rarr;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eucalyptus Shower Steamers for instant calm at&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/488VVBI" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://amzn.to/488VVBI&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1768848995048000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0fkC6NzV71GQdQJBPTAgKW">Bonnie's Soul Care Store</a>
&nbsp;&nbsp;Join the Soul Care Newsletter: <a href="https://thebonniegray.com/subscribe" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thebonniegray.com/subscribe&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1768848995048000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Fni5CUuKyZDaODA30Pnfs">https://thebonniegray.com/subscribe</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;Watch YouTube Devotionals: <a href="https://youtube.com/thebonniegray" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://youtube.com/thebonniegray&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1768848995048000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1LLQCvlPDFaEbLN85iJrJ2">https://youtube.com/thebonniegray</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;Bestselling Books by Bonnie: <a href="https://amzn.to/3NpVYQd" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://amzn.to/3NpVYQd&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1768848995048000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1UfRND1rzoT6lbVc5Fmqns">https://amzn.to/3NpVYQd</a> &nbsp;Follow Bonnie on Instagram &amp; Facebook: @thebonniegray

Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast hosted by Christian author Bonnie Gray is dedicated to refreshing your soul with rest and sparking joy, so you can feel God’s love and peace. We'll walk you through scientific, scripture-backed methods of restoring calm, in order to help you stress less, take better care of yourself, and create new rhythms to rest in daily life.

Here are some topics covered in this podcast: 

🌸 Feeling Anxious? Cast Your Cares on God Because He Cares For You
🌸 3 Ways to Break Free from Stress, Worry & Anxiety
🌸 How to Say No to Fear & Yes to God PLUS What's the Difference Between Secular & Biblical Meditation?
🌸 Is It Burnout Or Is God Stretching You? 4 Signs to Know the Difference PLUS 4 Mental Health Benefits of Stories
🌸 3 Surprising Ways to Stop Overthinking, Improve Your Mood During the Day, & Get the Sleep Your Body Needs
🌸 The Antidote to Stress & Fatigue + The Surprising Causes – Plus Raising Stress-Resilient Kids

FOLLOW BONNIE:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebonniegray
Facebook: https://facebook.com/thebonniegray
Her site: http://www.thebonniegray.com

Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast hosted by Christian author Bonnie Gray is dedicated to refreshing your soul with rest and sparking joy, so you can feel God’s love and peace. We'll walk you through scientific, scripture-backed methods of restoring calm, in order to help you stress less, take better care of yourself, and create new rhythms to rest in daily life.
Here are some topics covered in this podcast: 
🌸 Feeling Anxious? Cast Your Cares on God Because He Cares For You 🌸 3 Ways to Break Free from Stress, Worry &amp; Anxiety 🌸 How to Say No to Fear &amp; Yes to God PLUS What's the Difference Between Secular &amp; Biblical Meditation? 🌸 Is It Burnout Or Is God Stretching You? 4 Signs to Know the Difference PLUS 4 Mental Health Benefits of Stories 🌸 3 Surprising Ways to Stop Overthinking, Improve Your Mood During the Day, &amp; Get the Sleep Your Body Needs 🌸 The Antidote to Stress &amp; Fatigue + The Surprising Causes – Plus Raising Stress-Resilient Kids
FOLLOW BONNIE: Instagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/thebonniegray">https://instagram.com/thebonniegray</a> Facebook: <a href="https://facebook.com/thebonniegray">https://facebook.com/thebonniegray</a> Her site: <a href="http://www.thebonniegray.com/">http://www.thebonniegray.com</a>

Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast is dedicated to refreshing your soul with rest and sparking joy, so you can feel God’s love and peace. We'll walk you through scientific, scripture-backed methods of restoring calm, in order to help you stress less,...

Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast

Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast hosted by Christian author Bonnie Gray is dedicated to refreshing your soul with rest and sparking joy, so you can feel God’s love and peace. We'll walk you through scientific, scripture-backed methods of restoring calm, in order to help you stress less, take better care of yourself, and create new rhythms to rest in daily life.

Here are some topics covered in this podcast: 
Ways to Eliminate Anxiety & Cast Your Cares on God 
Tips to Break Free from Stress, Worry & Anxiety
Recommendations on How to Say No to Fear & Yes to God
Ways to Raise Stress-Resilient Kids
Mental Health Benefits of Stories of Stories & Activities 
Surprising Ways to Stop Overthinking
Tips to Improve Your Mood During the Day & Get the Sleep Your Body Needs
The Difference Between Secular & Biblical Meditation
The Difference Between Burnout & God Stretching You
The Antidote to Stress & Fatigue + The Surprising Causes 

FOLLOW BONNIE:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebonniegray
Facebook: https://facebook.com/thebonniegray
Her site: http://www.thebonniegray.com 

Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast hosted by Christian author Bonnie Gray is dedicated to refreshing your soul with rest and sparking joy, so you can feel God’s love and peace. We'll walk you through scientific, scripture-backed methods of restoring calm, in order to help you stress less, take better care of yourself, and create new rhythms to rest in daily life.
Here are some topics covered in this podcast: 
<ul>
<li>Ways to Eliminate Anxiety &amp; Cast Your Cares on God </li>
<li>Tips to Break Free from Stress, Worry &amp; Anxiety</li>
<li>Recommendations on How to Say No to Fear &amp; Yes to God</li>
<li>Ways to Raise Stress-Resilient Kids</li>
<li>Mental Health Benefits of Stories of Stories &amp; Activities </li>
<li>Surprising Ways to Stop Overthinking</li>
<li>Tips to Improve Your Mood During the Day &amp; Get the Sleep Your Body Needs</li>
<li>The Difference Between Secular &amp; Biblical Meditation</li>
<li>The Difference Between Burnout &amp; God Stretching You</li>
<li>The Antidote to Stress &amp; Fatigue + The Surprising Causes </li>
</ul>
FOLLOW BONNIE: Instagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/thebonniegray">https://instagram.com/thebonniegray</a> Facebook: <a href="https://facebook.com/thebonniegray">https://facebook.com/thebonniegray</a> Her site: <a href="http://www.thebonniegray.com/">http://www.thebonniegray.com </a>

Dear Overly Responsible One: It's Okay to Rest #196

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/6d352e49-f182-4f95-bde5-b3d601390a95/transcript