Do you ever feel responsible for fixing things the moment they appear?

Maybe it’s not big anxiety. It’s just a subtle, steady pressure to reply, fix, improve, or mentally process everything the moment it appears. That quiet activation can keep your nervous system on alert all day long.

In today’s episode, Bonnie shares a personal story about how even “rest” can quietly turn into another performance — and how learning to say “Not now” helped her lower background stress and retrain the urgency reflex.

This episode explores micro-activation stress — the hidden pressure to treat every thought like a task — and why small, non-productive moments may be exactly what your nervous system needs to reset.


Key Takeaways

Why the mind stays activated even when nothing is wrong
How God values non-productive time unseen by others
What happens in the brain when you delay urgency instead of responding immediately
One simple soul care practice that lowers background tension and increases presence

Breath Prayer
Inhale: Go into your room and pray to your Father who is in secret. 
Exhale: And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Scripture
“Go into your room, shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:65

  → Take Bonnie's Soul Care Courses:

  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/

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

Register at https://soulcareschool.mykajabi.com/offers/mqr8VY2X/checkout

 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/

  → 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 ever feel responsible for fixing things the moment they appear? Maybe it&rsquo;s not big anxiety. It&rsquo;s just a subtle, steady pressure to reply, fix, improve, or mentally process everything the moment it appears. That quiet activation can keep your nervous system on alert all day long. In today&rsquo;s episode, Bonnie shares a personal story about how even &ldquo;rest&rdquo; can quietly turn into another performance &mdash; and how learning to say &ldquo;Not now&rdquo; helped her lower background stress and retrain the urgency reflex. This episode explores micro-activation stress &mdash; the hidden pressure to treat every thought like a task &mdash; and why small, non-productive moments may be exactly what your nervous system needs to reset.
 Key Takeaways
Why the mind stays activated even when nothing is wrong How God values non-productive time unseen by others What happens in the brain when you delay urgency instead of responding immediately One simple soul care practice that lowers background tension and increases presence Breath Prayer Inhale: Go into your room and pray to your Father who is in secret.&nbsp; Exhale: And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.&rdquo; Scripture &ldquo;Go into your room, shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.&rdquo; Matthew 6:65
&nbsp;&nbsp;&rarr;&nbsp;Take Bonnie's Soul Care Courses:
&nbsp;&nbsp;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=1771288482131000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0qdEl_tyBMvUGXK3VH-yCM">https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-lent/</a>
Breathe Rest with Jesus: A Loving Course to Create Wellness Rhythms of Peace with God&rsquo;s Promises
Register at <a href="https://soulcareschool.mykajabi.com/offers/mqr8VY2X/checkout" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://soulcareschool.mykajabi.com/offers/mqr8VY2X/checkout&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1771615141075000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2s5h42pw1NICEwi3QOICgi">https://soulcareschool.mykajabi.com/offers/mqr8VY2X/checkout</a>
&nbsp;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=1771288482131000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3elOjPUkyGfjykwvOn8-s8">https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool/</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;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=1771288482131000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1VDkMLvhdXhkt2jDYL74O_">https://thebonniegray.com/soulcareschool-prayingpsalms/</a>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&rarr;&nbsp;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=1771288482131000&amp;usg=AOvVaw24fNjp5rmDSJ9YYztQjRXp">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=1771288482131000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2k1tpoyNPg1Lk7cScx3EDk">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=1771288482131000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1SW4pGqptFn7M11bsfxZyJ">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=1771288482131000&amp;usg=AOvVaw017wRvMjYoYVj5fcXSyYFv">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=1771288482131000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3uaw3STGYkta_RGdFauicx">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>

You Don’t Have to Fix it All: The Power of “Not Now” #200

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/6b7c8e4f-d5d6-499d-b7f5-b3f3000a5288/transcript